The Road to be a Pokemon Master: Kanto Arc
by FanaticLAguy06
Summary: Join Ash on his journey to be a Pokemon Master. Accompanied by Serena, he will travel to many different regions on his quest to be the best and meet amazing friends and Pokemon along the way. (AU features slightly more mature and smarter Ash. Amourshipping with slight hints at other ships)
1. Pallet Town Summer Camp

**Author's Note:**

** Hello everyone and welcome to my first story! This is going to be a huge project for me so I will be counting on you, as the readers, to help me through it. This story will be AU and the first in a series. It will follow a smarter and slightly more mature Ash on his journey to become a Pokemon Master. That being said, just because he is smarter, he may still make rash decisions sometimes at the very start of his journey, but lose his recklessness later on. Essentially, he's still Ash. He will be accompanied by Serena, who will also establish her own identity. As far as shippings go, this will be an amourshipping story (mainly one-sided early on since Ash is kinda dense about those things), but will also have small hints at other shippings as well. The regions Ash and Serena will travel to are: Kanto, Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, with each region divided into a separate story. This one will cover the events of the Kanto region. I haven't fully decided who they will travel with in other regions, but here in Kanto, it will definitely be Misty and Brock.**

**With that, Let's get started!**

**Edit: For any new readers to my story, I hope you won't get turned off by the first few chapters as I know they aren't of great quality. My writing gets much better as the chapters go on and I think you will like them. I've chosen not to re-edit any early chapters right now as it is a testament to how far I've come as a writer since I started.  
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><p>Chapter 1: Pallet Town Summer Camp<p>

It was a warm, sunny day in Pallet Town. There was not a cloud in the sky. It was the perfect day for summer camp, which is where our setting takes place. Kids were standing side-by-side in a line, all eager for the next activity. The said activity was going to be a scavenger hunt. It was one of the most anticipated activities at Pallet Town Summer Camp.

A young, raven-haired boy with brown eyes at seven years old was among the most eager of the group. His name was Ash Ketchum. Ash was a very kind, if not dense, boy. He loved to explore and go out on adventures, which is why he loved scavenger hunts. He always made sure to put his friends and family before anything else. His dream was to become a Pokemon Master. When he turned ten, he was going to set out on his journey and win every badge in the Kanto region, and then win the Pokemon League. Next, he would conquer other regions and challenge the Elite Four, the best trainers in the world, of each region. He was determined to become a legend.

Another boy in the group stood slightly taller than Ash and had his mouth curled into a smirk. His name was Gary Oak. He also had brown eyes and large, spikey brown hair that went out every which way. His grandfather was the famous Pokemon professor of the Kanto region and was considered the authority on Pokemon. Because of this, Gary had grown to have a very arrogant attitude and loved showing off in front of the other kids, particularly Ash Ketchum. . They had been rivals for a very long time and were always competing. Like Ash, Gary's dream was to be a Pokemon Master as soon as he became of age. He wanted to destroy any other trainer that crossed his path and gain even more fame than his grandfather.

There was also a girl who was very excited for the activity. Her name was Leaf Green. She had brown eyes and long, light brown hair that went down her back. Leaf was a very energetic and bubbly girl who enjoyed making friends with everyone, Pokemon and people alike. Because of this, she was one of the most well-liked kids in Pallet Town. She and Ash were good friends and enjoyed exploring and playing together. She even managed to get along with the arrogant Gary Oak sometimes, though they weren't as close as she and Ash were. Unlike Ash and Gary, however, she didn't have any interest in being the greatest Pokemon Master. Her love of Pokemon and exploration inspired her to instead fill up the pokedex.

There was also one girl in the group who wasn't very excited for the hunt. Her name was Serena Gabena. She had blue eyes and shoulder-length, honey blonde hair, though most of it was covered by the straw hat she was wearing. She was new to Pallet Town and had moved there just a few weeks ago. Her mother had sent her to camp in the hope that she could make some friends there, but Serena was too shy to talk to anybody. Leaf had attempted to start a conversation a few times, but even she couldn't get much response from Serena. Unlike Ash, Gary, and Leaf, Serena didn't have a clear goal in mind. Her mother had been a famous Rhyhorn Racer but was now retired. It only took Serena a few times on her mother's Rhyhorn to decide she didn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. She was always getting thrown off the first few seconds. So what could she do with her life?

"Heh, this is going to be a piece of cake. Everyone knows I'm going to win," Gary said in an arrogant tone, causing the other kids to glare at him.

"Don't be so sure, Gary. You might have beaten us at some of the other events, but you won't win this time! I can't wait to see that smirk wipe off your face!" Ash said to him. This caused Gary to turn his attention to Ash now. Leaf sighed worriedly. Here comes another one of their arguments.

"Oh yeah, Ashy boy? Everyone here knows that you're a loser. Why don't you just go back to your cabin and sit this one out? It will save you the embarrassment of losing to me again," Gary shot back. There were few things in the world that made Ash angry, but Gary Oak was one of them.

"Just you wait, Gary. I'm going to win this time, and then I'll beat you at everything else, too" Ash shouted. They then butted heads and growled at each other, silently daring the other to give in first. Leaf rolled her eyes while Serena and the other kids just stood there quietly watching.

This is when the camp counselor decided to intervene. "Alright. Alright. Break it up you two. You don't want me to have to call your parents do you?" The two boys then gave each other one last glare before walking back to their respective places in line.

Leaf then leaned over toward Ash and whispered, "Ash, you are one of the nicest boys I know. You shouldn't let Gary get to you like that. You know he is just trying to make you mad."

Ash then sighed. "Thanks, Leaf. I just wish I could beat Gary at something to prove that he isn't as great as he thinks he is."

* * *

><p>"Alright, so does everyone understand the rules?" the camp counselor asked, receiving a nod from all the kids. "Remember, no teaming up. You are to do this alone. There will be counselors at various points to around the camp make sure you don't get lost. The first one to find all the items will be declared the winner of the scavenger hunt. Most importantly, have fun! Are you ready?"<p>

All the kids were then handed a basket and a list of things to find. Ash, Gary, Leaf, and the other kids had determined looks on their faces, all except Serena. She looked unsurely at the list of things to find, going through them in her mind. How could she succeed at this event? She had barely even gotten through the others. She didn't even want to come to this camp in the first place.

"On your mark, get set, go!" the camp counselor yelled, pumping his fist into the air. The kids then all ran off into different directions, determined to beat one another at the scavenger hunt.

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><p>Serena was walking through the forest beside the camp by herself. It was already twenty minutes into the scavenger hunt, and she had only found a couple of items on the list. She then let out a sigh. She hoped she would at least be able to get through this event. It was going to be the last major one at the camp since it was the last day, and she hadn't made a single friend yet. Aside from Leaf, no one had really attempted to talk to her. She hated being the new kid and wished she wasn't so shy to make new friends.<p>

She then heard a rustling in the bush. She stopped and eyed the bush. "Umm, hello? Is anybody in there?" she asked timidly. There was no response. "Hello?" she asked again. There was still no response. She slowly started walking toward the bush and was about to peak when all of the sudden, a Poliwag jumped out of the bush with a cry of "Poli!"

Serena was so startled that she tripped and fell backwards, dropping her list and basket of items. "Owww!" she cried as she landed. The Poliwag just looked at her and waddled off into another part of the forest. Serena had scraped her knee pretty badly when she fell and it really hurt. She couldn't even stand up.

Serena then began to cry. Where were the camp counselors at? They were supposed to be at every area. "I didn't even want to come to camp in the first place," she said in between tears. "I wish someone would come to help me. MAMAAAAA!" she cried out.

Just then, she heard more rustling from the bushes. She hoped it was one of the counselors, but what if it wasn't? What if it was another Pokemon, only more dangerous than a Poliwag? Serena stared fearfully at the bush until a raven-haired boy emerged from it. She sighed with relief that it was just one of the campers. They hadn't been formally introduced, but she believed he was called Ash Ketchum. He was still clearly looking for items in the scavenger hunt.

"Hmm, where is it?" Ash said to himself. He then noticed Serena. He walked up to her and gave her a warm smile. "Hi. My name is Ash Ketchum! What's yours?"

"I-I'm Serena," she said timidly.

"Why are you on the ground, Serena?" the raven-haired boy asked.

"I fell, and now my leg hurts," Serena said, grimacing at the pain.

"That's okay. I'll help you," Ash said as he set down his things. He then bent down and pulled a blue cloth out of his shorts pocket. Serena watched him as he began to tie the cloth over her leg. "_This is_ _really nice of him_," she thought to herself. He could have just ran to get help which would have left her alone again, but he was fixing it himself.

Once Ash was done, he began to wave his hands over the wound. "I'll say a good luck charm really quick. Pain, pain, go away!" he said.

Despite how silly it sounded, Serena thought that it was really sweet and gave Ash a smile of her own. The young girl even felt a slight tinge of red on her cheeks. "Thank you, Ash," she said gratefully.

"No problem. Can you stand?" Ash asked her

She then began to try, but the pain forced her back down. "It's no use! My leg hurts too bad!" she cried.

"Never give up until the end!" Ash said as he stood up and offered Serena his hand.

Serena stared at the open gesture for a moment before she slowly slipped her hand into Ash's. He then gave a hard tug and pulled Serena to her feet, but ended up pulling a little too hard causing Serena to fall against Ash in an almost hug- like state. Serena stood surprised for a moment as she leaned against Ash and felt her cheeks go red again. She then pulled away and stared at Ash in surprise. He didn't appear to notice the type of state they were in, and instead gave Serena a bright smile.

"You stood!" Ash said happily before giving her a grin. "Come on. Let's head back to the camp," he said as he began to lead Serena by hand, out of the forest.

"But what about your things for the scavenger hunt?" Serena asked.

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting you back safely," Ash told her with a smile as he continued to lead her by the hand.

Serena continued to silently follow Ash out of the forest. He was being so nice to her, and they didn't even know each other. First, he ties up her wound, helps her stand, and is completely dropping the scavenger hunt to make sure that she is safely led out of the forest. She would say that he is probably the nicest boy she has ever met.

"So do you live in Pallet Town?" Ash asked her.

"Yes. My mama and I just moved here a few weeks ago," she replied.

"Well that's great! Once camp is over, I can come over to see you at your house, and we can play together! I'll also introduce you to some of my friends!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"That would be really nice. Thank you, Ash," Serena said with a smile. She was so surprised at how kind Ash was. He was even offering to come see her once camp was over and be her friend.

"You bet! Hey! Look! We've reached the end of the forest! Let's get you to the nurse's office to make sure you are okay," Ash said as he pointed to the exit. Then together they walked out of the forest hand-in-hand.

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><p>It came as no surprise to anyone that Gary Oak had become the victor of the scavenger hunt. He didn't waste any time bragging to everybody about how he knew he would win and that he was the greatest ever, especially to Ash. Normally, Ash would have gotten angry and given a retort to Gary, but at the moment, he wasn't bothered by Gary's taunting. He was just glad he was able to help Serena when she was in trouble.<p>

XXX

"_How is she, Ms. Nurse?" Ash asked after the nurse had examined Serena's scrape. The nurse then turned to Ash and gave him a smile. Serena was sitting on a chair with her leg in a more appropriate bandage._

_ "She will be just fine, young man. It was only a scrape and will heal completely in a few days," the nurse told him kindly. "You were very smart to tie that cloth around her scrape until you could get help for her. She must be lucky to have a friend like you."_

_ "That's great!" Ash exclaimed. He then turned to Serena. "See, the nurse said you will be just fine. You will be feeling great again in no time!"_

_ "Y-yeah. That's great," Serena said, feeling the red return to her cheeks. Why did she keep getting so flustered around Ash?!_

_ "Oh, no! Serena, your face is getting red. You aren't getting a fever, are you?" Ash asked with worry. This caused Serena to become even redder than she already was._

_ The nurse, however, knew exactly what was going on and came to the rescue. "Don't worry, Ash. Serena isn't getting a fever at all so don't you worry about it. Why don't you go on back outside while I finish up in here?" she told him with a smile. "_Ah, young love. That's so sweet," _she thought to herself._

_ "Okay," Ash said as turned around and headed for the door. He then turned to Serena and gave her a thumbs-up. "Hey, Serena! Let's play together real soon!" With that, he walked out of the nurse's office, leaving Serena and the nurse alone. Serena still had the blue cloth Ash had given her and brought it close to her chest. As she watched the young boy go, she felt a wave of sadness wash over her. She hoped she would be able to see Ash again soon._

_XXX_

"Hey, Ashy-boy! Are you even listening to me?! I beat you again!" Gary said, trying to get some type of rise out of Ash, but Ash wasn't giving any type of pouting or angry look as usual. Instead, to Gary's surprise, Ash gave him a smile.

"Alright, Gary. Good job. You beat me this time, but you just wait until next time," he said. Gary just stared at Ash, dumbfounded for a second. He finally gave up taunting Ash, but not before muttering, "Loser," and walked away with his hands in his pockets.

Leaf then walked up to Ash. "Wow, Ash. I've never seen you handle Gary's taunting so maturely," she said to him.

"Yeah. I guess I'm just happy because I was able to help someone and make a friend today," Ash told her.

"Really? Who is it?" Leaf asked him.

"Her name is Serena. She had hurt her leg during the scavenger hunt. I found her and helped her out. It turns out she lives in Pallet Town also," Ash told her.

"Oh yeah. I remember Serena," Leaf said. "I had tried to talk to her while we were here at camp, but she never said much back. She was really shy." She then smiled at Ash. "That was always one of your best qualities, Ash. You care a lot about others and are always willing to help those in need. You will be a great Pokemon trainer in the future. I know it."

"Thanks, Leaf," Ash said, smiling back at her. "I'm going to shout it out right now!" He then turned toward the sky, cupped his hands over his mouth, and shouted out, "Look out, world! Ash Ketchum is coming before you know it! I'm going to be the greatest Pokemon Master ever!"

Little did Ash know that Serena was watching him from the window of the nurse's office and heard the words he had shouted. "_Ash really is something," _she thought to herself. She had a feeling that he was going to be a big part of and influence on her life from now on. Maybe coming to the summer camp wasn't such a bad thing, after all.

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><p><strong>So how was it everyone? Please tell me what you thought in a review. Constructive criticism is welcome. Should I keep going or not? I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have about the story. <strong>

**This chapter was a little shorter compared to how long the other chapters will be. It was mainly used as an introduction to some of the characters, as well as the meeting of Ash and Serena The next chapter will begin their Pokemon journey. My chapters should contain around 4000 to 6000 words each. Is that an okay length? **

**If any of you thought that Serena was too shy or Gary was too big of a jerk, that will change. Serena's shyness was mainly because she was the new kid. Gary will mature but still be cocky. **

**Expect the next chapter to come up soon! "Chapter 2: Meeting the starters." **


	2. Meeting the Starters

**A/N**

**Hey everyone! I was pleasantly surprised to see the amount of reviews and favs my fic got.** **I'm going to definitely try to see this through to the end to not disappoint you guys. I will try to keep a weekly/bi-weekly update schedule. If for some reason I'm unable to meet that and have something going on, I will let you guys know in my profile or the chapter before. I can even keep my profile updated with the progress of the chapters if you would prefer. Just let me know. With that, here is chapter 2!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. All of its characters belong to Nintendo.**

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><p>Chapter 2: Meeting the starters<p>

It was late at night in Pallet Town. Stores had closed hours ago, and most people had already gone to sleep for the night. There were few sounds at this time to disturb anyone in the rural community. It was very tranquil and peaceful. There was still one light on in Pallet Town, however. It showed from the second story window from the bedroom of a two story house. The said bedroom belonged to Ash Ketchum. It had been three years since he was at Pallet Town summer camp. Now, he was ten years of age, and tomorrow would be the day he would finally begin his journey to be a Pokemon Master. It had been the only thing he had thought about the entire day.

He currently had the television turned on to a Pokemon battle between a Gengar and Nidorino. Gengar was of the ghost/poison-type Pokemon and was dark purple in color with its face in a mischievous grin. It had protrusions coming from its back that resembled spikes. Nidorino was a poison-type Pokemon and was dark pink and resembled a large rabbit. It had a large horn protruding from its forehead. The Pokemon belonged to members of the Elite Four themselves. Gengar belonged to Agatha, and Nidorino belonged to Bruno.

Despite the intensity of the battle, Ash wasn't paying it much mind. He was too focused on his journey for tomorrow. Ash's mother had just bought him some new clothes for his journey earlier that day, which he was currently trying on. They consisted of a plain black, short-sleeved shirt with a pair of blue jeans. Over the black shirt he had on a blue jacket with white short sleeves which he wore open. On his hands were a pair of black, fingerless gloves with green edgings. He was also wearing his favorite red and white hat. It was the official Pokemon League hat. Ash claimed he had to send in about a million post cards to win it, which made it very special to him.

"Alright. Tomorrow is finally the day," Ash said to himself. "My dream to become a Pokemon Master is going to begin." He then picked up an alarm clock in the shape of a pokeball and held it out in front of him. "I will be the very best! Like no one ever was! That is what I…."

"Ash! Get to bed!"

The sudden appearance of Delia Ketchum, his mother, in the doorway and her shout startled Ash so much that he threw the alarm clock across the room which was caught by her. It then opened up revealing a mechanical Pidgey that was cuckooing. Ash's mother was a young woman with brown eyes and long brown hair which was tied into a ponytail. She was currently wearing her night robe.

"It's late, Ash" she continued. "Tomorrow is the day you start your Pokemon journey. You need your rest so you don't oversleep and get a late start."

"I know, Mom. I'm just so excited for tomorrow that I'm not tired. I'll go to bed real soon, though. I promise,' Ash said.

"Fine. You have ten more minutes, and then I want to see you in bed, young man," Delia told him. She then walked over to the television and changed the channel. "In the meantime, at least watch something a little more educational." With that, she walked out of the room.

Ash turned to the television. The channel she had changed it to featured Professor Oak discussing the three starter Pokemon that trainers could choose from. They consisted of: Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. Trainers may only choose one, and each one had their own strengths and weaknesses that would serve trainers differently depending on the circumstance.

"For all you future Pokemon trainers out there," Professor Oak began, "I'd like to present to you the starter Pokemon. They are Bulbasaur, the grass-type, Charmander, the fire-type, and Squirtle, the water-type. One of these three powerful Pokemon await you and will be your loyal companions, but remember, Pokemon are also your friends. Perhaps you will choose Bulbasaur, whose razor-sharp leaves and vines can cut through the thickest forest. Maybe Charmander, whose strong body is sure to be useful in tough climates, or perhaps Squirtle is more to your liking, who can get you across any body of water."

"_They all look so good. It will be a really tough choice,_" Ash thought. He did know that whomever he chose would be the best friend Ash could ask for. He couldn't wait to meet his future partner tomorrow.

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><p>Elsewhere in Pallet Town, just a few houses down, a girl with honey blonde hair was already in bed. Like Ash, however, she was unable to get to sleep. The girl was Serena Gabena. She was no longer the super shy girl she was when she first moved to Pallet Town. She had fit into the Pallet Town crew just fine in the past three years. She and Leaf had become best friends in that time and did all sorts of things together, whether it be watching movies, talking about the latest thing, or discussing whether Gary or Ash was the denser boy. They usually agreed that it was Ash. Serena valued her friendship with Leaf because there were some things a girl could just never discuss with a boy.<p>

Serena and Gary were able to get along most of the time, though they did argue sometimes, but nowhere near the intensity or as often as Gary and Ash did. Those two were still fierce rivals and competed at just about everything. Though Gary wasn't as much of a jerk as he used to be and could even be pretty nice sometimes, he could never seem to let go of that arrogant attitude of his, which is what Serena, and Ash and Leaf for that matter, couldn't stand about him.

Then there was Ash. Ever since that day at summer camp when he helped her, she developed a secret crush on Ash. Well, it wasn't really a secret as the only person who didn't seem to know about it was Ash himself. She had never known anyone as kind as Ash Ketchum. Just as he promised, he came over to play with her after summer camp and had been the one to properly introduce her to Leaf and Gary. She and Ash had played together all the time and always had a blast. She could see him for only a minute and be happy the rest of the day. He had also been the one to get her the hat she likes to wear.

XXX

_"Happy birthday, Serena!" Ash said with a smile as he handed her the present. _

_It was Serena's tenth birthday. Her mother was throwing a birthday party at her house and invited Ash, Leaf, and Gary. She had already opened all of her presents except for Ash's._

"_Thank you, Ash," Serena said gratefully. She then took the present and sat down as she began to unwrap it. She couldn't wait to see what her crush had given her. Once she unwrapped it, it unveiled a medium sized box. She opened the box, and inside was a pink hat with a black horizontal stripe which ran across it and had pink brim. _

"_I hope you like it, Serena," Ash said a little shyly. He then rubbed the back of his neck. "I know I'm not very good with fashion, but I saw that hat in the store the other day and thought you might look good in it, so…"_

"_Oh, Ash! I love it!" Serena exclaimed. She then jumped up and gave Ash a great big hug, causing him to actually redden slightly._

"_That's great. I'm glad," he said a little nervously._

_ "I'm going to try it on right now!" Serena said. She then placed the hat on her head and gave a wink and a smile. "How do I look?" she asked everyone. They all murmured their approval. "Thanks again, Ash," she said_

_ "You're welcome," he replied._

XXX

Ever since Ash had given her the hat, she had worn it every day. It was stylish and went well with her outfits, but the best part is that it was a gift from Ash.

Her birthday had been a few months ago, and tomorrow was the day she would begin her Pokemon journey as well. The only problem was she had no idea what her goal would be. Ash, Gary, and Leaf had known what they had wanted to do for a long time. Why couldn't she decide what her goal would be? She could only hope that by going on this journey that she will find something that catches her interest and pursue it.

Furthermore, she didn't want to go on this journey by herself. She believed journeys were always better with more than one person. You would always have someone looking out for you in case something happened, and it was, of course, more fun to have someone else to talk to. She hoped Ash, Leaf, or even Gary (okay maybe not Gary) would accept her to accompany them. All these thoughts were swimming through her head, and she just couldn't get to sleep. She gave a sigh. This was going to be a long night.

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><p>"<em>Today is finally the day<em>," Ash thought as finished tying his tennis shoes. It was the next morning, and he had been waiting for this moment a long time. He was pumped. He ran out of his room, down the stairs, and then burst into the kitchen. His mother, Delia, had just finished cooking him a big breakfast.

"Ash, this is the last meal I'm going to cook for you in a while, so I hope you're hungry. I made plenty," Delia said as set the plate of food down on the table. Ash looked hungrily at the plate of food in front of him. I consisted of a stack of pancakes and plenty of bacon on the side.

"Thanks, Mom!" Ash said as he began to dig in. It all tasted so good! He really would miss his mom's cooking while he was gone.

"Oh, my little baby is going on his Pokemon journey. You are growing up so fast!" Delia said as she began to tear up as Ash finished his breakfast.

"Mom…" Ash said embarrassedly.

"Now, Professor Oak is waiting for you, Ash. You should go ahead to the lab. You don't want to be late, do you?" Delia told him.

It was then that Ash looked at the clock. He only had ten minutes until he was supposed to be at Professor Oak's lab!

"Oh, no! I'm running late!" Ash exclaimed as he dashed out of the house.

"Make sure to stop by the house again before you leave!" Delia called after him

"Okay!" Ash shouted back.

* * *

><p>"Serena! Hurry up or you will be late!" Grace, Serena's mother, called out upstairs to her daughter.<p>

"I know! I can't figure out what to wear, though!" Serena yelled

"Just pick something!" Grace said

Serena then came downstairs, still in her pink pajamas. "I can't decide between these two blouses! What do you think?" Serena asked, holding up the two blouses for her mother to see. One was a black blouse with a white collar. The other was pretty similar in design but was a different color. It was a light gray color with a black collar.

"Hmm," her mother mused. After examining them, she said, "I like the light gray one with the black collar.

"Alright! That settles it! The black blouse it is!" Serena said with delight as she ran back upstairs to her room to change.

"Wait. You are going to choose the opposite of what I said? I thought you wanted my opinion," Grace said with confusion as she watched her daughter go back up the stairs.

Serena then turned around and let out a giggle and a wink. "The outfit that you chose would definitely be the less fashionable one," she said, causing Grace to roll her eyes.

"Fine. Just hurry up and change," Grace advised, looking at her watch. "Professor Oak said he wanted all of you there by ten o'clock, and it's already nine forty-five!"

About two minutes later, Serena came down in her clothes. Aside from the black blouse with the white collar, her outfit consisted of a pink skirt that went slightly above her knees, black thigh-high socks, solid black shoes, and of course, the pink hat that Ash had given her. "Do I look okay, Mom?" she asked.

"You look fine! Now go! Just make sure after you get your Pokemon to come back here to grab your things!" Grace urged.

"Okay! Bye, Mom! Love you!" Serena said with a wave as she ran out the door. She also gave a quick good bye to her mother's Rhyhorn that was walking around in the front yard. Then she turned the corner and dashed down the road to Professor Oak's lab.

As Grace watched her daughter go, she shook her head and sighed. She knew that Serena didn't want to do Rhyhorn racing for the rest of her life, and that was fine. She just wished her daughter would find a goal: trainer, coordinator, breeder, watcher, connoisseur, anything! She actually had encouraged her daughter to stay at home for a while until she could find out what she wanted to do, but Serena had insisted so strongly on leaving this year (probably because Ash was leaving), that her mother had to give in. Grace then turned to head to the kitchen. "_Serena is really into fashion. Maybe she could be a Pokemon fashion designer. It's the only other thing I can think of," _she thought.

* * *

><p>Serena continued to hurry along the path to Professor Oak's lab. She would be really embarrassed to be late on her first day of getting a Pokemon. She knew that if she continued to run, she should be able to make it on time. As she was running, she came to an intersection ad caught sight of Ash coming from the other side, also running. At least she wasn't the only one pressed for time.<p>

"Ash! Hi!" Serena said in between breaths as she turned the corner to Professor Oak's lab.

"Serena!" Ash said, also in between breaths as he turned the corner.

They continued to run side by side. They were almost there. They ran up the steps and burst through the door just before the clock struck ten. Both of them were panting heavily.

Gary and Leaf were already there. Both of them were waiting for Ash and Serena. Both of them were geared up for the Pokemon journey also. Gary had on a long sleeved purple shirt and dark blue pants. He also wore brown boots and a green necklace. Leaf was wearing a sky blue sleeveless shirt, a red skirt, knee-high light blue socks, white tennis shoes, and a white hat with red stripes and half-pokeball symbol on it.

Behind them stood Professor Samuel Oak himself. He was an older man in his early sixties. He was of average size and build for an adult and had neatly combed gray hair and thick, black, bushy eyebrows. He wore a white lab coat over a red polo shirt securely tucked into khaki pants with a belt.

"Well, well. It seems all of you are here on time," Professor Oak said, giving the four a smile. "I know all of you are very excited. A whole new adventure awaits you all! It's the incredible world of Pokemon! Your journey with your partner Pokemon will have many fun times, but also there may be dangerous times as well. If it ever comes to that, you must use your Pokemon to protect you. Always remember this, though. Your Pokemon are not just there to protect you from danger, they are also your friends and partners. Do you understand?"

All four nodded their heads, each with different thoughts going through their head. "_This is it! I can't wait! I'm gonna be the very best!" _Ash thought.

"_Here it is. I hope I'm ready," _Serena thought.

_"This is great! I can't wait to see all the different Pokemon!_" Leaf thought.

_"Heh, it's about time. Now the world will see what a real Pokemon trainer looks like," _Gary thought.

"Very well. In that case, please follow me to the other room to meet your first Pokemon," Professor Oak said. He then turned around and began walking into the main part of the lab, the four soon-to-be trainers following him.

He led them into a large room with a large computer on one side. In the center of the room was a circular table with three pokeballs sitting on top of it. Other than that, the room was pretty bare.

"Here they are! One of these will become your very first Pokemon," Professor Oak stated, gesturing to the pokeballs on the table. "One of the pokeballs contains Bulbasaur, the grass-type Pokemon, One contains Charmander, the fire-type Pokemon, and the other contains Squirtle, the water-type Pokemon. Choose your Pokemon wisely. Who would like to go first?"

Ash, always the gentleman, said," Ladies first, as they say," causing both Serena and Leaf to smile at him.

Gary just shrugged. "Whatever. Those two can go first if they want. It's not like it makes a difference. I'll be the best no matter which one I have"

"Then it's settled!" Professor Oak said with a nod. "Serena, Leaf, please go ahead and pick your Pokemon."

Leaf walked up to the table first. She had known which Pokemon she wanted from the very beginning. "I like all the Pokemon here, but if I had to choose one, it would be Bulbasaur! So come on out" she said as she grabbed the pokeball and pushed the center button to open it.

A beam of white light shot out of the pokeball until it materialized into a small grayish green dinosaur-like Pokemon with a large green bulb on its back. Bulbasaur looked around at all of its surroundings before its eyes settled on Leaf, its new trainer.

Leaf kneeled down to be more eye level with it. "You're so cute!" she exclaimed. "Would you like to travel with me, Bulbasaur?"

Bulbasaur studied Leaf for moment before smiling and cried, "Bulbasaur!" signaling that it approved.

Gary smirked. "It figures you would choose a grass-type Pokemon since your name is Leaf," he said causing Leaf to stick her tongue out at him.

"Haha, very funny," she said sarcastically.

"Serena, why don't you go ahead and choose your next Pokemon?" Professor Oak suggested.

"Go on Serena! I'm really excited to see which Pokemon you get!" Ash said, giving her a thumbs-up. Serena smiled back at Ash and felt herself blush a bit, but quickly hid it from the others.

Serena then walked up to the table and studied the remaining two pokeballs. The one she chose would be her partner for life. She really had to make sure she chose the right one. Squirtle or Charmander? She took a deep breath as she made her decision.

"Charmander! I choose you!" Serena said as she opened the pokeball to reveal Charmander. It was an orange salamander Pokemon the stood on two legs. It had a flame burning at the end of its tail.

"Char! Char!" it cried as it ran up and hugged Serena's legs. Serena instantly liked it.

"Oooooh, it's so cute!" Leaf squealed, jumping up and down, causing Serena, Ash, and Professor Oak to laugh. Gary just rolled his eyes.

"_Annoying girl_," he thought.

"Well, you certainly are friendly, aren't you?" Serena said. She then picked up Charmander and held it out in front of her. "Would you like to come along with me?" she asked.

Charmander nodded enthusiastically. It then reached out and took Serena's hat and placed it on its head and winked. It was clearly a female Charmander.

"Hahaha! Do you like my hat?" Serena giggled as she took it back.

"Char! Char!" it said and nodded again.

"I've got a nickname for you, Charmander,"Serena began. "How about I call you Charla?"

"Charmander!" it agreed and nodded again.

Serena smiled. She believed she had made the right choice for her Pokemon. She just secretly hoped she was good enough for the friendly Pokemon considering she didn't know what she wanted to do yet.

Gary decided he would go next. He walked up to the table and looked at the remaining pokeball. "Well, I guess that leaves this one for me," he said as he grabbed the pokeball and opened it. "Come out, Squirtle!"

The pokeball opened to reveal Squirtle. It was a small, light blue turtle Pokemon that stood on two legs and had a curly tail coming out of its shell. It stood there with its arms crossed and had a confident expression on its face.

"Heh, you look like a tough guy. Why don't you travel with me, Squirtle? We'll conquer anyone in our path. Soon, everyone will know our name!" Gary said as he looked down at Squirtle.

"Squirtle!" it said. Then they both began to laugh arrogantly. Everyone else in the room sweat dropped. Those two were just alike.

"I guess that leaves me," Ash said as he went to the table. It was then that he noticed something very wrong. There were only three pokeballs that were on the table, and four trainers. There weren't any Pokemon left. Everyone else in the room realized this as well as they got nervous expressions on their faces.

"Uh, Professor Oak? You did have at least four Pokemon prepared for us, right? There is at least one more Pokemon for me, isn't there?" Ash asked hopefully. Serena, Leaf, and Gary looked at Professor Oak. They were wondering the same thing.

Professor Oak began to rub the back of his neck. "Well, there is one other Pokemon for me to give. It is rather different, however. Are you sure you want it?" he asked with an unsure expression.

"Definitely! I'll take it!" Ash said with no hesitation.

"If you are sure," Professor Oak said as he pushed a button on the side of the table. The center of the table opened up, and a small platform rose out of the opening. On top of the platform was a pokeball with a small lightning bolt on it.

Professor Oak then picked up the pokeball and gave Ash a serious expression. "Okay, Ash. This Pokemon has had bad experiences with humans in the past. It's very distrustful with humans as a result. I had to work very hard for it to even let me come near it. I am trusting you to give this Pokemon the love and friendship it deserves," Professor Oak said. "Will you do that?"

"I will Professor. You can count on me! This Pokemon and I will become the best of friends!" Ash said.

"Very well, Ash. Here you go. I must ask everyone else to stand back a few feet so as not to startle it," Professor Oak said as he gave Ash the pokeball.

Despite the temptation to get as close of a look as possible, the other kids obeyed and stepped back a few steps. Ash then looked at the pokeball in his hand. Whichever Pokemon was in this pokeball would become his lifelong partner. Whatever this Pokemon had gone through, Ash would help it overcome it and be the best friend the Pokemon could ask for.

"_Here we go,"_ he thought as he opened the pokeball.

The white beam shot out of the pokeball and landed on the table as it began to take shape. The kids all waited anxiously to see what kind of Pokemon would come out of the pokeball. The shape the beam was taking became clearer, and it was soon obvious to everyone that it wasn't going to be a Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle that would come out. The beam finally stopped shooting as the Pokemon began to appear.

The Pokemon was yellow in color and looked like a mouse. It had pointy ears that were tipped with black and one red circle on each of its cheeks. It also had a lightning bolt shaped tail.

It was a Pikachu.

* * *

><p><strong>You all did well at guessing who would have which Pokemon. Yes, the Charmander that Serena got is female and is named Charla like the one in Charicific Valley. The Charicific Valley may make an appearance in Johto, but there will be no Charla like in canon. Expect the next chapter up in about a week!<strong>

**Chapter 3: The meeting of life long partners (working title)**

**Replies to Reviews: Pokeball645: Thanks! I hope you will continue to read until the end!**

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**Hawk2012: Glad you liked the opening! I hope you will continue to read the story.**

**WhiteEagle1985: Glad you liked it! Yes, Serena lives in Pallet Town with Ash will travel with him in all the regions.**

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**STORYmaker2: I'm glad you liked it. Yeah I'm trying to follow the anime while having a few of my own ideas. It will follow canon close enough for a bit but will start to diverge more away from it when Ash and Serena get to Pewter. There will still be times when canon and this story line up nicely, though.**

**2 guests: Thanks! I'm glad you liked my story and will continue to read it!**


	3. The Meeting of Lifelong Partners

**A/N: Well here is the next chapter as promised. Ash and Pikachu meet. As for what Serena's goal is…you will just have to wait and see in a future chapter! ** **Once again thanks for all of the reviews and likes! I read them all! You guys are awesome!**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon. It still belongs to Nintendo…yep.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: The Meeting of Lifelong Partners<p>

Everyone stared at the Pokemon that had come out of the pokeball. They certainly were not expecting a Pikachu to come out. In turn, Pikachu stared uncertainly at everyone around it. It didn't quite know what to make of the situation. What it did know was one raven-haired boy was standing a little too close for its liking, though.

Ash was the first one to give any real reaction, and his face broke out into a wide grin. He then leaned forward to get a little closer. "Hello, Pikachu. My name is Ash Ketchum. I had heard that you have had bad experiences with people and distrust them, but I promise you I'm not like that. I'm going to treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Will you give me a chance?"

Pikachu continued to stare at Ash. It didn't believe this kid for one second. It had heard that one before. How people had said they would be nice to it, only to abuse it the first chance they got. Pikachu then promptly turned its back on Ash with a low-toned "Chu" to emphasize that it didn't want anything to do with him.

Gary Oak then gave a smirk as he crossed his arms. "What's the matter Ashy-boy? Can't you even make your first Pokemon trust you? I guess I can say that's to be expected. I don't know what Gramps is thinking trying to give you a Pikachu like that."

Leaf and Serena then glared at Gary. "Ugh! Gary, you can be such a jerk sometimes. Let's see you try to become friends with it," Leaf said.

Gary shrugged. "I'm only saying that Pikachu isn't for some run-off-the-mill rookie like Ash. You know he will be miserable with that thing."

Ash decided he would try again. "Don't listen to Gary, Pikachu. I personally think you are so great that you are the best of all. I couldn't be happier to receive you as my first Pokemon." He then reached out to try to give Pikachu a reassuring touch on its back.

"Wait, Ash! Be careful, or….," Professor Oak tried to warn, but it was too late.

As soon as Pikachu felt Ash's hand against it, it let out a cry of "Pikachuuuuuu!" and gave off a powerful thundershock. The bolt engulfed Ash in electricity and caused the other people and Pokemon to hit the floor in an attempt to block the attack.

"Wow. That was a powerful thundershock," Ash mumbled, a little dazed once Pikachu finished.

"Ash! Are you okay?!" Serena asked worriedly as she and everyone else stood up again.

"Yeah. I think so," Ash said.

"Geez, Ash! Watch what you're doing! That Pikachu is a danger to everyone! You need to get that thing back into its pokeball before something worse happens!" Gary exclaimed with an angry look on his face.

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Gary on this one, Ash. Let me put Pikachu back into its pokeball, and I can try to find another Pokemon for you," Professor Oak said as he picked up Pikachu's pokeball. Pikachu looked at the ball fearfully. It hated being inside pokeballs.

"No. Wait, Professor. It's fine," Ash said, stopping Professor Oak. He then turned Pikachu. "Sorry about that Pikachu. I shouldn't have reached out and startled you like that. That was my fault. I'll try to be more careful from now on. Do you forgive me?"

That got Pikachu's attention. It was expecting Ash to hit it or at least be very angry and yell at it for shocking him, but he was doing just the opposite. He wasn't bothered by it at all and was even apologizing to it and wanted its forgiveness. Maybe this human wasn't as bad as it originally thought. It still didn't trust Ash, but decided to give him a break. It turned around to face Ash and nodded its head, signaling it at least forgave Ash.

"That's great! Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said gratefully. "Maybe we could start over. I really would like to be the trainer and friend to a great Pokemon like you. If you decide you don't want anything to do with me, you can go, and I won't try to stop you. What do you say? Want to give this partnership a chance?" He then extended his hand to Pikachu in a gesture of friendship.

Pikachu hesitated. Surely Ash didn't expect it to be buddies with him just because he apologized and was forgiven. On the other hand, he did seem genuine and said that it could leave at any time with no questions asked if it didn't like him. After giving it some thought, Pikachu decided it could give Ash a single chance. It didn't accept Ash's hand, but it still nodded its head. Pikachu then curled its hands into fists and sparked its cheeks, letting Ash know that it still had its guard up.

Taking the hint, Ash decided Pikachu still wasn't ready for him to be too close to it yet unless he wanted to get another thundershock, but that still didn't stop Ash from grinning broadly. "Thanks, Pikachu. I understand. I won't try to touch you anymore until you are ready. In the meantime, would you please get inside the pokeball? I want to take you to my house to introduce you to my mom."

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu shook its head frantically and waved its arms back and forth. It couldn't stand being in pokeballs, and it would be danged if this kid thought he could get it to go back inside of one.

"Oh? You don't like pokeballs, Pikachu?" Ash asked in concern

Pikachu shook its head again. It then crouched down in a tight ball and closed its eyes, letting Ash know that it thought pokeballs were cramped and dark, which scared it.

"If that's the case, Pikachu, then you don't have to go in. You can just stay outside and walk beside me? How does that sound?" Ash asked, giving Pikachu a smile.

Pikachu was actually impressed. Ash was even not making it get into a pokeball. This kid was just full of surprises. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after, all.

"Are you kidding me?! Ash, if you can't get that thing to even get inside of its pokeball, then it's going to walk all over you! Keep that up, and pretty soon it will be the Pikachu that's training you!" Gary said, glaring at Ash.

"Now, now, Gary! That remark was uncalled for," Professor Oak scolded. He then turned to Ash. "I do agree with what Gary said on one point, however. Are you sure having Pikachu outside the pokeball is a good idea?"

"If Pikachu doesn't want to be in a pokeball, then it doesn't have to," Ash replied.

Professor Oak studied Ash carefully. He had had his doubts, but perhaps giving Ash this Pikachu was the right move, after all. He knew how much Ash cared for Pokemon and had always sensed something special in the boy. He had no doubt that these two would accomplish many great things together.

Serena was thinking likewise. She was super lucky that she got a Pokemon as friendly as Charla. If she had wound up with Pikachu, she didn't think she could handle it. Ash, on the other hand, was so forgiving and never gave up. Those were just a couple of the many qualities that she liked about him.

"Well, Ash, I will trust your judgement," Professor Oak said. He then turned towards the table and pushed another button on it. "I would like to go ahead and give you all your pokedexes now."

The platform that had Pikachu's pokeball on it lowered back into the table. It was soon replaced as a different platform rose out. On it were four red, rectangular devices about the size of a calculator with many different buttons and a small screen.

Professor Oak picked up the machines and handed one to each of the four trainers. "These devices are your pokedexes. They will be used to record and give you any information about the Pokemon you may encounter on your journey. As soon as you see one you haven't come across yet, make sure to open up the pokedex to get its information. I have spent almost my whole adult life studying Pokemon, but I'm getting on in years and can't do field research like I used to. If you manage to fill up the pokedex with every known pokemon, I will have a special award for you."

The four kids nodded, signifying they understood.

"Hey, Gramps. If we are done here, I'd like to go ahead and start my journey. My cheerleaders are waiting in the car," Gary said, returning Squirtle to its pokeball.

"Wait a second, Gary. You have cheerleaders?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Of course, Ash. They are going to follow me around and see what a real trainer from Pallet Town is like! Not that I would expect you to have any fans, except for those two," Gary sneered, gesturing to Leaf and Serena with his thumb, causing them both to blush.

Seeing Ash's angry expression, Gary's sneer turned into a genuine smile. "Hey, I was just kidding Ashy-boy. Despite the things I said, I really do wish you luck in your journey and training that Pikachu. Just at least try to keep up with me," he said.

"Yeah. Thanks, Gary. You, too," Ash said, rather surprised that his biggest rival was actually wishing him luck.

Gary then turned to Leaf and Serena. "The same goes for you two, also. Leaf, as much as you love to explore, I believe you will have no trouble filling up that pokedex. Serena, I expect to see amazing things from you also. You will be a great Pokemon trainer and be ready for the Indigo League in no time!"

"Yeah. Thanks, Gary," Serena said nervously. Only her mother and Leaf knew that Serena hadn't chosen her goal yet. Sure, she liked Pokemon battles, but she still couldn't understand why so many people thought she was going to compete in the Indigo League over everything else.

Gary then turned to leave. "Well, I'm outta here. Hey, gramps. Tell my family I said bye. I'll give them a call when I get to Viridian." Then, with a small wave, he walked out of the room.

"We should probably be leaving as well. I promised my mom and dad that I would stop by before I left," Leaf said. She then turned to Bulbasaur. "Are you ready Bulbasaur?" she asked, receiving a nod from the grass-type Pokemon.

"Yeah. I have to go by my house also," Serena said.

"Alright. Let's all walk back together," Ash suggested. He then turned to Pikachu. "Hey, Pikachu. I'm going home to introduce you to my mom. I promise you that she isn't a bad person. Are you ready?" he asked.

Pikachu pondered on it for just a moment. The boy seemed okay so far, so that must mean his mom can't be that bad of a person either. "Pika," it said, nodding its head.

"Okay. Let's go!" Ash said enthusiastically as he pumped his fist into the air.

As the trio and their Pokemon left the room, they waved good-bye to Professor Oak. "Take care of yourselves, you hear! Keep in touch!" he called after them.

"We will!" they answered.

As they neared the exit to the lab, Ash said to Leaf and Serena, "Do you two think it's true what Gary said about having cheerleaders and a car?"

"He had to be bluffing. You know how cocky he can get. No ten year old should be able to have their own car and personal fan club just like that," Serena answered.

Once they opened the door, they were met by a whole bunch of noise and cheering. On the side of the road in front of Professor Oak's lab, they saw at least a dozen cheerleaders, complete with the uniform, who were chanting Gary's name again and again. There were also at least one hundred fellow residents of Pallet Town in a line cheering just as hard. Beside them, parked on the side of the road, was a flashy red convertible.

"Gary! Gary! He's the best! Gary! Gary! Beats the rest!" they cheered as Gary passed them and got in the car. As soon as he was in, all the cheerleaders piled in behind him making a really tight fit. The cheerleader that would be driving the car then turned it on and sped off down the road. Some of the people in the crowd dispersed while others chased after the vehicle.

Ash, Serena, Leaf, and their Pokemon stood dumbfounded for a moment before sweat dropping.

"Uh, never mind," Serena said.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Mom! I'm back!" Ash called as he and Pikachu entered his house.<p>

"I'm in the kitchen, sweetie! I'm just finishing up with the dishes!" Delia answered back.

Ash then knelt down so he was eye level with Pikachu and said, "Okay Pikachu. I promise you my mother is a good person, but if she tries to hold you, I have to ask you to save your thundershock for me and not her. Deal?"

Pikachu figured that as acceptable and nodded "Pi!"

They then walked into the kitchen just as Delia was stacking the last plate in the cabinet. She was still in her white apron and yellow rubber gloves and had her back turned to him. "So what kind of Pokemon did you end up getting?" she asked as she took off her gloves and began wiping her hands.

"I got the best one of them all, Mom! A Pikachu!" Ash stated proudly.

"You got a Pikachu? I thought the starters were Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle," Ash's mom said in confusion before turning around to face Ash and Pikachu.

"They are, but they were already chosen by Serena, Leaf, and Gary since I volunteered to go last. So then Professor Oak decided to give me this Pikachu. He told me that it has been abused in the past and trusted me to care for it and be its trainer," Ash replied.

"Oh, okay then," Delia said. She then walked across kitchen to Pikachu and knelt down. "Hello there, Pikachu," she said giving Pikachu a kind smile.

Pikachu tilted its head to the side and stared curiously at Delia. He could already sense that this also wasn't a bad human at all. She had a very kind and caring wave around her, the same one it could feel with Ash. It finally gave a smile back at Delia. "Pikachu!" it said, giving Delia a wave with one of its small arms.

"Aww, you are a cutie, aren't you?" Delia said happily as she reached out to rub Pikachu's head.

Ash watched the scene nervously. The previous incident when Pikachu was touched without permission was still fresh in his mind. He hoped Pikachu would be able to keep its promise not to shock his mom. Ash braced himself for what might be a nasty scene, but to his great relief, Pikachu didn't shock Delia when she began to rub its head. Pikachu even seemed to be enjoying it!

"Chaaaaa," Pikachu cooed under Delia's soft touch.

"Hmm hmm!" Delia chuckled softly as she finished. She then stood up and faced her son.

"Alright, Ash. I've already got you packed up. I've got a backpack full of some things you may need for your journey," she told him as she walked out of the kitchen into the living room, her son and Pikachu following her.

Once they entered the living room, Delia walked over to the couch where a green backpack with several pockets and zippers was laying on top of it. She picked it up and turned to face Ash. "Okay, sweetie. I just want to go over some of the things I packed for you before you set out," she said.

"Sure, Mom," Ash replied. He wasn't prepared for the barrage of things his mom was about to list.

"Here," she began, "I have a fresh change of clothes if your current ones get dirty. I packed a few snacks in case you get hungry. I packed a jacket in case you get cold. Here is your sleeping bag since I imagine you will be sleeping outside some nights. Here are some nice rubber gloves and a water keg so you can do your laundry and dishes. Here is a thermometer so you can take your temperature. I also got Tylenol, cough syrup, your toothbrush and toothpaste, a few bars of soap, and….."

"Mom! Okay! I get it! Thanks a lot!" Ash said embarrassedly as Pikachu watched curiously. Ash knew only a mom would be able to pack all those things in such a small backpack.

"Well, alright. I trust you," Delia sighed. She then gazed sadly at her son. She really would miss him while he was gone. She began to tear up. "Oh, Ash! I'm going to miss you!" Delia said as she embraced her son.

"I'll miss you too, Mom," Ash said back as he returned the hug.

Pikachu watched the heartwarming scene with interest. These two humans were not like any it had ever met before. They really did seem caring and friendly. Despite all the bad humans it has encountered in the past, these two had shown it there are good humans after all.

Ash and Delia soon let go and stared at each other for moment longer before Ash spoke up, "I gotta get going, Mom," I promised Serena and Leaf I would meet them at the street corner so we could say our goodbyes before separating. Are you ready Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!" it said nodding its head.

"I understand. You wouldn't mind if I saw you off, would you?" Ash's mom asked hopefully.

"Of course not, Mom. Let's go!" Ash said, putting on his backpack and walking out the door, followed by Delia and Pikachu.

Ash, Delia, and Pikachu stepped outside and began walking toward the street. Ash turned around and paused. He wanted to take one last look at his home for ten years before he began his journey. He had so many great memories here. The aroma of his mother's cooking, his cozy room, he would miss it all.

"Ash?" Delia questioned, noticing her son's almost sad expression.

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine," Ash answered. He then closed his eyes and turned around, continuing on his way.

* * *

><p>As Ash, Delia, and Pikachu were approaching the street corner, they could see Serena and Leaf were already waiting for them. Leaf had brought her bike. She was clearly going to use it for quicker travel on her journey. They likewise had their mothers as well, Grace, Serena's mom, and Rose, Leaf's mom. All four waved when they caught sight of them.<p>

"It's about time you got here, Ash! Do you know how long we've been waiting?" Leaf asked playfully with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry," Ash chuckled. "I just wanted to have one last look around my house before I left. I won't be here for a while, after all."

"Now you aren't going to get homesick, are you? As a Pokemon trainer, you have to stay strong," Leaf said firmly.

"Oh really!? As if you won't miss home," Rose interrupted her daughter. "You were crying in your father's and my arms for three minutes at our house just now." Leaf was almost an exact copy of her mother. The only real difference was Rose's hair was darker, and she had a different shade of brown to her eyes than Leaf's.

"Mom!" Leaf said embarrassedly, turning beet red and causing the others to laugh.

"So are we all ready to part ways?" Ash asked the group once they finished laughing.

"Yeah. I think I'm good," Leaf said

Serena wasn't ready, however. She had no idea where to even begin for this journey. She still didn't know what she wanted to do, and she was about to be away from everyone who had given her support so far. She knew if she went by herself, she would never succeed at this. She knew her mother was afraid of this happening. Perhaps if she, Ash, and Leaf traveled together, they would be able to support each other, and she could find inspiration along the way. Not to mention she would miss her friends, particularly Ash, if she was alone.

"Hey, guys," Serena said nervously, causing the others to turn to her, "What if we went on this journey together? That way, we could still be together and support each other." She hoped they would agree.

"That would be great, Serena!" Ash exclaimed, much to her relief. He then turned to Pikachu. "Hey Pikachu, does that sound okay to you? We can have more friends so we aren't by ourselves!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Both Serena and Leaf seemed to be okay. It decided it could tolerate them there as long as Ash was around.

"Oh that's a wonderful idea!" Grace said, clapping her hands together. Delia and Rose agreed.

"Leaf! Are you in?" Ash asked, turning to her.

Leaf looked nervously at the ground, shuffling her feet. "Actually, as fun as that sounds, I really want to do this journey by myself. I feel that if I can explore all of Kanto and go at my own pace, I can get more out of the experience."

"Well, you are definitely my daughter," Rose said smiling. "Always being independent."

"Oh, that's too bad," Ash said a little disappointedly, but then brightened a little. "I guess it's just you and me, Serena."

Serena nodded. She may not be able to travel with Leaf, but at least she will have Ash. Just she and Ash. Her crush. Traveling. Together. Serena's cheeks turned red at thought.

"Uh, Serena? Are you okay?" Ash asked unsurely, causing the others in the group to facepalm.

"Well, I'm going to go ahead and get going," Leaf said drawing the attention back to her. She gave her mom one last hug before having a group hug with Ash and Serena. Their parents smiled at how close they all were.

"Now Serena. You better keep me up to date with how Ash is! If he ever treats you poorly, just let me know. I'll take care of him!" Leaf said playfully with a wink.

"Hee hee, don't worry I will," Serena giggled.

"I wouldn't dream of it!" Ash replied, smiling. He then said to Serena, "We are going to have a blast, aren't we?"

"Absolutely!" Serena said.

Leaf then got on her bike. "Well, I'll see all of you later! Take care, and keep in touch!" With a final wave, she was off.

Everyone continued to watch Leaf until she disappeared around a corner. Ash then turned to Serena. "Hey. We should get going as well."

"Yeah," Serena answered. She then gave one last hug to her mom. "Bye, mom," she said

"Good bye, dear," Grace said. She then whispered in her daughter's ear, "I know you will figure out what you want to do. I have faith in you."

"Thanks, Mom," Serena said gratefully.

"And good luck with Ash, too," Grace whispered before pulling away and looking at her daughter mischievously, which caused Serena to turn red again.

Ash then gave Delia another hug. "I'll miss you, Mom," he said.

"Me, too. Make sure you two keep in touch with us," Delia said as they pulled away.

"Don't worry. We will," Ash replied. "Well, are you ready?" he asked Serena, receiving a nod. "Pikachu, what about you?" he asked, receiving a nod and "Pikachu!" as confirmation that Pikachu was ready also.

"Now Ash," Grace said seriously, getting his attention. "I want you to look out for Serena for me. I want you to make sure she stays safe. Can I trust you with that?"

"Absolutely! I won't let you down, Mrs. Gabena!" Ash said.

Then with a final nod to their parents and Rose, they turned around and began to walk away.

"_Here we go," _Serena thought._ "I'm really nervous right now. I may not know what I want at the moment, but I soon will. I can do it. I have Ash and Charla with me, after all. I'll make them and my mother proud! And maybe along the way…"_she gave quick glance at Ash and blushed, but he was too busy looking ahead to notice.

Ash had his own thoughts that were going through his mind as well._ "This is it. I'm going to be the very best, like no one ever was! Pikachu and I will make an amazing team! Together with it and Serena, I can overcome any obstacle! Look out world!" _Ash was really pumped. He had been waiting for this day a long time. Now he was going to show the world what he was made of. Nothing was going to stop him now! He was excited! He was ready! He was determined! He felt powerful! He was…..

"Don't forget to change your you-know-whats every day, honey!" Delia called after him.

Ash fell over in embarrassment.

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><p><strong>And there you have it! Please leave a review to tell me what you think! If it wasn't obvious enough, Rose is based off Green in Pokemon Adventures, but I couldn't use that name since it's Leaf's last name. <strong>

** I will be very busy the rest of this week and the next, so the next chapter may not appear until two weeks from now. If I can get it up earlier than that, I will. Stay tuned!**

**Chapter 4: The Route to Viridian City**

**Answering the questions:**

_I'm wondering are you going to adapt the movies in your story. Also, what about unova you mention doing gen 1-4, but not 5._

_**I will adapt the movies that I believe to be relevant to the story. The first and second movies will definitely happen, the third one won't, the fourth one won't since I have my own Celebi story planned with the GS ball in Johto (which the anime forgot about), the others are too far off to tell. And no I don't plan to do Unova, mainly because I didn't watch that season a lot and I thought it was step back in Ash's Pokemon journey with how he did. "IF" I did do Unova, there will be a lot changed. Ash would be mature and his Pikachu would crush a beginning Snivy for starters. That isn't to say Iris and Cilan won't appear in this series at some point.**_

_Will Ash use Aura?_

_**Sadly no. At least not for very long time except when he uses it in the anime. Aura will be in the last story when he realizes how to use it, though. You guys will just have to wait until then.**_

_Will Ash catch legendaries?_

_**He might have a few but not capture any super legendaries (i.e. Mewtwo, Lugia, Ho-oh, Deoxys, Arceus, etc…) since that's a little unrealistic anime-wise. He will befriend them all, however. **_

_When will Ash and Serena start dating? I hope it is not a long, drawn out dance between them._

_**It will be sometime before the Johto Arc, but I won't say when. They have to let their relationship develop. Mainly Ash has to lose his denseness and Serena's feelings have to go beyond a crush. They can't do that at ten years old. Yes, that means the characters will actually age, lol. There will be several hints and moments between them before they actually start dating, however. I also have a very shippy chapter planned out in Kanto that I am very eager to get to. This is an Amourshipping story, after all, lol.**_

_Will Serena be his constant companion throughout the regions and will she be a coordinator or a gym trainer?_

_**Absolutely! She will definitely be his constant companion. No doubt. As for what Serena will be, I won't say just yet. It will be revealed before long, however. Hopefully you guys will be pleased with and accept what I have chosen.**_

_Will they go to Kalos and will they use Generation VI starting off?_

_**Nope. No Kalos region. Otherwise my brain will explode from story overload. Sorry. Will there be mega evolution in this series? You betcha!**_

_Just out of curiosity, but will you have an arc around the Orange Islands or will you go straight to Johto once you've finished the Kanto arc?_

_**There will certainly be an Orange Islands Arc. I won't be near as long as the other stories in the series, however.**_

_Umm, I don't mean anything wrong I'm just wondering if you know there are more than 8 gyms in each region._

_**Yes. I'm aware in the anime there are more than eight gyms in each region. Gary Freaking Oak got ten after all in Kanto. In this story, however, there are eight like in the games for easier handling.**_


	4. The Route to Viridian City

**A/N: Well, what do you know? I found enough free time this week to go ahead and post this chapter a week earlier than anticipated. There isn't much else for me to say except, "Enjoy the chapter!" **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all about Pokemon!**

**Edit: I want to apologize. I accidentally uploaded the rough draft version of chapter 4 originally hence the many mistakes that were in it. Thankfully I caught it by the first night. Here is the proofread version which should give you a more enjoyable read.**

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><p>Chapter 4: The Route to Viridian City<p>

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were walking along Route One. It had been about two hours since they had left Pallet Town. It had been pretty uneventful so far, with just small talk between Ash and Serena and the occasional "PikaPi!" from Pikachu. They hadn't seen any Pokemon yet to try and capture. The casual pace they were taking were leaving each to their own thoughts.

Pikachu was especially intrigued by its new trainer. So far, Ash had kept his promise to treat it just like a friend. The boy was truly unique for a human. He seemed to really care about Pokemon and his friends. Pikachu turned to glance at its trainer. Ash and Serena noticed and gave a grin back at the Pokemon. Yes, Pikachu could trust that Ash was indeed the kind person he made himself out to be. He was the key that would allow Pikachu to open up to humans again. Serena certainly didn't seem like a bad person either, but it was still slightly wary of her.

"How are you guys holding up?" Ash asked Serena and Pikachu, snapping the Pokemon out of its thoughts.

"We've been walking for a while and my feet are beginning to hurt. Can we take a short break?" Serena asked. Pikachu nodded in agreement.

"Sure this field looks like a nice place to sit down for bit," Ash replied as he stopped and set down his backpack. The others following suit.

Ash sat down and unzipped his backpack, pulling out one of the snacks his mom had packed for him, a granola bar. Serena also sat down and released Charla. It immediately went over to Pikachu and began to converse with it.

"So Serena, what made you decide to become a Pokemon trainer? You've never told me," Ash said as he took a bite out of his granola bar.

Serena sighed. She knew she couldn't hide the truth from Ash forever, so now would be as good (or bad) a time as any.

"Ash, there's something I have to tell you," Serena began. "The truth is….I don't really want to be a Pokemon trainer like you." I don't have any interest in collecting badges or entering the Pokemon League.

"Really?" Ash asked, taking another bite. "Well, that's no problem. There are a lot of people who don't want to become trainers. So which do you want to do? Coordinator, breeder, or…"

"I think you misunderstood me, Ash," Serena interrupted, also getting the attention of Pikachu and Charmander. "The thing is…I don't know what I want to do!"

"You don't?" Ash asked, clearly surprised. "Yet you still came on a Pokemon journey?"

"Yes, I did," Serena said embarrassedly.

"Why?" Ash asked

"It's because all of you were leaving this year: You, Leaf, Gary. I didn't want to be by myself again. Also, I was hoping that by coming with one of you, I could figure out my goal along the way. You must think I'm being pretty ridiculous. Coming without a goal," Serena said gloomily as she buried her face her hands. She was surprised to feel a comforting hand lay on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ash smiling warmly at her.

"No. It's not stupid," Ash said. "Wanting to be with your friends and finding your goal is only natural. To tell you the truth, I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your position."

"Really?" Serena asked. "You don't think I'm being selfish or anything?"

"No," Ash said, shaking his head. "If you don't know what you want to do yet, it's okay. There are some people who may take years to figure out what they want, and that's fine. I know one day you will figure out your goal, and I'll stay by you until you do. Once you figure it out, you can bet I'll be there to support you every step of the way!"

Serena stared up in surprise at Ash. Once again, he had proven his kindness by not being angry or confused as she expected. He was being so understanding and supportive.

"Thank you, Ash. Really," Serena said gratefully.

"No problem! What are friends for?" Ash asked, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Heh, heh. Right, friends," Serena said nervously and blushed.

Pikachu and Charmander sweatdropped. For as kind as Ash was, he sure was dense. To his credit, he was only ten, so it was to be expected. The two Pokemon still thought it was funny that they hadn't even known their trainers long, and even they thought it was obvious how Serena felt about Ash.

"Hey! Let's make a promise to stay together until the end and always look out for each other!" Ash said as he stuck out his hand. "Pikachu and Charla, are you guys in as well?"

"Charmander!" Charla said enthusiastically as it ran forward and placed its hand on Ash's hand. Pikachu hesitated for just little bit but still ran forward and placed its paw on the others. Serena almost felt tears come to her eyes as she saw how supportive everyone was.

"Alright! Let's do it!" she said as she placed her hand on everyone else's.

"Then it's settled!" Ash said as they broke off.

The scene was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings above their heads. They looked up and saw a tiny bird Pokemon fly above them and land about fifty feet away. It was slightly plump and had a brown colored body and cream colored stomach. It had a pink beak and pink talons. A couple of others came and landed by it.

"Oh! Pidgey!" Ash said excitedly as he and Serena pulled out their Pokedexes to scan it.

"Pidgey, the tiny bird Pokemon. Pidgey is mild-mannered and gentle. It is a good way for beginning trainers to test their skills." The poxedexes said in their monotone, robotic voice.

"Awesome! What do say we catch one, Serena?" Ash said as he looked over at Serena.

"No. That's okay. I'd rather see you try to catch a Pokemon first before I attempt to," Serena replied.

"Well. Alright then," Ash said as he turned towards the Pidgey again. Pikachu and Charmander looked on with interest.

Ash pulled out his Pokeball and got a serious look on his face. He turned his Pokemon League hat backwards. "Pokeball, go!" he shouted as he threw it forward.

The pokeball soared through the air towards Pidgey. The Pokemon saw the incoming pokeball just before it connected. Ash smiled as the ball made a direct it. It then released a red energy that sucked Pidgey inside before landing on the ground. The pokeball shook back and forth a few times before it opened back up and released Pidgey.

"Woo, woo!" Pidgey hooted before disappearing inside a bush.

"What?" Ash said in confusion as Serena let out a sigh.

"Pokemon need to be battled and weakened before being captured," the pokedex suddenly spoke up.

Ash mentally kicked himself for forgetting something so basic. Pikachu couldn't help but snicker at its trainer for his naivety. Ash glared at Pikachu.

"Ha, ha, Pikachu! I'm sure it's hilarious. Let's see you battle Pidgey," Ash said.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu shook its head as it continued to snicker. It was enjoying this way too much.

"Alright, fine! Just you watch! I'll capture Pidgey by myself!" Ash said as he pulled his blanket out of his backpack and marched towards the other Pidgey.

"Wait, Ash. I don't think that's such a good idea," Serena said, trying to stop him.

"It's alright, Serena! I'll be fine!" Ash replied, turning around and smiling.

Serena nodded but was still concerned as she watched Ash turn back around to the Pidgey.

As Ash approached one of the Pidgey, it turned around to look at him, giving him a curious expression, wondering what Ash was going to do.

"Hi there," Ash said in a gentle tone so as not to startle the Pidgey. They continued to stare back and forth at each other for about fifteen seconds before Ash made his move.

"You're mine, Pidgey!" Ash yelled as he brought the blanket down on the Pokemon and covered it to hold it in place.

Pidgey began to stuggle violently trying to break free, but Ash was holding on tight. "Come on, Pidgey. Stop squirming!" Ash said, gritting his teeth.

Soon, Ash felt something strange building up in the blanket. It kept building up until what looked like a huge gust of air came out of the blanket, lifting both Ash and the blanket off the ground and throwing them a short distance away. Pidgey had used its gust attack. It then flew away.

"Are you alright, Ash?! Serena said with worry as she and Charmander ran over and helped Ash back to his feet.

"Uh, yeah," Ash said, a little dazed.

Pikachu was now laughing hysterically. It couldn't believe that this kid thought he could just tackle a Pidgey with a blanket and get it like that. Ash sure could provide it with some good laughs. It was liking him more every minute.

"Man, this is harder than I thought," Ash said. "There's got to be something that will weaken it."

"Wait a minute, Ash. Where is your blanket?" Serena asked.

"Oh yeah, it flew out of my hands when that Pidgey used gust on me," Ash remembered as he began to look around.

He then spotted it a short distance away. It was clearly covering something. It appeared to be around the same size and shape as a Pidgey, but something was telling Ash that it wasn't one. Ash walked over to the blanket and cautiously picked it up, uncovering what was underneath, and he gasped.

Sure enough, as Ash expected, it wasn't a Pidgey. It was something much worse, a Spearow. Judging by its expression, it clearly was not happy. Boy, did he mess up.

"Uh, hey there, Spearow. Sorry about that. I'm sure it wasn't very pleasant to have that blanket fall on you like that and interrupting whatever it was you were doing. It was an accident. Are we good?" Ash said in an attempt to calm the ticked-off Pokemon.

Serena took out her pokedex and scanned the Spearow. "Spearow, the tiny bird Pokemon. Unlike the gentle Pidgey, Spearow are very aggressive and have a ferocious temper," the pokedex said.

"Ash! Be careful!" Serena warned.

Pikachu was no longer laughing as it watched the scene with worry. It knew the type of danger that Ash was in right now.

Ash began to back away very slowly, trying not to make any sudden movements. Spearow was keeping its angry expression and not taking its eyes off Ash.

"_Just keep backing away slowly,"_ Ash thought to himself. Then, to his great misfortune, his right foot caught a large rock which caused him to stumble backwards and fall on his bottom.

Ash falling seemed to have set Spearow off like a time bomb. It gave a shriek, took flight, and immediately began to charge at Ash.

"Woah!" Ash cried as he threw the blanket over himself to be protected from Spearow. It reached Ash and began to mercilessly peck at him.

"Ouch! Hey! Quit it, Spearow!" Ash said from underneath the blanket, grimacing from the pain.

"Oh no! We've got to help him!" Serena gasped. He had helped her in the past. Now it was time she helped him! She then turned to her Charmander. "Charla, use your ember attack on the Spearow."

Charla then opened its mouth and shot out several tiny embers from its mouth. They made a direct hit. Spearow cried out from the pain. Then its attention shifted to Serena and Charla.

"Spearow!" it screeched as it charged toward Serena and Charla.

"No!" Ash said as he threw off his blanket and began running as fast as he could move to them.

Serena and Charla stood frozen in fear. There wasn't enough time for Serena to call out an attack and have Charla obey before Spearow reached them.

"Ahhh!" Serena screamed as she crouched and covered her body as best as she could with her arms to brace herself for the impact.

"Pikachuuuuu!"

Serena looked up to see Pikachu jump over her and release a thundershock at Spearow. It struck Spearow directly. Spearow screeched again as it was shocked and fell to the ground, clearly exhausted.

Serena breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, Pikachu."

"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked as he reached her.

"Yeah, I'm okay, but what about you, Ash? You suffered a lot of attacks from that Spearow, and you're bleeding!" she gasped once she saw the trickles of blood coming from Ash.

"I'll be fine," he said. "It's nothing some disinfectant and a couple of bandages won't fix. I'm more worried about you. When I saw that Spearow charge you, I became so scared that you would get hurt. If you were hurt while I was around, I don't know what I would do."

Serena felt a great rush of affection for Ash by what he said. He didn't even care that he was hurt just along as she was safe. "I'm fine, Ash. Thank you," she said. "Why don't we get you cleaned up before continuing on? I'll get the first aid kit my mom packed."

"Alright. Thanks," Ash said. He then turned to Pikachu. "You were awesome, Pikachu! Thanks for helping Serena."

"PikaPi!" Pikachu said as it smiled and nodded its head.

"Spearow! Spearow!"

The sudden cry of the Spearow brought everyone's attention back to it. It was continually crying out to all the surrounding trees in the field.

"Oh no! It's calling for help!" Ash gasped.

Sure enough, a huge flock of Spearow came out of the trees and began making a beeline straight towards the group.

"Let's get out here! We've got to make a run for it!" Ash said as he grabbed his backpack.

Serena quickly grabbed her things as well. Then she, Ash, and Pikachu, and Charla took off running as fast as they could.

"This is just great!" Ash exclaimed as they continued to run. "We've only been trainers for a few hours, and we are already getting into trouble!"

"Let's just keep running! Maybe we can outrun them!" Serena said hopefully.

Ash looked behind them. He didn't count on it. The Spearow gaining on them pretty fast. They passed by a few kinds of various Pokemon. All were stopping what they were doing to observe the scene with interest.

"Maybe there is some way we can lose them! There's got to be some type of cover!" Ash said as they looked around. It was no good. They were on a completely open road.

"Ash! They're almost to us!" Serena yelled.

Ash turned around again, and sure enough, the Spearow were just behind them. Ash was quickly trying to think of something. He knew fighting was no good. There was no way that only two Pokemon could take on the hundred or so angry Spearow that were chasing them.

Pikachu and Charla were running a few yards behind Ash and Serena so the Spearow reached them first. As soon as the Spearow reached them they began to use their peck attack relentlessly on the two Pokemon. They began to cry out from the pain.

"Oh no! Charla! Return!" Serena cried as she stopped and quickly reached for her pokeball and returned the Pokemon.

Ash knew Pikachu hated pokeballs, so he knew he had knew he had no choice but to fight his way through the Spearow to reach it. "Pikachu! I'm coming!" Ash yelled as he made a U turn and dashed towards his distressed Pokemon.

"Cha! Cha!" Pikachu cried as it continued to be attacked.

"Pikachu! I'm here!" Ash said as reached Pikachu and scooped it up in his arms. He then fought off a few of the Spearow that were beginning to attack him also. Then he and Serena resumed running.

It wasn't much longer before Ash and Serena began to tire out. They didn't know how much longer they could go on. The Spearow, on the hand, still seemed fired up and ready to pursue the two for long time. To make matters worse, they reached a dead end at a cliff. They were trapped.

"What do we do now?!" Serena said as she looked at Ash in panic, hoping he at least had some idea.

Ash looked down below the cliff and saw a river below. It was a long shot, but he knew they had no other choice. "We have to jump!" he said.

"Are you serious?!" Serena asked in disbelief.

"Yes! It's our only choice! Just hold on tight!" Ash said as he wrapped his arm around Serena's waist.

Ash made sure he had a firm grip on Pikachu in his left arm and Serena in his right before shouting, "Okay let's go!" Then they both jumped towards the water below.

The Spearow watched, momentarily confused, but their vicious nature wasn't going to let them get away that easily. They decided to wait and use their keen eyes to see if the humans would resurface. Then they would continue their pursuit.

Ash and Serena landed in the water pretty hard, but it wasn't too painful. Ash let go of Serena and began to swim to the best of his ability despite his injuries and Pikachu in one arm. Serena was doing the same. They passed by various fish Pokemon as they continued to swim to the surface but their clothes became tangled around something, a line of some sort.

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><p>A young girl was fishing by the river. Her day had been fairly uneventful so far. Needless to say, she was pretty bored. Her name was Misty Waterflower, and she was ten years old. She had red hair that was tied into a side ponytail and blue eyes. She wore and yellow t-shirt, blue jean shorts with red straps that went over the shirt, and red tennis shoes. She was from Cerulean City, but currently was not living there due to family issues. Instead, she was just traveling by herself in the hopes to prove herself to her family.<p>

Misty let out a sigh. "I'm so bored right now. I wish I could catch something."

Just then, right on cue, she felt a tug on her fishing rod. Judging by how hard the tug was, it felt like a big one. "Oh my gosh! I must have hit the jackpot!" Misty exclaimed as she pulled with all her might.

To her surprise, it wasn't a Pokemon that soared out of the water, it was instead two kids, a boy and a girl. "Aww, it was just some kids," Misty said in disappointment. Her face then lit up when she saw a Pikachu in the boy's arms. She ran up to them. "Oh, and a Pokemon! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Thanks," Ash said, panting. He then felt a slap go across his cheek. He looked up at the stranger in surprise.

"Not you! The Pokemon! Look what you've done to it!" Misty shouted.

"We didn't do this to it!" Ash said defensively.

Serena's face turned red from anger. This was some nerve this girl had. It was fine that this girl was worried about Pikachu, but it wouldn't hurt if she was concerned about her and Ash's well-being also, and she was even accusing them of hurting Pikachu. Not to mention, Serena thought the slap she gave Ash was pretty uncalled for. If Serena wasn't so tired, she would probably go into total sass-mode right now with this girl.

"Then how could you let it get hurt like that!?" Misty shouted again.

Ash felt he had no need or the time to explain themselves to this girl who had done nothing but shout at them so far. "That doesn't matter right now. What matters is getting my Pikachu somewhere safe. Do you know where I can take it?" he asked.

"Humph! Well, you're in luck. There's a Pokemon center in Viridian City a few miles from here. You can heal your Pikachu there." she told them, pointing in the direction to Viridian City.

"Great! Thanks!" Ash said. He was about to take off, but something caught his eye. It was a bicycle.

"Perfect! Hey, Serena! We can use this bike!" Ash said, gesturing to it.

"Hey! You can't use it! That's my bike!" Misty exclaimed

Everyone then heard the sound of screeching and wing flapping again. They turned around to see the flock of Spearow again. Ash and Serena couldn't believe it. These Spearow were still chasing them!

"Man, these guys are persistent!" Ash said in disbelief. "We gotta go!"

He then ran towards the bike and put Pikachu in the basket and hopped on himself. Luckily, the bicycle had a pair of pegs on it so Serena could ride as well. She got onto them and grasped her hands tightly on Ash's shoulders to keep her balance. She felt no qualms about "borrowing" this girl's bike because of the way she treated them.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" Misty called out as they sped off.

"We'll give it back some day!" Ash said over his shoulder.

Misty seethed as they disappeared from view. How dare they take her bike without her permission! She would make sure she would meet those two again, and her bike better still be in good condition, too.

As Misty watched the Spearow fly overhead, she could also tell a storm was coming in. She would need to find shelter pretty quickly. She did secretly hope that those two kids and their Pikachu could make it to Viridian City safely.

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><p>Ash was peddling as hard as he could along the path. After fleeing from the Spearow for so long, Ash was becoming extremely tired. "Don't worry, Pikachu. We will be in Viridian City in no time. Then we can heal both you and Serena's Charmander!"<p>

Pikachu gave a weak nod before it felt drips of water on its face. It was beginning to rain.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ash exclaimed as it began pouring rain.

Now that it was raining, it was becoming very hard for Serena to stay on the pegs. They were becoming slippery which was causing her to lose her balance. She gave a death grip on Ash's shoulders, trying to stay on. Ash grimaced at the pain, but he didn't care. They had to make it to Viridian City.

"Ash! I'm losing my balance!" Serena cried as she began to slip.

"Just hold on Serena! You can't fall!" Ash said as he turned around.

Unfortunately for them, because Ash had turned around, he didn't see the drop off ahead of them. They rode straight off the ledge and tumbled onto the ground six feet below.

The bike landed hard. The impact caused all of the bike's passengers to fly off the bike and onto the ground in pain. The bike bounced again and landed a short distance away.

Ash was momentarily dazed, but he soon came to and saw Serena and Pikachu a few yards away on their backs. They were in obvious pain. "No. Serena. Pikachu. This can't…happen," he said weakly.

The huge tumble the trio took was all the Spearow needed to catch back up to them. They hovered in the air behind them and screeched as thunder cracked behind them.

Ash got a determined look on his face. He had made a promise to Serena's mother to look after her, and promised to protect Pikachu. He had failed in that, but there was something he could still do to make sure they could get away.

"Serena, listen to me," Ash said as he shakily stood up, Serena following suit. "I want you to take Pikachu and run! Don't stop until you get to Viridian City! I'll hold off the Spearow!"

"Ash! Are you crazy!? Those Spearow could seriously hurt or kill you!" Serena exclaimed.

"I don't care! You guys are really important to me, and there's no way I'm going to let any of you be hurt because of me!" Ash said firmly.

He then turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu. I'm so sorry I failed you as a trainer. I swore to keep you safe from danger, and I couldn't even keep that promise for one day. I understand if you never want to see me again. I still want you to do one last thing for me," Ash said. "I need you to get inside your pokeball."

"Chuuuu…." Pikachu shook its head slowly.

"I know you're scared, but if you get inside the pokeball and go with Serena, I know that you two will be safe, and that's good enough for me," Ash said as he set the pokeball next to Pikachu.

He then turned around and slowly approached the flock of Spearow, grimacing from the amount of pain he was in. "No, Ash!" he heard Serena yell from behind him, but he ignored it. He then stopped a short distance away from the Spearow and spread his arms out defiantly.

"Spearow! Do you know who I am? I am Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet. I'm destined to be the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. I can't be defeated by the likes of you," he said.

Ash then turned his head back to Serena and Pikachu. "Go on. You guys need to get out of here. Hurry!" Seeing they weren't moving, he then yelled "Go!" before turning around to face the Spearow again.

"I'm going to capture and defeat every last one of you! Do you hear me!?" he yelled at the Spearow.

Pikachu raised its head off the ground and watched Ash with amazement. It had never had a trainer like Ash before. Ash was definitely the type of trainer Pikachu was looking for. Ash had proven he would risk his own life for Pikachu, and that really touched it. It was then Pikachu decided it would remain by Ash's side until the very end.

"Come and get me!" Ash shouted, as lightning flashed.

The flock of Spearow then gave a mighty shriek and dive-bombed straight for Ash.

Serena stood still as she watched helplessly. Ash had told her that as long as she and Pikachu was safe, he would fine. That wasn't fine for Serena, though. Ash had always been there for her in the past to help her. There was no way on Earth she was going to abandon Ash like this! She will not! She then got a determined look on her face. She was sick of being the damsel in distress. It may be raining, she may be injured, and Charla may be too weak to fight, but that doesn't mean she couldn't do anything!

"Ash!" she screamed as she ran towards him as fast as she could.

The Spearow continued to charge. Ash didn't care. He still stood defiantly with arms out. Serena continued to run forward. She was determined get her crush out of the way even if she put herself in the danger. Too her surprise, she saw a small creature run past her. It was Pikachu!

Pikachu continued to run forward, it ran up Ash's backside then onto his shoulder. Ash didn't even have time to cry out in surprise before Pikachu leaped off of his shoulder and into the air. While it was in the air, a lightning bolt struck Pikachu, giving it a super charge. Ash and Serena watched in amazement.

"PIKACHUUUUUU!" it yelled as it let off a massive thunderbolt attack, hitting all of the Spearow and blasting Ash and Serena back a few yards. Everything in the area was hit by the attack.

"Uhhh…" Ash groaned as he regained consciousness. He could tell he had been out for a while as the thunderstorm was now gone, replaced by sunshine. The Spearow were nowhere to be seen either. Ash let out a sigh of relief, but he soon let out a gasp as he remembered Serena and Pikachu. Pushing himself up with hands, and looking around he saw them both lying flat on their backs a short distance away.

"Serena! Pikachu!" he cried as he crawled over to them and began to gently shake them. "Are you guys okay?!"

Pikachu was the first to regain consciousness. "Chuuuu" it said tiredly.

"Hey Pikachu. That was an incredibly amazing attack. Are you alright?" Ash asked.

Pikachu weakly nodded its head back and forth. It was going to make it but still needed medical attention as quickly as possible.

"Ash…"

Ash turned at the voice and saw Serena slowly sitting up. "Serena, you're alright!?" Ash said as he gently picked up Pikachu and went over to her.

"Yeah. I'm fine," she said weakly. Then she began to cry.

"Serena, what's wrong?" Ash asked.

"It's you," Serena said in between tears. "You-you were being so reckless! Those Spearow could have killed you!"

"I know," Ash said hanging his head. "But as long as you and Pikachu were safe, that was enough."

"No it's not!" Serena said back, shaking her head. "Ash, when-whenever we agreed to travel together, we said we would look out for each other. Not just you looking out for us."

"Serena…." Ash trailed. He didn't know what to say.

"It's great that you care so much about us, Ash. That's just the kind of person you are," Serena continued, trying to dry her tears, "But don't forget that we care a lot for you, too. Me, Pikachu, Charla, we all do."

"I-I'm sorry," Ash said quietly.

Serena finished wiping her tears and gave Ash a very tender look and took one of his hands in hers. "You don't have to do this by yourself, Ash. Remember, we are all here for you. Remember the promise we made earlier? We are in this together until the end."

"You're right, Serena," Ash looked in his arms to see Pikachu slowly nodding its head, signifying it agreed with Serena. "I promise. Anything that happens to us, we will do together. No one will ever be left behind."

"Thank you, Ash," Serena said genuinely. She then felt her blush return and quickly turned away. "Anyway, we should go ahead and get going to Viridian City. We have to get Pikachu and Charla to the Pokemon Center."

Had Serena been looking, she would have seen Ash's cheeks slightly red also. She then began to stand up, but something got her attention as she looked up into the sky.

"Ash, what's that?" Serena said as her eyes widened at a huge Pokemon flying above them. It looked so majestic and glowed the seven colors of the rainbow.

"Woooow," Ash muttered as he and Pikachu also looked in amazement.

"There is no data. There are still Pokemon that have yet to be discovered," the pokedex suddenly said from Ash's pocket.

Ash and Serena continued to watch the large Pokemon as it continued to fly. It soon disappeared over the horizon.

Ash and Serena looked at each other and smiled. They couldn't believe they had just seen a new Pokemon like that, and on their first day! They began to walk toward Viridian City and it wasn't long before they saw it in the distance. They would be there in just a little bit. Ash felt a small lick on his cheek. He looked down and saw it was Pikachu that did it. Ash's heart warmed considerably at the affectionate gesture from Pikachu. He had earned its trust.

As they began to continue towards Viridian City, Ash and Serena knew they would have a long road ahead of them. They knew after today that their path would be filled with many dangers, but also many happy times. They would meet unforgettable people and Pokemon alike. No matter what happened, though, they knew as long as they had each other and their Pokemon, there was no obstacle that they couldn't overcome.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter. There were a few amourshipping moments in this chapter and Ash and Serena's relationship has grown a little stronger because of the Spearow incident. Stay tuned for the next chapter in about a week! See you all then! One again, thank you for all the support you guys have given me so far!<strong>

**Chapter 5: Pokemon Emergency!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will there be a jealousy arc or a charcter that will make Serena jealous? I think it would be intresting. _

_**As of right now, there will not be a full jealousy arc, in Kanto anyway, possibly the others. There may be few characters that will flirt with Ash and make Serena jealous, but there won't be a whole arc around it, if that makes any sense. **_

_When will you introduce Mega-Evolution to your story?_

_**Not until the Sinnoh Arc because that is when all the Pokemon I want in the story will be introduced. It will be mentioned in Hoenn, however.**_

_If I'm allowed to ask, would Ash have any more rivals to face here aside from Gary and Leaf, like Paul, Ritchie, Tyson...?_

_**Yes, he will! One may make an appearance sooner than you think!**_

_Hey, you say that you're going to keep close to cannon, does that mean Ash will only have cannon pokemon, or will he capture non cannon pokemon as well?_

_**Ash will capture all of his canon Pokemon and have few others as well, but not too much more. This way he can develop a bond with each of them, which is easier with fewer Pokemon.**_

_I understand you will not do Kalos or Unova but will you include their Pokemon (just placing them in other regions and their moves and also the Fairy type?_

_**I will try very hard to do this, but I won't make any promises yet.**_

_Can Ash catch an Eevee and evolve it into Espeon? And Serena could catch an eevee as well._

_**Only one of them will get an Eevee. I won't say who.**_

_You should have Ash catch a nidoran (male), and have Serena catch a nidoran (female)._

_**It's a thought that has been playing in my head for a bit now. It might happen.**_


	5. Pokemon Emergency!

**A/N: Well everyone, here is Chapter 5. Before you start, I would like to address a question many of you have mentioned: Yes, at the moment, Ash isn't making a lot of smart decisions, but remember, he is just starting his journey and has a lot to learn. He will become much smarter as he matures and ages. Don't worry, he still won't make any REALLY stupid decisions like he does in canon. For instance, send Caterpie out to battle Pidgeotto.**

**Also, in this chapter, Serena's interest will be revealed. I thought long and hard as to what it could be. If it isn't something you wanted, please don't flame me. I hope you guys will accept what I have chosen. Also, keep in mind, even if this is what Serena will do in Kanto, that isn't to say she will do it in the other regions. Maybe she will have a goal in the anime that I can work off of by then. **

**Anyway, enjoy chapter 5! :D**

**Do I really have keep disclaiming that I don't own Pokemon? I think I made it very clear by now.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Pokemon Emergency!<p>

It was about six thirty in the evening right now. Ash and Serena had just arrived in Viridian City, Ash cradling Pikachu in his arms. As soon as they had entered the city limits, they broke out into a run for the nearest Pokemon Center. Ash was going for his Pikachu and Serena for her Charmander, Charla. They were in such a rush that they weren't paying attention to the announcements that were being made throughout the city.

"Everyone, be on your guard! There have been reports of Pokemon thieves in the city!" a female voice said throughout various intercoms in the city.

The female voice belonged to Officer Jenny. She was the main police officer of Viridian City. She had been working in the police force for fifteen years, and these thieves have been some of the most elusive she's ever had to try and catch. She was able to get a "Wanted" poster out for them, but their picture was a bad shot and really only got their silhouettes.

The thieves were said to be members of Team Rocket, the biggest crime organization in the Kanto region. Even the police force was constantly having trouble with Team Rocket. Team Rocket was said to be so dangerous that even if the police were able to find their main base, they would have an uphill battle trying to arrest them all.

Officer Jenny gave a sigh after giving the announcement. She just wished she could have some sort of lead to the crooks. It was then that she noticed two kids run by her booth. One was a raven haired boy carrying a Pikachu and the other was a girl with dark blonde hair. Judging by their bruises and how dirty their clothes were, she could tell they had been in some sort of trouble recently.

"Hold it!" Officer Jenny called after them. The two immediately stopped and turned around to face the police officer.

"Where do you two think you are going with that Pikachu" Officer Jenny asked as she approached them. It was the boy who answered.

"My Pikachu is seriously injured, and we need to take it to the Pokemon Center." he said.

"Right, and we need to get my Charmander there, also," the girl pleaded.

Officer Jenny studied the two a moment before she determined they were telling her the truth. "I understand. Just let me see your IDs to prove you're trainers, and you can go," she said.

"Do you mean our pokedexes?" the boy asked as he pulled it out of his side pants pocket, the girl's from her backpack.

Officer Jenny took the devices and pushed a few buttons and the robotic voices spoke up and introduced the two trainers as Ash Ketchum and Serena Gabena to prove their story was genuine.

"Okay. Your story checks out," Officer Jenny said as she handed them back their pokedexes.

"Thanks," Ash said. "Can you tell us where the Pokemon Center is?"

Officer Jenny smiled. "I'll do you one better. I'll take you two there myself!"

"Really?! Thank you so much!" Serena said gratefully.

"No problem!" Officer Jenny said.

With that, Officer Jenny ran into the garage next to her booth, hopped on her motorcycle, and fired on the ignition. She then drove out and stopped right next to the two trainers. Luckily, the motorcycle had a sidecar that was big enough for two people. "Hop in," she told them.

The two trainers got in the sidecar, and Officer Jenny sped off, blazing her sirens. Had they looked behind them, they would have noticed a red-haired girl holding a ruined bicycle running after them. "_Those two kids aren't going to get away from me!" _Misty thought.

Nobody seemed to notice the huge hot-air balloon that was flying overhead. It was in the shape of a cat-like Pokemon with a golden charm on its forehead called Meowth. The balloon lowered a hook from its basket and peeled off the "Wanted" posters from the side of the police booth and brought them back up to the balloon's occupants.

"Ugh, can you believe this photo? It makes me look terrible," a woman in her twenties said. She had long, dark red hair that reached all the way down her back and curled inward at the end. She also wore a white uniform with a huge red "R" in middle of the shirt which opened slightly at bottom, exposing her stomach. She also had on black gloves and black boots.

"Tell me about it, Jessie" a man, also in his twenties, replied. He had blue hair that was parted at the sides and reached just above his shoulders. Like his companion, he also wore a white uniform, but his covered his whole boy below the head. He also wore black gloves and black boots. "With this terrible picture, they will be sorry they ever looked at this face."

"We're all sorry after looking at your face! Stick to the plan, James!" a new voice piped up. This voice didn't belong to a human but a Pokemon! It was a Meowth that could actually stand upright and talk in human language!

"Humph! You're right," James said. He then turned to Jessie and gave a sinister smile. "Are you ready to steal some Pokemon?"

"I'm very ready," Jessie replied

"And don't forget! I'm the top cat! Meeeeowth!" Meowth added.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena wished Officer Jenny would slow down on her motorcycle. They were glad she was trying to get to the Pokemon Center as fast as she could. The only problem was Viridian City didn't have the smoothest roads. This caused the sidecar to shake violently making it very uncomfortable.<p>

As the Pokemon Center came into view, Ash looked down at his Pikachu in his arms. "Don't worry Pikachu. We're almost there," he said. The Pokemon gave a weak nod.

"Uh, isn't she going to stop?" Serena asked as she realized they were coming closer and closer to the building, and Officer Jenny wasn't slowing down.

"Um, Officer Jenny?" Ash asked uncertainly as they were almost at the door and she still hadn't stopped yet.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing," Officer Jenny replied as she continued speeding along.

They were just seconds away from the double doors, and Ash and Serena we're getting pretty nervous. "We're going to crash!" Serena cried, and out of reflex, she grabbed onto Ash for support, but the crash never came.

Just before the motorcycle came into contact with the double doors, they automatically opened, and the vehicle shot through opening to the building. Officer Jenny then slammed on her breaks, and the motorcycle screeched to a halt just before it rammed into the front desk.

"See. I told you I knew what I was doing," Officer Jenny said smiling, looking at the almost terrified two kids.

"Gracious! What's going on?!" a nurse with pink hair in two buns cried as she ran out of the back room.

"Nurse Joy! We have a Pokemon emergency!" Officer Jenny said firmly.

Nurse Joy then ran over to the two kids in the sidecar and saw Pikachu's condition. "I understand. Chansey! Get a stretcher STAT!" she called over her shoulder.

A pink egg-shaped Pokemon with stubby limbs that had pink curls on the side of its head and had an egg in its stomach pouch appeared. It was carrying a stretcher and moving as fast as its stubby legs could move.

"Nurse Joy! Could you please take my Charmander? It's been injured as well!" Serena said with worry, holding up her pokeball for Nurse Joy to see

"I will," Nurse Joy said taking the pokeball and giving it to Chansey. She then also took Pikachu and placed it on the stretcher.

Chansey then ran to the back room with Charla's pokeball and the stretcher with Pikachu on it.

As Ash and Serena climbed out of the sidecar, Officer Jenny gave a salute. "Well, my work here is done!"

Nurse Joy sweatdropped. "Yes. You did a great job of getting them here. Just please use the driveway next time," she said.

"Heheheheh. Of course" Officer Jenny said sheepishly. She then drove out of the Pokemon Center on her motorcycle.

Ash then looked up at Nurse Joy with pleading eyes. "Please tell me the Pokemon are going to be alright," he said.

"We are about to examine them now. I will let you know as soon as I find out anything," Nurse Joy said as she disappeared into the back room.

Ash and Serena decided it would be best to wash up and change while their Pokemon were being healed. They both took out their change of clothes from their backpack and went to their respective bathrooms to change. Ash had changed into a white t-shirt with a pokeball symbol on it and black athletic shorts, and Serena changed into a plain light pink shirt and pink shorts. They also found a small laundry room to wash their other clothes.

Ash and Serena then decided sit down on one of the sofas in lobby while they waited. Ash went ahead to sit down while Serena went over to the vending machine to get two bottled waters. She returned and handed one to Ash. She noticed how upset of an expression he had and looked at Ash worriedly. She was worried about her Charmander, but knew Pikachu was in much worse shape. She then placed a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder as she sat down next to him. "Don't worry, Ash. The Pokemon Centers specialize in Pokemon treatment. Pikachu will just fine. You'll see," she told him.

Ash managed a small smile but still had the sad look in his eyes. "Thanks, Serena. It's just the fact that it got hurt trying to protect me. I have to make sure it's okay," he said.

Serena nodded her head sympathetically.

Ash then stood up. "Serena, I'm going to take a quick shower since I still feel really dirty. I'll be back in a little bit." he said as he walked off.

Serena was then left to her own musings. "_Ash will probably sign up for the Pokemon League while we are here," _she thought. "_I like Pokemon battles, but there has to be something else besides the Pokemon League that I can do." _She pondered on this for the next several minutes until she noticed two posters on the wall of the Pokemon Centers. One was an advertisement for the Pokemon League, but the other was for something else called the Battle Chateau.

She walked up to the two posters to get a closer look at them. _"Do you think you have what it takes to conquer the newly created Battle Chateau?!" _the advertisement for the Battle Chateau said. "_Battle many different trainers and improve your rank! Become known throughout the entire region. Become the best and win special prizes!"_

_ "Battle Chateau?" _Serena thought.

"Hey, Serena. What are you looking at?" a voice said behind her.

Serena turned around and saw Ash approaching, still in his alternative clothes. "I was just looking at these two posters," she answered as Ash stopped next to her.

"Hey! It's an advertisement for the Pokemon League!" Ash said excitedly.

"_Do you want to be the very best?! Think you have what it takes to conquer the toughest trainers in the region?! Challenge the Pokemon Gyms and find out! Win all eight badges from the Gym Leaders and qualify for the Pokemon League! Winners may even get a chance to challenge the Elite Four! Sign up at the nearest Pokemon Center!_

"Awesome! I need to make sure to do that while I'm here!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"Since we are still waiting to hear about our Pokemon, why don't we call our homes? I'm sure our mothers would like to make sure that we're okay," Serena suggested

"Yeah. Good idea," Ash replied as they walked over to the video phone.

Serena took one last look at the Battle Chateau poster on the wall. "_I should look further into that,"_ she thought.

Once they reached the phones, Serena spoke up. "Is it okay if I call my mom first?" she asked.

"Sure. Go right ahead," Ash said.

Ash stood next to Serena as she dialed the number to her house and heard it ringing on the other end. At the third ring it was picked up, and Serena heard her mother's voice. "Hello?" Grace said from the other end.

"Hi, Mom. It's us," Serena answered.

"Oh, Serena! Delia! It's Serena and Ash!" Grace exclaimed from the other end. A few seconds later her image appeared on the screen. She was soon joined by Delia Ketchum.

"Mom?! You are over there also?" Ash asked.

"Well, of course, Ash! Grace and I are friends, after all. She invited me over for a cup of coffee," Ash's mom replied.

"Oh, right," Ash said

"Anyway, how has everything been so far?" Grace asked them.

Serena frowned. "Not so good. We were attacked by a flock of Spearow, and our Pokemon were hurt in the process."

Their moms then got a worried look on their face. "Oh, no! You two weren't injured also, were you?!" Delia asked.

"No. We were fine," Serena said. They weren't about to tell their mothers that Ash was almost run through by the whole flock of Spearow.

"We know your Pokemon are hurt, and they protected you like they are supposed to, but don't forget to keep them safe as well. When you and your Pokemon can become as one team, you can soar like a Pidgeot!" Grace said.

"Right. We will," they answered.

"Remember to eat right and get enough sleep, also," Delia advised.

"Of course," the two answered.

"Is there anything else you need?" Grace asked.

"Yeah. I have a question, Mom. Have you ever heard of the Battle Chateau?" Serena spoke up.

"Hmm. I have seen a few advertisements on television and in the newspaper. It's a very new concept that was organized only within the past six months. It has been promoted a lot recently to try and get people to notice and try it out," Grace answered.

"Ok. I was just wondering. Thanks," Serena smiled.

"No problem. Can I help you with anything else?" Grace asked.

"No. I'm good," Serena said.

"Well, okay good night, you two. Call us again soon," Grace said, followed by a wave and good night from Delia.

"Good night. Love you," the two said. Then Serena hung up the phone.

Ash then remembered something. "Hey. Remember that huge Pokemon we saw fly over the rainbow. I had never seen a Pokemon like that before. Do you think we should tell Professor Oak about it? Maybe he could give us some information." Ash said.

"Okay. I'm curious about it, myself," Serena replied.

This time it was Ash who picked up the phone and dialed. He heard the phone ring for a minute before he heard Professor Oak's voice say, "Oak Pokemon Lab. May I help you?"

"Hey, Professor Oak. It's Ash and Serena," Ash replied. He then saw the video screen turn on, and Professor Oak appeared.

"Ah, hello there, you two! I see you made it to Viridian City. Your mothers told me that you would be traveling together. I knew you two could get there by nightfall," Professor Oak said.

"Thanks, Professor. We were calling because we were wondering if you could tell us anything about this Pokemon." Ash said as he held up his Pokedex and pressed a button to make a picture of the majestic Pokemon appear.

"Great galloping Rapidash! Where in blazes did you find that picture?!" Professor Oak exclaimed.

"I got its picture on my Pokedex when I saw it," Ash replied.

"You two saw that Pokemon?! That's incredible!" Professor Oak said in amazement.

"What's so special about it?" Serena asked curiously.

"You two clearly don't know what you have seen! Trainers and researchers like myself have searched our entire lives for this Pokemon and have never seen it!" Professor Oak replied.

"Wow, Serena! We just saw a legendary Pokemon!" Ash said excitedly turning to her, causing her to smile.

"Indeed! Perhaps this is a sign that you two will have great things happen to you on your journey! I'm very impressed!" Professor Oak said while folding his arms and nodding his head.

"Thanks, Professor!" they both said.

"Ash, if it's not too much trouble, do you think could scan the image of that Pokemon for me to send it to the lab. I would like to study it more. Just slide you Pokedex into that slot on the left side of the video phone," Professor Oak said.

"Sure. No problem," Ash replied as he did so.

"Alright! I have the picture coming out right now on this end. Thank you both!" Professor Oak said gratefully.

"You're welcome!" they both replied. They then heard a beeping noise from the other end.

"Oh! I have to go! The tofu's done! Take care!" Professor Oak said hurriedly before hanging up.

Ash and Serena chuckled softly at the Professor's antics before they heard a very angry voice behind them. "Now I've got you!"

They both spun around to find, standing at the entrance to the Pokemon Center, the red-haired girl from earlier that day, Misty. She was holding a very ruined bicycle above her head, and she looked VERY angry.

"I thought I might find you here at the Pokemon Center!" Misty yelled as she stomped towards them.

"What happened to your bike?" Ash asked stupidly.

Misty got a look of disbelief on her face. "Are you serious?! YOU two happened to my bike, you little twerps! You stole it and apparently ruined it in the process! This is all that's left!"

Ash and Serena were trying to recall what could have ruined the girl's bike, and then they remembered Pikachu's thunderbolt attack as realization hit them. They sweatdropped.

"You two are going to buy me a new one, and I'm not letting you out of my sight until you do!" Misty said angrily.

Serena was liking this girl less and less every second. She had done nothing but shout at them ever since they met. Did she even know how to speak in a normal tone of voice?

"Alright. We're sorry. We'll get you a new bike, but we need to make sure our Pokemon are alright first," Ash said.

Serena looked at Ash in surprise. They shouldn't have to owe this girl anything with the way she has been treating them.

"Oh no you don't! I'm not falling for that one again! You are buying me a new bike right now!" Misty stated firmly.

That did it for Serena. "Are you so materialistic that you care about your stupid bike more than the life a Pokemon?! Our Pokemon are really injured in there, and all you care about is getting another bike! Ash and I shouldn't have to owe you anything!" Serena said, glaring at Misty.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Misty shouted, directing her complete attention at Serena.

Serena smirked. This girl had walked right into that one. "It means you are a spoiled brat."

"Why you…." Misty growled, but didn't finish as Ash stepped in between them.

"Alright, guys. We've all gotten off on the wrong foot .Let's start over," Ash said nervously. He then faced Misty. "My name is Ash Ketchum, and this…" he said gesturing to Serena who crossed her arms and didn't let up on her glare, "…is Serena Gabena. What's your name?"

"I don't care what your names are! I just want a new bike!" Misty shouted again.

"I promise we will get you a new bike as soon as we can," Ash said gently, trying to calm the girl. We are very sorry we took it, but it was an emergency. Will you please tell us your name?"

The girl's intense glare softened a little, only a little. "Humph! Fine! My name's Misty," she said.

It's nice to meet you, Misty," Ash said, attempting a smile.

Misty didn't return it. "Don't expect me to become friends with you guys or anything, but I'll go ahead and ask how your Pokemon are. I hope it isn't serious," she said.

_"It's about time she quit shouting," _thought Serena.

"We don't know if it's serious or not," Ash said sadly. "It's our first day as a Pokemon trainer, and our Pokemon are already hurt."

"You two need to learn to take better care of your Pokemon," Misty said firmly and crossed her arms. "If you don't, you will never get anywhere as a Pokemon trainer."

_"I'd like to see you take on a flock of Spearow for your Pokemon like Ash did," _Serena thought bitterly, but held her tongue. She didn't feel the need to continue talking to Misty.

They were then interrupted by a loud "ding" from behind them. They turned around and saw the operation icon was turned off. The backroom doors opened and Chansey and Nurse Joy walked out wheeling both Pikachu and Charla on a table.

Ash and Serena immediately ran over to their Pokemon followed by Misty, who also looked concerned.

"How are they, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked once the group reached them.

Nurse Joy gave a smile. "Your Pokemon are very tired, but will be just fine. They just need a good night's rest, and they will be as good as new," she said kindly.

"That's great!" Serena said happily. She and Ash were really relieved that their Pokemon had no serious injuries.

"How are you feeling, Pikachu?" Ash asked, Serena doing likewise with her Pokemon.

Both Pokemon smiled weakly at their trainers and nodded their heads, signifying they were fine.

"I'm about to bring them back to the recovery room to rest for the night. You two should go in with them," Nurse Joy said to Ash and Serena. Both trainers nodded and turned to Misty.

"Once again, we're really sorry about your bike, but we will need some time to make things right," Ash said.

Misty sighed. "Fine. Go ahead and take care of your Pokemon, and we will settle up later," she said.

"Thanks for understanding," Ash said. He and Serena were just about to head with Nurse Joy and their Pokemon when they heard a loud buzzing throughout the center.

"Attention, everyone!" Officer Jenny's voice rang on the intercoms, "A hot air balloon belonging to a group of Pokemon thieves have been detected! Exercise extreme caution and keep your Pokemon safe!"

No sooner had they heard the announcement that a loud crash was heard. Everyone looked up and saw two pokeballs falling from the broken skylight. They two pokeballs opened once they hit floor to reveal a long purple snake pokemon with a yellow rings around its body and a rattle at the end, Ekans. The other Pokemon was a spherical Pokemon with many craters on it. It had a skull and cross bones symbol on its center and what seemed like a permanent goofy smile on its face, Koffing.

As soon as the Pokemon were released, the Koffing let out a Smokescreen attack from its craters, blinding everyone in the room. They then heard evil laughter.

Once the smoke cleared, they looked and saw two people in uniforms with the big red "R" in the middle, and a Pokemon: Jessie and James and Meowth.

Ash pulled out his pokedex to scan the three new Pokemon. "Ekans, the snake Pokemon. It moves silently and stealthily to sneak up on prey. The older it gets, the longer it grows. Koffing, the poison gas pokemon. Toxic gas is held in its balloon-shaped body to cause massive explosions. Meowth, the scratch cat pokemon. It loves to roam at night to gather coins and other objects that sparkle, and spends most of the daytime sleeping," the pokedex said.

"Who are you guys?!" Ash asked, putting his hands over his Pikachu protectively, Serena doing the same.

"We will be happy to tell you, little boy!" they answered.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie began

"To unite all people within our nation!" James said

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth finished.

Despite their amazement that a Meowth just talked, the group was more worried about the injured Pokemon.

"You must be the Pokemon thieves that have had this city so worried!" Serena said.

"We are much more than thieves, I assure you," Jessie replied.

"That's right. We are part of the deadly Team Rocket," James said, smiling evilly.

"I don't care what you are a part of! I'll never let you take Pikachu!" Ash yelled with a determined look on his face. To his surprise, they chuckled.

"Oh, please! We don't have any interest in that yellow rat, so you can relax," Jessie said. "We are only interested in strong Pokemon."

"You're wasting your time then! There are only injured Pokemon here at the Pokemon Center," Nurse Joy said firmly.

"Not so fast, Nurse. There are definitely bound to be powerful Pokemon in here like that Charmander. If we turn it into a Charizard, it will make a great gift for the boss," James said, looking at Serena's Pokemon with interest.

"Forget it!" Serena said.

"You don't have a choice. Ekans! Koffing! Attack!" Team Rocket ordered as both Pokemon lunged forward.

Everyone quickly got out of the way and made a run for it to the back room as Ekans and Koffing continued to cause havoc in the lobby.

"We need to transport all the pokeballs to the other Pokemon centers as fast as possible before those crooks can get them!" Nurse Joy said ugently once they were in the back room and Ash had locked the door.

"Right!" Ash, Serena, and Misty nodded and began to scoop up few pokeballs in each arm, but then the power shut off

"Oh, no! They must have cut the power!" Serena cried.

"Not to worry. We have our own source of power," Nurse Joy said. Soon the lights were back on.

Ash, Serena, and Misty looked to the center of the room to see a whole group of Pikachu using their electricity on a generator to power the Pokemon Center.

Nurse Joy then ran over to a nearby computer and pressed a few select buttons, causing a certain machine next to it to turn on. "Initiating emergency Pokemon transport sequence," the computer said.

"Right! Let's hurry up and transport them! I have them ready to be received at the other Pokemon Centers!" Nurse Joy said to the group. Everyone then began to send as many pokeballs through the transporter as they could.

They then heard banging coming from the other side of the door and knew that Team Rocket was trying to break the door down.

"We've got to hurry!" Nurse Joy cried as she and everyone else began to move more frantically.

The door then busted open with Ekans and Koffing taking the lead with Jessie, James, and Meowth behind them.

"Oh! It looks like they are trying to transport all the Pokemon," Jessie smirked.

"We can still grab that Charmander, though," James said, pointing at Serena's Charmander. "Koffing, go get it!"

"You too, Ekans!" said Jessie

"No!" Serena cried as she ran forward and threw her arms around the Charmander, ready to protect it at all costs. Ekans and Koffing weren't deterred at all as they lunged forward prepared to attack the girl also if necessary.

"Serena!" Ash cried, as the Pokemon drew closer.

"Staryu! Come out and use water gun to protect them!" Misty shouted as she released a small tan starfish-like Pokemon with a red jewel in the middle. The Pokemon then jumped in front of Serena and Charmander and used its water gun attack to blast back the two Pokemon just before they struck. They smashed back into Jessie, James, and Meowth, causing them to tumble onto the floor.

Serena stared at Misty in surprise. "Wow. Thanks, Misty. You saved Charla and me," she said.

Misty nodded at Serena before turning back to Staryu. "Use Tackle attack, Staryu!" she said. Staryu spun forward and slammed hard into Team Rocket, knocking them backwards out of the room.

"Great! That's the last of them!" Nurse Joy said as she and Ash finished placing the last few pokeballs in the transporter.

"Grrr! Don't think this is over, you little brats!" Jessie growled as she and the rest of the Rocket members appeared again at the doorway. "You may have transferred all of the Center's Pokemon, but we still have yours to take."

"That's right! We call a Pokemon battle! Let's see you take on both of us, little girl," James said as Ekans and Koffing got into battle positions.

Pikachu then got to its feet and turned to Ash. Charla did the same and got a determined look on its face

"PikaPi! Pikachu!" Pikachu said

Ash looked at Pikachu concerned. "You are saying you want to battle? Are you sure you are well enough to?" he asked.

"Pikachu!" it nodded

"You too, Charla?" Serena asked, receiving a nod from the Pokemon.

"Heh! Good luck with those injured Pokemon!" Jessie sneered. "Ekans! Use Wrap attack on staryu!"

"Koffing! Use Tackle attack on Pikachu!" James ordered.

Both Pokemon took stance and lunged at the Pokemon, ready to do their respective attacks.

"Charla! Use ember attack on Ekans to protect Staryu!" Serena said.

"Pikachu! Use thundershock on Koffing!" Ash said.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks, knocking the two Pokemon backwards at the feet of Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Thanks, Serena," Misty said, turning back to Serena and smiling.

"You're welcome!" Serena replied, giving Misty a smile of her own.

"Do I have to do everything myself?" Meowth asked rhetorically as it extended its claws. "I'll show you! Fury Swipes!" It then charged at the Pokemon.

"Staryu! Use water gun attack on Meowth!" Misty said.

Staryu then sprayed another jet of water at Meowth, pushing it backwards and into Jessie, James, Koffing, and Ekans. They went flying backwards out of the room and back into the lobby again.

Ash, Serena, Misty, and their Pokemon followed them out and saw that Team Rocket was laying on the floor, completely drenched.

"Hey. Water conducts electricity. I know how to get rid of them! Pikachu use thundershock on Team Rocket," Ash said pointing at them.

Pikachu nodded and let loose its thundershock, greatly shocking Team Rocket. They cried out from the pain. Koffing, unable to control itself, let loose several poisonous gases.

"I remember!" Serena realized. "Those gases are flammable! Charla! Use ember!"

Charla then let loose its ember attack. As soon as the small bits of fire made contact with the gases, there was a large explosion, sending Team Rocket blasting through the roof and into the night.

"Alright! Way to go, everyone!" Ash cheered.

"Oh, thank you so much! You saved the Pokemon from Team Rocket!" Nurse Joy said.

"Ehehehe. Sorry about the damage we did to the center, Nurse Joy," Serena said sheepishly.

Nurse Joy sweatdropped. "Oh I'm sure we can get everything fixed. The most important thing is that you helped keep the Pokemon safe.

Serena then turned to Misty. "Hey, Misty. Thank you for protecting Charla and me. Really."

Misty returned the smile. "You're welcome. You protected my Staryu as well. I have to admit, when we first met, I thought you were some irresponsible trainer, but now that I've actually talked to you, it turns out I was wrong. You're pretty okay and clearly love your Pokemon."

"Thanks Misty. Same here. Why don't we start over?" Serena suggested, extending her hand for Misty to shake.

Misty nodded and reached her hand out also, and the two girls shook.

"That's great seeing you two get along now!" Ash said excitedly.

"Don't forget, though. You two still owe me a new bike," Misty reminded.

"Heheheh. Don't worry. We are short on cash right now, but once we save up enough, I promise we'll get you a new one," Serena said.

"Sounds good," Misty said. "In the meantime, I'll just have to come with you!"

Ash and Serena looked at each other. Misty had proven she could be pretty nice, after all. They also decided that having a trainer with some experience would be pretty helpful on their journey. Both of them then looked back at Misty and nodded.

"Alright! The more, the merrier! Welcome to our group, Misty!" Ash said happily.

"Since all of you helped keep the Pokemon safe, why don't you stay the night here for free?" Nurse Joy offered. "The rooms weren't damaged at all in the attack, so it should still be comfortable for you."

"Awesome! Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!" Ash said. His stomach then growled. "Uh, I haven't had anything to eat in while. Do you know where we can get some food?"

Everyone laughed at Ash's antics.

While they were laughing, Serena had thought about what an eventful first day they had. It had started off pretty terrible with the flock of Spearow, their Pokemon being injured, an attack by a criminal organization, and meeting a quick-tempered redhead, but by the end, it had changed to a good day. They had seen a legendary Pokemon, saved the Pokemon of the Pokemon Center, made a new friend, and she saw something that might have captured her interest, the Battle Chateau. She couldn't wait to see what the rest of their journey would contain after today.

* * *

><p><strong>Please leave a review to tell me what you think.<strong>

**Okay. I'm going to have Serena do the Battle Chateau in the Kanto region. In order to make this work, I'm changing a few things about it. Rather than battle many trainers to increase in rank, I'm going to set it up like a tournament. If you win the tournament, you get an increase in rank. Once one becomes a dutch/dutchess, they can face the battle chatelaines to conquer it. More details in next chapter. **

**One more thing, a lot of you are either for or against Misty joining Ash and Serena in Kanto. Whether she is there or not in Orange Islands and Johto is up to you guys. I created a poll in my profile asking what you think I should do with Misty in the other regions. So please vote and tell me if you want her in those regions or not. The next chapter will be up in a week. Once again, thank you so all so much for reviewing. It's your reviews that keep me going!**

**Chapter 6: The Battle Chateau of Viridian City**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Why aren't you doing Unova or Kalos?_

_**I'm not doing Unova because I didn't watch that season a whole lot. Ash was noob, Iris and Cilan were okay but I preferred his other traveling companions, and the whole series was so kiddie. Another reason I'm choosing not to do it is because the story series will drag out to long like that. That's why I'm not doing Kalos also. I can only do so much story before my brain turns to spaghetti.**_

_Can you maybe make Ash more mature and less dense as the story progresses? The anime made him a dim-wad as well as the worst pokemon trainer in existance...lol_

_**Yes. That's my intention. See the author's note at the top of the chapter.**_

_I was wondering if you were have Ash hatch an egg in the Kanto region with Serena (It might work as a good way of helping Ash mature a little)_

_**Yes. Ash and Serena will each hatch an egg in the Kanto region.**_

_Will you do the battle frontier before and maybe in Sinnoh?_

_**I will definitely do the Battle Frontier. However, it will play out like in the anime so it won't be in Sinnoh. Just the arc before. I'm thinking of combining it with the Hoenn arc but haven't fully decided yet.**_

_When Brock comes (which will be hilarious) can he get a girl at least later in the series? He deserves it._

_**Brock just might get a girl heheheheheh. He also may be an amourshipper himself when he finds out how Serena feels about Ash.**_

_Since you're covering a good detail from the Kanto arc, are you going to include the Pokémon Prep School early on after Cerulean City, assuming you know about it? If so, are you going to have Ash fawn over Giselle like he did in the anime? It'd be funny to see Serena's take on it, why Ash never "looked" at her like that..._

_**I'm well acquainted with the Pokemon prep school episode. Unfortunately, I don't plan on doing it in my story. For those of you that want to see Serena jealous, fear not! There will be other opportunities.**_

_Will Ash and Serena capture any shiny pokemon?_

_**Yes.**_

_Do you basically plan to do a Charizard pairing involving both Ash's and Serena's Charizards, assuming her Charla evolves into a Charizard which I'm guessing will happen._

_**Yes. That was one of the things I've been planning from the beginning. There will be romance between Ash and Serena's Charmanders/Charizards later on.**_

_When Ash's Charmander evolves into Charmeleon will it be flat out disobedient like it was in canon or will it just give Ash a hard time but still be loyal._

_**It will give Ash a hard time but still be loyal. I don't plan on having him be disobedient. Ash did save its life after all. I always thought it was terrible how Charizard treated Ash at first.**_

_If they both get Charizards and you plan to involve Mega Evolution does that mean they both will have a Mega Stone for one of their Charizards or will they have only one of them and if they both do get them then I'm guessing Ash will get Charizard X since it looks fiercer than Charizard Y which I'm guessing is the one Serena would get._

_**You made a great guess. They each will only have one Mega Stone. Ash's will be Charizard X and Serena's Charizard Y. That's still very far off, though. I don't plan to introduce Mega Evolution until Sinnoh.**_

_Also when you do start the other region arcs will you have Ash and maybe Serena do what they did in canon and have Ash constantly start over with only their starters or will they bring their pokemon along and rotate their teams._

_**Ash and Serena will leave their team at Professor Oak's lab and only bring their starters to new regions like in canon. However, they will rotate their team a lot to make sure everyone still battles on a regular basis.**_

_As for gyms why not 16 gyms one for each type? I ask this because I think hundreds of trainers enter the league at a time and having just 8 would mean that should one be out for some reason they wouldn't be able to get to the league not to mention powerful (and unstable) gym leaders like sabrina would make things promblematic, I think 16 is a good number._

_**As stated earlier, there are only eight gyms per region for easier handling. If you would like me to elaborate, another reason why I believe trainers need to conquer all eight and not eight out of sixteen is because you NEED very hard gym leaders like Sabrina. These are the gyms that separate the "A" trainers that deserve the Pokemon League for beating her from the "B" trainers who don't. If there were sixteen gyms per region, a run off the mill trainer could only do the eight that don't have a big reputation for being hard. Basically, ANYONE could enter the Pokemon League that way and it wouldn't be as much of an honor to participate.**_


	6. The Battle Chateau of Viridian City

**A/N: I'm very happy most of you were satisfied with Serena doing the Battle Chateau. As for the one person who reviewed that didn't, well, I guess you can't please everybody. Thanks for all of the reviews and encouragement. There is an important author's note at the bottom of the chapter. Make sure to read it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does. Not me. Nintendo!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: The Battle Chateau of Viridian City<p>

Serena was getting ready for bed. She had already brushed her teeth for the night and was coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas. She sat on the bed and sighed. Opposite of her was Misty who was already lying down in bed. They had decided to share a room together at the Pokemon Center in order not to take up too much open rooms in case other trainers came by. Ever since Misty and Serena shook hands and decided to travel together (and when Misty wasn't mentioning her bike), they got along pretty okay.

Misty got on her side and propped herself up with her elbow on her pillow. "So Serena, how long have you known Ash?" she asked.

"I've known him for about three years now," Serena replied. "We were at summer camp in Pallet Town. I had just moved to the area. I had fallen and hurt my leg during a scavenger hunt. He appeared and helped me by bandaging my leg and leading me by hand out of the forest. He completely dropped the scavenger hunt to make sure I was okay."

"That was nice of him," Misty said with a smile.

"Yeah. It was," Serena said smiling back. "He is definitely one of the kindest people I know. There aren't too many people out there who love people and Pokemon as much as he does."

"So are you two….boyfriend and girlfriend?" Misty asked curiously

Serena blushed heavily at the question "No. No. We aren't dating or anything," she said nervously.

Misty then got a sly look on her face. "But you like him, don't you?"

"Eheheheheh, yeah. I do," Serena said nervously while rubbing the back of her neck and sweat dropping.

Misty then replaced her mischievous look with one of curiosity again and asked. "Why don't you let him know that you like him? I mean, I'm assuming he doesn't know."

"It's simple, really," Serena said matter-of-factly. "Ash is the greatest person I've ever met. He's kind, generous, funny, and isn't afraid to protect those he cares about. I would hate for him to act weird around me if he knew I liked him and him not feel that way about me."

"I'm going out on a limb here, but from what I've seen, it seems that Ash cares a good deal about you also. He may like you. It's just he hasn't realized it yet. All it would take is a good push to get him to know his feelings for you. You will never know until you try."

"I know. I'm just not ready to tell him yet," Serena sighed.

Misty smiled sympathetically. "That's fine. You are still afraid of getting friend-zoned. That can be the worst place to be in when you have a crush on someone. Just tell him when you're ready."

"You sound like you speak from experience, Misty," Serena said.

"No way! I don't have a crush on anyone!" Misty suddenly said defensively.

"Alright. Alright. Sorry," Serena said waving her hands in front of her face.

"Well, I'm going to go ahead and get to sleep," Misty said as she turned over and put her head on the pillow.

"Yeah. I need to also. I didn't get much sleep last night," Serena yawned. She then pulled her legs over the bed and got underneath the covers. She was asleep in few minutes.

* * *

><p>It was the next morning in Viridian City. Compared to the night before, both Ash and Serena got a good night's sleep. Their Pokemon were also feeling better and fully refreshed. Everyone was now in the cafeteria eating their breakfast at a booth in the cafeteria. Pikachu was licking a bottle of ketchup. It didn't know why, but it sure loved the stuff.<p>

"So Ash. Serena told me that you are going to challenge the Indigo League," Misty said as she scooped up some cereal in her spoon to take a bite.

"That's right!" Ash confirmed. "I'm going to challenge all the gym leaders and then win!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Misty said. "Gym leaders are a lot stronger than your average trainer. They are no pushovers. You need to make sure you are prepared every time."

"Right," Ash replied as he took a bite of his food.

"Speaking of the Indigo League, have you signed up yet, Ash?" Serena spoke up.

Ash mentally smacked himself. "I can't believe I forgot!" He was about to get up and abandon his food to go, but Misty stopped him.

"Relax, Ash. Registration isn't going anywhere. There is no deadline. You can do so at any time," Misty said.

Ash sighed with relief and sat back down. "That's good. I would hate to have to waste all this good food!" Ash said as he resumed eating.

Serena chuckled while Misty rolled her eyes.

* * *

><p>"Nurse Joy. I'd like to sign up for the Indigo Pokemon League, please," Ash stated. He, Serena, and Pikachu were back in the lobby at the front desk. Misty had gone back to her room real quick to retrieve her things.<p>

"Alright, Ash. I will just need to see your Pokedex. The computer up here in the lobby is still out of order from last night, but the one in the back still works," Nurse Joy told him.

Ash nodded and handed his pokedex to Nurse Joy. She then went to the back room to scan it.

"So are we ready to head out once this is done?" Ash asked.

"Yeah. I have all my things," Serena replied.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu nodded its head.

Nurse Joy then returned with Ash's pokedex and handed it back to him. "Here you go, Ash. You are all signed up for the Indigo League. I wish you the best of luck," she said

"Great! Thanks, Nurse Joy! I heard there is a gym here in Viridian City. Could you please tell me how to get there?" Ash asked eagerly.

Nurse Joy got an apologetic look on her face. "Unfortunately, the gym leader isn't there at moment. He's always out doing various projects. He is one of the hardest gym leaders to schedule a match with because he's away so often. He is also very secretive and shrouded in mystery. I don't even know his name," Nurse Joy told Ash.

"Oh. Okay then," Ash said only slightly disappointed. "In that case, where is the nearest one?"

"That would be the one in Pewter City. My cousin works at the Pokemon Center there. I will e-mail her to let her know you are coming. I'm sure she would like to thank you for helping the Pokemon as well," Nurse Joy said kindly.

"We will!" Ash said. He then turned to Serena. "So Serena. Ready to head to Pewter City?" Ash asked her.

"Actually, Ash. I was wondering if we could check someplace out before leaving the city," Serena requested while scratching her cheek.

"Sure. What is it?" Ash asked.

"I saw this advertisement last night about something called the Battle Chateau. It was next to the poster for the Indigo League. I was hoping we could go there to see what it's like," Serena told him.

"No problem! Do you wanna check out the Battle Chateau, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied while holding up one its small paws and making a "V" shape with its fingers.

"Then let's go!" Ash said as they turned towards the door.

"Hold it!" Misty suddenly yelled behind them.

They turned around to see Misty running up to them. "I know you weren't thinking about leaving me behind! Don't forget! I'm staying with you guys until you get me a new bike!" she reminded.

"Of course not! We weren't going to leave you behind! Heheheheh!" Ash chuckled nervously.

"Well, whatever. So where are we headed to?" Misty asked.

"There is this new facility called the Battle Chateau that we are going to see. It sounds like fun," Serena answered.

"You're actually in luck. I've heard of the Battle Chateau myself and happen to know the way there. Follow me," Misty said she begin to walk towards the exit. Everyone waved goodbye to Nurse Joy, and they were off.

* * *

><p>"Well, here it is!" Misty said once they reached the Battle Chateau.<p>

Ash and Serena looked up in amazement at the majestic building. It looked more like a castle than a battle facility, complete with spiral towers and stone bricks. The only that seemed to be missing was a moat.

"Wooooow," Serena said in awe as she continued to stare.

"Well, are you two just going to stand there all day, or are we going in? I'm actually a little curious to see what the inside looks like myself," Misty said a little impatiently.

"Yeah. We're coming," Serena said as they walked in.

The inside of the Battle Chateau was just as grand as the outside. Red carpet adorned the floors with expensive looking vases on pedestals against the wall. There were several doorways against the wall which the group assumed led to the rooms for battling. There were also huge marble staircases that led up to higher floors. There were several maids and butlers walking around. There were also a few other kids in formal attire that were chatting.

"Welcome the Battle Chateau, Beau and Dames," an elderly man with a goatee in a butler's outfit greeted. "I am the head butler here. My name is Hennessy." He then gave a bow.

"Hello," the group said. Pikachu thought this man was rather intimidating and hid behind Ash.

"Is this, perhaps, your first time visiting here?" Hennessy asked.

"Yes, it is," Serena answered. "I saw an advertisement at the Pokemon Center and wanted to see what you had to offer here."

"Ah! Splendid!" Hennessy said. "As long as you trainers have received a recommendation from a person of stature, I will gladly accept you in!"

"Uh, a recommendation?" Ash asked confused. "I don't think we have received anything like that."

"Oh dear. Perhaps there is someone you could call that I could speak to?" Hennessy asked.

"I know!" Serena spoke up. "We can call Professor Oak! He will surely give us one!"

"Oh! You know Professor Oak?" Hennessy asked.

"Absolutely!" Ash replied. "He is actually our neighbor and we got our pokedex from him."

"Well that is just wonderful!" Hennessy exclaimed. "If you may just let me see your pokedexes, that is good enough recommendation for me. Professor Oak wouldn't give someone a pokedex he didn't deem a worthy trainer."

"Oh great!" Serena said happily as she took out her pokedex to give to Hennessy, Ash doing the same.

After confirming their identities on their pokedex, he then handed their pokedexes back and clapped his hands together.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "Will all of you be participating today?"

"Hey, Serena. I'd like to try it out myself to see what it's like also, if that's okay." Ash said.

"Sure, Ash! I'd be very happy to have you try it with me," Serena said smiling.

"Great! What about you Misty? Ash asked, turning to her.

"Actually, I will just sit and watch. This isn't really my thing," Misty replied.

"Okay Hennessy. It will be Ash and me participating," Serena said giving a nod.

"Excellent, madam!" Hennessy said. You and the young sir right there may follow me so we may change your outfits."

"We have to change our clothes?" Ash asked as he, Pikachu, and Serena began following Hennessy into another room.

"Certainly. This is a place for elegant trainers to try their skills. They must be able to look their best!" Hennessy answered.

"Er, okaaaaay," Ash shrugged.

"Surely you want to look your best, Ash!" Serena said. "_I'll bet he'll look really handsome in a formal outfit."_ she then thought and blushed slightly.

"Are you two sure you want to this?" Misty asked a little unsurely.

"Of course! Why wouldn't we?" Ash asked, turning back to look at Misty.

Misty sighed. "If you are sure."

Hennessy then led them to another butler and a maid. "I have a young sir and madam that would like to participate in our Battle Chateau today. Would you two be so kind as to lead them to their rooms to change?" Hennessy asked.

The butler and maid bowed. "It would be our pleasure, sir," they said.

Serena followed the maid down one hallway and Ash and Pikachu followed the butler down another. "_I'm getting so excited! Heehee!" _Serena thought to herself.

She was soon lead into a changing room. Serena stood and looked around while the maid went to find an outfit for her. Even the changing room looked grand. There were several rows of dresses of different sizes that were aligned neatly and orderly. The room itself was sparkling clean and also had a red carpet. There were many different doors to where one could change clothes privately. Serena couldn't help but be amazed at how much effort the builders had put into this place.

"Here you are, madam," the maid said as she handed Serena her outfit. "Please use one of the changing facilities over there," she pointed.

Serena then went into one of the rooms, closed the door, and began to change. Once she was finished, she looked herself over in the mirror. She wore a long pink dress with short sleeves edged with white frills. She wore pantyhose on her legs with elegant pink flats to match. On her head was a sparkling pink headband.

"Oh wow! I look so cute!" She said to herself. "I can't wait for Ash to see me like this!"

She then walked out of the changing room, leaving her other clothes behind, and was led by the maid back to the front hall. She saw Ash was already back and was with Misty and Hennessy. He was wearing a white long sleeve button- up shirt with a tie. He had on black trousers and black shoes with a black button-up coat. What stood out most to Serena about Ash was that his hair was actually combed! She didn't think she had ever seen his hair that neat in the entire time she has known him. He looked so handsome.

Serena then went over to Ash. "How do I look, Ash?" she asked and did a twirl for emphasis.

Ash looked pretty amazed. "Wow! You look great, Serena! Very elegant!"

Serena smiled. It wasn't quite the reaction she was hoping for, but it was good enough coming from Ash. "Well thank you, Ash. You look very handsome yourself! Especially with your combed hair," she giggled.

"Eheheheh, thanks. The butler made me do it, or I couldn't compete," Ash said nervously while rubbing the back of his neck.

Pikachu then snickered at Ash causing him to glare at it. "Hahaha! Laugh it up, Pikachu. Why don't I put you in these clothes and see how you like it?" Ash said which promptly made Pikachu be quiet.

"If I may have your attention, please! While you were changing, the match-ups were decided for this tournament. I would now like to explain the rules," Hennessy politely cut in. Whenever you are at a Battle Chateau, you are assigned a rank. Since this is your first time at one, you both shall begin with the starting rank, Baroness for the young dame, and baron for the young beau. In order to ascend higher and improve your rank, you must defeat trainers in battle. The ranks you can start with is Baron or Baroness, then Viscount or Viscountess, Earl or Countess, Marquis or Marchioness, and finally Duke or Duchess! Once you achieve that rank, you may then challenge our very own chatelaines. I suppose you could call them the elite four of our Battle Chateau for comparison. If you are able to defeat them in battle, you will receive a plaque, your picture on the wall, and a fabulous prize!"

"So this is a tournament in itself?" Serena asked

"Yes ma'am. We even have gym leaders battle here occasionally. The higher rank you become, the more recognition you will receive, and the more you may capture the attention of a gym trainer or even someone of the Elite Four," Hennessy said.

"I have another question, Hennessy," Serena said. Achieving the rank of Duchess seems like a lot of work to do for one day. How do people do it?"

Hennessy then chuckled softly. "Ohohoho! Dear dame, of course we don't expect you to do this all in one day or even in the same city! There are five different Battle Chateaus across the Kanto Region. There is one here in Viridian City, one in Cerulean City, one in Celedon City, another in Saffron City, and finally, there is one in Fushia City. Whatever rank you achieve here will carry over with you to any Battle Chateau in the region. You are presented with a different ribbon and title card every time you receive a new rank for confirmation."

"Oh, good," Serena sighed with relief. She couldn't' wait to start trying to ascend in the ranks. She was hoping she could impress Ash by showing she was a good trainer.

"So without further ado, are you two ready to begin the tournament?" Hennessy asked.

Ash and Serena nodded.

"Wonderful! In that case, please follow me to the battle hall where you will face your first opponent. There will be ten other trainers participating in this tournament. It will be played out like a standard tournament. Each trainer will face against one other opponent. The winner gets to move on to the next round while the loser is out. This goes on until only two trainers are left. The winner gets to move up to the next rank. Do you understand?" Hennessy asked, receiving a nod.

The group then began to walk towards the battle hall. While they were walking, something suddenly occurred to Ash. "Hey, Misty. Why is it you didn't need to have a recommendation to come in like Serena and me? You said you have never been here before," he said curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing. The Battle Chateau already knew I didn't need a recommendation," Misty said nervously while looking in the opposite direction.

"How did they know that?" Ash asked.

"It's none of your business!" Misty said moodily.

"Alright. Sorry," Ash said as they entered the hall.

As they expected, the battle hall was a very large room with deep red carpet across the whole room. Unlike the rest of the Battle Chateau, however, the room was pretty bare. The only decorations were the various pictures that aligned the wall. Ash, Serena, and Misty assumed it was because of the intense Pokemon battles that took place in this room and the staff didn't want to risk anything being broken.

Hennessy then turned to Serena. "Madam, you will be part of the first tier so you will be battling first in our single battle. Your opponent will be a boy by the name of Joshua. Good luck with your match."

"Can we stay and watch her battle?" Ash asked hopefully.

"Of course, sir. Just be sure to be in your battle room by your scheduled battle time. You will be in the third tier." Hennessy answered. He then gave a bow and left the room.

"This is going to be your first real battle, Serena! Are you excited?! Ash asked her enthusiastically.

"Yes. I'm just really nervous, but I can do it. I believe in Charla," Serena said.

"I know you can do it! Misty, Pikachu, and I will be right there on the side lines cheering you on! Ash said, giving her a thumbs-up.

"Thanks, Ash" Serena smiled.

"I think that must be your opponent, Serena," Misty said, pointing to the other end of the room.

Ash and Serena turned, and sure enough, a young boy around their age was walking into the room. He had short, neatly combed brown hair and had a determined look on his face. He definitely didn't look prepared to lose.

"Go get 'em, Serena!" Ash said as he, Misty, and Pikachu went to the edge of the room to watch.

The judge then stood in the center of the room. "This is an official match of the Battle Chateau tournament. The match shall be one-on-one. Whoever wins shall advance further in the tournament. Whoever loses shall be eliminated. Before the match begins, may the beau bow and the dame curtsey to one another," he informed

Serena smiled at the boy opposite of her and did a light curtsey. The boy gave a smile back and bowed.

"Now please choose your Pokemon," the judge called out.

Serena took a deep breath before exhaling. "_Here I go,"_ she thought. She then reached and grabbed her pokeball. "Charla, come on out!" she said as she threw it.

The ball landed on the floor and opened to reveal the fire-type Pokemon. "Char! Char!" it said once it came up. It seemed ready for its first battle despite its lack of experience.

The opposing trainer also threw his pokeball. "Nidoran! I choose you!

The pokeball opened to reveal a small pink rabbit-like pokemon with a large horn on its forehead.

"Ah, a male Nidoran," Serena said as she opened her pokedex to scan it.

"Nidoran, the poison pin Pokemon, it has large poisonous horn on its forehead," the pokedex said.

"Be careful of the horn, Charla!" Serena called out to Charla, who nodded.

"This match between Serena and Joshua will now start! There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge yelled waving down both of his flags.

"Nidoran! Use horn attack! Go!" Joshua immediately said.

The Nidoran charged forward at full speed ready to attack Charla.

Serena was incredibly surprised at how quickly the boy had called out to Nidoran and how quickly it responded.

"Serena, say a command!" Serena heard Ash call.

"Oh, uh, right! Charla dodge it!" she called, but it was too late.

Charla was hit by the horn dead on and sent flying backwards. It landed on the ground in pain.

"Charla! Are you okay?!" Serena asked as Charla slowly rose back to its feet. It then nodded its head, signifying it could still fight.

"That's great, Nidoran. Now use poison sting!" Joshua commanded. Nidoran then leaped into the air and shot several glowing needles from its horn right at Charla.

"Dodge it Charla!" Serena called. Charla then leaped out of the way.

"She's not going to win if all she is doing is dodging," Misty said to herself.

"Charge straight at Charmander and use Horn Attack, Nidoran!" the male trainer called out.

Nidoran leaned back a little and charged straight at Charla again.

"_Now's my chance,"_ Serena thought. "Charla, use Ember!"

Charla then took a deep breath and shot out as many embers as it could from its mouth in hopes of hitting the Nidoran.

Joshua smiled. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do. Leap into the air, Nidoran!"

Nidoran leaped into the air high above Charla, completely dodging the Ember attack.

"What?!" cried Serena.

"Now use Poison Sting!" the other trainer called.

"Nidoran then pointed its head downward while in midair so its head was pointing straight at Charla. It then let loose a barrage of needles.

Due to the proximity of the attack, Charla was unable to dodge and hit with almost every needle. It then began to cough and look sick. Charla had been poisoned.

"Oh no! Charla!" said Serena with worry.

"Finish this off with Tackle!" Joshua called.

"Try an Ember attack!" called Serena frantically.

Charla took a deep breath to use Ember attack, but Nidoran collided with it before it had a chance to let loose its attack. Charla was sent flying backwards and landed on its back, this time not getting up.

"Charla! Are you okay?! Serana asked.

"Charrrr….." it muttered weakly.

"Charmander is unable to battle! The winner is Joshua! Serena is eliminated from today's tournament!" the judge called out, waving the flag in his left hand and pointing to Joshua.

"Way to go, Nidoran!" Joshua said as he went over to pet it before returning it to its pokeball. He then looked over at Serena and gave a short nod before leaving the room.

Serena sank to her knees. She couldn't believe it. She never even landed a hit. It had ended so quickly. "Return, Charla. Good job," she said sadly as she returned Charla to its pokeball. She then heard footsteps behind her and figured it was Ash, Misty, and Pikachu.

"Serena…." Ash trailed, confirming her guess.

Serena then turned to Ash and looked at him sadly. "Ash, I…I didn't even land a hit," she said.

"I know. It's okay," he replied.

"You tried, Serena. That trainer was just a little better," Misty said.

Serena looked at the ground again. More like he was A LOT better. It was her first real battle, and she lost horribly. That really stung.

"I'm sorry, Charla," she said as looked at her pokeball.

She then felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned around to find Ash attempting a smile at her. She slowly tried to smile back and managed a weak one in return, but it quickly left her face.

* * *

><p>"This is an official match of the Battle Chateau tournament. The match shall be one-on-one. Whoever wins shall advance further in the tournament. Whoever loses shall be eliminated. Before the match begins, may the beaus bow to one another," the judge said.<p>

Ash bowed while his opponent did the same. It was now Ash's turn at the Battle Chateau. Seeing Serena lose like that had upset him a little bit, but he also knew he would have to focus on the match. Hopefully he could win.

"Now please choose your Pokemon!" the judge said.

Ash looked at Pikachu. "Well, you're up, Pikachu. You can do it," Ash said.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded and ran forward to the center of the battle hall.

The other trainer seemed to think for a moment before making his decision. "I choose you, Mankey!"He then threw his pokeball.

The ball landed on the floor to reveal a pig monkey looking Pokemon that was covered with white fur except for the ends of its thin arms and legs. It seemed to have an angry expression on its face.

"Hmm, a Mankey," Ash said to himself as he scanned it with his pokedex. "Mankey. The Pig Monkey Pokemon. Although normally friendly, it has a very quick temper and can rampage." the pokedex said.

"Come on, Ash! You can win it!" Serena called out from the side of the hall. Misty stood watching silently.

"This match between Ash and Chris will now start! There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge yelled waving down both of his flags.

"Okay, Pikachu! Let's start this off with a Thundershock!" Ash said.

"Pika" it nodded, then charged up power in its cheeks and released a Thundershock at Mankey. It was a direct hit.

Mankey grimaced at the pain but quickly shook it off.

"Alright, Mankey! Hit it with a Karate Chop!" Chris ordered

Mankey then ran forward prepared to do the attack to Pikachu.

"Use Quick Attack to avoid it, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu shot out of the way, and then began to run around in circles around Mankey. Mankey was trying to keep up with Pikachu, but it soon got dizzy.

"Now's your chance, Pikachu! Mankey's center is probably its weak spot! Hit right there!" Ash called. For some reason, he saw a strange smile on Chris's face when he ordered that command. Something was up.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu then ran forward and hit Mankey square in the stomach. Mankey yelled in pain before flying backwards. It must have been a critical hit.

"Good job, Pikachu!" Ash said.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do. You activated my Pokemon's special ability, Anger Point," Chris said before calling out, "Mankey get up and use your Karate Chop!"

Mankey got up, but something was different about it. It was beet red and seemed to be extremely angry. It let out what sounded like a battle cry and charged forward with great speed.

"Pikachu! Use quick attack to get out of the way! Try attacking it from a distance!" Ash said.

"Pikachu obeyed and swiftly got of the way, but Mankey turned just as fast, surprising Pikachu before it was hit by Mankey's Karate Chop.

"Chaaaaaa!" Pikachu cried out before being sent sailing through the air a lot farther than Ash would think from a Karate Chop.

Pikachu hit the wall and then fell to the ground in defeat.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Pikachu is unable to battle. The winner is Chris!" the judge said, raising its flag to point at Chris.

"One shot. I can't believe it. How?" Ash asked himself. He was clearly stunned.

"It's because you activated my Mankey's special ability, Anger Point. Every time Mankey get hit wit a critical hit. Its attack is boosted to incredible levels. Getting most Pokemon in their weak spot is normally a good strategy, but it works in favor of Mankey. That was your big mistake," Chris said before returning Mankey to its pokeball and leaving the room.

Ash watched him go, and then went over to pick up Pikachu. "Hey Pikachu. You did great buddy. It was my fault," Ash said sadly.

Serena watched Ash from the sidelines. She couldn't believe it. Ash lost, too, and he was doing so well at first. When Serena decided to take on the Battle Chateau challenge. She had no idea it would be this tough.

Ash came up to join them. "I don't understand. I thought Pikachu and I were ready for a battle. Where did I go wrong?" Ash said more to himself than Serena and Misty.

"We better get your Pokemon back to the Pokemon Center," Misty said. "There is something I would like to talk to you two about." She then began to walk away.

"Right," they both said. They then followed Misty.

* * *

><p>The group had now returned to the Pokemon Center. There were now several workers in the lobby that were repairing some of the damage that was caused last night and a few construction workers on the roof that were attempting to repair the hole in the roof. Despite all the loud noise going on, the center was still in operation.<p>

Nurse Joy was surprised to see them back so soon, but still graciously accepted their Pokemon and took them to the back room to heal them. She had told them that their Pokemon's wounds weren't as severe this time, which was a great comfort to Ash and Serena.

Ash and Serena were now sitting on a couch in the lobby, both musing to themselves how they could make it as trainers if they were always going to lose this badly. Misty had walked over and was now standing in front of them.

"You two are pretty naïve, you know," Misty suddenly spoke up, causing them both to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

Misty sighed. "I mean how did you expect to do well at the Battle Chateau when you only have one Pokemon each, and neither of them have ever battled before?" she said with her hands on her hips.

"Well…." Serena began, but couldn't find an answer. Ash was the same way.

"The Battle Chateau, or any other battle facility, isn't to be taken lightly. The trainers that go to that place and that are taking the Indigo League Challenge are just as serious as you two are about becoming trainers. They aren't just going to barge straight in there and expect to win with inexperienced Pokemon." Misty said with a hint of anger in her voice.

"So you are saying it's our Pokemon's fault?" Ash said giving Misty an angry look.

"Of course it isn't! It's YOUR fault for having such poor judgment!" Misty yelled causing Ash to shrink back.

"I thought that if we trusted our Pokemon, that would be enough to win the fight," Ash said sadly and looked down at the floor.

"I'm afraid it isn't," Misty said, also lowering her voice. "Trusting your Pokemon is important in battle, but you also have to be smart in battle also. Your Pokemon had never had a real battle before. If you want to do well in battle, you have to train your Pokemon. Develop a bond with them. Form you own battle style. Get experience! Start by battling other beginning trainers like yourselves, because I guarantee you every other trainer in the Battle Chateau had already been trainers a while."

Ash and Serena closed their eyes. Misty's words stung, but she was right. They were both being too eager for battle. They couldn't just expect to do well with their Pokemon careers if they didn't gain experience first.

"I let you go to the Battle Chateau because I was hoping you would see for yourselves all the aspiring trainers there that were taking their training seriously, hoping for you to follow their example and train just as hard. I didn't think you would actually participate!" Misty said throwing her hands in the air.

Ash and Serena grimaced. That had made a lot of rash decisions so far on their journey, and it's gotten them in trouble each time.

"If you two are going to make it as Pokemon trainers, you have to stop being so impulsive. Think before you do anything. Study your opponent. Read about a Pokemon's strengths and weaknesses before you battle so you know if they have a trick up their sleeve like that Mankey. Start with battles that are more your own level!" Misty continued.

"We're sorry," they both said.

Misty sighed. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing, too."

Just then, the busy signal went off in the back room, signifying Ash and Serena's Pokemon were out of examination. Nurse Joy and Chansey then came out with Pikachu and Charla behind them.

They both went over to their Pokemon seeing them almost as good as new.

"Since the injuries weren't as serious this time, I was able to treat your Pokemon with a super potion each," Nurse Joy smiled.

"That's great!" Ash said Serena got a happy look their face. They then remembered they had something to do.

"Hey, Pikachu. I'm sorry I put you through that. I forgot you had probably never battled since your last trainer. I was really unprepared for the match and you had to suffer at it. I won't that mistake again. Will you forgive me?" Ash asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry, too, Charla. I was really rash to put you into a battle facility for our very first match. I promise I'll make better decisions from now on," Serena said.

Both Pokemon nodded. They both trusted their trainers. They certainly were not going to leave them after one mistake.

"Thanks!" Ash and Serena said gratefully. Ash gave Pikachu a high five and Serena hugging Charla.

They then turned to Misty, now with a renewed look of determination. "You're right, Misty. Thanks for telling us that. I'm going to make sure to make a lot better decisions from now on and not be so rash and stubborn. I'm going to capture more Pokemon and train them hard and form a bond with them. Then together, my Pokemon and I will become great friends and tackle anything ahead of us!" Ash said with a determined look on his face.

"Right! Me, too!" Serena said with an equal amount of determination.

"Sounds good!" Misty said smiling back.

"So where do we head to now?" Serena asked.

"Well I remember Nurse Joy saying that Pewter City is closest. Let's go through the Viridian Forest to get there. We can capture some more Pokemon while we are there and get some training in before our next big battle," Ash said.

"Great. Viridian Forest. Where all the creepy bugs are," Misty mumbled to herself.

"Did you say something, Misty?" Ash asked, him as well as Serena giving Misty a questioning look.

"Nope! Nothing! Let's hurry up and go!" Misty said marching ahead of them.

Serena then returned Charla to her pokeball and began to follow Misty, giving Ash a weird look, as if asking what was up with Misty's behavior.

Ash shrugged and began following also. Pikachu following its trainer.

Everyone waved goodbye to Nurse Joy again and left the building with Ash and Serena's heads held high.

After today, Ash and Serena both realized they still had a lot of growing up to do. Becoming a Pokemon trainer was a big responsibility. They would have to make a lot of rational decisions from now on and would need to mature in order to make it as a trainer. Maybe these losses were just what they needed to get them serious about their careers as well. They had set out on their journey to be best, and that's exactly what they were going to do!

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sure many of you are probably displeased that both Ash and Serena got creamed their first real match. However, I believe their first loss was necessary in order for them to grow. For those you who thought the battles were a little boring, that was on purpose. Ash and Serena are still new trainers and haven't developed their own battle style yet. The battles will get more exciting in time. At least, I l hope they will. It is something I'm still working on.<strong>

**About the important announcement, I have a very busy month ahead of me. I have various things to do for work, a week long trip to Wisconsin, and a wedding to go to (not mine lol). In short, I won't be able to update this fic at all for the rest of March because I'll be so busy. I must ask for your patience while this month passes. I will update again on the first Tuesday in April, so look for the next chapter around then. Heck, you may even have TWO chapters waiting for you once I come back. Once again thanks for all of the support you guys are showing me and I will see you the first Tuesday in April!**

**Chapter 7: Into the Viridian Forest**

**Answering the Question**

_Will you do movies and such? Or aura with Ash?_

_**Both of those questions are answered at the end of Chapter 3. Look there.**_

_Who will get Togepi?_

_**It won't be Misty. That's all I will say.**_

_Will Ash actually win any Pokemon Leagues this time?_

_**He sure will win some, but I won't say which ones. He won't win all four, but he will still do better than he does in canon at all of them. **_

_Do you plan on having any other shippings in this story for the other girls (Misty, May, Dawn)._

_**This is a very tough question for me because I don't really support many other shippings that don't have Ash in them with the exception of a few. I may have to push away my dislike for some of them so many people can have a happy ending. There will be hints at other shippings though. Probably some with Ash **__**as well which Serena won't **__**like one bit.**_

_Do you plan__to give Ash and Serena any legendary or pseudo legendary Pokemon?_

_**This is also answered at the end of chapter 3.**_

_Do you plan Ash and Serena's carry limit as their skills and ranks grow?_

_**That is an interesting idea. I might do that, but no guarantees.**_

_Will you keep the Pokemon choices strictly to those native in the aforementioned story arc or will you be throwing Pokemon from other regions into the mix early on._

_**There will be some Pokemon introduced early but not a lot. I'm still debating whether to include unova and kalos Pokemon in the sinnoh arc  
><strong>_

_Will Ash's Pokemon stay with him in this story or will he release them like in the show._

_**Butterfree will still be released because I think that is an important step in Ash growing up. He will keep Haunter and Primeape. He will still release Pidgeotto but will actually visit it everytime he is around Pallet Town (like he promised in the anime). He MIGHT keep Lapras.**_

_How long will Brock be coming along? Will he still become a Pokemon Doctor earlier than Sinnoh? Thus leaving Ash and Serena behind to do his studies._

_**Brock will definitely be around in Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. I haven't decided if he will travel with them in Sinnoh or not. I think it would be good for Ash and Serena's maturity if a parent/older sibling character like Brock wasn't with them all the time.  
><strong>_

_Will_ _Serena catch Pink Butterfree?_

_**No. It was truthfully one of the ideas I originally had, but then there would be no reason for their Butterfrees to be released if they are already together. So no pink Butterfree for Serena. Sorry.  
><strong>_

_Since Leaf is in this story, is Gary's sister Daisy In it as well?_

_**Daisy exists in this story if that makes any sense. I don't know if she will actually make an appearance in the story yet, but it may be necessary later on.**_

_Will Ash keep Larvitar?_

_**Yes.**_


	7. Into the Virdian Forest

**A/N: Hey guys. Thanks for your patience while I got through this exhausting month. Updates should now return to their weekly/bi-weekly schedule for the foreseeable future. Before the chapter, I would like to say something about Jessie, James, and Meowth. They will be a lot more menacing than they are in the canon anime. This will especially show in the Mt. Moon chapter. They also won't be after Ash's Pikachu in this fic. They have more important things to do than chase around a ten year old. They are also a slightly higher in rank, not an executive, but still above a grunt. Don't worry. They will still be true to their personalities.**

**And here is Chapter 7!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Every single Pokemon and character in this fic belong to Nintendo.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Into the Viridian Forest<p>

"Well, here we are! Viridian Forest!" Ash announced.

The group was now standing at the entrance to a large forest. Viridian City was a few miles behind them. It was now late in the afternoon, and the group wanted to go ahead and trek through as much of the forest as they could before dark. However, Ash was the only one of the group who seemed to be actually looking forward to navigating the forest.

"Uh, do we really have to go in there?" Misty asked in a worried tone.

"Of course! You said it yourself, Misty. Serena and I need to capture more Pokemon to become stronger! I'm certain there are some great bug Pokemon in there for us to capture," Ash replied.

"B-B-Bug Pokemon?" Misty asked and began trembling.

"Misty, you aren't afraid to go in the forest are you? I mean, we have to go through there to get to Pewter City, anyway," Ash tried to reason.

"It isn't the forest itself. It's the….," Misty trailed.

"Well, if you don't want to go in the forest, that's fine. Serena, Pikachu and I can just leave you here. Are you guys ready?" Ash asked them.

Pikachu immediately responded with a "PikaPi" and hopped onto Ash's shoulder. Serena, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through such a thick forest at the moment, but Ash did have a point. There were probably more Pokemon in there to catch, and it was the quickest way to Pewter City.

Seeing the look on Serena's face, Ash gave her a reassuring smile. "Hey. Don't worry. Remember the promise we made to look out for each other. You have Charla, Pikachu, and me to look after you. We'll make sure nothing happens to you," he said.

After hearing those words, Serena felt much better and smiled back at Ash. "You're right, Ash! Let's go!" she said as they began walking into the forest.

Misty moaned as she watched them go. "Ohhh….what do I do? What do I do? Grrrrr...hey! Wait for me!" she called. She then hurried after them into Viridian Forest.

* * *

><p>The group had been walking through Viridian Forest for about twenty-five minutes, with Misty trailing a few paces behind Ash and Serena. It had been pretty uneventful. Despite that, Misty kept muttering to herself about how she hated forests like this. It was beginning to wear on everyone else's nerves, particularly because Misty refused to say why she hated the forest.<p>

Ash leaned over to Serena and whispered, "Do you think if we suddenly break out into a run and make several turns that we would be able to lose her?"

Serena giggled, but then sighed nonetheless. "It doesn't seem likely. She would find us sooner or later anyway, and then we would never hear the end of it. Misty must have a tracking system inside of her, considering how she always seems to find us," she replied.

"Yeah, but her whining is beginning to drive me crazy," Ash whispered again. He then looked over at Pikachu who had a deadpan expression on its face, and its ear kept twitching. Ash could tell Misty's complaining wasn't exactly pleasant to Pikachu, either.

"Hey! What are you two whispering about up there?" Misty suddenly spoke.

"It's nothing, Misty," Ash replied without looking back.

"Well, I for one am getting tired of walking for now. I say we take a break for a bit," Misty said while folding her arms over her chest.

Ash and Serena sighed, "Fine," Ash responded, but then lowered his voice for only Serena and Pikachu to hear. "If only for you to be quiet for a moment."

The group then stopped and sat down on the ground. Ash figured since they were taking a break, he might as well have another snack. They had a big breakfast at the Pokemon Center earlier, but it was times like this Ash wished someone in the group was a great cook for when they weren't in civilization. Cooking just wasn't his, Serena's, or Misty's specialty so they had to rely on things like sandwiches or bags of chips for food. It was a little inconvenient, but such was the life of living away from home now.

Serena decided she should release her Charla since it hadn't been outside of its pokeball since Viridian City. "Come on out, Charla," she said as she pushed the button on the pokeball to release her Pokemon.

Charla appeared from the beam of light and looked up at its trainer.

"Are you hungry yet, Charla?" Serena asked.

"Char! Char!" it replied and nodded its head.

Serena smiled, "Well, lucky for you I bought some Pokemon food while we were in Viridian City. Would you like to try some?"

"Charmander!" it replied eagerly.

"Here you go," Serena said as she handed the food to the Pokemon.

Charla grabbed the food and began to eat, but then stopped. It got a disgusted look on its face and forcibly swallowed.

Serena gasped. "Oh no! Do you not like that flavor?!"

Charla shook its head back and forth.

Misty sighed. "Pokemon have their own tastes too, you know. They aren't going to eat anything you give them," she said.

"Right. I'm sorry, Charla. I'll make sure to ask your opinion on food from now on," Serena said apologetically.

Ash pulled some Pokemon food from his backpack also and turned to Pikachu. "How about you Pikachu? Would you like to try some of the Pokemon food I bought for you?" he asked.

Pikachu shrugged. It was pretty indifferent to the taste of Pokemon food. It was all pretty mediocre to the awesomeness in a bottle that was ketchup. If the group could meet someone, like a Pokemon breeder, who knew how to make Pokemon food, and then made it ketchup-flavored, Pikachu would feel like it was in paradise.

Ash smiled sympathetically. "Yeah, I know it's probably not the best quality, buddy, but you do have to eat something. I'll make sure to buy some ketchup in Pewter City to put on your food."

Pikachu then nodded and began to nibble on the food. It would just have to bear it until then.

Misty unzipped her bag and took out a cheese sandwich she had made before they left the Pokemon Center. She was just about to take a bite when she felt something nudge against her leg. Thinking it was Charla or Pikachu, Misty smiled and said. "Oh, would one of you like a bite of my sandwich? Here you go." She then broke off a small piece of her sandwich and turned, only to find it wasn't Charla or Pikachu that was against her leg.

It was a small caterpillar Pokemon. It was light green in color and had a yellow underside. It had large black eyes and a pink antenna on its forehead. The Pokemon was Caterpie. It was looking up at Misty expectantly.

Misty froze and stared in horror at the Caterpie that was against her leg. She began to tremble violently, dropping her sandwich and let out a scream loud enough to break the sound barrier. "AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

The scream alarmed the rest of group who immediately quit what they were doing to see what could cause such a scream from Misty.

"Misty! What's wrong?! Are you hurt?! Were you mugged!?" Ash asked with worry as he and Serena went over to her.

"It's that thing! It touched me! Gross! Gross! Gross!" Misty shrieked.

"What did?!" cried Serena.

"That bug!" Misty shrieked again pointing at the Caterpie who was looking at Misty in confusion.

"Oh! A Caterpie! Cool!" Ash said as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes to scan it

"Caterpie, the worm Pokemon. "It's short feet are tipped with suction pads which enable it to tirelessly climb slopes and walls," the pokedex said.

"So you screamed just because a Caterpie touched you?" Serena asked while giving Misty a deadpan look.

"Bugs are disgusting! Bugs are gross! I hate them!" Misty cried.

"This little guy won't hurt anyone," Ash said. It was just then something occurred to him. "Wait a second, Misty. Are you afraid of bugs? Is that why you were so hesitant to come into the forest?"

"Fine! I admit it! I hate bugs! They disgust me!" Misty shouted.

"You're being ridiculous, Misty. Caterpie isn't going to hurt you. It seems really nice. In fact, I'm going to catch it!" Ash stated.

"What!?" Misty cried.

Ash then pulled out a spare pokeball from his belt and turned his hat back. "Pokeball, go!" he yelled as he threw the pokeball forward.

The pokeball soared through air and connected with Caterpie which was sucked into the ball. The pokeball landed on the ground and began to shake. Ash and the other watched in anticipation for the catch to be complete.

"Come on," Ash said to himself. The tension was killing him. The ball finally stopped shaking and 'dinged' to signal Caterpie had been captured.

Ash's face immediately broke out into a grin. He couldn't contain his excitement. "Alright! I caught my first Pokemon! Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

"Pi! Pikachu!" Pikachu said holding out its fingers in a V shape.

Serena was so happy for Ash since he caught his first Pokemon. Now all she had to do was catch one herself, and they would be in good shape. "Congratulations, Ash!" she said happily.

"Thanks, Serena!" Ash replied before going over to the pokeball. He then picked it up and kneeled down to show it to Pikachu and Charla. "Check it out guys. We made a new Pokemon friend for you to play with. The Pokemon smiled and nodded their heads to show their approval.

"Wait. Where did Misty go?" Serena asked.

Ash looked, and sure enough, the space that Misty was occupying a moment before was now vacant. They then looked around and spotted her hiding behind a tree with only a small part of her head peeking out.

Ash went over to her. "Come on now, Misty. You aren't afraid of an itty-bitty Caterpie, are you?" he asked in a teasing tone and showed the pokeball to Misty.

Misty then recoiled. "Eww! Get it away from me!" she yelled.

Ash then sighed. "You can at least be happy for me. I just caught my first Pokemon, and all you are doing is screaming," he muttered with a hint of disgust in his voice.

"I'm glad you caught a Pokemon, but why did it have to be a bug of all things!? I can't stand bugs!" Misty yelled again.

"Yes. You have made that very clear, Misty," Serena said in an annoyed tone as she joined Ash and Misty. "Personally, I think Caterpie is adorable, Ash."

Ash smiled back at Serena. "Thanks, Serena!" Hopefully you can catch yourself a bug Pokemon soon as well," Ash said.

"Lovely," Misty mumbled sarcastically. Ash and Serena ignored that comment.

"Hey. You know what? We haven't properly met Caterpie yet! Let's introduce ourselves!" Ash suggested.

Misty got a luck of disgust on her face, "Oh no. Does that mean….."

"Yep! Come on out, Caterpie!" Ash called as he opened his pokeball which released Caterpie.

"Aaaaahhh!" Misty screamed as she ran back several yards.

Caterpie stared around at its surroundings in wonder before settling its eyes on Ash. Ash knelt down and said, "Hi there, Caterpie. My name is Ash Ketchum. It's nice to meet you. We are going to have many great adventures together."

Caterpie gave the equivalent of a smile and nodded its head.

"You are really cute, Caterpie," Serena said as she knelt down also. She then reached over and began to pet it.

Caterpie cooed while Serena was petting it. Its eyes then landed on Misty a short distance away. It then then charged forward straight at Misty.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Misty screamed as Caterpie reached her. It then began to rub against Misty's leg affectionately, which caused her scream more.

"See, Misty? Caterpie is really nice, and it even likes you. You should give it a chance and become friends with it," Ash told her.

"No way! I could never be friends with such a creepy bug!" Misty exclaimed jumping away from Caterpie, saddening it and making its eyes water. "I'll tell you what. You and Serena can be friends with Caterpie, and I'll be friends with Pikachu and Charla," she said.

"That isn't going to work. We are all going to be traveling together, and so we should all be friends and get along, even you and Caterpie," Ash said a little sternly.

Misty then looked down and saw Caterpie rubbing against her leg again. She let out another mighty scream and ran a short distance away.

Ash then got an angry look on his face. "I can't believe you, Misty. Caterpie has been nothing but nice to you, and you are treating it like dirt!"

"I can't help it that I don't like bugs, Ash!" Misty shouted. "Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!"

"Besides you, what's the other one?" Ash retorted.

"I hate carrots, beets, and bugs! Everyone has something they don't like!" Misty stated.

Ash then stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh yeah!? Well I like carrots and beets and bugs! What I DON'T like, is the way you are hurting Caterpie's feelings with your silly fear of bugs!" he fired back.

He then looked and saw Caterpie slowly crawling off with an upset look on its face. "Hey, Caterpie. Where are you going?" Ash asked.

Caterpie went to its pokeball, pressed the button with its nose, and allowed itself back in the pokeball.

Ash then turned to glare at Misty. "Now look what you've done. I don't know how you expect to keep traveling with us if you are going to insult my Pokemon. Let's go Serena and Pikachu!" he said as he went to grab Caterpie's pokeball. He then picked it up and began to walk off. Pikachu joined Ash and jumped onto his right shoulder.

Serena gave Misty a glare of her own before she and Charla followed Ash.

"Hey! You can't leave me here! What about my bike?!" Misty called after them.

Serena rolled her eyes. Misty was STILL carrying on about her bike.

"We told you we would pay you back for your bike, didn't we? And we will. You don't need to follow us around. We have your number so we can call you anytime we have the money," Ash replied back.

Misty watched them walk off with a look of anger, but it quickly turned to a look of regret. It was true she thought bugs were incredibly disgusting, but maybe she was overreacting. Caterpie was, after all, certainly not trying to hurt her. It was just being friendly. Maybe she could at least try to be nice to it, as long as it didn't touch her, that is.

* * *

><p>"Is Misty still following us?" Serena asked as she, Ash, and their Pokemon continued to walk along the forest path.<p>

Ash turned around to see Misty walking several yards back and sighed. "Yes. When will she get the message that we don't really want her with us right now? We don't need insensitive bug haters on our team."

Misty happened to hear that comment, and it did sting a little bit. These kids did owe her a bike, but she could still try to be a little nicer to them. When they weren't fighting, like when they worked together to defend against Team Rocket, they could all get along pretty well. Maybe she could lighten up a little bit.

"Hey! Wait up!" Misty called as she ran forward to catch up.

"Just keep walking, guys," Ash muttered.

"Wait!" Misty called again once she reached the group.

"Yes?" Ash sighed.

"I wanted to say I was sorry. I still think bugs are gross, but you are right. Caterpie was just being nice. I'll at least be nice back to it," Misty said.

"In that case, I would like you to apologize to Caterpie face-to-face," Ash said while stopping. He then took out Caterpie's pokeball and released Caterpie.

Caterpie looked curiously to see what Ash needed. When it saw Misty, it immediately got a sad look on its face and looked down at the ground.

Misty stared at Caterpie fearfully for a moment before taking a deep breath and kneeling down. "Hey, Caterpie. I'm sorry about the way I treated you earlier. It's just that I have a fear of bugs, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you," she said apologetically.

"Now I want you to give it a small rub on the head," Ash told her.

"Do I have to?" Misty asked nervously.

"Go on, Misty," Serena urged.

Misty then gave a small gulp and very slowly reached out her hand to pet Caterpie. It was looking up at her expectantly. "_Get over yourself, Misty. Caterpie isn't going to hurt you!"_ she thought as she took another deep breath and gently placed her hand on Caterpie's head and began rubbing her hand back and forth.

Caterpie made a delightful chirp as Misty continued to rub its head. Ash and Serena smiled at the scene before them. "See Misty? Isn't so much easier when we can all get along?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, it is," Misty replied.

* * *

><p>It was now nighttime in Viridian Forest. The group had already eaten a small supper of sandwiches and were now getting ready for bed. Everyone had already stepped away to change into their pajamas. Caterpie was staring at the moon. It was full and gave off a nice glow to the forest after the campfire was put out.<p>

Ash gave a huge yawn as he got into his sleeping bag. He then turned to Pikachu who had curled up on the side of his pillow. "It was a good day today, huh, Pikachu? We made a new friend today. Now we are going to capture more Pokemon and win the Pokemon League."

"Pikachu!" it agreed.

Serena pulled out her sleeping bag and set it down next to Ash on his right. She then got into it herself. Charla lay down next to Serena, but made sure keep its fiery tail away from her.

Misty pulled hers out and set it down next to Serena and likewise got into it. "I've had a pretty tiring day. I'm going to go ahead and go to sleep. Good night," she said as she lay her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes.

"_It's no surprise you are tired with all that screaming you did today,_" Serena thought, but kept it to herself. She then turned to where Ash was laying. She couldn't tell if he still had his eyes open in the dark but decided he was still awake. "Hey, Ash. We sure had an eventful day, didn't we?" she whispered.

"Yeah, we did," he answered, confirming that he was still awake. "We had our first real battles at the Battle Chateau, I captured my first Pokemon, and now we are sleeping outside on a beautiful clear night."

"Speaking of the Battle Chateau, I thought it was pretty fun. It's like a Pokemon tournament itself because you are rising to the top. The gym challenge has never interested me much, but at the Battle Chateau I get to dress up and receive ranks on how well I do. I think I'm going to continue doing it while we are traveling."

"That's great that you found something you wanted to do for a while," Ash whispered happily. "I'm behind you all the way. I know you can win it."

"Do you really think so, Ash?" Serena asked.

"I really do 'Duchess Serena'," Ash smiled.

"Thanks, Ash. I have no doubt you can win the Pokemon League also," Serena said, smiling back.

"Yeah. We are going to be known all throughout the whole region, the Pokemon Master Couple. Ash Ketchum and Serena Gabena," Ash declared.

Serena blushed at the choice of words Ash used, Ash and her, a couple. She then let out a small giggle, "Hee hee! That sounds great, Ash. Let's do it," she confirmed.

Ash gave another yawn. "Yeah. Well, good night, Serena," he said. He then shifted a little in his sleeping bag to get more comfortable. He then whispered "Good night" to Pikachu and closed his eyes to sleep.

Serena couldn't see Ash in the dark, but could hear his light breathing as he fell asleep. "_He sounds so peaceful when he sleeps. It's so cute,_" Serena thought. For all of the small quirks Ash had, at the end of the day, Serena didn't care. All she knew was Ash was the nicest boy she has ever known, and she cared a lot about him, and he has shown several times that he cares a lot for her as well. She hoped, one day, Ash will realize her feelings for him, and return them as well. She smiled at the thought of them together as a couple. It was that thought alone that brought peace to her mind despite the busy day she had. She was asleep as well within a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Pikachu had opened his eyes slightly and noticed Caterpie was still looking up at the moon. It had a longing expression on its face. Deciding to go see what was on the Pokemon's mind, Pikachu quietly slipped off the side of Ash's pillow. This got Charla's attention as it saw Pikachu walk by it. Charla got up also, and together with Pikachu, joined Caterpie

("What are you still doing up?") Pikachu asked.

("I can't sleep. I have too much on my mind.") Caterpie replied

("What are you thinking about?") Charla inquired.

("It's my dream to become a Butterfree one day, but I'm so weak I don't think I can do it.") Caterpie replied.

("I know how you feel. I can't stop thinking about what it must be like to fly high above in the sky as a Charizard.") Charla said. She then gushed (Not to mention what it would be like to have a boyfriend to fly along in the sky with.")

("Yeah. Flying must be a great feeling.") Pikachu agreed. (But I know you both will fly someday. You should follow your dreams no matter what.")

("I don't know. I can't do anything useful except Tackle and String Shot. What could I possibly beat to gain experience in battle.") Caterpie said dejectedly.

Pikachu gave Caterpie a reassuring pat on the back. (It's okay. I know you can do it. Ash is a great person. He will make sure you become a Butterfree no matter what!") it said. Pikachu then added in, ("You are also a great and friendly Pokemon yourself. Even Misty is being nice to you now.")

("Thanks. I feel a little bit better now. I think I'm going to go sleep now.") Caterpie said. It then crawled away from the group and snuggled up next to Ash's sleeping bag.

("Caterpie is so nice. I hope it finds its soul mate one day.") Charla said.

("It will. I know Ash won't let it down.") Pikachu replied.

* * *

><p>The group woke the next morning to the sound of cooing. They groggily opened their eyes and noticed a Pokemon a short distance away from them. It was pecking at the ground, apparently looking for breakfast.<p>

"Oh! A Pidgeotto!" Ash exclaimed, now fully awake. He then pulled out his pokedex to scan it. "PIdgeotto, the bird Pokemon and the evolved form of Pidgey. Unlike the gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution," the pokedex said in its monotone voice.

"I think I'm going to catch it!" Ash stated. He knew Pidgeotto was not going to go down without a fight, so he didn't even attempt to throw his pokeball at it yet.

"Who are you going to use to battle Pidgeotto?" Serena questioned as she gave a stretch. She wasn't quite awake yet.

"I'm going to use Pikachu, of course. There's no way I'm going to have Caterpie battle against a bird," Ash replied. He then returned Caterpie to its pokeball to get it out of harm's way and faced Pidgeotto.

"You're up, Pikachu!" Ash said. Pikachu then ran forward and stood in front of Pidgeotto.

This got Pidgeotto's attention. It gave Pikachu an intimidating look to try and get it to back down. Serena and Misty went over to stand beside Ash and watch.

Ash took a deep breath. This was his first time to battle a wild Pokemon and capture it. He could do this. Flying types like Pidgeotto were weak against electric-types like Pikachu so he had an advantage.

"Pikachu! Try a Thundershock attack!" Ash called.

Pikachu obeyed and launched the attack from its cheeks at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto took flight into the air and dodged the electricity with ease.

"Pidgeo!" it cried before flapping its wings and creating a gust of wind which knocked Pikachu back into a tree. It then fell to the ground on its stomach.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked as Pikachu.

"Pika!" it cried and jumped back to its feet, signaling it still had plenty of fight in it.

"Awesome! Try another Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeotto swooped back down to give a Wing Attack to Pikachu. Pikachu charged up its cheeks and released its attack. Pidgeotto used Agility and dodged the attack again.

"It's no good, Ash. Pidgeotto is too quick!" Misty said.

"Right," Ash said to himself. It seemed the only way Pikachu could hit Pidgeotto was at close range. "Pikachu! Stay where you are and wait for Pidgeotto to come back down!" he called.

Pikachu nodded its head and stood its ground. Pidgeotto circled around, and then dove straight down again right at Pikachu.

"Wait for it a little longer, Pikachu!" Ash said.

Pikachu nodded. It trusted its trainer's judgment. Pidgeotto continued to get closer and closer. Pikachu still stood where it was, it eyes locked with an intense stare at Pidgeotto. Then at the last second, Ash made his move.

"Pikachu! Jump onto Pidgeotto's back!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu then leaped into the air and landed on Pidgeotto's back just before it could ram into Pikachu. Pidgeotto then took off into the air again and began to desperately try to shake Pikachu off, but it held on tight.

"Go for it, Pikachu! Use Thundershock!" Ash called once more.

Pikachu nodded and unleashed the attack, completely shocking Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto cried out from the pain and began to fall to the ground. Pikachu then leaped off Pidgeotto and began falling also.

Ash ran over to catch Pikachu and smiled at it. "You were awesome!" he praised. Ash then looked over to see Pidgeotto fall onto the ground. It then struggled to get back up. "Alright! Here we go!" Ash said as he set Pikachu down. He then turned his hat backwards and reached for a spare pokeball. "Pokeball! Go!" he cried as he threw it.

The pokeball made a direct hit with its target and sucked Pidgeotto inside. The ball landed on the ground and shook back and forth violently. Pidgeotto was clearly putting up more of a fight than Caterpie was. After about ten seconds, the pokeball finally dinged. Pidgeotto had been captured successfully.

"Yes! We caught Pidgeotto!" Ash cried out in joy. He had already caught another Pokemon one day after his last. He was on roll and was really excited. He then went and showed everyone. "Check it out guys, the first Pokemon I had to battle to capture! How did I do?" he asked.

"You did great, Ash! I'm so proud of you!" Serena replied happily.

"Yeah. You actually did really well, Ash. Congratulations," Misty praised.

Ash smiled. Misty finally had approved of something he did.

"Now, not to be rude, but can we please hurry up and get a move on? I would like to get out of this forest as soon as possible," Misty suggested.

Ash nodded. "Alright. We can go now, but we need to make sure Serena can capture a Pokemon soon as well," Ash said while motioning to Serena.

The group nodded and was about to continue on their way when they heard voices close by.

"We've been wandering around in this forest for two days now. I thought you said you knew where the exit was, Jessie!" one voice said

"I do, James! I just think the scenery is so beautiful, we should take the scenic route!" another voice retorted.

"Meoooowth! Just admit that we're lost and that you don't have clue where you're going!" a third voice said in an annoyed tone.

The group froze. They knew those voices. It couldn't be them again already, could it?

"Let's just try to avoid them if we can," Ash whispered, and the rest of the group nodded.

"Hey! Did you hear another voice? There is someone else close by! Maybe they can show us the way out!" one of the voices suggested eagerly.

The group of trainers were fixing to make a run for it, but wasn't quick enough. About five seconds later, they saw a certain trio emerge from the trees, and they looked extremely dirty and tired. It was Team Rocket from the Pokemon Center.

"Thank goodness we found someone else here! Can you tell…." James began, but stopped himself when he saw who it was.

Team Rocket immediately composed themselves and got a serious look on their faces. "I mean of course we found you here!" James finished. They then began their motto.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Are you three lost? Because if you are, the exit is that way," Serena said while pointing behind them, hoping to avoid a conflict.

"We are not lost, and we don't want you help!" Jessie retorted angrily. "We are only in this forest in the first place because you three sent us flying here the other night after the explosion!"

"Look, we don't really want to fight anyone. We just want to continue on our way. Can we just go our separate ways and hopefully never see each other again?" Ash asked hopefully.

"Humph! Normally we wouldn't waste our time with kids such as yourselves, but you humiliated us so badly back at the Pokemon Center that we are going to take revenge on you! We are going to beat you to a pulp, and then steal your Pokemon!" Jessie said as she reached for her pokeball, James doing the same. Meowth then extended his claws.

"Go, Ekans!"

"Go, Koffing!"

Ash sighed. "I guess we don't have a choice. You're up, Pikachu!" he said.

"Go, Charmander!" Serena cried, releasing her Pokemon.

"Misty calls….Staryu!" Misty said, releasing hers as well.

"Ha! You think you're little Pokemon can beat ours? We are prepared this time! Koffing! Use Sludge attack!" James ordered.

Koffing then shot a thick, black sludge from its mouth, straight at Pikachu. The sludge hit PIkachu right in the face. It couldn't see!

"Chaaa!" Pikachu cried as it tried to wipe the sludge from its face.

"Oh no! Pikachu! Hey! That was really low!" Ash said in anger to Team Rocket.

"We aren't battling to play fair, you twerp!" James answered.

"Grr…Pikachu! It's no good!" Ash said as he ran to pick up his Pokemon to get him away from the battle. Ash knew he couldn't send out Pidgeotto since it was still weak from being caught and needed time to rest. He certainly couldn't use Caterpie against these guys. He would have to leave it up to Serena and Misty.

"One down. Two to go," Jessie smirked.

"Koffing! Use Sludge attack again on that Staryu!" James ordered again, the Pokemon obeying its command."

"We aren't going to fall for that one!" Misty stated. "Staryu! Get out of the way, and use Water Gun on the sludge to dissolve it!"

Staryu immediately spun out of the way and used Water Gun on the grime. It was blasted downward onto the ground where it soon dissolved.

"Charla! Use Ember attack!" Serena called out.

"Ekans dig underground!" Jessie ordered as Ekans immediately began to burrow in the ground, completely dodging the attack. It then went into the hole it created with Koffing following it.

"Be careful, Charla! They can come up anywhere!" Serena warned.

Charla nodded and began to listen around for the two Pokemon. It soon felt some movement right beneath its feet and jumped out of the way. Ekans and Koffing soon emerged out of the ground. Charla had managed to avoid most of the attack, but the force still knocked it to its back.

Ekans and Koffing were now just in front of Charla. They both reared back and prepared to strike.

"Use Ember quick, Charla!" Serena said hurriedly.

"Quick Staryu!" Water Gun both Ekans and Koffing! Misty called.

Staryu sent a gush of water out of its top end. The force of the water knocked not only knocked Ekans and Koffing out of the way, it also gave Charla enough to time to shoot its Ember attack. The embers soared the air and struck Ekans and Koffing, both of them yelling in pain.

"Thanks for bailing me out again, Misty," Serena said gratefully.

"No problem," Misty replied before turning back to the battle.

"That Staryu is really getting annoying! Let's attack it together, James!" Jessie suggested, receiving a nod from her partner.

"Koffing! Use Sludge attack again!" James ordered.

"That won't work this time either!" Misty said. "Staryu! Use Water Gun on the sludge again!"

Staryu obeyed and began to spray the sludge. It wasn't counting on Ekans and Koffing to charge at it while it was busy. The sludge attack must have been a decoy. Serena saw this and ordered Charla to rush in and do an Ember attack, but it was too late. Ekans and Koffing both rammed into Staryu knocking onto the ground it pain. The embers soared through the air and struck the two Pokemon again.

"Charla, run up to Ekans and use Scratch!" Serena said.

Charla ran up to do the attack to Ekans, but was knocked away by its tail. Its attention then shifted back to Staryu which was still stuggling to get up.

"Come on, Staryu! Get up!" Misty urged.

"Hurry Ekans! Use Poison Sting!" Jessie called.

"Use Sludge, Koffing!" James said.

Both Pokemon obeyed and launched their respective attacks. Staryu was unable to get up in time and was struck by both attacks. It finally slumped in defeat, its red jewel blinking.

"Oh, no! Staryu, return!" Misty said as she returned Staryu to its pokeball. She then looked at the pokeball sadly. "You fought great, Staryu," she told it.

"That's two down," James smirked. "All that's left is that Charmander. Our prize for winning this battle shall be all of your Pokemon."

Ash, Serena, and Misty grimaced at the situation. They didn't think Charla would be able to take on both Ekans and Koffing due to its lack of experience.

Pikachu began to struggle in Ash's arms. It wanted to fight, too. Ash held it back, though. "I know you want to help fight, Pikachu, but you can't in your current condition," he told it.

"We'll tell you what," Meowth began, "Go ahead and hand over all your Pokemon right now, and we might let you go without any injuries."

"Never! Charla and I will keep fighting until the end!" Serena shouted.

"Heh! Foolish girl. You can't take us both on," Jessie sneered.

Ash gritted his teeth. Pikachu and Pidgeotto were in no condition to fight. His only other option was Caterpie. It was extremely risky, but he decided to believe in the strength of his Pokemon.

"Caterpie! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw his pokeball and released Caterpie.

"You're going to use Caterpie, Ash? You can't be serious!" Misty exclaimed.

"There aren't any options left. I'm not letting Serena take on these crooks alone. I believe in my Pokemon!" Ash said firmly.

Serena was wondering about Ash's decision, too, but decided to trust his judgment. "Alright Ash! Let's do it!" she said giving him a smile.

Team Rocket, on the other hand, began laughing.

"Hahahahahaha!" You're actually serious!?" James laughed

"That measly bug won't make a difference!" Jessie likewise laughed

"It's not even worth battling!" Meowth said in a fit giggles.

Ash blushed in embarrassment but quickly shook it off. "We'll show them, Caterpie! Let's get them!" he said.

"Well, if you insist. Ekans! Go get your dinner!" Jessie shouted. Ekans obeyed its trainer and lunged forward straight at Caterpie with its mouth open.

"Quick Charla!" Use Ember on Ekans!" Serena called. Charla prepared to launch ember but was quickly tackled by Koffing before it could launch the attack.

Caterpie stood frozen in fear as Ekans got closer and closer. Ash didn't know what to do. He should have known this was a bad idea. Misty had warned him about making rash decisions, and now he was about to lose his Pokemon because of his poor judgment.

Ash gritted his teeth and began to quiver. "_No, not Caterpie,_" he thought. He then closed his eyes. He couldn't bear to watch what was about to happen. There was no way Catperpie could get out of the way in time.

"Ash! Remember what you told me? Never give up until the end!" Serena shouted.

Ash heard those words and opened his eyes. Wait. What was wrong with him? He was going to be a Pokemon Master! He's not going to cower in fear every single time his Pokemon are in danger! He and his Pokemon are a team! He will never abandon his Pokemon like this! If there was even a chance he could win, he was going to take it!

"Caterpie! Use your String Shot!" Ash hollered with determination.

Caterpie shook out of its fear once its trainer gave a command. It then summoned the courage within itself and launched a String Shot right at Ekans face. The sting connected and immediately began to wrap around Ekan's upper half.

Ekans halted its attack as it began stuggle to get the sticky string off of it. Pretty soon, its entire head was covered, and it could no longer see to attack.

"Are you kidding me?!" Jessie exclaimed in amazement that her snake was beaten by a caterpillar.

"I'll take care of it, Jessie," James said. "Koffing. Use Tackle."

"Not so fast! Charla! Use Ember again!" Serena said.

Serena noticed that Charla shot its embers from its mouth at a much faster rate than what it had been doing. It must be gaining experience. The embers soared through the air and struck Koffing, halting its attack.

"Thanks, Serena! Now Caterpie! Use String Shot on Koffing!" Ash said.

Caterpie then launched its String Shot again. Koffing was still slightly dazed from the fast shooting embers so it couldn't dodge in time. It soon also began to be covered. Soon enough, its entire body was covered, and it fell to the ground in defeat.

"Koffing! I can't believe it!" James cried in disbelief.

"Meowth! Let's see you handle me! Fury swipes!" Meowth shouted.

Caterpie launch another string shot at Meowth and it was soon covered also and unable to move.

"This is ridiculous! We better blast off while we can!" Jessie shouted as she and James returned their pokemon to their pokeballs.

"This is the second time you twerps have humiliated us! You three are now enemies of Team Rocket! We will retreat for now, but you better hope you never cross our paths again or else!" James threatened.

Jessie and James then picked up Meowth and began to run in the opposite direction from the group, but then stopped. "Uh, didn't the girl say the closest exit out of here was the other way?" they wondered aloud. Team Rocket then U turned and ran past the group as fast as they could and soon disappeared from view.

As the group watched them go, Ash and Serena couldn't help but be amazed. They had won just won their first Pokemon battle fair and square. On top of that, they defended their Pokemon from being stolen. Needless to say, they were feeling very pleased.

"We did it," Ash said in surprise, turning to Serena. "We actually did it!" His face then broke into a big smile.

"We did, didn't we?!" Serena replied.

"I couldn't have done without you, Serena! You reminded me to never give up until the end!" Ash praised.

"Hahaha, Yeah. Well…." Serena trailed while blushing.

Finally unable to contain their excitement any longer, Ash and Serena gave each other a great big hug, their Pokemon coming over to join them.

"You two did do very well," Misty said while smiling. "If you just keep a cool head the entire time and don't panic when your Pokemon are in danger, you can pull through!"

"You're right," Ash nodded as he and Serena released each other from the hug. He then turned to Caterpie and picked it up. "You were great Caterpie." He then began to stroke its head.

"You too, Charla," Serena said as she stroked her Pokemon's head as well.

Ash then turned to Misty. "Hey, Misty. Why don't you pet Caterpie as well and tell it what a great job it did?" He then held out Caterpie in front of Misty.

Misty recoiled a little, but then sighed. "I guess I should." She then slowly reached out her hand. She did this once, and she could do it again. "_Caterpie isn't going to do anything_," she thought. Just before her hand reached Caterpie, it unleashed a String Shot attack almost right in Misty's face.

"Aaaaaahhhhh!" Misty screamed.

Ash, however, noticed something different about this String Shot. Caterpie seemed to be doing it to itself. "Uh, Caterpie?" he asked in confusion as he set it on the ground.

The String Shot continued to cover Caterpie. At last when several layers were formed, the string glowed green and then turned into what seemed to be a cocoon with eyes.

"Wow, Caterpie! You evolved into a Metapod!" Ash exclaimed happily. He then pulled out his pokedex to scan it.

"Metapod, Caterpie's next stage. Its shell is as hard as an iron slab. A Metapod does not move very much because it is preparing its soft innards for evolution inside the shell," the pokedex's monotone voice said.

"This is so great, Ash! Congratulations!" Serena said.

"Thanks Serena! Isn't that great Caterpie…..I mean Metapod?! You are one step closer to becoming a Butterfree!" Ash told Metepod.

Pikachu and Charla went over to Metapod to congratulate it also. They still remembered the conversation they had last night, and told Metapod that this proved that it could still make its dream come true.

Metapod didn't say anything in response but wiggled a little bit to show it agreed.

"Hahaha! Don't feel like saying much, do you?" Ash laughed. He then picked up Metapod and showed it to Misty again. "Don't forget, Misty. Go ahead and congratulate Metapod."

Misty reached out her hand to pet Metapod again, but then a Beedrill flew by her causing her to scream again.

"I'll do anything! Let's just get out of this forest!" she yelled.

"No way! There are still a lot more Pokemon to catch!" Ash stated. "Let's go, guys!" He then ran off while still holding Metapod, his Pikachu following him.

"Wait up, Ash!" Serena called as she and Charla followed Ash.

"Don't leave me here by myself!" Misty yelled as she ran to catch up.

* * *

><p><strong>For those of you wondering when Serena will catch a Pokemon, she will capture her first one next chapter and another one right after Pewter City. So don't worry, she will have a fu<strong>**ll team as well. I actually think the Pokemon she acquires after Pewter City will be quite humorous, but no spoilers! I'll try to have the next chapter up in few days rather than a week to make up for my long absence. Stay tuned for Chapter 8!**

**Chapter 8: Challenge of the Samurai  
><strong>

**Answering the questions:**

_No matter what shippings are hinted, it'll still be an AmourShipping fic mainly right?_

**_Absolutely!_**

_Will Ash get a Male Ralts and Serena get a Female Ralts? Will a Manaphy show up in the story? Will Ash and Serena get 2 Clamperl respectively? Will Ash and Serena get Lotad and a Seedot respectively? Will either Ash or Serena get any Fossil Pokemon from Unova or Kalos?_

**_All of these are interesting ideas, but too far off for me to tell since I haven't fully outlined Hoenn and beyond yet. Ask me again when I'm further along in the series._**

_Also do you plan to include a rival who falls for Serena and is constantly trying to win her from Ash?_

**_Unless someone appears in the anime to do this, the answer is probably no. I want to avoid OCs at all costs since most of the time they never turn out well. However, if I can find a person in the anime who has already appeared that can suit the role believably, I will include this idea._**

_Will you do an alternate take on the eighth Pokémon movie?_

**_I haven't decided if I will do the eighth movie yet._**

_Will Pikachu still learn volt tackle just like in the anime?_

**_Pikachu will still learn Volt Tackle. It will also be earlier than in the anime._**

_Are you going to cover the Kanto Battle Frontier arc after the Hoenn League?_

_**Yes. It will part of the Hoenn arc of this series.  
><strong>_

_Will Charizard be more obidient?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Brock still go gaga for every pretty face?_

**_Yes. It's part of who he is._**

_Will Ash get another native Kanto flying type because it looks like he has a flying type from every region._

**_He might._**

_Will Misty yell at Ash a lot and will Serena defend him?_

**_I plan on having Misty be a little more mature in this story than what she was in canon. Naturally, she and Ash will get along a little better. If Misty does decide to yell at Ash at some point, you can bet Serena will sass back to Misty._**

_Will Ash be more powerful than Serena and will Serena be a Coordinator?_

**_The first question is a secret. :) As for the second one, I don't plan on having Serena be a coordinator right now. We have enough of those already._**

_Will Serena have a female rival? Just like Ash has one in Gary?_

**_Similar to the question of a love rival, I will not do this unless it happens in the anime. The only exception being if I can find an already existing character to fill the role._**

_When will the story get really romantic?_

**_If you mean a lemon or making out, probably never. This is an amourshipping story, and Ash and Serena will start dating at some point. There will be several "Aw" moments between the two before and while they are dating. There will be jealousy from both ends, arguments, and tear-jerking times as well between them. Basically, there will be a lot of shipping moments and their relationship with each other will help them grow, but at the end of the day, this is still a fic about Ash and Serena's journey to be the best, and the romance between the two is a subplot._**


	8. Challenge of the Samurai

**A/N: Here is Chapter 8 up soon like I promised. It seems all of you are mind readers when it came to Jessie, James, and Meowth. All of you were spot on with what they are going to be doing. Yes, they will have grunts working underneath them on most missions. They will also be a little sadistic when pushed far enough. They won't appear again until Mt. Moon, though. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Challenge of the Samurai<p>

The group was in really high spirits at the moment. A lot of good things had happened so far on their way through Viridian Forest. Ash had captured not one, but two Pokemon, a Pidgeotto and Caterpie. They were even able to defend their Pokemon from Team Rocket, and in doing so Ash and Serena won their first Pokemon battle fair and square. Caterpie had even evolved into Metapod in the process. All that was left now for their trek through Viridian Forest to be successful was have Serena catch her first Pokemon as well. She might get that opportunity right now.

"Hey! Look guys! It's a Weedle!" Ash said excitedly, pointing at one that was crawling along in their path.

Weedle was a light brown caterpillar-like Pokemon with pink suction cup feet. It looked harmless enough if you didn't count the stinger on its forehead.

"Great. More bugs," Misty mumbled, but not loud enough for the others to hear.

"Serena, you should try to capture this Weedle since you haven't gotten a Pokemon yet," Ash told her.

"Right! Thanks, Ash!" Serena said. This was going to be her first attempt to catch another Pokemon. She could do this. She was just about to throw the pokeball to release Charla, but Weedle had suddenly disappeared.

"Uh, where did it go?" Serena asked.

"Well, it was just another bug so….."Misty began, but then she felt something against her leg. She looked down, and there was Weedle rubbing against her leg. Why were bug Pokemon so attracted to her?!

Misty let out a mighty scream and fled away from the group. She had really had it with this forest.

"She'll be back in a little bit," Ash told Serena, who giggled in response.

* * *

><p>"Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! I hate bugs!" Misty continued to say to herself.<p>

Here she was, trying to be nice to Caterpie, and even not be repulsed at the sight of a bug. So what does one do? It touches her at the first chance it gets. Ugh! Bug Pokemon really _bugged _her!

"I can't wait until we're out of this horrible forest!" Misty continued to complain. "I don't see how this could get any worse!"

Just then, she heard what sounded like a battle cry as a boy jumped out of the bushes beside her. He was oddly dressed to say the least. He wore a helmet on his head and was dressed in a red shirt and black shorts. He wore sandles on his feet and had a bug catching net strapped to his back. It wasn't any of those things that had Misty's attention, however. It was the sword that he was pointing right at her face. Maybe she spoke too soon about how it couldn't get any worse.

Misty stared fearfully at the sword until finally the strange boy spoke up.

"Greetings, maiden. I am Samurai. Am I addressing a trainer from the town of Pallet?" he asked.

"No! No! That's not me! I'm not from Pallet Town!" Misty said frantically while shaking her head back and forth.

To her great relief, he finally removed the sword from in front of her face and sheathed it by his side. "Alas," Samurai said. "I apologize. My search shall continue."

Samurai then began to walk off but stopped. "I would advise you to quit screaming while you are in this forest. Before you ask, yes, I heard you earlier. If you continue, you will only attract a horde of Beedrill," he said.

With that, Samurai continued to walk off and soon disappeared from view.

Misty sank to her knees and let out a sigh of relief. "Whew! What a weird kid! Why would he be looking for a trainer from Pallet Town?" she wondered.

Realization hit Misty instantly, and she let out a gasp. "Wait! Ash and Serena are from Pallet Town!"

* * *

><p>Serena had decided she should get back to focusing on the Weedle before it really did get away. "Go, Charla!" she called as she threw the pokeball.<p>

"Char! Char!" Charla said once it was released.

"Ok, Charla. I know we can do this! Let's catch that Weedle!" Serena encouraged, receiving a nod from Charla.

"Let's start by lowering its defenses! Use your Leer attack!" Serena said.

Charla made an intimidating look at Weedle as its eyes glowed blue for a second. Weedle recoiled a little bit in response.

"Great job, Charla! Use your Scratch attack on the Weedle!" Serena called.

Charla nodded and ran up to the Weedle to prepare to use the attack, but Weedle suddenly leaped into the air right at Charla. It was trying to pierce Chara with the stinger on its head.

"Watch out, Charla! Dodge it quick!" Serena warned.

Charla jumped at of the way just in time as Weedle soared past it. It then turned back around to face the Weedle again. Weedle, however, was prepared also as it turned back around to face Charla as well. It then began to shoot several glowing needles from its horn. Once again Charla jumped out of the way of the attack, but it was a much closer call.

"You need to watch out for that stinger, Serena!" Ash called. "Don't let Charla get too close to it and attack from a distance!"

"Got it!" Serena acknowledged, nodding her head. "Try an Ember attack, Charla!"

Just then, Weedle launched itself at Charla again. Charla then began to shoot several small embers from its mouth. The momentum from Weedle caused it to be unable to get out of the way, and the attack collided with it. Weedle was sent plummeting back to the ground in pain.

"Way to go!" Ash cheered. "You should be good to catch it now!"

"Pikachu Pi!" Pikachu cheered.

"Alright!" Serena said. She then pulled out a spare pokeball and was just about to throw it when she and Ash heard a voice behind them.

"Hello. Would you two by chance be trainers from Pallet Town?" the voice asked.

"Yeah. That's us," Serena answered without turning around. "I'm about to catch a Weedle. Could you please hold on a second?" Had she and Ash looked, they would have noticed the glint in the stranger's eyes.

"At last! My search is over! Hiiiiiyaaaah!" the stranger cried and leaped into the air. He startled Ash and Serena so much that their attention was diverted away from the Weedle and to him. He then pointed his sword right at Serena's face. It was the boy from earlier that had encountered Misty.

"Wh-Who are you?" Serena asked fearfully while shivering from head to toe. Charla then got beside Serena and took a defensive stance, ready to protect its trainer if necessary.

"I am…Umph!" Samurai started, but didn't finish as he was tackled to the ground by Ash.

"Who do you think are pointing that sword at Serena?!" Ash shouted at the boy. "Don't you even think about hurting her!"

"Relax! I will do her no harm!" Samaria yelled back, trying to get Ash off of him.

"Then why are you threatening us with your sword!?" Ash asked while maintaining his glare on the boy.

"I'm not threatening you! It's just to make a good entrance!" Samurai tried to explain, still struggling to get Ash off of him, but to no avail.

Serena, Charla, and Pikachu continued to watch the scene with interest. Serena felt a rush of affection to Ash that he was protecting her. However, maybe this strange boy was telling the truth, after all.

"I'm not a thief or anything like that!" Samurai yelled again.

That's when Misty got to the scene and saw Ash had the boy pinned to the ground. "Ash, I think you can get off of him. I encountered this boy also. I don't think he really wants to hurt us," Misty said on the boy's behalf.

Ash glared at the Samurai one last time before he finally got off of him. "Alright. So who are then, and why are you looking for Serena and me?" he asked.

Samurai got off the ground and dusted himself off before regaining his composure. "I am Samurai! I'm a fearless warrior! I'm on a quest seeking out the trainers from Pallet Town!" he spoke in an authoritative voice.

The group wanted to let out a laugh at how serious the boy was trying to sound after losing some of his pride just now, but they held it back.

"So why are you searching for us?" Ash asked again.

"I seek a Pokemon battle with both of you!" Samurai stated as he held out a pokeball.

"Oh, no! I forgot about the Weedle!" Serena cried as she spun around to where the Weedle once was. It was nowhere to be found.

"Oooohhhhh. It got away. I was just about to make my first capture, too," Serena groaned.

"It's not your fault, Serena," Ash said trying to comfort her. "You would have caught it for sure if this boy hadn't shown up and distracted us."

"Do not blame her failure on me. Only novices do that!" Samurai said giving Ash a glare.

Ash and Serena glared back. That was some nerve this boy had. He knew darn well that it was his fault for distracting them like that.

"So which of you shall battle me first?" Samurai asked.

"I will," Serena answered. She wanted to pay this boy back for that Weedle getting away.

She then turned to Charla. "Are you still up to battle, Charla?" Serena asked.

"Charmander!" it said as it ran in front of Serena and got into a battle stance.

"Humph! A fire-type! That doesn't scare me! I choose Pinsir!" Samurai yelled as he threw the pokeballl forward. It then opened to reveal a large, brown, stag beetle looking Pokemon. It stood on two legs and had a large set of pincers on its forehead. Needless to say, it looked pretty intimidating.

"A Pinsir?" Serena questioned as she took out her pokedex to scan it.

"Be careful of those claws! They look really dangerous!" Ash warned Serena.

"It's okay! Charla can handle it!" Serena said reassuringly.

"You can make the first move," Samurai said to Serena.

"Okay then! Charla! Use Ember!" Serena commanded.

Charla then let loose its embers at a fast pace. Pinsir was to slow to dodge it, and the move was a direct hit.

"Pinsir may be weak against fire, but it will take a lot more than that to beat it!" Samurai stated. He then called out, "Pinsir! Tackle it!"

Pinsir then took position and charge straight at Charla.

"Charla, try to jump over Pinsir and use you Ember attack in midair!" Serena called.

Charla obeyed and leaped over Pinsir before it could hit Charla, but unfortunately, it put Charla right in the way of Pinsir's claws.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do! Grab it with your claws, Pinsir!" Samurai called.

Pinsir then turned around and grabbed Charla in its claws and began to squeeze it.

"Oh, no! Charla!" Serena said worriedly. That seemed so cruel to have Pinsir squeeze Charla like that in its claws.

"Hey, you jerk! That's not fair!" Ash yelled while giving a glare to Samurai.

"Admit defeat, and I shall release your Pokemon!" Samurai answered.

Serena couldn't bear to watch Charla in pain any longer. She closed her eyes and was about to surrender, but Misty's voice stopped her.

"Wait, Serena! Look at Charla's tail!" she said, pointing at Charla.

Serena opened her eyes, and indeed, Charla's tail flame was getting larger and larger. "What's going on?" Serena asked.

"It must be Charla's special ability, Blaze!" Ash replied. "That triples Charla's power when it sustains a lot of damage!"

"Oh, that's right! We can use that to our advantage, Charla!" Serena said to it. "Try your Ember attack!"

Charla then took a deep breath through the pain and blew, but instead of tiny embers like before, these were large fireballs that shot from its mouth. They scorched the claws on Pinsir's head, causing it to cry out from the pain and release Charla.

"Great, Charla! Now use your Scratch attack!" Serena commanded.

Charla then began to viciously scratch away at Pinsir. It was moving its arms so fast that Pinsir was unable to retaliate.

"Pinsir! Keep it together!" Samurai cried, but it was no use. Pinsir soon fell over in defeat.

"Way to go! You did it, Charla!" Serena praised as she ran over to Charla and twirled it around.

"Charmander!" it said happily as its flame returned to normal.

"I can't believe I forgot about Charmander's special ability. I should have finished it off quickly," Samurai berated himself as he returned Pinsir.

Ash couldn't help but let out a smirk. "Heh, its funny you should call us the novices when it's you who just lost," he said.

"Grrrr! Don't underestimate me! Remember! I still have another Pokemon, and you still must defeat me!" Samurai said while glaring at Ash.

"I accept!" Ash said as he stepped forward.

"Come on, Ash! You can do it!" Serena cheered.

"I'm prepared for any Pokemon you send out!" Ash said to Samurai.

"Very well! Try this!" Samurai yelled as he threw the pokeball forward. The pokeball landed on the ground and released the Pokemon.

Ash had said he was prepared to face any Pokemon, but that didn't mean was EXPECTING any Pokemon. The Pokemon that Samurai had sent out was a Metapod. He and the rest of the group looked at Samurai in confusion at his choice.

"Um, a Metapod?" Ash questioned.

"Yes! And freshly caught, too! It's been itching to battle!" Samurai answered.

"Wait. You caught it as a Metapod and not a Caterpie?" Ash asked Samurai.

"Yes. Is that a problem?" Samurai said, giving Ash another glare.

Ash, Serena, and Misty sweatdropped. This kid wasn't nearly as intimidating as he made himself out to be. Every trainer should know that a Metapod caught in the wild would only know Harden. One had to raise it from a Caterpie like Ash did for it to have Tackle and String Shot also.

"I will harden my Metapod to the point where you cannot inflict any damage upon it! What do you say to that?!" Samurai laughed.

Ash seriously doubted that would be the case. He almost felt insulted that this kid thought he could beat him with a newly caught Metapod. Ash knew he could easily win this battle with Pikachu or Pidgeotto, but decided he would show Samurai up even more by using his own Metapod. Plus, the more battles his Metapod did, the faster it could achieve its dream of being a Butterfree.

"Metapod! I choose you!" Ash shouted as he threw Metapod's pokeball forward and released it.

"Oh great. Metapod vs. Metapod. How exciting," Misty said sarcastically.

"Your Metapod won't be able to do anything once I harden it. Go ahead and use Harden, Metapod!" Samurai called out.

Samurai's Metapod then glowed for a bit, and then stopped. It definitely did look a lot harder than it did previously.

Ash figured he could win this match quickly, but decided to entertain Samurai for a little bit. "Use your Harden as well, Metapod!" Ash said to it. Metapod did likewise what Samurai's Metapod did and was soon as tough as the other one.

"Maximum hardness, Metapod!" Samurai called. Samurai's Metapod glowed again and again until it couldn't get any harder.

Serena thought this was rather humorous, but Misty was getting annoyed. "Come on, Ash! We don't have all day!" Misty yelled.

"Alright. Fine," Ash replied before turning back to the battle "Metapod! Use String Shot and make it to wear his Metapod can't move!" Ash said.

"What?!" Samurai cried.

"Ash's Metapod then unleashed it's String Shot attack at Samurai's until it was completely covered.

"Now that Samurai's Metapod isn't going anywhere, use Tackle, Metapod!" Ash commanded.

Ash's Metapod then hopped forward as fast as it could before colliding with Samurai's Metapod. It was flung into the air from the impact and into a tree, where it fell to the ground.

"Metapod!" Samurai called out.

"It's hopeless, Samurai. Your Metapod only knows Harden since you caught it as one. Mine knows Tackle and String Shot as well since I raised it from a Caterpie," Ash told him.

"Grrr! Fine! You win! Return, Metapod!" Samurai called as he returned it.

"Way to go, Ash!" Serena said happily as she ran forward to him.

"Thanks, Serena!" Ash replied returning his own Metapod, but then lowered his voice to where only she could hear, "Even though it was hardly a battle," causing her to chuckle.

Ash then congratulated his own Metapod inside the pokeball for a job well done. "You're one step closer to being a Butterfree," he told it.

Samurai then bowed his head and sighed. "Alas. I have been defeated yet again by the trainers from Pallet Town. I must get stronger."

That got Ash and Serena's attention. "Wait! Again?" Ash asked. "So you must have already seen Gary and Leaf pass through here!"

"Ah, yes. That was their names," Samurai confirmed. "They were indeed strong Pokemon trainers. I was no match for them."

"It's nice to hear that they are doing well so far," Serena said.

"Yeah. Come to think of it, we haven't spoken to either of them since we left Pallet Town," Ash said looking thoughtful.

"Are they friends of yours?" Misty spoke up.

"Yeah. They started their journeys at the same time Serena and I did. We've all known each other a really long time," Ash answered. He then added, "We should give them a call the next time we are at a Pokemon Center. We have their number, after all."

"Heehee. I agree about Leaf, but do we really have to call Gary? I mean, all he will probably do is brag about himself," Serena giggled.

Ash laughed in return. "Yeah. I can see it now." He then made an impression of Gary's voice. "Hey Ashy-boy! I've already caught all the Pokemon in existence and got a thousand badges! I'm the best there ever was!"

He, Serena and their Pokemon laughed while Samurai and Misty stood quietly watching, not getting the joke at all.

They were then interrupted by the sound of buzzing. The group looked around until they saw a horde of Beedrill over the trees flying straight at them. To top it off, the Beedrill looked pretty angry.

"Umm, I think we should run," Ash said rhetorically, receiving a nod from everyone else. They then turned around and ran as fast as they could away from the group.

The group running didn't deter the Beedrill in the slightest as they continued their relentless pursuit.

"I don't get it! Why is this swarm of Beedrill chasing us?! Serena wondered aloud.

"The Weedle you battled earlier must have informed the rest of its kind once it got away!" Samurai answered.

"Why do we always have to have something chase us?!" Ash asked Serena as he recalled their first day when it was the flock of Spearow that chased them.

"I don't know, but I'm getting tired of it!" Serena replied in between breaths as she continued running. Just then, she tripped and fell on the ground.

"Aah!" she cried as she fell

"Serena!" Ash cried as he turned around to help her back up while Misty, Pikachu, and Samurai turned to look in concern. Unfortunately, the Beedrill had caught up to them and began to make a nosedive.

"Hold on!" Ash yelled as he and Serena held on to each other tight to brace themselves, but it never came.

"Pikachuuuuuuu!"

Once again, Pikachu had saved the day with its Thundershock. It was enough to keep the Beedrill at bay long enough for Ash and Serena to resume running. One Beedrill was a little bolder than the others and managed to graze Ash on the lower arm before it was stopped by the Thundershock. Ash grit his teeth at the pain as he held his arm.

"You're bleeding, Ash!" Serena cried.

"I'll be fine," he replied, but still grimaced while he said it.

"We are almost at my cabin! We can seek shelter and treat your wound there!" Samurai yelled. Sure enough, the group soon saw a small wooden cabin in the distance. They began to push even harder to get there faster.

Samurai reached the cabin first and opened the door and allowed everyone to pass through before he went in himself. Once he was in, he bolted the door.

The group breathed a huge sigh of relief once everyone had made it in safely, but it was short-lived. They quickly let out a gasp again as they saw several of the Beedrill's stingers pierce the door in an attempt to get in. The group knew that if the Beedrill were able to get in, there would be nowhere to run. After a few tense moments and a few more stingers piercing the door, the Beedrill seemed to give up on their pursuit and flew off.

"Th-that was way too close!" Misty said while panting, the rest of the group agreeing.

After a minute Samurai tentatively began to walk towards the door and peaked outside through one of the holes. "The coast seems to be clear, but I'll go outside and double check to be safe," he said.

"I'll go with you. My water Pokemon could help fend some off if there are any left," Misty said as she went outside with Samurai. "We'll be back in a bit." With that, she closed the door leaving Ash, Serena, and Pikachu by themselves.

Ash sat down on a nearby chair and continued to clench his arm in pain. The sting hurt, but didn't look deep enough for any of Beedrill's poison to have gotten inside him.

Pikachu then jumped up into Ash's lap and began to lick his wound tenderly. It hoped its trainer wasn't in too much pain.

"Thanks, buddy," Ash said. He then began to rub Pikachu behind the ears.

"I think I should have some disinfectant in my first-aid kit for that Beedrill sting. Luckily, it doesn't appear that deep," Serena said as she opened her backpack and pulled it out.

Ash took this time to look around at the cabin. It was fairly small and only one room. It was probably only slightly larger than his living room at home. It consisted of a bed, a table with two chairs, one of which Ash was sitting on, a cupboard, a large jug of water on a shelf, and a small stove for cooking.

Serena then approached Ash with her first-aid kit and a wet washcloth from Samurai's cupboard and knelt down to see his arm better.

"I'll have you fixed up no time, Ash," Serena said as she began to wipe his wound with the damp cloth.

"Thanks, Serena," Ash said. He couldn't help but wince a little while Serena was cleaning him up. Beedrill stings really hurt.

"It's kind of funny, isn't it?" Serena asked once she finished wiping the wound. "Doesn't this remind you of when we first met and I hurt my leg? Only now, it's the other way around. I'm the one helping you, instead."

"Yeah. It does," Ash replied

Serena then got the disinfectant from the first-aid kit. "Hold still," she said as she sprayed the wound. Ash grit his teeth from the pain but didn't yelp.

Serena then gave a light giggle. "Heehee. I know what will help you. A good luck charm!" She then waved her hands over the wound. "Pain, pain, go away," she said.

"Come on, Serena. Now you are just making fun of me," Ash laughed a little in return.

"I am not!" Serena said with a slight pout, but then giggled again. "I thought that was really sweet of you back then." She then took the bandages and began to wrap them around Ash's arm.

"Heheheh. Well, I was just doing what anyone would have done," Ash replied a little embarrassedly.

"I don't think so. Not anyone would have done what you did. You really went the extra mile for me, and it really meant a lot to me since I was the new kid," Serena said genuinely.

"Serena…." Ash trailed. He sometimes wasn't sure how Serena felt about him. Sometimes, she would treat him like a best friend, while other times like now, she would act a little differently. She would complement him on what a nice guy he was, how handsome he would look if he ever dressed up like he did at the Battle Chateau, or just got really nervous around him. It was almost like she….

"There! You are as good as new!" Serena said as she finished wrapping the bandages.

This snapped Ash out his thoughts. "Thanks, Serena. You did a really good job," Ash told her as he looked over his arm.

"You can always count on me, Ash!" Serena reassured with smile and gave him a wink.

Ash smiled in return. "You're right. You've never let me down before! We make a great team, don't we? You, me, Pikachu, Charla, and now we've got Pidgeotto and Metapod."

Serena felt herself blush and turned away. "Anyway, Ash. I'm really glad that we are doing this journey together. You don't understand how happy I was when you agreed."

"Of course! How could I ever say no to you?" Ash replied while giving her a thumbs-up.

Serena smiled and clasped her hands behind her back and shyly looked away. "It's not just that. It's…"

They were interrupted by the door opening and Samurai and Misty walking back in.

The Beedrill seemed to have went away. I believe it is safe to leave the cabin now," Samurai informed them.

Serena turned away from everyone and made a pouting face. They just had to walk in at that very moment! She had such horrible luck sometimes!

"That's great!" Ash said, standing back up. "That means we can go ahead and continue our journey. We've been in this forest a few days now, and I'm about ready to get out.

"Finally," Misty muttered.

Samurai nodded. "In that case, please allow me to escort you to the edge of the forest. I know the way so follow me," he said as he walked out of the cabin.

"Serena, are you coming?" Ash asked as he and the rest stepped outside.

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Serena answered and replaced her pouting expression with a neutral one as she turned around to follow them.

The group had walked a short distance from the cabin when they heard the sound of buzzing again. They looked around and saw the same horde of Beedrill flying out from the trees around them. The Beedrill then formed a circle around the group. They were trapped. Ash and Serena were highly reminded of the Spearow due to the Beedrill's relentlessness.

"I thought you guys said the coast was clear!" Ash exclaimed.

"It was! They must have hid and waited for all of us to appear!" Samurai said back.

"What do we do now?!" Serena cried.

"The path to my cabin is blocked. I hate to say it but we have to fight the horde!" Samurai answered.

Ash knew they that even if they used all of their Pokemon, they probably didn't stand a chance due to the number of Beedrill, but he knew they had no other option. He gave a sigh, and then got a serious expression and turned to Pikachu. "Are you ready, buddy?" he asked.

"Pikachu!" it answered. It was ready to defend its trainer to the death if necessary.

"Alright, go Pikachu!" he said as he pulled out his other two pokeballs. "Go Pidgeotto and Metapod!"

"Misty calls Staryu!" Misty shouted.

"I choose you, Charla!" Serena called.

"Pinsir! Let's go!" Samurai called. Since his Metapod only knew Harden, it wouldn't have been much help in the battle.

The Pokemon all came out of their pokeballs and stood around their trainers ready to protect them. The Beedrill weren't intimidated in the least and charged.

"Pidgeotto! Use your Gust attack to blow away as many Beedrill as you can. Metapod! Use your String Shot to slow down some of the Beedrill. Pikachu! Use Thundershock on as many as you can!" Ash ordered.

"Use Water Gun on any Beedrill that come our way, Staryu!" Misty yelled.

"Since bug-types are weak against fire, use Ember on the Beedrill, Charla!" Serena called.

"Use your claws to grab any and fling them if they get close, Pinsir!" Samurai commanded.

All the Pokemon nodded at the orders they were given and immediately began doing them. To their credit, the group's Pokemon were putting up a great fight. The only problem was every time they would defeat one, another Beedrill took its place. The trainers knew their Pokemon couldn't keep this up forever.

Pidgeotto was able to blow away many Beedrill, but one was always able to find its way around the current forcing Pidgeotto to focus its Gust on that one, and the process kept repeating so it was very busy.

Charla had learned to fire off its Ember like bullets now which was clearly useful, but it could still only attack one Beedrill at a time. The same went with Pikachu, Staryu, and Pinsir.

Ash was standing closest to his Metapod right now. It was firing away its String Shot as fast as it could, but it was clearly beginning to tire. Its cocoon state could only allow it to do so much battle.

"Metapod! Don't push yourself!" Ash said to it as he saw it beginning to tire. No sooner had he said this that Metapod quit launching its String Shot and began shivering from fatigue.

"I'm sorry, Metapod. I shouldn't have asked so much from you! I'll get you back into the pokeball where it's safe," Ash said as he pulled out his pokeball to return Metapod.

"Ash, look out!" he heard Serena cry.

Ash turned around and saw a Beedrill heading straight for him with its stingers extended. It was getting ready for a Twinneedle attack. It must have found a way through the barrier of attacks when Metapod tired out. Ash was so surprised he dropped Metapod's pokeball where it rolled a short distance away.

"Pikapi! Pidgot!" Ash's remaining Pokemon cried out as they stopped what they were doing to help their trainer. They weren't going to make it in time,though.

Ash threw himself around Metapod and closed his eyes. If he wasn't going to be safe, he would make sure Metapod was even if he took a thousand stings from a Beedrill. Ash had to accept it. Pikachu's Thundershock wouldn't save him this time.

But there was Metapod.

Ash heard stirring in front of him and opened his eyes just in time to see Metapod harden and leap past him right into the stingers of the Beedrill. It then fell into Ash's arms. The tips of the stingers on the Beedrill broke off, and it flew away.

"No! Metapod! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?! Ash asked frantically once he saw the deep hole that had been cut into Metapod due to Beedrill's stinger.

To his great surprise, though, there was a massive white glow from inside Metapod causing all the Beedrill to be disoriented and back off for a bit. Wings emerged from inside Metapod, soon followed by the rest of the body. The creature was butterfly-like and was purple in color with light blue hands and feet and large red eyes. It had large white wings with fine scales covering them. Ash's Metapod had evolved into Butterfree!

"Free! Freeeeee!" Butterfree cried in happiness as it stretched its wings and flew into the air next to Ash. Everybody else looked on in amazement.

"Woooow, Butterfree," Ash said in wonder as he pulled out his Pokedex to scan it.

"Butterfree, the evolved form of Metapod. Its wings are covered with poisonous powders and can repel water," the pokedex said.

"Congratulations, Butterfree!" Ash said happily as Butterfee continued to fly around in sheer delight. It finally achieved its dream of becoming a Butterfree.

The happy moment was short-lived, however, as the Beedrill had regained their senses and were now flying towards the group again.

Ash then got a serious expression on his face. He knew how to deal with these Beedrill. "Everyone! Continue to fend off the Beedrill! Butterfree! Fly around and use Sleep Powder on all of the Beedrill!" Ash commanded.

Everyone nodded at the plan and continued battling the Beedrill. Butterfree flew high into the sky above the battle and began to sprinkle orange powder from its wings which descended upon the Beedrill. One by one, the Beedrill continued dropping to the ground until all of them were asleep.

"Way to go, Butterfree! You were amazing!" Ash exclaimed as he ran forward to give Butterfree a hug.

He then turned to the rest of the Pokemon. "You all were," he acknowledged.

"Butterfree is so beautiful," Serena said as she came over to Ash.

"Yeah, for a bug, Butterfree isn't bad at all," Misty complimented as she joined them.

"Hey, Pikachu! Charla! Pidgeotto! Come meet Butterfree!" Ash called.

Pikachu and Charla came over and nodded at Butterfree in praise. They were really excited that their friend was able to achieve its dream. Pidgeotto came over also and nodded its head in approval. It was happy to have another flying type on the team that it could fly around with.

Butterfree itself was very pleased. It had just proven to itself that if one follows their dreams, they can certainly achieve them by never giving up. "Freeeee! Freeeee!" it cried again happily.

Serena watched Ash and his Pokemon with a smile on her face. _"Ash really cares about his Pokemon and can really form a bond with them. He really is amazing_" she thought. She then looked over at Charla. _"I hope one day I'm able to reach that level with my Pokemon_."

* * *

><p>"Here is the exit from the forest, my friends. You should reach Pewter City in just a couple of days," Samurai informed them.<p>

"Thank you for your help," Serena said gratefully.

"You're welcome," Samurai replied. "I am going to stay here and continue to train hard. Hopefully one day, we shall battle again." He then added to say to Ash specifically, "Just make sure not to tackle me to the ground next time."

"Hahahaha! Yeah. Sorry about that," Ash said. He had to admit, their first impression of Samurai wasn't very pleasant, but he had turned out to be a nice guy and had gained a friend in him.

Samurai then shook hands with everyone.

"So long, Samurai," Ash said as he and the rest of the group waved goodbye.

"Farewell! Good luck on the rest of your quest!" Samurai called after them as he waved goodbye as well.

* * *

><p>The group had been walking for a few hours now. Evening was approaching and if what Samurai said was true they should arrive in Pewter City the day after tomorrow. Everyone and their Pokemon were in the middle of a field eating their supper (consisting of sandwiches again). They couldn't wait to get to Pewter City to get some real food again. While they were eating, they heard some rustling in the tall grass next to them.<p>

"Hey, do you guys here that?" Serena asked the group as she turned in the direction of the noise.

"Yeah, I do. Do you think it's a Pokemon?" Misty wondered.

The group continued to wait and watch until the source of the noise revealed itself. It was Nidoran, but this time it was female one. It was similar in appearance to the male but was a light blue color and its horn wasn't as long.

"Oh a female Nidoran!" Serena exclaimed with delight as she took out her pokedex to scan it.

"Nidoran, the poison pin Pokemon. This Pokemon's horn is not as long as the male's, but still just as poisonous," the pokedex said.

"Oh! It's so cute! Hi there, Nidoran!" Serena said.

Nidoran shrank back a little, very weary of Serena despite her friendly greeting.

Seeing how it was nervous, Serena pulled some Pokemon food out of her backpack. "I know what you might like. How about some Pokemon food?" she asked as she held it out to the Nidoran.

The Nidoran took a quick sniff. "Nyaah!" it said happily as it walked over and began to eat the food from Serena's hand.

"You're friendly, aren't you? Is it good?" Serena asked. The Nidoran nodded in response.

"You two seem to be hitting it off just fine. Why don't you try to catch it, Serena?" Ash requested.

"Hey! That's right! Would you like to come along with me, Nidoran?" Serena asked as she looked at Nidoran.

Nidoran stared back at Serena a moment, contemplating her request. It then nodded. After it nodded, it jumped back and got in a battle stance.

"I think that's a yes, but it wants you to battle it first," Ash said.

"Alright! Sounds good!" Serena said. She then looked at her Charla. "What do say, Charla? Let's capture it!"

"Char! Char!" it agreed and jumped in front of Serena. Likewise with Nidoran, it also got into a battle stance.

Both Pokemon stared intently at each other, neither one making a move. Until finally, the Nidoran charged forward for a Horn Attack.

"Dodge it, Charla!" Serena called. Charla then jumped out of the way, but the Nidoran wasn't going to let it get away that easily.

Nidoran turned as soon as Charla did, and once again, it charged at Charla to impale it with its small, but lethal horn.

"_Running to dodge isn't going to work,"_ Serena thought to herself. _"What can I do?"_ It then hit her. "Charla! Let Nidoran get as close as it can! Wait for my word!"

"Char!" Charla said and stood its ground. Nidoran got closer and closer. Just before it connected, Serena made her move.

"Charla! Jump over Nidoran, and get behind it!" Serena shouted.

Charla obeyed and jumped over Nidoran. Nidoran, however, was running so fast that its momentum didn't allow it to turn and it had to screech to a halt.

"Charla! Use Ember" Serena said.

Charla obeyed and shot the embers from its mouth at lightning speed. Due to the speed of the embers, Nidoran was unable to dodge it and was hit by every one of them.

"While its distracted, use Scratch attack, Charla!" called Serena.

Charla obeyed and ran forward. Nidoran attempted to retaliate by shooting a Poison Sting from its horn, but Charla leaped over the attack and landed right in front of the Nidoran and began to scratch at it with its claws.

"Alright! Pokeball, go!" Serena cried as she threw it.

The pokeball connected with Nidoran and sucked it inside. The ball landed on the ground and began to shake back and forth.

Everyone waited in anticipation, the ball was continuing to shake. Serena wished it would hurry up and stop. The tension was killing her. Finally, the ball quit shaking and "dinged" to signify Nidoran had been caught.

Serena stood there staring at the pokeball for a moment. She had done it. She had finally captured her first Pokemon. Her face broke out into a wide grin as she ran over to pick up the pokeball. "We did it, Charla! We captured our first new friend!" she exclaimed as she held her pokeball high into the air.

"Charmander!" Charla said happily as it ran over to Serena. Serena knelt down and clasped hands with Charla.

"You did great, Charla!" she praised.

"Way to go, Serena!" Ash cheered. "I knew you were going to get your first Pokemon soon! I'm proud of you!"

"Thanks, Ash!" Serena said as she turned red. Only Ash could make her blush as much as she did.

Now that Ash and Serena had both captured their first Pokemon, they were in good shape. Pewter City, the sight where Ash's first gym battle was located, was just a couple of days away. They were going to train extra hard. Ash wasn't going to be caught off guard this time like at the Battle Chateau for his gym battle. Likewise, Serena was going to train for her next time at the Battle Chateau in Cerulean City. They were going to win this time!

**This chapter should be the last of the mostly boring battles. I worked really hard on the Pewter City gym battle and thought it turned out really well. So please let me know what you think of it once we get there. There is also a surprise next chapter (or maybe it isn't one at all). Stay tuned as Ash and Serena's journey is really going to heat up from now on. Once again, thanks so much for the support of this story. Hopefully, you guys are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it! The next chapter will be up next Tuesday! See you then!  
><strong>

**Chapter 9: Fossil Pokemon and Technical Machines**

**Answering the questions:**

_Are you planning to incorporate the banned original season episodes here as well?_

**_The only banned episode I plan to include so far is the Safari Zone episode with Dratini. The others don't seem to hold enough significance for me put them in my story._**

_How soon will Ash meet his other rivals aside from Gary and Leaf (I forgot if Leaf was a rival too)?_

**_I do not wish to reveal this information. I prefer to surprise my readers with things like this. Just hold on a little longer. As for Gary and Leaf (no Leaf isn't technically a rival as she isn't competing in the Pokemon League), Leaf will appear again in Cerulean City. Gary won't appear again until Celedon City and then start appearing more often after that. He's a ways off._**

_If you don't include Brock in Sinnoh can he catch Croagunk early? I found it to be Brock's greatest pokemon._

**_This goes back to whether I decide to introduce a lot of Pokemon earlier than what their region dictates. I'm a fan of Croagunk, too! Hopefully, I will be able to do this for Brock._**

_Are Ash or Serena going to have either Aura or psychic powers?_

**_Aura will not appear until the last story which ties everything together. I will still include it when Ash uses it in canon, though up until that point. As for Serena having aura powers, that's a secret. As for the last one, neither of them will have psychic powers.  
><em>**

_I wonder if Ash will get a Raichu?_

**_Ash will NEVER have a Raichu in any way, shape, or form, in this story. _**

_I hope Pikachu has a mate and wonder what it will be._

**_Pikachu deserves some love in its life as well. It will have a few Pokemon interested in it(aside from Buneary that is) and it might have its mate by the end of the series as well._**

_Also, I am curious if you could use honorifics in their names. It wold be sweet if Ash called Serena Serena-chan._

**_I'm terrible with Japanese honorifics. Despite the fact that they are cute, they will not appear in this story. I would be putting them in the wrong places all the time lol._**

_I also hope he (and/or Serena) catch Clefairy. Seymour the space cadet was annoying._

**_(Minor Spoiler) Truthfully, I wrote out Seymour in the Mt. Moon chapter so he won't be appearing. That being said, there is technically nothing stopping them from getting a Clefairy. One of them might catch one, but then again, they might not._**


	9. Fossil Pokemon and Technical Machines

**A/N: Hey everyone. A lot of you have pointed out that this is very similar to the anime. While that is true as far as events that occur, I'm trying hard to add or change a lot of dialogue that was in the show as well as adding different scenes to make it more original. If my story is too similar to the anime right now, I apologize but fear not. It will start turning out pretty different after (spoiler) Ash gets Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle so bear with me until then. Also, a rival is briefly introduced in this chapter (surprise!). Who is it? Read and find out.**

**Edit: And sorry about the Nidoran female and Horn Attack. That was my bad. It won't happen again.**

**Massive disclaimer: I do not own anything at all about Pokemon. I do not own Ash, Serena, Misty, Brock, Brock's siblings, Flint, Brock's mom, Tracey, Team Rocket, Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, Pikachu, Harley, Drew, May, Max, Dawn, Gary, Leaf, Nando, Angie, Cassidy, Biff...err Butch, Zoey, Johanna, Caroline, Norman, Iris, Cilan, Paul, Ritchie, Professor Oak, Delia, Team Magma, Team Aqua, Team Galactic, Team Plasma, Team Flare, any gym leaders, any elite four members, all 719 (I think) Pokemon and anyone else I missed.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 9: Fossil Pokemon and Technical Machines<p>

It had been a busy past couple of days for the group. Ash and Serena were hard at training each of their Pokemon with Misty occasionally throwing in small bits of advice. Ash had trained his Pikachu on its accuracy for hitting moving targets in the air, which he used Pidgeotto and Butterfree for. Ash learned Pidgeotto was trying to learn the move Aerial Ace while they were training, but it had problems with the execution, so Ash decided to help work with it in that area. Pidgeotto was still a little wobbly in the attack, but its accuracy had gotten much better. Pikachu had even learned the moves Slam and Agility, and Butterfree learned Confusion and Psychic during their training. Ash knew Butterfree's psychic attacks would be useful in the gym battle to come.

Serena had been training her Nidoran and Charmander as well by having them battle each other. Serena had learned that since her Nidoran's horn wasn't very large, it fought best using its teeth and claws which Serena decided to use to her advantage. Charla had also learned a couple of new moves during their training, Smokescreen and Metal Claw. Both were bound to be useful in her future matches.

It was nighttime now and the group was worn out. They were really thankful that they could see lights in the distance and knew it to be Pewter City.

"Phew! It took a while to get here, but we finally made it," Ash said once the city came into view. They were on a large hill with the city below them.

"Finally! I can sleep in a nice, warm bed again," Misty sighed with relief.

"Not to mention some good food!" Ash added.

"Is food always on your mind, Ash Ketchum?" Misty asked with somewhat of an annoyed tone.

"Hey! Don't blame me! If I continued with just plain sandwiches for much longer, my stomach would never speak to me again," Ash defended.

"Anyway, before we head into the city, can we rest on these rocks real quick? My feet are killing me," Serena asked. She was actually trying to play peacemaker for once and wanted Ash and Misty to avoid an impending argument.

Ash looked the rocks over. They looked quite smooth and it's not like they belonged to anybody, so a quick rest wouldn't hurt. "Alright," he said as he sat down on one, Misty and Serena following suit. Pikachu jumped onto Ash's lap to take a quick snooze.

"So Ash, are you ready for your gym battle?" Serena asked once the group got relaxed on the rocks.

"You bet! I'm definitely going to win! I've been training really hard this time," Ash said with a determined expression as he made a fist.

"I heard this trainer uses rock-type Pokemon and his name is Brock," Misty added. "With only Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree, you don't really have any Pokemon that have an advantage over them," Misty said.

"Yeah. I know. Unlike last time, though, I've trained each of my Pokemon hard. I believe in their strength," Ash said again.

"You know, Ash? If you ask me really nicely, I may let you borrow a few of my water Pokemon for the match to give you an advantage," Misty said in a sweet as honey voice.

"No thanks," Ash said immediately, rejecting the offer. Seeing Misty get an angry expression, he added, "It's not that I don't appreciate you offering, but this is my battle. I wouldn't feel right to use someone else's Pokemon other than the ones I trained. That would make me feel like it wasn't really my victory. Not to mention, it would totally undermine the training I gave my own Pokemon who worked hard for me."

"I guess you're right," Misty sighed.

"So you want to challenge the Gym Leader of this city?" a new voice suddenly spoke up, startling the group.

They looked around until they saw a man sitting Indian-style a short distance below them on the hill, looking away from them. Had he been there this whole time? He had such a low voice that it was hard to hear him. It soon came as no surprise that he could probably blend in with the rest of the surroundings.

"Uh, yeah. That's right," Ash said in an unsure tone. "Do you know anything about him?"

"I do. His name is Brock, and he's really strong. I don't think you stand a chance against him," the man said.

"How do you know?" Ash said, getting an angry expression.

"Just trust me. My name is Flint, by the way. I run a rock selling service," the man introduced.

"A rock selling service?" Serena asked. She and everyone else thought that was a rather bizarre career.

"Yes. A man needs to make a living somehow. I sell all of these large rocks you see around you. Pewter City is known to have some of the best quality rocks around," the man answered.

"Uh, right," Ash said while sweatdropping. "Anyway, I don't care what you say about Brock! I came here to get the Boulder Badge, and that's what I'm going to do!"

"Humph. Well if you really believe you can beat him, I suppose I could show the way," said Flint as he stood up.

"Uh, okay. Thanks," Ash said as he picked up Pikachu and stood up. He still didn't fully trust this man.

"By the way, that will be a charge of five dollars each for resting on my rocks," Flint said.

The group let out a large groan.

* * *

><p>"Well, here is the Pewter Gym," Flint stated as they stood in front of the gym.<p>

The group stared in awe and took in its appearance. The gym was about two stories high and looked like a giant stone to match its rock-type Pokemon theme. It was currently closed for the day, which surprised the group. They thought gyms didn't usually close until eight o'clock, but it was only seven o'clock in the evening.

As if reading their thoughts, Flint answered, "Brock has to close the gym early every day so he can care for his younger siblings. He has ten of them. It's enough work for him to even keep the gym open at all."

"What about Brock's parents?" Ash asked.

"His good-for-nothing father suddenly decided to leave on a Pokemon journey and left his family behind. His mother tried her best to keep the family together, but she soon left as well. Now Brock is the only one who is able to care for everybody, and himself," Flint said sadly.

"That's terrible! It isn't fair to Brock!" Serena said with hint of anger in her voice.

"Brock's always been such a good sport about it, too. He never complains and always has a positive attitude. Deep down, however, you can tell he is really hurting about his parents," Flint continued.

"How do you know all of this?" Ash asked, suddenly curious.

"Uh, well….I…heard stories!" Flint stammered as he rubbed the back of his head.

The group figured that wasn't the full story due to his tone but decided not to press the matter.

"The gym doesn't open until eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. Since you will have to wait until tomorrow for your battle, why don't I show you the way to the Pokemon Center?" Flint offered.

"That will be great! Thank you!" Ash said gratefully.

The group had decided maybe this Flint guy wasn't so bad after all. However, they still couldn't shake the feeling there was more to this guy then meets the eye.

As the group began walking, Ash spoke up, "It seems Brock loves people and Pokemon just as much as the next guy."

"Oh, he does. He takes very good care of his Pokemon. He seems to understand the feelings and thoughts of Pokemon more than many people. I've heard what he really wants to do is travel the world and be the best Pokemon breeder, rather than a gym leader. He can't leave his siblings behind by themselves, though," Flint replied.

"I see," Ash said rather quietly. He was glad he was learning more about the type of trainers he was going to face in battle, but now he almost regretted it due to how sad Brock's story was. It proved that no matter who is out there, they all seem to have a story to tell about their lives.

"You aren't going to get discouraged from facing Brock tomorrow, are you, Ash?" Serena asked once she saw his expression.

"No," Ash answered. "I can't let my knowledge about someone else get in the way of getting my badge tomorrow. Brock's a gym leader. I'm sure he expects, and wants, people try their hardest to win whether they know his story or not."

"My thoughts exactly," Serena agreed and gave Ash a smile. "You're going to do great tomorrow."

Ash returned the smile and went back to his thoughts, but they were soon interrupted by Flint speaking.

"There's the Pokemon Center straight ahead," Flint announced as he pointed to the building.

"Didn't Nurse Joy in Viridian City say her cousin worked here?" Serena asked.

"Yeah. She also said that she had emailed her to let her know we were coming," Misty added.

"Well, let's not be rude and go in!" Ash said. He then turned to Flint, "Thanks for showing us the way Fl…where did he go?"

The group looked around and saw Flint was already some distance away from the group, walking in the other direction. What a strange guy!

The group entered the Pokemon Center and took in its surroundings. It looked pretty similar in design to the one in Viridian City. They spotted the nurse of the center doing some paperwork at the front desk. She had her head down so they couldn't see her face.

The group smiled and walked up to the nurse at her desk. "Hello ma'am. We would like to rent a room for the night," Ash said.

"Certainly," the nurse replied as she looked up.

Ash, Serena, and Misty gasped. "What?! Nurse Joy?! What are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. What do you mean?" Nurse Joy asked with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Remember? It's us. Serena, Ash, and Misty. We met in Viridian City at the Pokemon Center there and helped you save the Pokemon," Serena said.

"Oh, you must mean my first cousin!" Nurse Joy said as realization hit her face. "She sent me an email telling me all about you three. Let me give my thanks as well for saving the Pokemon."

"So…you're her first cousin?" Ash asked. "You look exactly like your cousin in Viridian City."

"Hahaha, yeah. We get that a lot," Nurse Joy laughed. "The truth is all the nurses in the Pokemon Center look just alike, and we are all named Joy."

"You're kidding!" Ash said somewhat skeptically.

"I'm afraid I'm not," Nurse Joy said as she pulled a picture out from her desk to show the group. Sure enough, there were at least a dozen nurses who looked identical. Ash, Serena, and Misty were amazed, to say the least.

"So anyway. You three said you needed rooms for the night? How many would you like?" Nurse Joy asked as she put the picture back in the desk.

"Two, please. One for me and Pikachu and one the for Serena and Misty," Ash replied.

"Not a problem. Let me just register you in the computer," Nurse Joy said kindly.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," said Serena.

"By the way, I remember my sister mentioning in her email that you are a Pokemon trainer, Ash. So you must be here to challenge the gym leader, Brock."

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "But a man told us that the gym doesn't open until eleven o'clock in the morning so there won't be much for us to do while we wait."

"I think you should check out the Pewter Museum, in that case," Nurse Joy suggested. "It's one of Pewter City's tourist attractions. Since you three are trainers, I think you will find some of the things there very interesting. There are things there from space exhibits to fossils of prehistoric Pokemon."

"Wow! That sounds really cool!" Serena said.

"Yeah! Prehistoric Pokemon!" Ash agreed and turned to Pikachu. "Want to see some fossil Pokemon, buddy?"

"Piiiiiika!" it agreed.

* * *

><p>It was around nine-thirty the next morning, and the group was now about to walk into the Pewter Museum. They had a good night's sleep at the Pokemon Center as well as the first decent meal they had eaten in a few days. Like Ash promised, he put ketchup on all of Pikachu's Pokemon food, but for some reason, Pikachu seemed content to just lick the ketchup from the bottle by itself. It took some convincing from Ash to get it to eat the Pokemon food as well.<p>

The group had also stopped by the Pokemart on the way to the museum, and Serena let Charla and Nidoran pick out the flavors that they wanted this time.

As the group entered the museum, they were met by the receptionist who charged them each a five dollar admittance fee. The group payed and took in their surroundings. They marveled at the size of it. It didn't look that big on the outside but the inside looked humungous. It had many display cases aligned in rows as well as a few model rockets. There was also a flight of stairs to lead up to the second story. The group assumed the lower level was for space while the upper floor was where the prehistoric Pokemon were.

"Hey, let's go check out those fossil Pokemon," Ash said eagerly as he began to walk at a quick pace to the flight of stairs.

Serena and Pikachu followed Ash, but Misty stayed. "You two go on ahead. I'm going to stay down here for a bit and see the space exhibit," Misty told them.

"Well, alright. We'll see you in a bit," Ash said they went up the stairs.

Once they reached the second floor of the museum, they could see the various skeletons and fossils that aligned the shelf. There were five skeletons in the middle of the room as the group went over to them. One by one they read the descriptions of each of the skeletons.

_Omanyte, the spiral Pokemon. This Pokemon lived in the primordial sea. It swam by moving around its ten tentacles._

_Omastar, the spiral Pokemon and the evolved form of Omanyte. This Pokemon was said to become extinct because its large shell made it hard to catch food._

_Kabuto, the shellfish Pokemon. It is said to have inhabited beaches a long time ago. It was protected by a very stiff shell.  
><em>

_Kabutops, the shellfish Pokemon and the evolved form of Kabuto. Its sleek shape was perfect for swimming. It caught pray with its scythe-like arms and drained their fluids._

Out of the five skeletons, there was one that caught Ash and Serena's attention the most. It was just skeleton, but had the image of the Pokemon on a picture next to the description. It was gray and had very large wings with razor sharp claws and teeth. The description said that it was called an Aerodactyl, and judging by the skeleton, it was a very large Pokemon as well.

Ash and Serena read the description. "Aerodactyl. This Pokemon is said to be long extinct. Its sharp claws and teeth suggests that it was a carnivore," they read.

"Wow. So this thing was a deadly predator and hunted other Pokemon…and probably people as well," Ash said more to himself than Serena as they continued to look at the skeleton.

"It's really scary," Serena said worriedly as she inched a little closer to Ash.

"Don't worry Serena. This Pokemon is long gone. It's not like we are going to meet a live one face-to-face," Ash said reassuringly once he saw the expression on her face.

"I know that. It's just a scary thought. I wonder what it was that made such a powerful Pokemon like this die out," the honey blonde-haired girl wondered.

"So what are you two looking at?" asked a voice behind them.

Ash and Serena spun around to find Misty standing there.

"Oh, we were just checking out this Aerodactyl skeleton," Ash answered as he pointed to it. "These fossil Pokemon are really interesting."

"In that case, you may be interested to hear what this scientist is saying downstairs. He is talking about the different types of prehistoric Pokemon. Personally, I think he is a little strange, though," Misty told them.

"Alright. Sounds good. Let's go!" Ash said enthusiastically as he went back downstairs with Serena, Misty, and Pikachu following.

Once they were back downstairs, the group saw a small crowd surrounding a man in a white lab coat. He wore big, thick glasses and had really untidy black hair. He was a complete contrast from Professor Oak. Misty was right. This guy did seem a little eccentric.

"As you all know, the Pokemon that you have seen so far in this museum, Omanyte, Omastar, Kabuto, Kabutops, and Aerodactyl have been extinct for a long time," the scientist began as Ash, Serena, Misty, and Pikachu made their way into the crowd. The crowd gave a short nod in response.

"What would all of you say if I told you we scientists are researching a way to bring them back to life?" the scientist asked a little slyly.

This got the crowd's full attention. Some people looked really intrigued while others were looking at the scientist like he was crazy. Ash heard whispering behind them, and he turned around to see three people wearing plain clothes, but underneath the outfits, he could see parts of another uniform which were solid black. Ash thought that was a little strange to be wearing a completely separate uniform underneath another one, unless they were trying to disguise themselves. The three people must have noticed Ash's gaze, because they gave him a glare.

"Hey, kid. Mind your own business," one of the men said to him rather rudely.

Ash quickly turned around and faced the scientist again.

"Really, Ash. You shouldn't be so nosy," Misty scolded, but Ash ignored her. There was something really off about those guys.

"We have been researching different fossils at Mt. Moon recently," the scientist continued. "We were amazed to find that some of them contained Pokemon DNA!"

"Wow! Really?" asked a man in the crowd.

"Yes! Really!" the scientist confirmed eagerly. "On top of that, we have also found a way to extract the Pokemon DNA from those fossils!"

"So what does that have to do with bringing them back to life?" one of the strange men behind Ash asked.

"I'm glad you asked!" the scientist said excitedly. "We have been working hard on a machine for the past several months that can turn this DNA into a living, breathing, Pokemon!"

This drew a large gasp from the audience. Ash, Serena, and Misty, were equally amazed at the scientist's claim. _"Wow! A living Pokemon from prehistoric times in the present world!"_ Ash thought.

The scientist continued, "Of course, we are only in the beta testing mode of it. It is still a ways off from being completed. Hopefully, our scientists over at the Cinnabar Island branch will have it ready within the next eight months."

"Is that safe?" Misty suddenly asked, causing the group and scientist to look a her.

"What do you mean, Miss?" the scientist asked curiously.

"I mean, these Pokemon existed long before. Is it safe to have them in the present time? How do you know that the preshistoric Pokemon will have the necessary things to survive? Furthermore, how do you know some of these Pokemon aren't extremely dangerous?"

This caused the group to turn back to the scientist and look at him expectantly.

"Fear not, Miss. We have studied the various behavior of each of these prehistoric Pokemon very carefully. Even the deadly Aerodactyl can be tamed. I don't see it feasting on any humans," the scientist said with a laugh, which caused a few nervous chuckles from everyone in the crowd. "About their survival, that's what we are here for! We are to make sure they have everything they need! We will make sure not to not have them go extinct a second time!"

This was met by a few more nods and sighs of relief from the audience. Ash heard shuffling behind him and saw the trio of men give a nod to each other and speed off. They definitely seemed to be up to something, but Ash didn't feel right to pry so chose not to pursue them. Plus, there was no proof they were actually doing something wrong.

Deciding to let the matter go, Ash turned to Serena and asked, "Wouldn't it be cool if we were able to train some prehistoric Pokemon, Serena? Mt. Moon would be our next stop after Pewter City. Imagine finding some fossils there."

Serena thought about what it would be like to have one of the prehistoric Pokemon, and most of the thoughts weren't pretty. She would be trying to tame an Aerodactyl only to have it eat her. She would be playing with Omastar only to misjudge its weight because of its small size and be crushed. Also, those sickle-like claws that were on a Kabutops were really scary as well. Serena shook her had of these thoughts and realized she was being a little silly. If she could train a fire breathing lizard and a rabbit with a poisonous horn on its head, she could probably handle these Pokemon as well.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Serena," Ash said while waving a hand in front of her face when he realized she seemed zoned out.

"Um...oh right! Yeah! It would be really great, Ash!" Serena answered with a smile as she snapped out of her thoughts.

By now, the crowd had dispersed, and the scientist had gone to a room in the back labeled "Employees Only. Ash checked the clock on the wall and saw that it was already ten minutes until eleven. Time sure flew. Had they really been in the museum that long?

"Hey guys. Since it's almost eleven, why don't we go grab some lunch before heading off to the gym?" Ash suggested.

"That's fine with me. I think I've already seen everything there is to see here," Misty responded.

"Me, too," Serena agreed.

"Alright! Let's go!" Ash said as they left.

* * *

><p>"Have you thought about which Pokemon you were going to use against Brock yet?" Misty asked.<p>

Currently, the group was at a small café they had found and were sitting at a table eating their meal.

"Yeah," Ash answered. "I'm going to use Butterfree for sure. My next one, I don't really know."

"That's the problem, Ash. Unfortunately, none of your Pokemon have an advantage over the rock-type. While Butterfree knows a couple of psychic attacks and has Sleep Powder, it's also really weak to rock-type attacks, the same with Pidgeotto," Misty told him.

"I know," Ash replied as he took a bite of his food. He then looked at Pikachu who was, of course, licking a bottle of ketchup. Ash wondered if it ever got tired of the stuff. "Hey, Pikachu. Do you feel up to challenging Brock? Both Pidgeotto and Butterfree know a couple of attacks that can hurt rock Pokemon, but I know that you are at a huge disadvantage. I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to do."

"Pikachu!" it answered. It then flexed it's tiny arms in a "show my muscle" fashion to demonstrate its strength.

The group laughed. "Alright, Pikachu. I believe in you. If at some point you change your mind, just let me know."

"I know you want to win your first gym battle with your own Pokemon, but I'm just trying to help you by offering for you to use my water Pokemon just this once," Misty tried again.

"I really do appreciate your offer to help, Misty, but I need to do this one on my own," Ash replied.

"If you say so," she said.

"So the only Pokemon you have to face Brock with are a Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Butterfree? It will be almost impossible to win against Brock no matter how much training you put into them," a familiar voice spoke.

The group turned around to see Flint standing behind them. How on Earth did he keep sneaking up on them like this?

"Brock is no pushover. You are definitely going to need to catch Pokemon that have an advantage over the rock-type to beat him," Flint continued.

"There aren't any water or grass-type Pokemon around, though," Ash told him. "I don't have a choice. Plus, my Pokemon said that they are willing to fight no matter what."

Flint sighed. "If you are unable to catch any Pokemon that have an advantage over Brock, you can at least teach them moves that have an advantage. I can help you with that. Follow me," he said as he began walking away.

The group looked at each other, wondering if they should follow Flint. There was no doubt this man was a little strange, but he proved he meant them no harm. They were finished with their lunch anyway so they got up from their chairs and followed him.

After walking for about twenty minutes (Flint never said a word the entire time), he led the group to a small house near the edge of the city.

"You have heard of Technical Machines, or TMs for short, haven't you?" Flint finally asked.

"Yes," Ash answered. "Those are small machines that you can use to teach your Pokemon moves they can't learn naturally, right?"

"That's correct," Flint confirmed. "The moves I can teach your Pokemon are going to be inside my house. Wait here for just a little bit." He then disappeared inside of his house.

The group, particulary Ash, was wondering just what kind of moves Flint had in mind. The types that were strong against the Rock-type Pokemon were the Grass, Water, and Ground-type. Ash knew none of his Pokemon could learn any of those types of moves.

Flint returned a couple of minutes later carrying four small machines in his hands.

"So what kind of moves can you teach my Pokemon?" Ash asked.

"Have you heard of the new types of Pokemon that were discovered?" Flint answered with a question of his own.

"Yeah. The two new types are supposed to be the steel-type and dark-type," Misty said.

"That's right. One of these newly discovered types, the steel-type, is really strong against rock-types like what Brock uses. I have the TMs that can teach Iron Tail and Steel Wing to your Pokemon. If you teach Iron Tail to your Pikachu and Steel Wing to your Pidgeotto, and combine that with your Butterfree's psychic attacks,you might have a chance despite the type disadvantage," Flint told Ash.

"These aren't going to harm my Pokemon in any way, right?" Ash asked. He had never used a TM before so he wanted make sure.

"Of course, Ash," Misty answered instead. "TMs are perfectly safe, and all have been approved by the Pokemon League to use on Pokemon. I've given out plenty of them myself….blaaaaah." Misty had tried to stop herself, but Ash and Serena were too quick to not notice.

"Wait a second, Misty. How would you be able to give out various TMs to people all the time? Those things don't just grow on trees, you know." Serena said suspiciously.

"I used to have a lot, but I simply ran out," Misty replied lamely. "Anyway, TMs are perfectly safe so Ash's Pokemon will be fine." She desperately wanted to change the subject. She was thankful that Ash and Serena took the bait even though they knew she was hiding something from them.

"I see," Ash said as he opened Pidgeotto's pokeball. The bird Pokemon appeared with a cry of "Pidgo!"

Ash then faced his two Pokemon. "Alright, guys. This man Flint is offering to teach you some moves that you can't learn naturally. They will give you an advantage over Brock and be useful in other situations as well. Is it okay to give you the TMs to use?" Ash asked. He would never do something like this without his Pokemon's permission first.

Pidgeotto and Pikachu both nodded their heads.

Ash then turned to Flint. "Alright. I'll accept the TMs. Thank you, Flint," Ash said. Something suddenly occurred to him, though. "Wait, why are you helping me in the first place?"

"Honestly, I don't know myself, but I feel something good will happen if I do this," Flint responded.

"Err…okay, but regardless of your reasons. Thank you," Ash said again.

"You're a Pokemon trainer, too, aren't you?" Flint asked Serena as he turned to her.

"That's right," Serena confirmed, wondering what Flint would want with her.

"I had these TMs as well and figured I could give them to you. They may come in handy later on," Flint said as he handed them to her.

"What moves are they?" Serena asked curiously.

"One contains the move Dig and the other has Ice Beam. Use them however you see fit," Flint told her.

"Okay. I will. Thank you," Serena said still a little unsure.

"How do these things work?" Ash asked Flint as he turned to his Pikachu and Pidgeotto to use the machines.

"Those small clamps on the side are used to place on your Pokemon head and to keep the machine steady so go ahead and do that," Flint told Ash.

"Okay," Ash said as he did so.

"Then go ahead and press that button in the middle and it should activate the machine," Flint said next.

Ash did as he was told and pressed the button. Pretty soon the machine began to shake and Ash was worried that his Pokemon were being hurt by the device, but they were showing no signs at all of discomfort. After about ten seconds, the machines stopped moving.

"Okay. You can take the machines off your Pokemon now. If everything went right, your Pokemon should know those moves now," Flint said.

After Ash removed the devices from Pikachu and Pidgeotto's heads, he asked them, "So, do you guys feel okay?"

Both Pokemon nodded.

"There are old stumps right there on the side of my house for you to try out the moves," Flint said while pointing in that direction.

The group went over to the stumps, and Ash had Pikachu and Pidgeotto stand in front them.

"Alright! Pikachu! Use Iron Tail! Pidgeotto! Use Steel Wing!" Ash ordered.

Both Pokemon nodded and launched their respective attacks. Pikachu ran forward and its tail began to glow white. It then leaped into the air and brought its tail down on the stump, creating lots of debris to fly from the stump. Pidgeotto likewise took into the sky as its right wing began to glow white. It then made dive towards the stump and slammed its wing into the stump, also creating a sizable amount of wood to fly from the stump. Ash looked on and congratulated his Pokemon while nodding his head in approval. There was still a good amount of each stump left after the attack, but it was certainly good for a first try. Ash knew they could only get better at the attack and decided to continue to train them in their respective attacks after the gym battle with Brock.

* * *

><p>It was now around twelve forty-five in the afternoon and the group was heading towards the gym. Because of the TMs that Flint had generously offered Ash, Ash was really excited for the battle and felt really good about it. This was going to be his first one, and he couldn't wait. He trained really hard for this battle and had asked each of his Pokemon if they were up for the fight despite the disadvantage. Each of them had agreed to fight for Ash should he choose them. He could do this.<p>

The group was now in front of the gym again. Serena put a hand on Ash's shoulder and gave him a nod to show him that she was behind him all the way. Ash smiled at Serena and took a deep breath. He was just about to enter the gym, but instead, the doors opened before he reached them, and Ash came face-to-face with another boy, presumably another trainer, and they locked eyes for a moment.

They continued to stare at one another until Ash realized he was probably in the boy's way. "Oh. I'm sorry," Ash said as he quickly moved to the side.

The group took in the boy's appearance. He had thick light purple hair and was wearing a black and purple jacket over a gray t-shirt and also wearing dark gray pants. There was also something about his eyes that made Ash uneasy. They seemed so cold.

The boy said nothing and resumed his walking. As he passed, Ash decided to be friendly. "So, are you a trainer also?"

"Obviously," the boy replied as he continued walking. He didn't even look in Ash's direction.

"Oh. Okay," Ash said not deterred by the boy's unfriendliness. "Did you win the battle and get the Boulder Badge?"

"Yes. I did. Is this going somewhere?" the boy replied rather coldly, finally stopping to look at Ash.

The group was surprised by the boy's rudeness. "Um, no. I just wanted to say congratulations to you and your Pokemon," Ash said trying to ease the tension.

The boy glared at Ash and resumed walking. "Fine. Whatever," he replied.

"Well, someone could use an attitude adjustment," Misty said in annoyance as the boy continued to walk away.

"_You're one to talk, Misty_," Serena thought to herself. She then noticed that Ash either hadn't heard or ignored Misty's comment. He was too busy gazing at the boy he had just ran into.

Ash watched the boy for a long time as he walked away. He didn't quite know what it was, but he felt a sort of link when he saw this boy. It was a really weird feeling, but Ash felt as though this wouldn't be the final time he saw him. Ash believed that when he did see this boy again, it was bound not to be a pleasant meeting. It would probably be very soon as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Three guesses who the guy at the end of the chapter is (if it isn't obvious enough)<strong>

**The challenge of the samurai chapter should be the last of the filler chapters. Every chapter from here on out will hold some sort of significance: whether it be someone in the group catching a Pokemon, a gym battle or battle chateau challenge, acquiring an important item, plot development, or introducing a new character, so hopefully the pace of the story will pick up. The next chapter will be up in a week. Ash's first gym battle is up next and our favorite Pokemon breeder is there as well! (finally). See all of you next Tuesday!  
><strong>

**One more thing. If you haven't voted yet in the poll located in my profile, please do so. There is a tie going on right now. I'm trying to please as many people as possible about what to do with Misty, and that can't work if there is a tie.**

**Chapter 10: The Battle at Pewter City Gym.**

**Answering the questions:**

_Since you don't support Pokeshipping, and that in the story Misty knows of Serena's crush on Ash, in guessing most likely Misty will never develop/show her crush on Ash that she developed and showed subtly in the Anime and Movies._

**_Ash and Misty won't have anything more than a friendship in this story. I know a lot of people support Pokeshipping and that is fine. I just can't see how it would work due to the reasons stated in my profile. I'm trying to make Misty a little more likable in this story than how the anime portrays her because I honestly don't hate Misty. I just don't support Ash and Misty as a romantic pairing._**

_Are you planning on implementing all the movies as sort of specials for this story, as in apart from the main story line?_

**_That is a very interesting idea and certainly something to consider. As of right now, the movies I'm including will be part of the actual story. If I can't find a proper place to put them or if it disrupts the flow too much, I will place them as separate stories or chapters labeled "specials"_**

_Given how long the 1st season is(80 episodes, not including the 2 or 3 banned episodes) do you plan of skipping the fillers?_

**_I consider Challenge of the Samurai to be the last of the actual "fillers" in this story so yes I will skip any future ones that I don't think are important. This chapter might have been one, but I think it was important because of the introduction of (Cough), Pikachu and Pidgeotto learning TMs, and information and foreshadowing regarding the fossil Pokemon. As stated above, every chapter from here on out will have some sort of significance to the plot. This will hold true in the future arcs as well._**

_Also, is there going to be an arc or period of time where Serena leaves for a while? I think it could make an interesting development further on in the story line, like after a falling out or something?_

**_Serena will be Ash's constant traveling companion throughout the series and won't leave...err for more than a chapter or two anyway. They might have a few fights in the series, but never anything big enough to cause a massive falling out and cause Serena to leave the group for a long time._**

_Are TR going to be in the majority of each chapter?_

_**No. Team Rocket will only appear when I think it is necessary for the plot. They won't appear again until Mt. Moon and it will be a long time before they appear after that one. As we get further along into this fic, Team Rocket will start appearing a little more as Ash and the group are caught up in their horrible deeds. Will they be in Johto and after? You will have to wait and see.  
><strong>_

_Is Serena going to change outfit like Ash in Hoenn & Sinnoh?_

**_Lol that is certainly a question I wasn't expecting! Yes I will find some different outfit for Serena to change into for those regions. Pokemon XY has many different outfits to choose from after all._**

_Will Ash just stick with the pokemon he caught in canon or will he catch more pokemon and rotate them? _

**_Ash will catch slightly more Pokemon than in canon and yes he will rotate them. Serena will also when she gets more than six._**

_f I may ask a question, since Pokemon seem to have abilities, will those Pokemon who have changed types over the years have their newer types? For a relevant example, will Clefairy be a Normal-type or a Fairy-Type?_

**_The newer games and avoiding continuity errors dictate that I go ahead and have the Pokemon changed to their newer types. This chapter revealed that the Dark/Steel type were recently discovered but not a lot is known about them yet. The same will be true for the Fairy-type._**

_Hey will ash and serena catch the same Pokémon (not including charmander)?_

**_It isn't something I have planned at the moment to avoid redundancy._**

_Will Ash get the male Nidoran?_

**_Believe me. I tried to find a place to put a male Nidoran on Ash's team, but just couldn't make it work. It is a good idea gone to waste I know, but Ash won't be catching a male Nidoran anytime soon. Sorry._**


	10. The Battle at Pewter City Gym

**A/N: We are now at Ash's first gym battle, finally! I worked really hard on the battle and thought it turned out well. Please let me know what you think of it in a review or PM. If you see areas that need improvement, make sure to let me know. Battles are a huge part of any Pokemon fic, after all, and I want to write the best ones I can to please all of you! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: As stated in the last chapter and every one before it, I do not own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: The Battle at Pewter City Gym<p>

Ash, Serena, Misty, and Pikachu stepped into the Pewter City gym. They were in a very large room that was almost the size of the gym itself. The room was poorly lit making it a little hard for the group to see anyone or anything. They could tell the floor was made out of stone. They could also see several large rocks sticking up from the ground to fit the theme.

"Um, hello?" Ash called. "Is anyone there? My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm here for a gym challenge against Brock."

Suddenly, bright lights illuminated the room, momentarily dazing the group and causing them to shield their eyes. When their eyes adjusted to the light, they looked and saw a teenage boy sitting Indian style across the room. The boy had dark brown, almost black, spiky hair that stuck out in many different directions. He had dark tanned skin and squinty eyes. He wore a green vest over an orange shirt and brown pants.

"Are you Brock?" Ash asked.

"I am," Brock confirmed.

"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I have come to challenge you to a gym battle for the Boulder Badge," said Ash.

"Is that your Pikachu?" Brock asked while pointing.

"Yes. It is," Ash replied

Brock then looked at Pikachu in an almost demeaning way. "I see. So it is still in its cutest stage."

Judging by his tone, Ash and Pikachu could tell it wasn't a compliment. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked with some anger in his voice.

"It means it can't win!" Brock answered.

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?!" Ash asked rhetotically.

As if to demonstrate its power, Pikachu curled its paws into fists and sparked its cheeks.

"Heh. Well, as a Gym Leader, I must accept every challenge. Be warned as I do not lose easily," Brock said as he stood up.

"We can take you on! My Pokemon and I may even have a few tricks up our sleeve," Ash told Brock.

"Very well. I must ask your guests to move to the second floor so they are not in the way," Brock said.

The group turned and saw a set of stairs that led up to a walkway on the second floor that had a nice view of the field.

Misty went ahead towards the staircase, but Serena stayed behind for just second.

"Good luck, Ash. You will do great," she said. She then gave him a wink. "Remember, never give up until the end!"

"You got it, Serena," Ash said as he gave her a thumbs-up.

Serena then smiled and headed towards the staircase herself.

Brock couldn't help but smile to himself. He wished he had a girl that was close to him, but now was not the time to think about things like that. He needed to focus on the match. "Do you know the rules for the Pewter City Gym?" he asked.

"Uh, no. I'm afraid I don't," Ash said while rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's simple. As the Gym Leader, I cannot make any substitutions. As the challenger, you may make as many as you like. I will use just two Pokemon. Tell me, Ash. Are you a trainer that is just starting out?"

"Yes. I've been a trainer for about a week and a half," Ash responded.

"So I take it this is your first badge you are attempting," Brock asked.

"That's correct," Ash said.

"Very well. In that case, I will allow you to use as many Pokemon as you need. It is a privilege the gyms allow to new trainers," Brock said. "Were this not your first, you would only be allowed to use two Pokemon as well."

"I understand and accept," Ash stated.

"Very well. I will choose my first Pokemon now. Go, Geodude!" Brock yelled as he threw his pokeball through the air.

The pokeball landed on the ground and Geodude emerged. It looked like a large gray rock with a face and arms sticking out from the side of it.

"A Geodude." Ash said to himself as he got his pokedex out to scan it.

"Geodude, the rock Pokemon. It uses its powerful arms to climb mountains and is often mistaken for a boulder," the pokedex said.

Ash put his pokedex back in his pocket and studied Geodude for a second. He would get to use all of his Pokemon so he decided he shouldn't use Pidgeotto and Pikachu just yet. He would save his steel-type attacks in case Brock had a much stronger Pokemon at his disposal.

"Go, Butterfree," Ash called as he threw the pokeball to release Butterfree.

"Freeeeeeeee!" Butterfree cried as it came out. It then flew in front of Ash and faced Geodude.

Brock then crossed his arms. "You may make the first move," he said.

"Alright. In that case, Butterfree, use String Shot to try to immobilize Geodude!" Ash called out.

Butterfree obeyed and shot a continuous amount of sticky string at Geodude.

"Yes!" Ash said as he saw the sting connect and begin wrap around Geodude. However its skin was so rough that the string wasn't able to get a good grip on Geodude. It easily broke out of the string.

"String Shot won't work against my rock Pokemon," Brock said. "Geodude! Use Tackle!"

Geodude began hopping towards Butterfree, but Buttefree was much faster.

"Butterfree! Fly up high so Geodude can't reach you!" Ash called.

Butterfree did as it was told and flew high into the air away from Geodude.

"Great job, Butterfree! We should have the advantage now!" Ash told it.

"You think so?" asked Brock. "Geodude! Use Rock Throw!"

Geodude then smashed one of the nearby large rocks into smaller rocks and began to hurl them upward at Butterfree at a fairly fast rate.

"Watch out, Butterfree! Dodge those rocks!" Ash called.

Butterfree then began moving through air as fast as could. It was doing a fairly good job, but due to the number of rocks Geodude had thrown, one eventually hit it.

"Freee!" Butterfree cried out as it was hit by one of the rocks, but managed to stay in the air.

"It's okay, Butterfree!" Ash called out. "Use your Confusion attack!"

Butterfree nodded as hits eyes glowed for second. Geodude then began enveloped in a blue form of energy and was lifted up into the air.

"Great job, Buttefree! Now send it flying!" Ash yelled.

Butterfree nodded and used its powers to send Geodude flying across the field at a high speed and into one of the boulders. The impact caused an explosion of small pebbles to fly out.

Geodude grimaced from the pain but soon hopped out of the newly created hole ready for more.

"Use Rock Throw again, Geodude!" called Brock

"Use Psychic now, Butterfree! Don't give it chance to use that attack!" Ash countered.

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue again for a little bit before emitting a huge blast of energy. The blast soared through the air and struck Geodude who was too slow to get out of the way. It was sent sailing through the air again and onto the ground. It was able to get back up but was clearly getting tired.

"Ash is doing really well so far, isn't he?" Serena commented as she watched the battle from above while leaning on the rails.

"He is, but a Gym Leader isn't going to lose that easily," Misty replied as she watched also. "Brock definitely has something planned."

"It seems we are going to need to kick this up a notch! Geodude! Use Rock Polish!" Brock called out.

Geodude then began to glow for a few seconds before stopping. It now seemed a lot shinier then it once was.

"Rock Polish, huh?" Ash said to himself. He remembered that move was supposed to greatly increase the user's speed. "Be careful, Butterfree! Geodude is a lot faster now!"

Butterfree nodded and prepared itself for anything Geodude might do.

"Geodude! Try your Rock Throw once more!" Brock called out.

Geodude once again smashed a boulder beside it and began throw small boulders at Butterfree again, but this time at very alarming rate due to the speed increase.

Butterfree was trying its best to dodge the boulders but was having great difficulty doing so. It wasn't long before it began to get hit by a few of them.

"_There has to be something I can do to stop those boulders," _Ash thought. _"Wait! I know!_" He then called, "Butterfree! Use Confusion to stop those rocks in midair!"

Butterfree stopped trying to dodge the rocks, and its eyes glowed. The boulders that Geodude was hurling stopped in their tracks and glowed with a blue energy around them and were suspended in midair.

"That's great, Butterfree! Send all of those rocks back at Geodude!"

"Butterfree nodded and soon the boulders were flying through the air again, but this time at Geodude. One by one, Geodude was pelted by the rocks. They weren't doing a great deal of damage because of its rock-typing, but they still hurt.

"Quick Geodude! Use Stone Edge!" Brock called.

Through the pain, Geodude managed to summon a massive spiked rock from the ground and chucked it Butterfree with all its might. It then resumed to be hit by the rocks flying at it.

Unfortunately, Butterfree was too busy hitting Geodude with the rocks that it didn't have time to block Stone Edge. The rock collided hard with Butterfree. Butterfree gave a squeal of pain as it fell to the ground. It then landed and didn't get back up.

"No! Butterfree!" Ash cried.

"Your Butterfree is unable to battle anymore. You have trained it very well, but it still wasn't enough to beat Geodude," Brock told Ash.

Ash grit his teeth as he returned Butterfree. "You were great, Butterfree. Thanks. Take a good rest," Ash told it.

"Ohhhh, Ash lost Butterfree," Serena said sadly.

"I told you Brock probably had something planned," Misty said. "That Rock Polish to increase Geodude's speed was all that was needed to make a difference in the match."

Ash was thinking about whom he should use next. There was no doubt he would need speed to combat Geodude's Rock Polish. Fortunately, both Pikachu and Pidgeotto had it. The only real question was if it was better in the air or on the ground. If he sent out Pidgeotto, it would be wide open in the air with nowhere to hide from any oncoming boulders like Butterfree was. On the other hand, while Pikachu would be able to hide behind any rocks on the field, it was at risk of any ground-type attacks that Geodude could no doubt do.

After giving each situation some thought, Ash made his decision. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" Ash shouted as he released Pidgeotto from the pokeball.

"Pidgeooooo!" Pidgeotto cried.

"Hmmm. A Pidgeotto. They are weak against rock-types. Are you sure that's the Pokemon you want to use?" Brock asked.

"I'm sure! We may just surprise you!" Ash said.

"Very well. In that case, Geodude! Use Rock Throw again!" Brock called.

"Pidgeotto! Use Quick Attack to get out of the way of those boulders!" Ash countered.

Before any boulder Geodude threw at Pidgeotto connected, Pidgeotto shot out of the way. Despite Geodude's increase in speed, Pidgeotto was just too quick for any boulders to connect with it. It was able to dart out of the way of all of them.

"Excellent, Pidgeotto! Use Sand Attack to distract Geodude!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeotto then shot towards the ground at amazing speed and flapped it's wings to build of some sand from the ground. Then it hurled it in Geodude's direction.

The sand hit Geodude squarely in the face, and it began to desperately try to get the sand out of its eyes.

"Great Pidgeotto! While Geodude is distracted, use your Gust to send it flying into the air!" Ash said next.

Pidgeotto then began to flap its wings at a very quick pace. This created a large gust of air that was sent towards Geodude. Despite its weight, the gust of air was too strong, and it was being pushed back.

"Hang on, Geodude! Brock yelled.

It was no use, though. Soon, the strong wind lifted Geodude off the ground. It went flying into the air and was now completely helpless.

"Use Steel Wing while Geodude is in the air, Pidgeotto!" Ash called.

Pidgeotto dove straight at Geodude who was now falling back down to the ground. Pidgeotto's right wing glowed white, and then it slammed right into Geodude.

"Duuuuude!" Geodude cried out as it continued to fall. It then fell to the ground in defeat.

"You were great, Pidgeotto!" Ash praised.

Serena smiled from above and cheered. "Woohoo! Way to go, Ash!" she yelled.

Ash saw Serena smile at him from down below and give her a thumbs-up. She gave a light blush, but Ash was too far away to notice. Misty noticed it, however, and smiled to herself.

Brock returned Geodude to its pokeball and gave it a sad smile. "You worked hard Geodude. Well done. Take a good rest," he said. Brock then turned to Ash. "That wasn't bad at all. Your Pidgeotto has very impressive speed. I'll admit, you are much better than I originally made you out to be. Still, do you think you can handle my next Pokemon?"

"Pidgeotto and I can handle anything you throw at us! Right, Pidgeotto?" Ash said. Pidgeotto gave a coo in response.

"We'll see. Onix! Go!" Brock said as he threw his pokeball.

The pokeball opened up and a massive rock snake-like Pokemon appeared. It had to be almost thirty feet long! Ash pulled out his pokedex again to scan the Pokemon.

"Onix, the rock snake Pokemon. This Pokemon's body is as hard as diamonds. It can move through the ground at over fifty miles per hour," said the pokedex.

Ash, Pidgeotto, and Pikachu couldn't help but sweatdrop at the size of the Onix. Ash had seen several on television before or from pictures in a book, but to see one in person was pretty intimidating.

Misty sighed. "Ash really has his work cut out for him now. Onix is going to be really hard to take down even if Ash's Pokemon do have steel-type moves at their disposal."

"He can still win, can't he?" Serena asked Misty hopefully.

"He can still win, but he's going to have to battle really smart and not make any errors," Misty answered.

"Don't let Onix's size scare you, Pidgeotto! Use Steel Wing!" Ash ordered.

Pidgeotto began to fly towards Onix. Being the big target that Onix was, the move was certain to hit. What Pidgeotto and Ash weren't expecting, however, was for Onix to take its hard tail and swat Pidgeotto out of the air like a fly before the move hit.

"Oh, Pidgeotto!" Ash cried out in worry when Pidgeotto hit the ground.

Pidgeotto gave a weak cry in response and slowly pushed itself back to its feet with its wings. The attack clearly hurt, but Pidgeotto could still fight.

"Onix! Use Rock Throw!" Brock ordered.

Onix smashed the boulders with its tail and began to hurl them at Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto! Use Quick Attack again to get out of the way!" Ash called.

Pidgeotto took flight and darted out of the air before the rocks hit. Onix wasn't going to let Pidgeotto get away that easily, however. It then began to hurl the rocks upward. Pidgeotto continued to dodge the rocks with its Quick Attack, but Onix was able to throw a lot more rocks at a time then Geodude making them harder to dodge.

Ash grit his teeth as he tried to think of something. A full on attack was no good unless Pidgeotto were take another swat from Onix's tail. Maybe he could try to blind Onix with Sand Attack. The only problem was Onix was too big to attack directly, so he would have to cover the field with Sand Attack.

"Pidgeotto! Use Sand Attack and cover the whole field!" Ash yelled.

Pidgeotto swooped down and began to whip of sand as fast as it could.

"Oh no you don't! Onix! Use Stone Edge!" Brock countered.

Onix summoned a massive stalagmite from the ground and chucked it at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto had just finished the Sand Attack at that time and darted out of the way before the attack hit. There was now a huge, thick dust cloud covering the field.

"Be careful Onix! Pidgeotto could be anywhere," Brock warned through the sand.

Brock and Onix continued to try to see through the sand until they heard Ash's voice.

"Pidgeotto! Use Steel Wing!" they heard.

Before Onix could react, it saw a small shadow shoot out of the sand and collide with its face. Onix roared into pain as the Steel Wing connected. Pidgeotto then darted back into the dust cloud.

"Great, Pidgeotto! Use Steel Wing again!" Ash hollered.

Once again, before Onix could react, Pidgeotto darted out from the cloud with its wing glowing, and Onix took another Steel Wing to the face. By then, the dust cloud was gone and Pidgeotto was once again exposed.

"Let's use that strategy again, Pidgeotto! Use Sand Attack!" Ash said.

"Not so fast! Onix! Grab Pidgeotto with your tail!" Brock ordered.

Onix reached out with its long tail and snatched Pidgeotto before it could get away.

"Now Bind it!" Brock said.

Onix then began to squeeze Pidgeotto in its rock-hard tail.

"Try to break free, Pidgeotto!" Ash called.

It was no use, though. Onix's hold was too tight. Pidgeotto was clearly struggling and in a lot of pain. Ash could only imagine the pain Pidgeotto was feeling as Onix's squeeze began to get tighter and tighter. It was soon Ash knew he had no choice. He couldn't be reckless.

"Brock, stop! Pidgeotto has had enough!" he called.

"Very well. Onix. Release Pidgeotto. It is now out of the match," Brock said.

Onix did as it was told and gently set Pidgeotto on the ground. Pidgeotto was in a lot of a pain and gasping for air.

"Return, Pidgeotto!" Ash called as he withdrew it. He then looked at the pokeball. "You were amazing Pidgeotto. Thank you. You defeated his Geodude and weakened his Onix. Take a good rest."

"I want to congratulate you on your decision to withdraw Pidgeotto when the situation was hopeless. You clearly care a lot for your Pokemon's well-being," Brock said.

Ash nodded and looked at Pikachu. "Well Pikachu. It's all up to you now. Are you up for it?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu said with a determined look on its face as it ran forward onto the battlefield.

"Come on, Ash! You can do it!" Serena called from up above.

"Pikachu is definitely at a disadvantage with typing and size. Ash will have to use Pikachu's size to his advantage if he can," Misty replied.

The two then noticed a bunch of small kids filing in the gym around them. They all had dark hair and squinty eyes like Brock. They must be Brock's younger brothers and sisters that Flint had talked about and had come to watch the match.

"_It's all up to you,_ _Pikachu. I believe in you,_" Ash thought to himself. To his great surprise, Pikachu actually turned around and nodded at its trainer. Ash never said anything, so did Pikachu read his mind or something?

Ash quickly pushed the matter aside because he knew he needed to focus on the match.

"Let's begin," Brock said. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"

Once again, Onix smashed the boulders with its tail and began to hurl the rocks from the debris at Pikachu.

"Use Agility and dodge Pikachu!" Ash said.

Pikachu darted out of the way and easily dodged the large rocks thrown at it. It then went a step further and began jump on top of the rocks as they were being thrown. Ash then had an idea.

"Pikachu! Use those rocks as their being thrown as a path to Onix's head," Ash called.

Pikachu then began to hop from rock to rock and it was soon able to reach Onix's head. It then jumped on top of it.

"Shake the Pikachu off, Onix!" Brock yelled.

"Hang on Pikachu and use Iron Tail!" Ash yelled in return.

"Pikachu's tail glowed white for a few seconds before it slammed its tail down on top of Onix's head. Onix roared in pain yet again as that was the third time it was struck in the head with a steel-type move.

"Keep at it, Pikachu! You are doing great!" Ash encouraged.

Pikachu nodded and struck Onix again with Iron T ail. After taking a fourth steel-type move, Onix was getting pretty tired.

"Keep trying to shake it off, Onix," Brock said.

"Prepare for one more Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu was just about to use Iron Tail again, but Onix was able to swat Pikachu with its tail this time. Pikachu went sailing towards the ground and struck the ground very hard. Ash, Serena, and Misty couldn't help but cringe at how bad that must have hurt.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?!" Ash asked worriedly.

"Piiiiiii," it muttered as it slowly began trying to get up.

"Let's finish this, Onix! Use Rock Tomb!" Brock commanded.

Onix obeyed and began throwing rocks at Pikachu. Since Pikachu was weakened, it was unable to get around in time. The rocks weren't hitting Pikachu though. They were surrounding it. The rocks continued to build up layers until Pikachu was completely covered. It was trapped.

"Pikachu! Can you hear me?! Pikachu!" Ash called over and over, but there was no response.

Serena and Misty both sighed sadly while Brock's siblings cheered. "It was really close, but that Onix was just too powerful," Misty said.

Serena gave a sad look over at Ash from below. "Oh, Ash," she said. Her crush had done so well, also. He was so close!

"It's best for you to give up the match and get your Pikachu," Brock told Ash.

Ash nodded and was just about to forfeit when he heard something. It was a rumbling sound coming from inside the Rock Tomb. Soon a loud crash was heard and the Rock Tomb exploded into shards of rock that went flying in every direction. After the debris settled, there was Pikachu! It looked tired but still ready to fight. It must have used its Iron Tail to break free from the Rock Tomb.

"Way to go, Pikachu!" Ash cheered happily. His Pokemon had proven to Ash multiple times now that they were not going to give up for their trainer that easily. All he had to do was believe in their strength.

Serena and Misty both cheered from the sidelines that Pikachu was still okay while Brock's siblings groaned.

"Come on, Ash! You and Pikachu can do it!" Serena yelled from above.

"I'm impressed your Pikachu has broken free, but we aren't finished just yet! Onix! Use Rock tomb once more!" Brock called out.

With a new fire and determination, Ash and Pikachu weren't going to let that happen again. "Pikachu! Use Agility and get out of the way!" Ash called out.

Pikachu obeyed and sped away. Onix was relentless, however, and was now using Rock throw. It continued to throw rocks at Pikachu. It was being careful to throw them in a low arc so Pikachu couldn't use them as a path to its head again.

Pikachu was doing an excellent job of dodging the rocks, but Ash knew they couldn't keep that up forever. He also knew there was no way Pikachu could get close without either being grabbed or swatted by Onix's tail. Electric attacks would never work either, so what could he do? He was looking at the rocks that Onix was throwing at Pikachu. They were much larger than the ones Onix had used for Rock Tomb so Pikachu probably would be unable to shatter them with Iron Tail. It was risky, but he could probably knock them away. It was then Ash had an idea.

"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail on those rocks and aim for Onix!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu stopped what it was doing and prepared an Iron Tail. Those rocks looked intimidating while they were flying at it. Pikachu was unsure if it had the power to push away those rocks, but Ash trusted it, so it would trust in itself.

As one of the rocks was almost upon it, Pikachu swung its glowing tail around with all of its might. The rock stopped for just a second before shooting right back towards Onix at break-neck speed. Pikachu then did it again with the next rock that came towards it.

Onix stared in complete surprise for a moment that Pikachu was actually able to deflect its rocks before it was soon struck hard by the rocks it had thrown. They were moving at such an incredible speed that they actually did a good amount of damage to Onix leaving it dazed for a bit.

"Onix! Try and shake it off!" Brock called.

Ash knew he had to take his chance now before Onix recovered. "Pikachu! Use Quick Attack to get to Onix as fast as you can and follow up with Iron Tail!" Ash shouted.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu shouted as it darted forward towards Onix. Once it reached Onix, it leaped high into the air as its tail started to glow white. Pikachu was going to make this one count, it then swung its tail around in a full spin and struck Onix with its Iron Tail right in middle section. Onix roared in pain as the impact knocked it backwards. It then collapsed onto the ground.

"Onix!" Brock cried.

Onix was struggling to get back up, but was unable to and then collapsed again. This time it didn't get back up.

Ash stared in shock for a moment. He had actually done it. He defeated Brock's Pokemon. He couldn't contain his excitement anymore.

"Alright!" Ash shouted as he pumped his fist into the air. He then ran towards Pikachu.

Pikachu gave Ash a tired smile before falling on the ground in exhaustion, but Ash caught it just in time.

"You were awesome, Pikachu! Thanks a lot, buddy!" Ash praised. Pikachu then gave a nod in Ash's arms and closed its eyes to rest.

"Ash!" Ash turned around at the voice and saw Serena running towards him with Misty following behind. She stopped in front of him. "You and your Pokemon were amazing! I knew you could do it!" Serena said happily.

"I must admit, Ash. You really pulled it off. That was a great victory," Misty said.

"Thanks!" Ash said. He then looked over and saw Brocks's siblings going over to comfort Brock. Brock gave them all a smile before returning his Onix to its pokeball and congratulating it for its hard work. He then began to walk towards Ash.

"You did a great job, Ash. You really surprised me. You overcame all odds with your type disadvantage and triumphed. You really do deserve this Boulder Badge," Brock said as he held out the badge.

"Thank you, Brock," Ash said as he took it. He looked over the badge. It was gray in color and circular but had several rough edges like a rock.

"Alright! I got the Boulder Badge!" Ash shouted happily.

"There is a confession I have to make, Ash. The truth is I don't really want to be a Gym Trainer. My love for Pokemon has instead led me to want to be a Pokemon breeder," Brock told Ash.

Ash, Serena, and Misty all remembered that Flint had told them the same thing.

"Unfortunately. I have to stay here and care for my siblings, and family comes first," Brock continued while gesturing to his siblings behind him. "Ash. You are a great trainer and really care for your Pokemon. If it's not too much trouble, would you help me fulfill my dream by any chance. If you come across anything beneficial to the well-being of a Pokemon, whether it be food, techniques, or anything, could you please let me know?"

"I will, Brock," Ash responded.

The group then heard the doors open, and everyone saw that it was Flint who entered.

"Flint? What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

The man didn't answer and instead went to Brock. He then took off the cap covering his eyes and fake beard to reveal a man who looked a lot like Brock, the only real difference was a slightly aged face and a few gray hairs.

"My father," Brock said with a hint of disdain in his voice as his siblings gasped in surprise. They didn't remember their father much like Brock did but could still tell it was him.

"What?! You're the good-for-nothing father who left?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"I am," Flint answered. He then turned to Brock. "Brock, you should go and follow your dream to be a Pokemon Breeder. I will stay here and care for my family and the gym like I should have been doing. I've been a terrible father so far, but I would like to try and make up for it the best way I can. I know saying sorry won't be enough so I need to do it through my actions."

"Wait a minute. If you are Brock's father, then why were you helping me?" Ash asked.

"I already told you. I sensed something special in you. If I helped you, I felt something good might happen, and it did. I realized the error of my ways and want to be a proper father to Brock and the rest of the family," Flint answered.

"Thank you," Brock said. Turning to Ash, he said, "Hey, Ash. As I've said before, you are a great trainer, and I admire the bond you have with your Pokemon. I think we can each learn a lot from each other. You wouldn't mind if I came with you on your journey, would you?"

"I don't mind at all, Brock. The more the merrier!" Ash said. "Is that okay with you guys?" he asked Serena and Misty. They both nodded.

"Thank you," Brock said gratefully.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, Brock. I won't let you or siblings down as a father anymore," Flint said.

"Before I go, there are some things I have to tell you," Brock said seriously.

Flint sighed. "I understand. I imagine there are many things you need to get off your chest. I'm ready."

"Here," Brock said as he handed him a pencil and a piece of paper.

"What are these for?" Flint asked in confusion before Brock went off a huge number of special needs each of his siblings had, ranging from allergies, to dislikes of foods, to bedtimes, to favorite stories.

Flint was frantically trying to keep up with writing everything down before finally saying in frustration, "Slow down! I can't write that fast!"

* * *

><p>Ash, Misty, Serena, and their new companion Brock were walking into the Pokemon Center in Pewter City. Before heading out, they decided to heal the Pokemon that were injured from the battle and also get a good check-up for the ones who weren't since this would be the last Pokemon Center until at least Mt. Moon, which was about three days away.<p>

While on the way to the Pokemon Center, they learned that Brock was quite the handyman when it came to chores. Brock had volunteered to do laundry and dishes for the whole group whenever necessary. Best of all, Brock had told them that he was a great cook as well. He had already brought plenty of cooking utensils and food, which he stuffed into a backpack. He even brought a map. Ash volunteered to carry any remaining in his own backpack. With Brock wanting to do permanent chore and dinner duty, traveling on the road would be much easier from now on.

However, despite all of Brock's good qualities, they were about to discover a major flaw in him now that they were at a Pokemon Center.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried in delight as he ran forward up to her.

"Oh hello, Brock. Are you here to heal your Pokemon after a gym battle?" Nurse Joy asked pleasantly.

"I am, but I came to see you as well. Perhaps we can get together for dinner later? You are the girl of my dreams!" Brock said in a goofy voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm busy for the rest of the day," Nurse Joy said while sweat dropping. Since Brock was a regular at this Pokemon Center, she was used to his advances by now.

Brock got a dejected look on his face and sulked while the group came up behind him to the desk. Needless to say, they were very surprised at Brock's behavior just now.

"Uh, Brock? Are you okay?" Serena asked a little uncertainly.

"No. I just got rejected by them most beautiful woman in the world," Brock sobbed.

The group gave a questioning look to Nurse Joy who mouthed the words "He's always like this," to them. She then gave a smile to let them know Brock would be fine and that there was no need to worry.

"Errrr, so anyway, we came here before we leave Pewter City so we can get our Pokemon healed and checked out real quick," Ash stated, still in a bit of shock from Brock's personality change.

"I'd be very happy to," Nurse Joy smiled as she took the group's pokeballs and Pikachu from Ash's arms and headed to the back room with Chansey.

"Nurse Joy…" Brock trailed sadly as he watched her go.

"Oh, get over yourself, Brock," Misty said in annoyance.

"I can't…" Brock trailed again in a dejected tone causing everyone to sweatdrop.

After a few minutes, Nurse Joy returned with set of pokeballs and a Weepinbell. Nurse Joy set the pokeballs and Weepinbell down and called out, "Paul, your Pokemon are healed and are ready to go."

The group turned to where she was looking and got a surprised look on their face. It was the purple-haired boy from earlier. Had he been there this whole time and even saw the scene with Brock?

The boy known as Paul walked up to Nurse Joy. He did not even spare the group a glance despite them staring at him. He gave no indication he even met them before.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Paul said and giving a bow before Nurse Joy returned to the back room.

Paul took his pokeballs and glared at his Weepinbell. "What's wrong with you? You couldn't even knock out a single of Brock's Pokemon, and the worst part is you were knocked out after only one attack. There's no excuse why you lost with your type advantage," he said rather harshly.

Paul's Weepinbell looked down shamefully before Paul sighed and continued, "I captured you in the wild because you seemed like a strong Pokemon, but you have yet to show me any real power since you haven't won a single match yet. You are going to have to battle a lot better if you want to stay with me."

The Weepinbell looked deeply hurt and was on the verge of tears before Ash stepped in. "Hold on a second. Don't be so hard on it. Weepinbell tried its best, didn't it? As its trainer, that should be good enough for you," he said.

Paul turned to Ash and glared. "I would appreciate it if you mind your own business," he said.

"All I'm saying is that Pokemon always try their best for their trainers. Scolding them like that after every loss doesn't do them any favors," Ash said with a hint of anger in his voice.

"That's all fine, but this Weepinbell has such low stats that it should be thankful that I'm training it in the first place," Paul scowled with disdain.

"What do you mean by low stats?" Serena asked.

"Seriously? Didn't you know that you can scan a Pokemon with your Pokedex after you capture it to learn what moves it knows as well as its stats? That's the only way to get the best type of Pokemon around. You capture a few types of the same Pokemon and scan their stats. Keep the best one and release the others. That's how I train," Paul said.

Ash grit his teeth. He couldn't believe this guy. "Well, you know what I say? Any Pokemon that you train can be strong! No matter what their stats are!" he said angrily.

Paul put his hands in his pockets and smirked.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked.

"You and your naïve way of training Pokemon. If you always capture the strongest type of Pokemon around, it saves a lot of headache later on if they are already strong enough," he said.

"That's terrible. You should be ashamed yourself!" Misty said angrily.

"How long have you been a trainer?" Paul asked Ash, completely ignoring Misty's comment.

"About eleven days," Ash responded.

"You should have at least captured four Pokemon by now. Why don't we have a Pokemon battle to figure out who's right?" Paul suggested.

"You're on!" Ash said with fire in his eyes, but it died down quickly. "But I, uh, only have three Pokemon right now instead of four."

"Are you kidding me? Forget the battle. I'm out of here," Paul said with contempt. He then returned his Weepinbell to its pokeball and walked out of the Pokemon Center, not even giving the group another glance.

The group was all watching him go with anger on their faces, but it was Ash who seemed affected the most. He was gritting his teeth, and his hands were shaking. Serena noticed this and realized that she had never seen him so angry before. Not even Gary Oak had ever made him this mad.

"Ash," she said as she put a hand on his shoulder.

Ash turned to look at her. "I'll be fine, Serena. I just can't believe someone actually trains Pokemon that way. It's horrible and not fair to the Pokemon. You saw the way he treated that Weepinbell. I really feel sorry for it," he said.

"He was like that when I battled him earlier, also. When I knocked out Weepinbell with Geodude, he just returned it and called it useless before sending out his next Pokemon. There is no doubt he is a strong trainer, but I almost didn't want to give him the Boulder Badge," Brock said. He seemed to have recovered from the Nurse Joy incident.

"It's wrong," Ash said again before the group heard Nurse Joy's voice behind them.

"Here are your Pokemon, everyone. All of your Pokemon are in tip top shape," she said warmly.

Pikachu smiled and hopped on Ash's shoulder. Ash smiled back and scratched it behind the ears

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash, Serena, and Misty responded, ignoring Brock who seemed to get a goofy look on his face again.

"So are we heading to Mt. Moon from here?" Serena asked once they put away their pokeballs.

"I'm ready to go if you a guys are," Misty said.

"Me, too," Brock added

"Hold on. There is something I have to do first," Ash said while stopping them.

He then set Pikachu down on the ground and released his two other Pokemon, Butterfree and Pidgeotto, from their pokeballs.

Ash knelt down and gave them a serious expression. "I just wanted to let you guys know that I really appreciate all of the hard work you do. Every one of you is an amazing Pokemon as well as friends to me, and I couldn't ask for anyone other than you guys. Just know, that no matter what happens, I'll always be on your side. I just wanted all of you to know that," he said.

Serena, Misty, and Brock watched the scene with a smile on their face. Ash had an incredible bond with his Pokemon. Following his example, Serena let out Nidoran and her Charla before kneeling down and expressing to them how thankful she was for their help as well.

Ash and Serena's Pokemon nodded but also had a questioning look on their face. They knew their trainers appreciated them and were thankful for their words. However, they also wondered what could have made them decide to say it now of all times. If only they knew what their trainers had just witnessed.

* * *

><p><strong>Paul has now just had his official introduction to the story. As expected, Ash and Paul's first meeting wasn't exactly friendly. I believed it would be good to introduce Paul this early as it was he and Gary Oak that brought out the most in Ash. Paul will be showing up at other times in Ash's journey. For those of you that were disappointed they didn't battle yet, don't worry. Ash and Paul will have their first battle next time they meet. Ash will also be having a battle with Gary when they meet next. A lot of rivalry battles will be coming which reinforces why I need to know how my writing is when it comes to battles. <strong>

**On another note, Serena will be catching another Pokemon next chapter. I think it will be rather humorous but I don't want to spoil it. As a result, I will not reveal the next chapter's title like I usually do this time. Just know that Chapter 11 will be up next Tuesday so you won't need to wait long. I will see you all then!  
><strong>

**One more thing, I want you all to know I am very happy to answer any of your questions about my story. Just please make sure you read any previous chapters and their questions before asking your own. I have had many of the same questions asked more than once when I have already answered them before. Thank you.  
><strong>

**Answering the questions:  
><strong>

_Will you include the fillers if they help with character development?_

**_Yes, but don't count on there being a whole lot. This fic will have between forty and fifty chapters. While that may seem like a lot, you also have to include all of the gym battle, battle chateau, Pokemon league, chapters where Pokemon are caught, and the Team Rocket chapters as well as the movie chapters if I don't include them separately. I mean, Kanto arc is almost a fifth done already chapter wise so there is only so much room for fillers which is why I wanted to end at "Challenge of the Samurai". I know for a fact that there will be one more filler episode that will happen _****_sometime between Ash's fifth and sixth gym battle. It was a filler in the anime, but I believe it has the potential to be important to this story so I will_**_ **include**_**_ it.  
><em>**

_Do you think Ash will gain an Aerodactyl at some point?_

**_(Grins). You will know soon enough._**

_Well...considering Ash and Serena's relation, Serena can catch a female pichu which then evolves into Pikachu. Hence it can show the love life of both Ash and Serena's pichachu and also of theirs._

**An interesting idea which might happen later in the series but not in Kanto. I kind of want to keep a limit on the Pikachu in this story to one which is Ash's.**

_I think you should bring in Croagunk in as soon as you can. I found it funny. I just ask you make Croagunk female so it makes sense why Croagunk knocks Brock out._

**_As said before, I like Croagunk as well. I don't know if it will appear yet or not because it goes back to whether Brock will be in Sinnoh or not. Also, if he isn't, I will have to introduce Croagunk earlier than in canon. I still don't know if Unova or Kalos Pokemon will be in this story. Any mega evolutions will be in this story but not until Sinnoh._**

_Have you decided on the Charicific Vally since you apparently have some sub-plots planned for Ash and Serena's Charmanders?_

**_The Charicific Valley will make an appearance in some way, shape, or form in Johto. If Ash and Serena leave their Pokemon there, it won't be permanent and they will come back._**

_Will any of Ash's other rivals make early appearances as well?_

**_I plan on having one more rival make an early appearance in Kanto, but it won't be until a long while from now. _**

_Will Misty be trying to get Ash and Serena together as a couple because in the anime she has played matchmaker before?_

**_She might throw subtle hints and there and will certainly support the two as a couple. If anything it will be Misty helping Serena and Brock helping Ash._**

_Can we expect to see Cassidy and Butch in this story?_

**_Definitely._**

_Will Misty keep pulling Brock off by the ear every time he tries to flirt with a pretty girl? _

**_Lol yes._**

_Can we expect Misty to still catch everyone's favorite (in anime Misty's case, undecided) Psyduck?_

_**Oh yeah!**_

_Will training scenes still be in this story?_

**_The major training scenes will be in this story but not the smaller ones as I can't find a way to make them interesting._**

_Are you planning to implement more game mechanics and storylines here, such as the Rocket Saffron takeover, or would it be a stretch to do so when merging with the original anime storyline?_

**_There will be some game storylines here. The Silph Co take over will be in here. Lavender Town will be a bit of hard segment to write as it will be a combination of the anime and games. (I will make it work and Ash will still get the canon Haunter). There will be no Celedon City Game Corner. There will be (very few) hints of the manga segments here._**

_Will ash and serena get any fossil pokemon?_

**_Yes._**

_Is Ash going to evolve his Pikachu?_

**_Noooooooooooooooooooooo_**

_Any idea what types Ash and Serena will get?_

**_Do you mean types of Pokemon? If so then yes._**

_Are you going to have Misty do more actual training with Horsea than she did in the anime? And is she still getting Togepi, or will Serena get it?_

**_I'm doing my best right now to have Horsea be a bigger part of Misty's team but no gaurantees. To be completely honest, I'm close to writing it out of the story completely as I can't find a way to have it be interesting or find a way to make it join Misty's team (the Tentacool and Tentacruel segment won't be in this story because it's filler). "IF" Horsea does not appear in this story, I still plan on having Misty catch a few more Pokemon than in canon to make up for it. As for Togepi, it will not be Misty who gets it. That's all I will say._**


	11. The Song of Jigglypuff

**A/N: Hey everyone and happy late Easter to you all! If the title chapter isn't obvious enough, the next Pokemon slated to be on Serena's team is Jigglypuff (yes it's the canon one). I'm introducing it early in this story because the area between Pewter City and Mt Moon is where you can find a Jigglypuff in the games. It makes more sense to place it here than on the outskirts of the Pokemon world equivalent of Las Vegas like in the anime.**

**Oh, and thank you for all of the fine comments about how I wrote battle! Thank you for all the reviews, likes, and follows! You guys are awesome!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: No tengo Pokemon (I do not own Pokemon)**

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><p>Chapter 11: The Song of JigglyPuff<p>

It had been about two days since the group had left Pewter City and had their encounter with Paul. Ash had been quite upset the rest of the day but had made sure to not take it out on his friends. He had had a couple of days to cool down now and was back to his normal self. Currently, he was devouring his second bowl of the soup Brock had made for lunch. As Brock had told them, he was quite the cook. With all of the great food and chores that Brock had willingly done so far, Ash, Serena, and Misty wondered how they had survived the first week on their journey without him. He was certainly a welcome member to the team. Ash, Serena, and Misty were quite curious about the Nurse Joy incident for a while, but they had put it behind them by now.

The humans in the group weren't the only ones who were enjoying great food at the moment. Their Pokemon were as well. Due to Brock's knowledge on a Pokemon's tastes, he was able to make special Pokemon food for each of their own Pokemon. Being homemade, it was a much higher quality than what was found at the Pokemart. Brock had even made Pikachu some ketchup-flavored Pokemon food. This made Pikachu quickly warm up to Brock.

"Man, this food is great! You've done it again, Brock!" Ash praised as he finished his second bowl of soup. Serena and Misty nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, Ash. There is still some more if you want another helping. I'm pretty full now," Brock said.

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed as he went over to refill his bowl from the big pot over the fire.

Admittedly, Ash didn't have the best table manners, but Serena, Misty, and Brock had gotten over it by now. At least Ash made sure there were never any leftovers so they didn't have to waste food.

Once Ash was back to the table and eating his third helping, Brock decided to take out the map and spread it on the table in the middle of the group. "Alright, according to this map, Mt. Moon isn't too far from here. We should be there by tomorrow afternoon," Brock told them.

As the group looked, they could sure enough see a large mountain in the distance.

"Isn't Mt. Moon supposed to have some mysterious Pokemon in it? I also remember that scientist guy at the museum saying there were Pokemon fossils in there," Serena stated.

"It has both," Brock nodded to confirm Serena's question. "It is also said to house the legendary Moonstone which is said to have mysterious powers."

"What kind of mysterious powers?" Ash asked as he took another spoonful of soup.

"Some Pokemon are said to respond to the power of the Moonstone once they come in contact with it and evolve, like the Nidoran family or a Jigglypuff," Brock answered.

"Wow, it sure would be neat to see the Moonstone," Ash said.

"Don't forget, Ash. It isn't like the Moonstone is everywhere. It's probably hidden deep in Mt. Moon and carefully protected by the Pokemon there. The few people that do manage to get a small piece of the Moonstone charge a lot of money for it," Misty told him.

"I know, but why is it so important that the Moonstone be protected?" Ash asked curiously.

Before the rest of the group was able to come up with a decent answer, they heard a rustling inside of the bushes.

The group stared at the bush until a Jigglypuff walked out. Jigglypuff was a small, pink, round Pokemon with very large, adorable eyes and short arms and feet sticking out from it. It also had a small, curly tuff on top of it. In short, it looked like a puffball with a face. It must have been attracted by the smell of Brock's cooking. Unfortunately, there wasn't any left for it.

"Jigglypuff!" it said in a high-pitched voice.

"Oh! A Jigglypuff! It's so cute!" Misty squealed while blushing.

"It sure is!" Serena said happily while she took out her pokedex to scan it.

"Jigglypuff, the balloon Pokemon. It captivates foes with its huge, round eyes and then lulls them to sleep by singing a soothing melody," the pokedex said.

"I'm going to capture it!" Misty said as she took out an empty pokeball.

"Hey. What happened to you only having water-type Pokemon?" Ash asked

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to capture an adorable Pokemon like Jigglypuff," Misty said while giving Ash a glare.

"Whatever," Ash mumbled.

"Go, Staryu! Use Tackle!" Misty shouted.

Staryu and the rest of the Pokemon were still out of their pokeballs, so it flew forward from behind Misty and launched itself into a spin and rammed into Jigglypuff.

Jigglypuff yelped in pain when the attack collided, and it was knocked backwards. The group was expecting a counterattack, but it did something completely different. It began to cry.

The group of humans and even their Pokemon stared in confusion for a moment at the strange behavior before Brock finally said, "I don't think this Jigglypuff really wants to fight right now."

Serena then walked over to Jigglypuff and knelt down. "We're sorry, Jigglypuff. We didn't mean to upset you," she said.

Jigglypuff wiped its tears and hopped into Serena's lap.

"You're so cute," Serena said as she rubbed it on top of its head.

Misty came over next and sat down next to Serena. "I'm sorry, too, Jigglypuff. I shouldn't have attacked you like that if you didn't want to fight," she said sorrowfully.

Jigglypuff looked at Misty for a moment before nodding its head and replying, "Jigglypuff!"

"I know what will make you feel better. Why don't you sing for us? Jigglypuff are supposed to have beautiful voices," Serena suggested.

Jigglypuff then got out of Serena's lap and looked at the ground in embarrassment.

"Aw, what's wrong? You don't want to sing for us?" Serena asked

"Jigglypuuuuuff," it said as it shuffled its feet on the ground.

"Are you just shy, Jigglypuff?" Misty asked next.

Jigglypuff finally looked up at the group and made a slight coughing noise and then shook its head.

"I think Jigglypuff is saying that it can't sing," Brock suggested as he and Ash walked over to them.

"That's silly. Whoever heard of a Jigglypuff that can't sing?" Misty said carelessly and immediately put her hands over her mouth.

Sure enough, when Jigglypuff heard that, it began to cry again.

"Way to go, Misty," Ash muttered.

Misty glared at Ash and looked at Jigglypuff again. "I'm sorry again, Jigglypuff. That wasn't very nice of me to say," she said to it.

Jigglypuff immediately stopped crying and jumped into Misty's lap to hug her.

"I still think it's cute, but who wants a Jigglypuff that can't sing?" Misty muttered to herself before she realized her mistake again.

Just like that, Jigglypuff immediately began to cry once more.

Serena then had an idea. "I'm sure you know how to sing Jigglypuff. Maybe you just haven't done it in a while. Why don't we help you learn how to sing again?" she suggested.

"Jigglypuff!" it squealed happily as it jumped out of Misty's lap and ran to Serena to hug her.

The group had now returned all of their Pokemon except for Pikachu and had packed up their supplies before making a makeshift stage for Jigglypuff. It consisted of a few large, flat rocks for the stage and a couple of flashlights leaned against the rocks to imitate the lights. They were hard to see because it was daytime, but it was the best the group could do at the moment.

"Okay. Listen to the notes I sing, Jigglypuff," Serena said as she took a deep breath. She hadn't sang in a while and hoped she didn't embarrass herself.

"Doe, Ree, Moo, Fa, So," Serena sang softly with her eyes closed. She then opened them and smiled at Jigglypuff. "See how I control my voice and breathing as I sing the notes?"

"You have a very pretty voice, Serena," Ash praised after she finished.

Serena turned to Ash and smiled. She was just singing a few short notes right now to help Jigglypuff but was still very pleased that Ash liked it. "Thank you, Ash. Maybe I should sing for you sometime," she said as she gave him a wink.

"Heh heh. That would be great," Ash said while scratching his cheek.

Brock looked back and forth between the two and smiled to himself. He also recalled how Ash and Serena acted around each other at his gym. "I wonder," he thought.

"Puuuuuufff!" Jigglypuff said in annoyance to draw the group's attention back to it.

"Oh. I'm sorry! Let me show you again!" Serena said in embarrassment as she went over the notes again. "Now you try."

Jigglypuff then opened its mouth and tried to sing, but all that came out seemed to be a gagging sound of some sort. It then bowed its head in shame.

"Piii-kaaaa-chuuuu," Pikachu sang. It wanted to attempt to sing also since everyone else was.

"Hey. That's pretty good, Pikachu," Ash said while giving it a smile.

"Pikachu," it said as it rubbed the back of its neck.

"Hey. You're hurting Jigglypuff's feelings," Misty scolded Ash when she saw Jigglypuff narrow its eyes.

Jigglypuff then went over to Pikachu and gave it swift kick in the behind before darting back to the stage.

"Chuuu," Pikachu moaned as it rubbed its bottom. It then prepared to shock Jigglypuff, but Ash quickly grabbed it before it let loose its electricity. Instead, Ash was shocked.

Once Ash recovered about a minute later, the group continued to think as to what they could do about Jigglypuff's situation. The problem clearly wasn't that Jigglypuff just simply had a bad voice. It seemed to go a little deeper than that, like its throat was sore or something.

"Hmmm, I think I got it," Brock suddenly spoke up, causing the group to turn to him. "There is actually a fruit that grows around this area that has special healing powers."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked

"The juices that are in these fruits have the power to heal one's throat if it's sore or tired. If Jigglypuff eats one, it might be able to sing," Brock answered.

"So let's go find one," Serena said enthusiastically as she picked up Jigglypuff to walk down the path. The rest of the group followed.

"Ah! Here's one!" Brock stated as he went up to a tree that had several of the fruits growing on it. He then reached out and plucked one from one of the trees and held it in front of Jigglypuff.

"Go ahead, Jigglypuff. Take a bite," Serena encouraged gently as Jigglypuff reached out with its small arms to take the fruit from Brock. It then bit into the fruit and began to chew.

"Jigglypuff!" it exclaimed happily as it swallowed. It clearly liked the taste. It then quickly ate the rest the fruit.

Serena then set Jigglypuff on the ground as the group waited expectantly.

Jigglypuff then took a deep breath and tested its voice. "Jiiiiigaly Puuuuffff, Jiggalyyyyyyyy Puuuuuffff," it sang. Its voice sounded top notch now.

"That was great! Way to go!" Serena praised as she and the rest of the group cheered.

Jigglypuff then looked at Pikachu a short distance away who was cheering for it also. Despite this, Jigglypuff still wanted a little payback. It also wanted to rub it in Pikachu's face that it could sing now. Jigglypuff went over to Pikachu and delivered another kick in the behind before running over to hide behind Serena.

The group sighed at Jigglypuff's antics while Pikachu glared at Jigglypuff. It wasn't going to try to shock it again after what happened last time. Jigglypuff was also hiding behind Serena so Pikachu supposed Jigglypuff would just get away with it…for now.

"Why don't you go ahead and sing for us, Jigglypuff?" Serena suggested while everyone gathered around it.

Jigglypuff nodded its head, closed its eyes, and began to sing. Its voice sounded absolutely beautiful. The group smiled as they heard the song. Everyone was right. Jigglypuff really do have excellent voices. Ash, Serena, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu felt their eyes getting droopy. They thought the song sounded so peaceful, so relaxing, so….

_Thud!_

Everyone listening to Jigglypuff hit the ground and fell asleep. Despite the seemingly painful landing, the group stayed asleep through the rest of Jigglypuff's song.

Hearing the sound, Jigglypuff abruptly quit singing and opened its eyes. To its great shock and anger, everyone was asleep. Jigglypuff certainly didn't think it was a boring singer. It thought that was a really inconsiderate thing to do! It went over and began to shake everyone in an attempt to wake them up. It was no good. Everyone was still asleep. Jigglypuff wasn't going to take this. It went over to one of their backpacks and found a marker inside. It would show them!

Ash groggily opened his eyes and gave a yawn. "Ahhhh, that was a good nap," he said to himself. He heard stirring beside and turned towards the others in the group. They all had their faces turned away from him as they slowly sat up and also gave a yawn and stretch.

"Did you guys have a good nap also?" Ash asked them.

"Mm hmm," Serena nodded sleepily before she and everyone else turned to Ash.

Ash then let out a loud gasp. Oddly enough, everyone else did as well. "What happened to your face?!" they all yelled in surprise.

"What do you mean?!" they all asked again at the same time. It was then the group realized that all of their faces had something wrong with them. They all had silly little marker doodles drawn on them, and it looked terrible.

The humans and Pikachu quickly wiped their faces free of the marker drawings and looked around for the culprit. They then spotted Jigglypuff a short distance away giving them all a glare.

"Did you do this to us, Jigglypuff?" Misty asked it.

"Puff!" it responded with a curt nod.

"Why did you that to us?" Misty asked again.

"Puff!" Jigglypuff puffed itself up and gave an even more intense glare as if asking, "Do you seriously not know?!"

"It must be because we fell asleep while it was singing," Serena realized. "I wouldn't be happy either if someone fell asleep while I was performing for them."

"We're sorry we fell asleep, Jigglypuff," Misty said apologetically. "Do you forgive us?"

Jigglypuff seemed to think for a moment before it softened its glare and nodded its head.

"I have an idea," said Brock. "Why don't we let it try to sing to our Pokemon? Surely one of them will stay awake."

"That's a good idea," the rest agreed.

A few minutes later, the group had all of their Pokemon out in front of Jigglypuff as it began to sing to them. Ash, Brock, Serena, Misty, and Pikachu had gone behind a tree in case the fell asleep again.

Once Jigglypuff had finished, it saw that every single one of their Pokemon had fallen asleep as well. Falling asleep once was one thing, but twice was inexcusable, it was very upset now.

A few minutes later, the group came out from behind the tree and sighed when they saw that all of their Pokemon had fallen asleep and had marker doodles all over their faces. They quickly wiped off the drawings from their Pokemon's faces and returned them to their pokeballs. There was no need to wake them and let them know Jigglypuff had messed with them.

They then turned back to Jigglypuff and saw it had puffed itself up again and looked even angrier than the last time. There had to be a way to fix this problem.

"What do you guys think it is abut Jigglypuff's song that is making us fall asleep all of the time?" Ash asked the rest of them.

"My guess is that Jigglypuff have special powers in their voices," Brock suggested. "Despite their beautiful voices, Jigglypuff are never used to perform in concerts as singers because their song always seems to make people sleep. It is supposed to be used as a defensive measure rather than entertainment."

So the only song Jigglypuff are able to sing is a lullaby?" Serena asked.

"Yes and no. I don't believe it's the song itself that is making us fall asleep, but the Pokemon it's coming from," Brock said with his arms crossed.

"So no matter what Jigglypuff sings to us, we will fall asleep no matter what?" Ash guessed.

"Pretty much," Brock confirmed.

Upon hearing this, Jigglypuff's eyes began to tear up, and it looked like it was about to cry again.

"What if it wasn't actually Jigglypuff singing the song to us?" Serena asked.

"What do you mean, Serena?" Ash wondered.

"We fall asleep because of the special powers that come from Jigglypuff. What if we listened to a recording of the song rather than Jigglypuff itself? Maybe we could stay awake like that," Serena suggested.

"I get what you're saying!" said Brock. "We can have Jigglypuff sing into the recorder and listen to the recording once it's done. Since it's just the voice rather than Jigglypuff, we might stay awake. It's definitely worth a shot."

Serena then turned to Jigglypuff. "Jigglypuff, will you please give us one more chance to listen to your song?" she asked, then thought, "_If only so we don't get our faces drawn on again_."

Jigglypuff seemed to think for moment before it sighed and agreed.

"Hold on. Do we even have a tape recorder with us?" Misty suddenly asked.

"I have one," Ash spoke up. "It was actually one of the million things my mom packed for me before I started my journey, though I have no idea why."

"Sounds good! Let's try it!" Serena said.

A couple of minutes later, the group had a tape recorder ready, and Serena placed it in front of Jigglypuff.

"Jigglypuff, when I press the record button, I want you to start singing. Once you are done, I need you to press the end button which is this one right here in case we are asleep," Serena instructed while she gestured to each of the buttons.

Jiggypuff then nodded to signify that it was ready.

"Okay, Jigglypuff. Make this your best song yet," Serena said as she pushed the record button.

Jigglypuff then began to sing. The melody was just as beautiful as it had been the first couple of times. Also, just like the last time the group was starting to feel sleepy. They made sure to sit down and listen this time instead of stand up so they wouldn't just fall over again. They finally became so drowsy from the song, they couldn't take it anymore and fell asleep once more.

Once Jigglypuff was done, it saw that the group had fallen asleep again much to its disappointment and sadness. It got over the urge to draw on their faces again and pressed the end button on the recorder as Serena had told it to. It really hoped they could at least stay awake through the recording, or Jigglypuff didn't know what it would do.

The group woke up once again a few minutes later and immediately looked at each other to make sure Jigglypuff hadn't drawn on them again. They sighed with relief seeing how that wasn't the case this time.

Jigglypuff was surprisingly waiting patiently by the tape recorder for the group to wake up. It didn't look angry this time. If anything, Jigglypuff looked nervous.

Everyone then walked up to Jigglypuff and the tape recorder and knelt beside it.

"So, are you guys ready?" Serena asked. Everyone nodded in response. She then took a deep breath and pushed the play button. They were all hoping this would work just as much as Jigglypuff did.

The group then began to hear Jigglypuff's voice over the recorder. Despite the recorder being slightly aged, it still did an excellent job at the audio. It sounded as if they were really listening to Jigglypuff's song. Everyone was waiting anxiously to see if they were going to get sleepy. So far, so good.

The recording continued to play, and no one was getting sleepy yet. Jigglypuff closed its own eyes at the tension. It really didn't want to see anyone fall asleep again. The recording finally ended after a few minutes. Not hearing anything, Jigglypuff feared the worst. It slowly opened one eye and saw that Pikachu was still awake. Filled with hope, Jigglypuff opened its eyes fully now and saw everyone was still awake.

Everyone then broke out into applause. "Bravo! Bravo, Jigglypuff!" they all cheered.

Jigglypuff was extremely happy. It took a few bows in front of everyone. It certainly looked pleased. A recording may not have been as good as the real thing, but as long as it was its voice and everyone stayed awake, that was good enough for Jigglypuff.

The group had already packed up their things. It was only about an hour until sunset and the group still wanted to get a little more traveling done today so they could still be at Mt. Moon by tomorrow.

"Well, Jigglypuff. I guess this is where we all part ways. I wish you luck with your singing," Serena said with a smile as she reached down to rub it on the head again.

"Jiggly?" it said while tilting to side and giving Serena a questioning look.

"You will be just fine now, Jigglypuff. Good luck with everything," Misty said.

"Goodbye, Jigglypuff," Ash and Brock said.

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu waved while on top of Ash's right shoulder.

With that, the group turned around and continued on their way, but they heard footsteps behind them. They turned around and saw that Jigglypuff was following them.

"What's the matter, Jigglypuff?" Serena asked as she went over to it.

"Puff! Puff!" it said in a sad tone.

"You don't want us to leave?" Serena asked, receiving a nod from the Pokemon.

"You know, Jigglypuff, we all get along well and like each other. Why don't you come with us?" Brock suggested.

"Jigglypuff!" it said happily.

"Now we can listen to your performances anytime you want us to," Serena smiled, which caused Jigglypuff to become even happier.

"That's great, but who can be Jigglypuff's trainer?" Ash asked. They each pondered over the answer, but didn't need to for long as Jigglypuff made the decision for them.

Jigglypuff leaped at Serena and gave her a hug.

"Oh! You want me to be your trainer, Jigglypuff?" Serena asked. Jigglypuff nodded enthusiastically.

"It only makes sense, Serena. You were the one that helped Jigglypuff and talked to it the most out of all of us," Ash told her.

"In that case, I would be very happy to be your trainer, Jigglypuff," Serena said happily.

"Oh, I wish I could have trained it," Misty sulked slightly.

Jigglypuff then looked up at Serena and smiled, but it was soon replaced with a mischievous look.

Serena smiled back somewhat slyly as well. "Oh, I see. You want to battle now, don't you?" she asked.

Jigglypuff nodded and jumped out of Serena's arms and ran the opposite direction until it thought it was a suitable distance away from Serena.

"You're on!" Serena said. She then thought about which Pokemon she should use. Charla no doubt had battled before so it would have the advantage, but she also figured that she hasn't really battled with Nidoran yet, and it could use the practice.

"I choose you, Nidoran!" Serena said as she threw her pokeball and released it.

Nidoran then ran in front of Serena and stood a short distance away from Jigglypuff.

"Alright, Nidoran! Lets do this! Use Fury Swipes!" Serena called.

Nidoran ran forward ready to swipe at Jigglypuff with its sharp claws, but Jigglypuff was ready and jumped up into the air and began to float out of reach of Nidoran.

Jigglypuff then decided it was time for a counter attack. It floated down at a much faster speed than one would think and struck Nidoran with one of its short arms. It had used a Pound attack. Not giving Nidoran a chance to retaliate, it began to mercilessly slap it continuously, a Double Slap attack.

"It's okay. Try to shake it off, Nidoran!" Serena said once Jigglypuff finished its attacks.

Nidoran shook itself slightly and went to attack Jigglypuff, but it was already floating in the air again.

"Since we can't reach it right now, let's use a long-range attack, Nidoran. Use Poison Sting!" Serena commanded.

Nidoran then shot a barrage of glowing needles from the small horn on its head, but once again, Jigglypuff dodged them due to its quicker than expected speed in the air.

"Jigglypuff definitely has the advantage in the air. I need to find a place for Nidoran to take cover behind so Jigglypuff won't see it," Serena thought. She then noticed off to the side that there were a few trees to the side of the field they were in.

"Take cover behind those trees Nidoran, and constantly change your position so Jigglypuff can't find you!" Serena called.

Once Nidoran had run into the small group of trees, Jigglypuff was unable to see Nidoran anymore. Even though it was in the air, the branches of the trees made it difficult to see. The balloon Pokemon had no choice but to deflate itself and search for Nidoran on foot.

"It followed Nidoran into the small set of trees and began to search, but it didn't see Nidoran sneaking up on it from behind. Then when Nidoran got close enough….

"Quick Nidoran! Poison Sting!" Serena called.

Nidoran then sprang forward and shot the glowing needles right into Jigglypuff's backside, causing it cry out in pain.

"Use your Fury Swipes before it can recover!" Serena continued.

Nidoran then began swipe continuously at Jigglypuff with its claws, but Jigglypuff pushed through the Fury Swipes and struck Nidoran with another Pound which sent it flying into the air.

Serena saw that Nidoran twisted itself into an upright position in midair and knew it was ready for another command. "Alright, Nidoran! Poison Sting!" she called.

Nidoran then launched its needles at Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff was too slow to dodge the attack on the ground, and thus, was struck by the attack. It then fell over onto the ground on its back and Serena saw her chance.

"That was great Nidoran! Pokeball, go!" she cried as she threw the pokeball forward.

The pokeball sailed forward and hit Jigglypuff dead-on. Jigglypuff was sucked into the pokeball, and then it fell to the ground and began to shake. The ball finally stopped and dinged, signifying Jigglypuff had been successfully captured.

Serena then ran over to the pokeball to pick it up and held it out in front of her. "Alright! I caught a Jigglypuff!" she exclaimed. She then pet Nidoran for a job well done and returned it to her pokeball.

"That was great, Serena! We now have three Pokemon each. Once we get some training in, you will be in great shape for the Battle Chateau in Cerulean City," Ash told her.

"Yep! Mt. Moon is supposed to have some interesting Pokemon in there, too! I can't wait to see them! I bet we will get some experience there as well!" Serena agreed.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go to Mt. Moon!" Ash said enthusiastically as he took off running with Pikachu and Serena not too far behind him.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Brock and Misty called out as they tried to keep up.

Both Ash and Serena were greatly encouraged by their careers as Pokemon trainers by now. Ash had caught two other Pokemon since he started his journey as well as gotten his first badge. Serena had also caught to Pokemon and felt like she was a much better battler by thinking up strategies. She had been unable to participate in a Battle Chateau challenge since Viridian City, but she knew she would get her chance soon. It was definitely looking like a bright future for the two. They were both eager to get to Mt. Moon as soon as possible to see the mysterious things there. If only they knew that things weren't quite peaceful at the mountain right now…

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><p><strong>Now that Jigglypuff is a part of Serena's team, how will it do in battle? Will it even obey Serena or will she have a really hard time with it? These questions will all be answered in future chapters.<br>**

**I have a question for all of you. I would put it in a poll but I'm not ready to close the current one yet, but this question needs to be asked now. We are getting near the arc where Ash will catch Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Charmander is definitely going to evolve into Charizard at some point, but what about Bulbasaur and Squirtle? Do you want them to evolve in this series or stay the same like in the anime? Let me know via PM or review.**

**Thanks for all of the reviews and see you next Tuesday!**

**Chapter 12: Prepare for Trouble at Mt. Moon.  
><strong>

**Answering the questions:**

_Will Paul eventually become a friend like he did in the anime?_

**_Not in Kanto he won't._**

_Is it safe to assume that we will be seeing Paul in Cerulean since that would be the closest gym to Pewter with Misty battling Paul._

**_Paul will appear again in Vermillion City but not Cerulean City. I plan on having at least one or two rivals per city that the group visits whether it be Leaf, Gary, Paul, or the other one I will introduce early (won't reveal who yet) _**

_Will there be a subplot similar to Ash, Paul, and Chimchar in this arc?_

_**I originally thought of doing that, but ultimately decided against it to avoid repetition. Ash will still get Chimchar the same way in Sinnoh, though.  
><strong>_

_Will we see a battle between Paul and Gary? This would be epic since both are great trainers._

**_Yes. There will be a battle between these two sometime before the Kanto arc ends. It is still a long ways off, though._**

_Also if I may make a suggestion it might not be a bad idea to implement the idea of Ash's father into the story._

**_Ash's father (already know who it is) will be somewhere in this series. It isn't for certain where as I haven't fully outlined that part yet. Just know he won't appear in the Kanto arc._**

_Can you have some more Ash x Serena moments? Also would like a scene where Serena's jealous :)_

**_Cerulean City Battle Chateau Chapter will have a lot of shippy moments (you will get to see jealousy there). Then there will be a slight dry spell with only minor hints where Ash catches Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle. It will pick back up after Vermillion City. Believe me, I know including Ash x Serena moments are important, but it is still a while before they actually start dating. I have in my head when they will become an actual couple. Just give it some time as this is still the beginning of the story and series as a whole. There will be more frequent hints as the story goes on and their relationship grows stronger.  
><em>**

_If u need a place for Brock to get croagunk early...why not the SS Anne? Ash got a raticate there after all._

_**SS Anne is way too early to include any Pokemon from other regions for me, especially Sinnoh.  
><strong>_

_Will Paul appear throughout the other regions such as Johto and Hoenn or will he disappear until the Sinnoh arc. Also will Paul eventually show some sign of respect to Ash in Kanto like he did in Sinnoh or will you save that for Sinnoh?_

**_After Kanto, Paul will not appear again until Sinnoh. I will save Paul's respect for Ash until Sinnoh._**

_Will Misty get a Squirtle for an water pokemon? Will Serena get a Seel as well an water type pokemon? Will Ash get a water type pokemon and what is it?_

**_No Misty won't get a Squirtle. No I don't plan for Serena to get a Seel at this moment. Yes Ash will get two water Pokemon: Squirtle and Krabby from_ canon._ I don't plan on having Ash catch that much more Pokemon than in canon so those two water Pokemon are enough for his team._**

_Will Serena get Togepi?_

**_I will not reveal who will get Togepi._**

_Are Ash and his friends going to encounter one of the Kanto Battle Frontier facilities early on while traveling Kanto for the first time? It's only considering that Paul is the way he is because his brother gave up on completing the Battle Frontier after losing against Brandon._

**_Paul's backstory will be briefly touched upon in Kanto, but Pyramid King Brandon won't appear until the Battle Frontier because his battle location is supposed to always be a secret. Most of Paul's story will still unravel in Sinnoh._**

_Will people still get Biff's.. er Butch's name wrong followed by Botch getting angry every time that happens?_

**_Yes that running gag will be in this story._**

_Can we expect Psyduck to be the same Comedic duck we remember from the good old days along with it's hidden potential when it gets a you know what?_

**_Definitely._**

_Is Weepingbell the Chimchar of Pauls team and if so when will he dump it?_

**The Weepinbell's fate will be revealed when Ash sees Paul again in Vermillion City.**

_Will our heroes see Brock go gaga for Officer Jenny anytime soon?_

**_They will before long._**

_Will Haunter become a permanent member of Ash's team? Also can we expect a rewrite of the Anime episode 'The Misty Mermaid'?_

**_Yes. Haunter will be a permanent member of Ash's team. No, there will not be a rewrite of "The Misty Mermaid"._**

_Can we expect to see a rival for Serena concerning Ash's affection? it could help a lot with Serena's development as a character._

**_There will be no OCs in this story for that role. If I can find someone in the anime who can believably do that role, I will include a recurring rival of love for her._**

_Will the order of Gyms Ash challenges follow the anime or the games?_

_**It will be closer to the games. The order in the story will be: Pewter, Cerulean, Vermillion, Celedon, Saffron, Lavender Town, Fuschia, Cinnabar, Viridian**_

_If you're introducing Mega Evolutions during the Sinnoh arc, does that mean you'll have Ash's Charizard be able to Mega Evolve into Mega Charizard X, and Serena's Charizard (when Charla does evolve) into Mega Charizard Y?_

**_This question is answered at the end of chapter 5. Look there._**

_Please do your own rewrite of the Unova saga along with the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh._

_**I will be doing Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Battle Frontier and Sinnoh. I will not do Unova and Kalos as my brain might explode. I also would like to finish this series at some point in case another story idea pops into my head. Doing Unova and Kalos will be too much for me.**_

_How long will Ash's Charizard be disobedient towards Ash until he re-earns Charizard's respect?_

**_Charizard will not be flat out disobedient to Ash like in the anime. However, Ash will still have to realize that controlling Charizard won't be as easy as Charmander._**

_And if/when Serena's Charmander evolve, will Serena have similar problems?_

**_The same goes for Serena and Charla as Ash and Charizard._**

_Maybe Ash can catch a male Nidoran at the Safari Zone, and only 1 Tauros instead of 30?_

**_We'll see about the Nidoran. Ash will only catch one Taurous in the Safari Zone. Thirty was a little ridiculous in the anime since they are almost impossible to catch in the games. (You have no idea how many safari balls I wasted on those guys trying to catch them)_**


	12. Prepare for Trouble at Mt Moon

**A/N: It's times like this where I really appreciate flash drives. My laptop bit the dust last week, and with it all of my completed chapters were gone. Luckily, I had them backed up on a flash drive so I was still able to upload this chapter on time as well as the future chapters. I now have a new laptop that works perfectly so hopefully there are no more incidents like that in the future.**

**If you couldn't tell by the title, Team Rocket appears again in this chapter. This will mark the first appearance of grunts that work underneath Jessie, James, and Meowth as well. Expect them to be accompanied by grunts for most, if not all, of their remaining appearances. In order to fit the role of higher ranking Team Rocket members, Jessie, James, and Meowth are slightly more competent and sinister in this fic than in the anime. Don't worry. They will still remain true to their personalities. **

**Now, since that lengthy author's note is done, enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Ash would be older than ten by now in the anime.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: Prepare for Trouble at Mt. Moon<p>

The group was now standing in front of Mt. Moon. Because Ash and Serena decided to run to Mt. Moon for the rest of yesterday, they were still able to make it by the afternoon today. Ash, Serena, Misty, Brock and Pikachu stood in awe at the size of Mt. Moon. It looked big from afar, but it looked even bigger up close.

"Wow! Mt. Moon is a lot bigger than I thought," Serena stated.

"How long do you guys think it will take to get through here?" Ash asked

"I would say it will at least take the rest of the day. We should try to get through here as fast as we can. Spending the night inside of a cave with wild Pokemon doesn't seem like the best idea there is," Brock replied.

Ash turned away from Brock as he continued to appraise Mt. Moon. This was one of the many obstacles and tests trainers had to endure in order to continue on their journey. He had no doubt that Gary and Leaf had already been through here. If they could do it, so could he and his friends. He might even be able to catch some more Pokemon while they were in there.

"Well, we aren't going to get through Mt. Moon any faster by just standing here. We might as well get going," Ash said as he began to make his way into the nearby entrance to the cave, the rest of the group following suit.

As soon as the group entered the cave, they were met by a lot of noise. The noise sounded like a bunch flapping wings. The group followed to where the noise led them. They gasped when they saw a horde of Zubat flying around and harassing a lone Clefairy.

Clefairy was a small, pink Pokemon that resembled a fairy. It had a large round body and short stubby arms and legs. I had two small wings sticking out of its back. Its short, pink, pointy ears were tipped with black.

Zubat was a dark blue, bat-like Pokemon that had no visible eyes and a circular mouth with sharp teeth. It had also had purple wings and long, almost insect-like legs.

The Clefairy was currently hunched and covering its head with its eyes shut as it tried its best to shield itself from the incoming Zubat. They were relentless, however, and continued to attack despite there being no sign of aggression from the Clefairy.

Zubat and Clefairy…" Ash and Serena said to themselves as they looked up the Pokemon in their pokedexes. "Zubat, the bat Pokemon. It emits ultrasonic waves when it flies, and they act as a sonar to check for objects in its way."

"Clefairy, the fairy Pokemon. Its magical and cute appeal has many admirers. It is very rare and only found in specific areas," the pokedexes said.

"Oh no! We need to help that Clefairy!" Serena said urgently.

"Right!" Ash agreed as Pikachu ran forward. Serena sent out Charla.

"Pikachu! Use Thundershock to break it up!" Ash ordered.

"Use your Ember, Charla!" Serena ordered also.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks. The attacks were able to hit some of the Zubat while just passed between others. Regardless, all of the Zubat were startled by the attacks and fled away back to other parts of the cave. Ash could have swore he saw Brock's arm move a couple of times out of the corner of his eye, but he hadn't sent out any Pokemon.

The distressed Clefairy opened its eyes and looked around at the sudden halt of the attack. It then looked at the group of people and Pokemon in front of it curiously.

"That's really strange to see a Clefairy at the edge of Mt. Moon like this," Brock stated. "Clefairy are normally very rare and very shy. Some people never see the Clefairy at all as they pass through here."

"It's so cute! Hello, Clefairy," Misty said as she gave a smile and approached it.

The Clefairy immediately got a frightened expression on its face and ran off as fast as it could until it disappeared into another part of the cave.

"Wait!" Misty called, but it was too late.

"Misty. As I mentioned before, Clefairy are really shy of humans. You can't just walk right up to one like you can with a few other Pokemon," Brock told her with a slight scolding tone.

"Right. I guess I got carried away," Misty said sheepishly while scratching her cheek.

"Hey. I just now noticed something. Do you guys think it's strange that there are all of these man-made lights here along the cave. I was almost sure we would need a lantern in here," Serena pointed out.

"You're right. These lights are certainly damaging the natural habitat of the Pokemon here. Even the scientists that research here know better than to install lights like this in Mt. Moon. That must be why those Zubat we just saw were so agitated and attacking a defenseless Clefairy. They feel threatened by everything," Brock realized.

"So who do you think is installing these lights?" Serena asked.

"I don't know, but I sense something bad is going on here. We should continue on through here. Maybe we will find the answer along the way," Ash said.

The rest of them nodded and continued on down the path.

It didn't take the group long to figure out that Mt. Moon wasn't a straight path like they had hoped. It turned out to be a regular maze. There were several corridors that branched off only to lead to more corridors or a dead end. Despite the lights were clearly bad for the Pokemon habitat, they were almost thankful for them so they could at least see where they were going.

"Hey, Brock. You wouldn't happen to have a map for the inside of Mt. Moon, would you?" Ash asked him. He didn't see how they would be able to make it out of Mt. Moon without one.

"No, but I think I have someone who might be able to help," Brock said as he pulled out a pokeball.

"Your Onix and Geodude can navigate through Mt. Moon?" Ash asked skeptically.

"No. Not them. It's my brand new Pokemon," Brock replied as he pushed the button on the pokeball. Everyone looked in surprise when the Pokemon inside was revealed to be Zubat.

"When did you get a Zubat, Brock?" Serena asked.

Brock smiled. "I captured it while you two were ordering your Pokemon to help the Clefairy. I managed to get one just before they got away," he said.

"_That explains those movements I saw out of the corner of my eye,"_ Ash thought.

"Since this Zubat has lived in this cave, it might be able to help us through," Brock reasoned. "Will you show us the way, Zubat?"

The Zubat gave the equivalent of a nod and began to fly ahead of the group. Despite the lights messing up its sense of direction a little bit, Zubat turned out to be quite the navigator. The group would come to a fork in the pathways, the Zubat would pause for a second to adjust its sense of direction, then choose one, and the group would follow it. The group believed they would be able to make it through Mt. Moon, after all.

"Hey. Do you guys hear voices?" Ash asked after the group had been walking for about fifteen minutes.

"I did. It seems to be coming from over there. Maybe they can help us out of the cave," Serena said as she pointed down one of the corridors.

The group began to walk along the path until they were able to hear what the voices were saying. Brock returned his Zubat so the wing flapping wouldn't alert the owners to the voices. Soon, the voice's owners came into view to reveal three men in solid black uniforms and black hats. They were crouching down with their backs facing the group. They appeared to have a pile of fossils in front of them. Judging by what they were saying, they were up to no good. The group pressed themselves against the wall and hid in the shadows as they listened in on the three men.

"Heh. We are going to make a killing off of the fossils we find in this cave," one said.

"You said it. I know our squadron leaders said to bring all of the fossils we find to them, but what makes them so special? They only want all the fossils to make it look like they were ones who found them instead of us. Its all about winning favor with the boss to them," another replied.

"I'm sure they wouldn't notice the difference if we kept a few fossils for ourselves and only gave them a few. They aren't the sharpest tools in the shed," said the third one.

"I'll tell what would really make Team Rocket some big bucks, finding that legendary Moon Stone," the second one spoke up again.

"Yeah. If we find it, we should report it to the leaders," the first one said.

"Are you an idiot? If we report the Moon Stone to those guys, they will take all of the glory for themselves!" the third man scolded. "Let's just go and find them to report what we've gotten so far."

They then turned around, and Ash saw their faces. It was those three suspicious men Ash saw at the Pewter Museum! The group also got a good luck at their uniform and saw the large red "R" on the shirt. They were definitely members of Team Rocket. They must have been the ones to set all these lights along the cave walls.

"We should go back and get the police to tell them what's going on here," Ash whispered as he looked at the rest of the group.

The group nodded and turned to hurry away but bumped right into another man who was also wearing black and had a big red "R" on his shirt.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" the Rocket member smirked as he crossed his arms.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu glared while it sparked its cheeks at the man.

"What's going on?" one of the other Rocket members asked as the other three came up behind the group. They had been alerted by the other member speaking.

"Hey! It looks like those brats were spying on us! How much did you hear?!" another said angrily.

"Umm, we weren't listening in. We're just lost," Ash said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck. Serena, Misty, and Brock copied his movements.

"You're lying!" the man yelled accusingly.

"Heh. It wouldn't matter if you're lost or not. We can't let you get away now that you have seen us," the Rocket member the group had run into said in a sinister tone.

"I guess we don't have choice. We'll have to battle our way out of this," Ash said as reached for Butterfree's pokeball. Brock, Serena, and Misty reached for their pokeballs as well.

"You brats think you can beat us? You got another thing coming," another Rocket member said as he and his teammates got out their own pokeballs. The four Team Rocket members then surrounded the group.

It looked like a battle was about to break out, but everyone was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings again. They looked around until they saw another swarm of Zubat heading their way. They even had Golbat in the group this time. They must have been alerted by all the shouting that had just taken place, and they didn't look happy.

"Oh, no! We need to get out of here! We don't have enough Pokemon to take care of Team Rocket and these wild Pokemon also!" Brock said urgently as he began to run with Ash close behind him.

The Rocket members were startled by the sudden dash from Ash and Brock, but had recovered by the time Serena and Misty were trying to run past them.

"Not so fast, girlies!" a Rocket member yelled as he and another Rocket member grabbed Serena and Misty while the others swiped their pokeballs.

"Ash! Help!" Serena cried as she and Misty were being dragged off.

"No! Serena! Misty!" Ash called as he and Brock turned around to run towards them. By then the group of Zubat and Golbat had descended upon the group and were making it very hard to get any movement done.

The Rocket members seemed to be having their own troubles fighting off the swarm and keeping the two girls from struggling as well.

"I'm sick of this! Koffing, go! Use Smokescreen!" a Rocket member said in an annoyed tone as he released the Pokemon. The Koffing launched the Smokescreen from its mouth and completely covered the surrounding area with smoke. This made it very hard for Ash and Brock to see as well as the Zubat and Golbat that were flying around them.

Ash knew he had to act now because Serena and Misty's yells were getting fainter and fainter.

"Pidgeotto. Use Gust to blow away the smoke," Ash said between coughs as he released his Pokemon.

"Pidgeo!" Pidgeotto called and began flapping its wings. Soon the smoke had spread out enough to where Ash and Brock could see again, but they still had the swarm of Zubat and Golbat that were still harassing them.

"Pikachu! I know there are a lot, but we don't have a choice. Use your Thundershock," Ash said.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled as it began to release tons of electricity.

Fortunately, despite the large number, the Zubat and Golbat were very timid. They panicked once they saw the electricity and flew off and disappeared into another part of the cave.

Ash returned Pidgeotto and looked around. He grimaced when he saw that the Team Rocket members were already gone, along with Serena and Misty.

"Serena! Misty!" Ash called out, but got no response. He then sank to his knees. He couldn't believe Serena was taken by those crooks.

"Don't worry, Ash. We'll find them. They couldn't have gotten far," Brock said reassuringly as he put a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"How are we supposed to find them? They could be anywhere in this cave. What's worse, they are with those Rocket guys. We certainly don't have time to go and find help!" Ash exclaimed.

"Slow down, Ash. Don't forget. I have a Zubat now. They have supersonic hearing and can pick up on faint sounds. You also have Pikachu who should know Serena and Misty's scents by now," Brock replied. He then sent out his Zubat again.

"Right. Pikachu. Do you have any lead on where Serena and Misty are at?" Ash asked the rodent.

Pikachu began sniffing into the damp, cave air. It was faint, but it finally picked up on something and turned toward Ash and Brock.

"PikaPi! Pikachu!" it said as it took off down a path with Ash, Brock, and Zubat close behind it.

* * *

><p>"What are you going to do with us?" Misty asked in a worried tone.<p>

She and Serena we currently sitting against the cave walls and were being tied up by two of the Rocket members. Another was setting their pokeballs some distance away while the last one was pulling out a walkie-talkie and began to speak into it.

"That depends on how good you will be while we take care of things here," the Rocket grunt replied. "We won't hurt you too bad, at least, if you keep your mouths shut."

"So does that mean you will let us go, eventually?" Misty asked hopefully.

"Heheheheh. Yeah, that sounds good. Eventually. Like in the next fifty years!" the Rocket member laughed. "We'll probably take you back to headquarters and keep you as our prisoners there. We can't just simply let you go free and tell the police where we are at."

"Just you wait. Ash will come to save us!" Serena said with determination.

"Your little boyfriend can come if he likes. We'll just capture him just like we did you!" the Rocket member replied again.

Serena blushed at the Rocket grunt calling Ash her boyfriend, but quickly shook it away. "Ash is a lot stronger than you think! He and Brock can take care of the likes of you!" she shouted.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, kid," the Rocket grunt scoffed as the grunt who was on the walkie-talkie walked up behind him.

"I just called our squadron leaders. They will be here in a minute," he reported.

"We sure have a lot of fossils. I say we hide some from them so we can at least get some glory from the boss also!" one suggested. His Team members nodded in agreement.

They then went over to the pile of fossils and began to stuff a lot into their bags. The Rocket grunts had just finished when their squadron leaders appeared from another part of Mt. Moon. Serena and Misty gasped. Those three looked very familiar and were in white Team Rocket uniforms. It was Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"So, you four have some good news for us, I hope," Jessie asked as she walked up to the four grunts.

"Yes, ma'am!" one saluted. "We have found a bunch of fossils for you and are giving you every one just like ordered!"

"Very good. Any word on finding that giant Moon Stone yet?" James inquired.

"Unfortunately, not yet," the same one replied. "We did, however, pick up two pesky kids who were spying on us. They are right over there against the wall, tied up."

"Really?" Jessie asked curiously as their attention was diverted to Serena and Misty. Their eyes instantly lit up with recognition.

"Hey! You guys are two of those twerps we battled at the Viridian Pokemon Center and the forest!" Meowth cried.

"Well, well. Not so high and mighty now that you are all tied up, are you? Jessie smirked as she, James, and Meowth approached them.

"I think we remember telling you twerps that if you ever crossed our paths again, you would really regret it, and what better time than now since you're helpless," James said evilly.

Serena and Misty shrank back a little under the three's intimidating glare. They normally wouldn't be afraid of these three, but they had no Pokemon and were tied up right now.

"What do you guys think we should do with them?" Meowth asked Jessie and James.

"I'm thinking we cause them a world amount of pain like they caused us!" Jessie answered. "We'll show them how wrong it is to keep meddling in Team Rocket's affairs!"

"First, you two will tell us where that twerp with the Pikachu is at. He seems to be with you a lot, and something tells me he is here at Mt. Moon," James demanded.

"We don't know where he is right now!" Serena answered honestly. She did hope he was on his way to save them, though.

"Liar!" Jessie accused as she went up and actually slapped Serena across the face!

Serena's face jerked to the side, and her eyes welled up with tears after the slap. Jessie had slapped her pretty hard.

"We'll ask you again. Where's the twerp with the Pikachu?! Jessie asked dangerously.

"We already told you! We don't know!" Misty spoke up this time.

The Team Rocket trio continued to glare at Misty and Serena. They clearly didn't believe them.

James spoke up next. "You had the chance to tell us freely, but now I'm thinking we may have to beat it out of you," he said. "Go Koffing!"

"Go Ekans!" Jessie ordered.

Both Pokemon emerged from the pokeballs and also stared menacingly at Serena and Misty. They were both now really frightened.

"I'm tired of playing games with you twerps. You have humiliated us enough. You have one last chance to tell us where that little boy is at, or we will order our Pokemon to attack," Jessie growled.

Koffing and Ekans leaned back while Meowth extended his claws for emphasis.

Serena and Misty were both trembling violently now out of fear. They were actually too scared now to even talk. Unfortunately, Jessie, James, and Meowth took their inability to talk for stubbornness. All three of them narrowed their eyes.

"Very well. We've run out of patience. Ekans attack!" Jessie ordered.

"You too, Koffing!" James added.

Serena shut her eyes tight. She was so sure Ash would be able to be here in time. He didn't make it, though. She and Misty would now have to endure a great amount of torture for who knows how long. Tears began to stream down her face, not because of the torture that was coming, but because Ash didn't come for her.

Both Pokemon and Meowth were just about to spring forward when they heard a voice cry, "Pikachu, Thundershock! Butterfree, Psychic!",and another voice shout, "Geodude, Rock Throw!"

Everyone looked at the sound of the voices to see a stream of attacks heading towards all of the Rocket members. Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth were knocked away by a series of boulders. Jessie and James got the brunt of the Thundershock while the four Rocket grunts were blasted back by a wave of psychic energy. Serena and Misty looked to see none other than Ash, Brock, and Pikachu running towards them.

"Don't any of you dare harm them!" Ash shouted.

He and Brock then reached the two tied up girls and began to untie them. Ash and Pikachu untied Serena while Brock untied Misty.

"Hey, sorry we took so long to find you," Brock apologized. "We would have been here sooner, but because of the Koffing's Smokescreen still lingering in some places, it made it made it hard for Pikachu to pick up on your scent at times."

Misty let out a very grateful smile towards Brock after he finished untying her while Serena let tears freely fall from her face, but this time from sheer happiness. Ash and Brock had come for them, after all. She almost felt ashamed for even believing for one second that Ash wouldn't make it in time.

"Serena! You're crying! Did they hurt you?!" Ash asked worriedly after he finished untying her.

"No, Ash. I'm fine. You two came just in time. I'm just so happy you came for us," Serena said through tears."

"You bet! I told before! I'm never leaving my friends behind!" Ash said with a smile as he gave her a thumbs-up. He then turned to give a very deep glare at Team Rocket.

"Misty. Serena. Go get your pokeballs while they are dazed. I sense a battle coming," Brock said seriously.

"Right," they both replied as they ran towards the other side of the corridor to retrieve them. Misty and Serena then clipped them to their belts.

"Grrrr…..I'm really getting tired of you twerps," Jessie growled as she and James stood up from the Thundershock. Ekans, Koffing, and Meowth came up from behind them as well as the Rocket grunts.

"We shall recite our motto and leave you stunned!" James shouted.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our…."

"Meooowwth! Forget the motto this time! Let's just get 'em!"

Jessie and James initially glared at Meowth for interrupting their motto, but realized that it made sense to skip it this time. They then focused on the group again.

"If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you will get," James said angrily. He then turned to the grunts who were just standing there. "Well, what are you four waiting for? Release your Pokemon!"

The four grunts snapped back to reality and released their Pokemon even though they only had one each. They consisted of a Koffing, two had a Raticate, and one had a Grimer.

Ash and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan Raticate and Grimer.

"Raticate. The evolved form of Rattata. It gnaws on anything with its tough fangs. It can even topple concrete buildings by gnawing on them. Grimer. The sludge Pokemon. It appears in filthy areas and thrives by sucking up polluted sludge around it," the pokedexes said.

"Well, it you guys want to use all your Pokemon against us than so will we!" Ash said as he and everyone else released all of their Pokemon, except Brock's Onix as it was too big for the corridor.

Despite that Team Rocket outnumbered the group in people. Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock outnumbered Team Rocket in Pokemon, and that's what counted. Team Rocket wasn't deterred by this disadvantage and ordered all of their Pokemon to attack anyway.

The ensuing battle was mass chaos, to say the least. Every Pokemon was attacking the other on the opposing side. Attacks were hitting the cave walls, causing them to crack. Lights were being broken. Some Pokemon were even attacking their teammate by mistake (mostly on Team Rocket's side) due to all of the confusion. The disorganization was causing the cave corridor to begin to collapse. Ash realized this and knew they had end the battle quickly.

"Pidgeotto, Butterfree! Use the strongest Gust attack you can muster to blow all of Team Rocket and their Pokemon away!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree complied and began to flap their wings as hard as they could. The two Gusts combined were too much for the Team Rocket members to take. They were lifted off the ground and sent flying down the cave corridor and out of sight.

The cave passage continued to shake for a few more moments before finally coming to a halt. The group let out a sigh of relief, but then frowned at the damage the battle had done to the area.

"Look at this mess. We've totally destroyed this area," Misty said sadly.

"It wasn't our fault," Brock said trying to comfort her. "Team Rocket would have messed up this area a lot more if we hadn't fought back."

"Hey, look! Those Rocket members left their bags with fossils in them!" Serena said while pointing.

"You're right. We should go ahead and take these bags with us and turn them in to the police in Cerulean City," Ash suggested as they went over and bent down in front of the bags to pick them up.

Once they finished, and each one was carrying a respective backpack on their back, the group planned their next move.

"I think we should go chase after Team Rocket to fully get them out of this cave. If we don't, they are just going to cause more mayhem here," Ash suggested. The group agreed and headed off deeper into Mt. Moon in the direction Team Rocket had gone after returning their Pokemon for easier travel.

After the group had continued running for a while, they were beginning to wonder where Team Rocket could have gone. Unlike the rest of Mt. Moon, this was a straight path so it isn't like the group made a wrong turn. It was then that they saw a small bit of light and an exit ahead of them. Thinking that was the way out of Mt. Moon, the group hurried towards it. Team Rocket might have gotten away, but at least that meant they were gone from Mt. Moon, also. It was soon the group discovered they were dead wrong.

The corridor did indeed lead to outside, but it wasn't the exit to Mt. Moon. It exited into a circular area about fifty feet in diameter from all sides with an opening at the top where the moon shone. They had apparently been in Mt. Moon longer than they thought due to the conflict with Team Rocket.

The group was surprised to see how many Clefairy there were in this area considering how rare they were. Unfortunately, they were all being cornered by Team Rocket. All the Clefairy had frightened expressions on their faces as Team Rocket stared menacingly down at them. What got the group's attention the most was what was in the center of the room. It was the legendary Moon Stone! The group gasped once they realized it was them who inadvertently led Team Rocket to the Moon Stone.

"You crooks leave those Clefairy and the Moon Stone alone!" Ash shouted at them.

Team Rocket turned towards the group now and glared at them. "Or else what? Do want to have a Pokemon Battle with us again, twerp? Don't forget all the Clefairy are in this room. You might accidentally hurt them, too," James replied.

The group gritted their teeth in annoyance and glared at Team Rocket. They didn't want to admit it, but Team Rocket was right.

"Thankfully, we aren't that honorable. We need to take back our fossils from you, anyway," Jessie said while grinning evilly. "Go Ekans!"

"Go Koffing!" James called.

Meowth also came forward and extended its claws while the four Rocket grunts continued to hold back the Clefairy.

"So what are you going to knowing you can't battle us with your Pokemon?" James asked.

It was Brock who spoke up. "We will just use one Pokemon then! Go Onix!" he said as he released the giant rock snake from the pokeball.

Ash, Serena, and Misty admired the size of Onix while Team Rocket sweatdropped. They certainly weren't expecting an Onix to show up. Its head even reached past the hole in the roof and Pikachu climbed on top of it. Team Rocket quickly regained their composure and thought of a new plan.

"Let's show them that size doesn't matter! Ekans, dig underground!" Jessie ordered.

"Koffing, launch a Smokescreen," James ordered as well.

The smoke then erupted from Koffing which blinded the group and the Pokemon momentarily.

"I'm really getting tired of this attack," Ash muttered as he and the others coughed. "Pidgeotto! Use Gust to blow away the smoke!" He then released the bird Pokemon.

Pidgeotto did a great job of blowing away the smoke, but the group was surprised to find that Jessie, James, Meowth, and the grunts were nowhere in sight! To top it off, the Moon Stone was gone, and all that was left was a giant hole.

"Oh no! Team Rocket must have stolen the Moon Stone!" Serena said worriedly.

Ash scowled. "That battle must have just been a distraction to get the Moon Stone. We have to get it back. We can't let those guys get away with it."

"Right! Onix, follow them underground and hurry!" Brock ordered the rock snake.

Onix gave a mighty roar and dove straight underground while Ash, Serena, Brock, and Misty turned to the Clefairy.

"Don't worry, Clefairy!" We'll get the Moon Stone back!" Ash told them as he and the others hurried off.

The Clefairy just tilted their heads and watched the group go in confusion. Then, unknown to the humans, one-by-one the Clefairy jumped into the hole that had been created by Onix.

* * *

><p>Jessie, James, Meowth, and their grunts were now riding down a wooden sleigh and sliding down the mountain with the Moon Stone tied down.<p>

"It sure helps to have seven of us so we could get that Moon Stone quickly," James said.

"Yes. We may have lost the fossils, but we are taking to headquarters the biggest prize of all," Jessie agreed. "This just shows that nice guys…"

"…Finish last!" James finished happily

"We just went from worst to first!" Meowth said victoriously.

Their cheering was cut short, however, as Onix burst out of the ground right in front of them. Due to the speed at which they were going, they were unable to move in time and slammed right into Onix. Their sleigh was completely smashed, and each Rocket member landed on the ground quite hard. The Moon Stone rolled off to the side a few yards away.

"Now we've got you! We won't let you get away with that Moon Stone!" Ash said as he and the group appeared behind Team Rocket. Team Rocket stared in surprise. How did the group catch up so fast?! They soon recovered, however.

"Oh yeah? Well we'll just see about that!" Jessie retorted before turning to the four grunts. "Attack those twerps!"

The four grunts, however, were lying on the ground unconscious. They must have been knocked out when they collided with Onix. It was then Team Rocket realized they were at a serious disadvantage in both people and Pokemon numbers.

"Grr! They are so useless!" Jessie growled.

"Grab them now, Onix!" Brock called out.

"We aren't going to give up that easily! Koffing! Use Counter attack!" James shot back quickly.

Koffing then flew forward and slammed right into Onix's head. Due to Counter giving out double the damage, Onix fell to ground pretty hard.

"Onix…" Brock trailed sadly as he watched Onix struggle to get back up.

It was then that Ash noticed something. "Look! isn't that Clefairy?" he pointed out as the Clefairy leaped one-by-one out of the hole Onix had dug.

The Clefairy all then stood in front of Team Rocket. Team Rocket watched in confusion as the Clefairy lifted their arms and began wiggling the fingers back and forth. This only added to Team Rocket's confusion.

"Wh-what are they doing?" Meowth stuttered in confusion as he, Jessie, and James continued to watch the Clefairy. Soon, they seemed to become entranced by it and began moving their heads back and forth in a similar motion to the Clefairys' fingers.

"I think the Clefairy are using Metronome," Brock informed the group. "It's an attack where anything can happen, so be on your guard."

The Clefairy soon stopped and a bright light engulfed Team Rocket before there was a huge explosion that sent them, their Pokemon, and the grunts flying through the air. Unfortunately, the Moon Stone was caught in the blast also and shattered into tiny bits.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off!" Jessie, James, and Meowth screamed as they continued to sail through air until they disappeared into the distance.

Tiny bits of the Moon Stone began to rain down upon the group and the Clefairy as the group watched sadly.

"The Moon Stone. It's shattered," Serena muttered sadly.

However, bits of the Moon Stone were falling on a few of the Clefairy. The Clefairy that were hit by the Moon Stone began to glow white. Soon they grew taller with larger wings and a more human shake body with longer ears. They evolved into Clefable.

"Wow! The Clefairy evolved! So that's the power of the Moon Stone," Ash exclaimed as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes.

"Clefable, the fairy Pokemon and the evolved form of Clefairy. Clefable are among the rarest Pokemon in the world," the monotonous pokedex voices said.

"Amazing," the group said in wonder as the watched the scene taking place.

* * *

><p>About twenty minutes later, the group and Clefairy were back in the room where the Moon Stone originally was. It was now no longer one piece, but instead a pile of the small pieces it had broken in to. The Clefairy and Clefable didn't seem to mind, though. They were all dancing around the Moon Stone in a circular fashion.<p>

"It's almost like they are worshiping the Moon Stone. It's so mysterious," Ash commented as he and the others watched the dance.

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu agreed. It was almost entranced by the mysterious dance.

"Of course. The Moon Stone is very sacred to the Clefairy and Clefable," Misty replied.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"The Clefairy and Clefable are said to come from the Moon," Brock answered. "If that's true, then it would only make sense that they are very attached to the Moon Stone. It's their last connection to their original home."

The Clefable soon stopped dancing and one, who was presumed to be the leader, came and bowed before the group. "Clefable. Fable," It said in its high-pitched voice.

"I think it's saying thank you," Serena smiled.

The Clefable that had bowed then went over to the Moon Stone and took four small pieces from the pile and went back over to the group. It then held out the pieces towards the group.

"Oh. You want us to take these pieces of the Moon Stone with us as thanks?" Ash asked.

"Clefable," the Clefable answered as it smiled and nodded its head.

"Well, in that case, thank you very much!" Ash said gratefully as he and the others took the Moon Stone pieces to place in their backpacks.

"Hey. You know, I was thinking. Rather than turn in all of these fossils Team Rocket stole to the police, why don't we leave them here with the Clefairy and Clefable. They should know what to do with them," Brock suggested.

"Good idea," Ash agreed. He and the others then took off the Team Rocket backpacks and set them down on the ground before the Clefable and Clefairy.

The head Clefable than bowed in thanks again before reaching into the backpacks and presenting three Pokemon fossils to the group. One was in the shape of a spiral, the helix fossil, while other seemed to be in the shape of a flat stone, the dome fossil, and an old amber fossil.

"Ah, so you want us to take these fossils as gifts, as well?" Ash guessed as the Clefable nodded again. "So which of us should keep these three? I would feel bad about just one of us not receiving these."

"I remember that scientist guy saying there will be a machine ready in the future that can revive these fossils. I think the helix fossil will be turned into an Omanyte while the Dome fossil can become a Kabuto. An old Amber fossil becomes an Aerodactly," Serena recalled.

"Ah, that's right. I remember hearing about that during one of my visits to the museum. Both Omanyte and Kabuto are Rock and Water dual-type Pokemon. I think it would be a great experience for me as a breeder to study one of the prehistoric Pokemon if they can possibly be revived. You guys wouldn't mind if I had one, would you?"

The group figured Brock's words made sense so they allowed him to take the first pick. He chose the dome fossil.

"Despite Omanyte and Kabuto being a part water-type Pokemon, they seem really scary, so count me out," Misty said.

"I guess that means you and me can get the remaining two," Ash said while looking at Serena. "Which one would you like?"

Serena looked back and forth between the fossils as she though about which one to take. She suddenly remembered the thought of how wild an Aerodactyl would be to train and figured it was best left in the hands of Ash so she chose the helix fossil.

"I guess that leaves the old amber fossil for me," Ash said quietly as he gently took the remaining fossil from the Clefable. He imagined the thought of what training an Aerodactyl would be like. He realized he would have to get a lot stronger by the time they reached Cinnabar Island if he were to be able to handle one, assuming the machine was ready by then.

The Clefable then gave a short bow in thanks once again. It then returned to its group where they continued the ceremony with the Moon Stone by dancing as the group watched.

* * *

><p>It was now the next morning, and the group were leaving Mt. Moon right now and saying goodbye to the Clefairy and Clefable. The Clefairy and Clefable allowed the group to sleep in the room with the Moon Stone for the night so they wouldn't have to travel through the cave again. Then they generously led them to the exit of Mt. Moon.<p>

"So long, Clefairy and Clefable!" Ash called as he and the rest of the group waved.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu said as it waved also from Ash's shoulder.

"Clefairy! Clefable!" they said back.

The group continued to wave until the Pokemon were out of sight.

"It sure was neat to see the Clefairy and Clefable do their Moon Stone ritual, wasn't it?" Ash asked the group as they continued to walk.

"It sure was. Not to many people will be able to see that in their entire lifetime," Brock agreed. "They even let us keep pieces of the Moon Stone and a few fossils."

"So how far is Cerulean City?" Serena asked.

Brock then reached into his backpack to check the map. "Hmmm, it looks like we should arrive there the day after tomorrow according to the distance on this map," he mused.

None of them had noticed Misty gave a slight sulking expression when they had mentioned Cerulean City.

About ten minutes later the group came upon a sign on the road that pointed into the direction of Cerulean City.

"Well, it looks like we are heading in the right direction," Brock said once he saw the sign. He then noticed something. "Hey. It looks like someone wrote a message on the side of this sign."

"Well, you guys know how people like to write silly messages sometimes. I wonder what it says," Ash wondered curiously as he and rest of the group leaned in to get a better look.

_Gary Oak was here. Ash is a loser._

"Grrr. That Gary," Ash growled. Even now after all these years, his greatest rival still couldn't resist taunting him. To think, Ash thought he and Gary were past that stage in their life.

Serena herself thought Gary was acting rather childish. Before she could put her hand on Ash to comfort him, he suddenly made a mad dash in the direction of Cerulean City, almost causing Pikachu to fall off due to the sudden change in speed.

"I'll show him!" Ash shouted as he continued to speed along the path.

"Who's Gary Oak?" Misty asked Serena curiously as they watched Ash dash away.

"No time to explain!" Serena said hurriedly as she ran after Ash to try to catch up with him.

"Wait for me!" Brock shouted after them.

"Hey! What's the rush?!" Misty yelled as she brought up the rear.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's that. I know most of you are probably disappointed that no one in the group captured a Clefairy, but I have other great and rare Pokemon lined up for them to catch. On the bright side, the Safari Zone is going to be a fun chapter to write! <strong>

**Thanks a bunch for all of the support you guys give me! I certainly wouldn't be as far as I am right now without you! Your feedback gives me all the motivation I need to keep writing despite my busy schedule. I was amazed that I received almost thirty reviews last chapter! Thank you very much! **

**See you all next Tuesday where Ash will have his second gym battle at Cerulean City! Since a few of you are probably wondering, Pikachu will actually battle for Ash in this fic unlike in the anime where it refused to go against Misty.  
><strong>

**The poll for Misty's fate in the rest of the series will be closing in two chapters once the group leaves Cerulean City and be replaced with a new poll. If you haven't voted, make sure you do! If you hate Misty, make sure she leaves! If you like Misty, save her to travel in the Orange Islands and Johto! If you don't care, vote anyway!  
><strong>

**Chapter 13: The Waterflowers of Cerulean City**

**Answering the Question:**

_D'ya think Ash will catch any of the Pokémon that Red caught in "Pokémon Origins"? Like Rattata, Spearow/Fearow, Magikarp, Victreebel, Kabuto/Kabutops, Hitmonlee, Scyther, Dodrio, Persian, Arbok, Tentacool, Chansey, and Rapidash? If so, maybe he'll catch some of them in the Safari Zone, right?_

**_I plan on Ash catching a few of the Pokemon you mentioned. Serena may get a few of these Pokemon, as well._**

_You mean Ash will catch a wider variety of Pokémon in the Safari Zone, other than Nidoran and Tauros?_

**_Yes he and Serena both will capture more Pokemon than Tauros in the Safari Zone. Keep in mind I never confirmed Ash will have a male Nidoran, though._**

_Will Psyduck still be completely oblivious and unable to do what water Pokémon do best (swim)?_

**_Yes. Psyduck will still be the hilarious Pokemon we know and love in this fic._**

_Are you going to put in the Ghost of Maiden's Peak filler here?_

**_Sadly no. I will not as I don't think it is integral to the story. I plan on including one more "filler" between Ash's fifth and sixth gym battle which is the "super amourshipping chapter" you all want to read. Errr scratch that, there may be an additional two besides that one depending on if I think it is important or not. As mentioned before, at least some type of event will occur in all the chapters from now on besides the aforementioned "amourshipping chapter" (maybe it's important because Ash and Serena become closer) and the possible other two.  
><em>**

_I know Gary becomes a Researcher by the end of Johto, so what will become of Leaf?_

**_Since Leaf's goal is to complete the pokedex, she will always be on the move searching for more Pokemon so she will be a recurring character throughout the remainder of the series. Gary will appear more often as well than he did in canon when he becomes a Pokemon researcher. I have uses for both of them._**

_I would like to see Ash get a ground type before Vermillion city and see Ash and Serena rotate there Pokémon?_

_**Unfortunately, Ash and Serena won't be capturing a ground type that early. They will definitely rotate their team regularly when they each catch more than six Pokemon each. Just know that Pikachu will always be with Ash and Charla will always be with Serena since they are their starters.**_

_Will all of ash's kanto starters fully evolve?_

**_That will be up to you guys. Once Misty's poll closes after Cerulean City, that will be the new poll. I want to give my readers some freedom in deciding major factors so I can please the most people._**

_When Ash goes to Hoenn, can Professor Birch give him a Torchic\Combusken\Blaziken that is a bit battle crazy and that will act as rival for Sceptile?_

_**May will still get Torchic in Hoenn. Ash will still get Treecko. Serena will get Mudkip instead of Brock. May's Blaziken will be a sparring partner with Sceptile.  
><strong>_

_Will Misty actually train her Psyduck and evolve it into Golduck? Or will she just be annoyed with it like in the anime?_

**_At the moment, I still have it planned to remain a Psyduck, but I may change my mind later._**

_Will you have Ritchie be a continuous rival after Gary leaves the battle circuit at the end of the Johto Arc?_

**_I do plan on having Ritchie make more appearances than he does in canon. I am leaning towards the idea of having him be a continuous rival for Ash._**

_On that question about a sort of romantic rival for Serena, what about Giselle from that pokemon academy episode. _There is also Melody from the movie Pokemon _2000._

**_Giselle won't be in this series. Speaking of a rival for Serena, I noticed that the episode airing in Japan this week is introducing a character where she and Serena have an intense dislike for each other. It will be interesting to see how that episode plays out and if I can use that character in my story somewhere. Melody's crush on Ash will also come into play when I get there._**

_Will there be any re-writes for the gym leader battles or will you follow the anime with them? Also, when you get to Sabrina, will she be like what she was in anime?_

**_The only gym battle I plan on being somewhat the same is the Vermillion City gym battle as it defines how Pikachu doesn't ever want to become a Raichu. The Cinnabar Island gym will possibly be somewhat close to the original as well. The others will be rewrites like Pewter City. Sabrina will be like she is in the anime, but she won't shrink anyone who loses to her.  
><em>**

_Will Ash's Pidgeotto evolve into Pidgeot before the Fearow episode and will he let him go to protect the Pidgey/Pidgeotto flock?_

**_Pidgeot will still leave Ash to protect the flock from Fearow. However, Ash will still visit it every time he is in Pallet Town so it won't be forgotten. On whether Pidgeotto will evolve before the Fearow episode, as of right now the answer is it will not. However, this may change as there could be a point where I need Pidgeotto to evolve sooner._**

_Will Ash release Butterfree for love again?_**_  
>Yes.<br>_**

_Will ash get a Growlithe and Serena a Vulpix?_

**_They might._**


	13. The Waterflowers of Cerulean City

**A/N: We have now arrived at Ash's second gym battle. Once again I worked hard on this gym battle so let me know what you guys think of it! **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, Pikachu's level wouldn't seem to reset at every region Ash goes to.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: The Waterflowers of Cerulean City<p>

The group had spent the last two days training their Pokemon. Ash and Serena had been training especially hard since they knew that Cerulean City would be home to Ash's second gym battle and another Battle Chateau for Serena to compete at. After seeing the message that Gary left for Ash, he had a new sense of determination. It was almost like Ash had reverted back to his old self of just wanting to beat Gary. That was, at least, until Serena talked some sense back into him and told him it wasn't just about being better than his rival. Ash still secretly hoped he would run into Gary soon. Then he would challenge him to a battle and beat him.

"Hey, look! Cerulean City is in sight!" Ash exclaimed happily once he could see the tall buildings. "I can't wait until I can compete for my second gym battle!"

"Pikapi!" Pikachu said from Ash's shoulder with determination.

"And I can have a second chance at the Battle Chateau!" Serena finished with an equal amount of determination.

"Hey guys. I was thinking. Why don't we just skip this city altogether?" Misty suggested.

Ash, Serena, and Brock turned towards her to give her a questioning look. "Why would we want to do that?" Ash asked.

"Oh, I don't know. I hear Vermillion City is really nice, though. It's a lot better than this old city," Misty said.

"Sounds great! We can go there after we come through this city," Ash replied.

"I mean, why waste time here? Vermillion City has great beaches, sparkling water, and it even has a gym," Misty almost pleaded. She was hoping by mentioning a gym it would encourage the group more.

"I remember Hennessy saying there wasn't a Battle Chateau there when we talked to him in Viridian City, but there is one here," Serena reminded.

"Well, no. There isn't a Battle Chateau there, but can we please just go to Vermillion Ctiy, instead?" Misty pleaded again.

"Misty. It sounds like you are avoiding Cerulean City. Do you have some bad experience with this place?" Brock asked curiously.

"Well, I just really want to go to Vermillion City," Misty said while rubbing the back of her head.

"Alright! Let's go!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh! You mean it?" Misty asked hopefully as she clasped her hands together.

"To Cerulean City!" Ash finished.

Misty let out a huge groan.

* * *

><p>"It's been a while since I've been to a big city. Look at all of the shops," Serena commented as she looked at the various displays from the store windows.<p>

"So where do you think we should head off to first?" Ash asked the group as they walked along the busy streets of Cerulean City.

"Actually, there are some things I have to take care of for a bit, so count me out," Brock spoke up.

"What kind of things?" Ash asked curiously.

"Heheheh. Never mind that. It's just something good. Plus, we're low on supplies, and I need to stock up," Brock said nervously, trying to think of an excuse.

"Is it a date?" Ash smirked.

"Oh, look at the time! Bye guys!" Brock said hurriedly and sped off.

"Well. Anyway, where do you think we should go, Misty? Uh, Misty?" Ash inquired to find out she wasn't with the group anymore, either.

"That's weird. She was here just a second ago. Where did she go to?" Serena wondered.

"Who knows? We'll find her, or she'll definitely find us later. So I guess that leaves only you, Serena. Where do you want to go?" Ash asked.

"How about we go to the Cerulean Gym first? I'm still kind of nervous about participating in the Battle Chateau again. Seeing you get your second badge might boost my confidence some," Serena replied.

"Thanks for the encouragement about me getting a badge," Ash said gratefully. Then he added, "But don't forget, you have gotten a lot stronger. I have no doubt you can win the tournament this time. I promise I will be rooting for you."

Serena thought about what Ash had said for a second. It was true she had gotten more Pokemon and had trained her Pokemon very hard, but those trainers were still really strong at the Chateau. She remembered Hennessy telling her that Gym Leaders sometimes participated. What if she faced a gym leader? Could she win?

"Earth to Serena," Ash called while waving a hand in front of her face causing Serena to snap out of her thoughts.

"Oh, right. Thank you, Ash. You're right. I can win," she said.

"No problem," Ash said. He then turned to Pikachu. "Ready to go get our second badge, buddy?"

"Pikapi!" it responded.

* * *

><p>"<em>This <em>is the gym?!" Ash exclaimed in shock.

"That's what they guy who we asked for directions said," Serena replied with an equal amount of amazement.

"Pikachuuuu," Pikachu added, also in awe.

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were now standing in front of the Cerulean City Gym. It didn't look like a gym at all, however. It looked more like a giant aquarium or some type of large event center. It was in the shape of a dome with pink and yellow stipes coloring the roof and had large Dewgong painting on top of the structure for design. If it wasn't for the words "Cerulean Gym" on the structure, it could easily be mistaken for something else.

"Well, we might as well go in," Ash said as they began to walk through the entrance.

They certainly weren't expecting the place to be so crowded. There was long line that led up to what seemed like a ticket booth.

"Surely there aren't that many people here to challenge the gym leader all at once," Ash said in shock. "This place is nuts!"

"I wonder if it is always like this," Serena wondered to herself.

"Do you think we should go on to the Battle Chateau and come back later when the line isn't so long?" Ash asked Serena.

"No. That's okay since we are already here. By the time we get all the way to the Battle Chateau, it would be time for us to be at the front of the line anyway," Serena replied.

"Yeah. Good point," Ash agreed.

After waiting in line for twenty-five minutes, Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were finally at the front of the line where they were met by an usher.

"Hello. I'd like to request a battle with the gym leader of Cerulean City," Ash told him.

The usher looked at him strangely. "There aren't any gym battles going on right now. Everyone lined up has come to see the Sensational Sisters perform," the usher replied.

"Sensational Sisters? This is the Cerulean Gym, isn't it?" Ash asked in confusion.

"It is, but it also doubles as our underwater theater for the shows performed here," said the usher.

"Oh," Ash said in a slightly disappointed tone.

"I can get you two a ticket if you came to see the Sensational Sisters if you like, but if you want to have a gym match, it will have to wait," the usher said apologetically.

"We might as well see the show, Ash. At least then we might be able to talk to someone about when the gym leader is available," Serena reasoned.

"Alright," Ash answered Serena before turning back to the usher. "Do I need to pay for a ticket for Pikachu?"

"No sir. Your Pikachu can get in for free," the usher replied.

"In that case, two tickets to the Sensational Sisters, please," Ash requested.

Once the usher happily gave the tickets to Ash and Serena, they began to make their way to the central stadium where they heard the show was taking place. When they entered, the place was already packed. It was difficult, but Ash and Serena finally found two adjacent empty seats so they could still sit next to each other. As soon as they sat down, the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentleman! Please welcome the stars of our show! The Sensational Cerulean City Synchronized Swimming Sisters!" a voice announced over an intercom.

As the crowd roared in excitement, Ash, Serena, ad Pikachu looked up and saw three teenage girls whom Ash assumed were the Sensational Sisters on top of a very high diving board. They gave a wave to the audience and dove the long way down in to the water very gracefully.

Once they hit the water, they began to do various underwater tricks in perfect sync. Ash thought they were pretty good, but this wasn't his thing so he was little bored. Serena and Pikachu, on the other hand were enamored by the grace and beauty of the Sensational Sisters. Serena wished that she could have that kind of grace.

Once the Sensational Sisters finished their show, they got out of the water and waved once more to the audience. The crowd, as well as Serena and Pikachu, erupted into applause while Ash just clapped his hands out of respect and politeness. He just wanted to know when he could battle the gym leader.

The Sensational Sisters than left the room as the audience got out of their seats and began to leave as well. Serena got up to leave, but Ash stopped her. "Wait," he said. "If we hang around here for a bit, the gym leader may show up."

Serena nodded and sat back down next to Ash while they waited. Soon everybody had left the room and only Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were left. After about ten more minutes of waiting, both Ash and Serena figured the gym leader wasn't coming anytime soon.

Ash rose from his seat sadly. "I guess the gym leader isn't showing up today. It looks like we will have to try again another time."

Serena nodded her head sympathetically, and together they left the performance room and entered the hallway. The hallway was adorned with different fish tanks built into the walls with various fish-like Pokemon swimming to them.

"I just don't get it," Ash said to himself as they walked along the hallway.

It was then that they heard voices ahead of them. The voices belonged to none other than the Sensational Sisters themselves. Now that they were a little closer, Ash and Serena could definitely see the family resemblance except their hair and eye color was different. One had blonde hair with green eyes, one had dark pink hair with blue eyes, and the last one had blue hair with brown eyes. Ash and Serena could swear they also looked just like someone else they knew but pushed that aside for now.

The three teenage girls continued to approach Ash, Serena, and Pikachu as they chatted animatedly to each other about various things. It was then Ash had an idea. Maybe they knew where he could find the gym leader.

He and Serena then walked over to them. "Um, excuse?" Ash interrupted as politely as he could.

The Sensational Sisters stopped talking and looked at him in surprise. "I'm sorry, but if you two want an interview, you have to like, call our manager," the pink-haired sister replied. She had valley girl accent.

"No it isn't that," Ash said as he shook his head. He was about to try again but the pink-haired sister interrupted him.

"We don't do autographs either," she said almost snootily.

"I don't want one. Just listen," Ash said gently. "I was just wondering if you three knew where the gym trainer was. I would like to have a match."

"You're looking at them," the blonde-haired sister, who they presumed to be the oldest sister, said also in a valley girl accent.

"What?" Ash and Serena asked stupidly.

"The three of us are the gym leaders here," the blonde-haired girl said again.

"We're the Sensational Sisters!" the pink-haired one said dramatically.

"We're world famous! I'm Violet," the blue haired one added.

"I'm Lily!" the pink haired one introduced

"And I'm Daisy!" the blonde-haired one finished.

"Uh? Then what's with all that swimming?" Ash asked in a confused tone.

"It's like our hobby, and our fans love it," Lily replied

"We pool our talents to make a big splash!" Violet added before she and the rest of her sisters erupted into giggles.

Ash and Serena exchanged questioning glances with each other. They were clearly thinking the same thing. These girls seemed to be pretty arrogant, if not a little weird.

* * *

><p>Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and the Sensational Sisters were now standing back in the room with the large pool. It was now Ash decided to formally request a match.<p>

"I would like to battle you now for the Cascade badge," Ash declared with determination.

The Sensational Sisters got nervous expressions on their faces when Ash made his request.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"Well, we would like, accept your challenge if we had Pokemon to battle with," Daisy replied as she played with a lock of her hair.

"Wait. You're telling me this is a Pokemon Gym, and you don't have any Pokemon to battle with?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief.

"It isn't like that," Violet defended. "It's just we have suffered so many losses recently that all our Pokemon are like, at the Pokemon Center. This brown spiky haired kid named Gary Oak from this nowhere place called Pallet Town, and another angry looking kid named Paul seriously beat us recently. It was a real bummer."

Ash's face fell when he realized Gary had already been here, but he briefly wondered if the "Paul" they had mentioned was the one he met in Pewter City.

"The only Pokemon left are a Goldeen that can only use its Horn Attack and a Starmie that won't listen to us. It only listens to our little sister, so there is really no point in battling," Daisy said.

"Why can't I just battle your little sister then?" Ash inquired.

"She isn't here right now. She like, left on some journey because she thinks she can prove herself to us," Lily replied.

"Oh," Ash muttered disappointedly. "Well, what am I supposed to do now?"

"I know what want, a Cascade badge," Daisy said as she clapped her hands and a seal-like Pokemon jumped out of the water and opened its mouth to reveal the Cascade Badge.

Serena took out her pokedex to scan it. "Seel, the sea lion Pokemon. The horn on its head is very hard, and it can smash through think icebergs," said the pokedex.

Daisy then took the badge from Seel's mouth and held it out to Ash. "You can just have it," she said.

Ash looked at the badge for moment before he shook his head. "I can't do that. I want to earn my badges. I would never be able enter the Pokemon League with pride knowing I didn't officially beat every gym leader," he said seriously.

Daisy, Violet, and Lily then let out a sigh, "If that's how you feel, you will have to wait a few days until like, all of our Pokemon are healed at the Pokemon Center," Daisy said a little sadly.

Ash couldn't help but feel slight anger. Not only did he have to wait a bit to find the Gym Leaders, now he even had to wait for his match. To top it off, these girls didn't even seem to care about being Gym Leaders in the first place. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Serena giving him sympathetic look. He then sighed.

"Come on, Serena. Let's go. We'll come back in a few days. Hopefully I can battle by then," he said.

Serena nodded, and they were just about to leave when they heard a familiar voice shout, "Hold it right there!"

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu spun around to see Misty running towards them and the Sensational Sisters from the other side of the room.

"Misty?! What are you doing here?!" Ash asked in surprise.

Misty ignored that question until she reached the three sisters. She then looked up at Daisy and gave her a serious expression. "If you don't want to battle Ash then I will!" she declared.

"Huh? What gives you the right to battle me for a badge?" Ash asked in confusion.

"These three are my older sisters. I'm the fourth Sensational Sister!" Misty said proudly.

"Excuse me? There are only _three_ Sensational Sisters and one runt," Lily said while giving Misty a disapproving look.

Misty seethed at her older sister's comment while Ash and Serena both thought to themselves, "_Misty being a gym leader here explains a lot: why she didn't need a recommendation at the Battle Chateau and her unwillingness to come here."_

"What are you doing back here so soon, anyway, little sister?" Daisy asked in a condescending manner.

"Well…" Misty trailed.

"I thought I remembered a certain someone saying she wouldn't come back until she became stronger. Wasn't that you?" Violet asked.

"I might have said something like that," Misty said quietly.

"Or maybe you came back because you couldn't resist being in our presence because we are much more talented and beautiful then you are!" Lily taunted

Misty gritted her teeth in anger again as Ash leaned over and whispered to Serena, "Do you think we should intervene on Misty's behalf?"

"I don't think we should get involved in their family's arguments," Serena whispered back.

"I only came back so soon in the first place because they wanted to come!" Misty snapped while pointing to Ash and Serena.

"Oh, so you know them? Is that kid your boyfriend?" Daisy teased.

Serena almost shouted out that Misty better not be, but held her tongue. It would only draw unwanted attention to herself.

"He is not my boyfriend!" Misty yelled a little louder than necessary, much to Serena's relief that Misty didn't feel anything like that for Ash.

"We were just kidding! He isn't someone I would choose for a boyfriend, either," Daisy replied while Ash hung his head.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu muttered as it patted its trainer on the back.

"Anyway, I've already said this! I came here to battle Ash since you three won't. If I beat him, it will prove I'm just as good as you three!" Misty shouted with determination while also trying to change the subject.

"Well, you are the only one of us who can battle him right now, so I suppose we don't like, have a choice," Daisy replied.

"Alright, Ash! Are you ready to rumble!?" Misty demanded while turning to him.

Initially surprised by all of this confrontation between Misty and her sisters, Ash quickly recovered. "You bet! I'm in, Misty! I'll beat you and get that Cascade Badge fair and square!" he said with determination.

"We'll see about that," Misty smirked.

* * *

><p>Ash and Misty were standing on opposite sides of the pool and facing each other intently while Serena watched on the sidelines with Daisy, Violet, Lily, and Seel. While he certainly didn't believe he'd ever be facing Misty for an official badge, she had proven herself to be a competent trainer so Ash felt no feelings about being short-changed by battling her for a badge instead of her sisters.<p>

"So what are the rules?" Ash called out.

"Since this isn't your first Gym battle anymore, you have to use the same number of Pokemon as me! It will be a two-on-two match. You can still make substitutions if you want while I can't," Misty informed.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash replied back before turning to Pikachu. "Are you ready for our second badge, Pikachu?"

"Chuuuuu!" Pikachu replied with determination.

"Since you have an advantage over water Pokemon, I'm going to save you for last, Pikachu," Ash told it. The rodent nodded in agreement.

"I'll go ahead and choose my first Pokemon," Misty declared. "I choose Staryu!"

Staryu appeared from the pokeball and onto one of the two small platforms in the pool. Ash had seen this Staryu battle a few times before so he was already aware it was quite strong.

"In that case, I choose Butterfree!" Ash yelled as he released it.

Butterfree came out with a cry of "Freeeeeee!" and flew into the air.

"I'm ready when are, Ash!" Misty declared. "If I can beat you, I will feel a lot better about you and Serena destroying my bike!"

"_She's still going on about her bike?"_ Serena thought in annoyance before she once again focused on the match that was about to take place.

"Alright! I'll go first! Butterfree! Use Stun Spore!" Ash commanded.

Butterfree nodded as it flew over Staryu and sprinkled the dust on top of it covering a wide area.

Staryu began to twitch and shake violently once the dust fell onto it.

"That won't work here, Ash! Staryu, wash it off!" Misty told it.

Staryu inched slowly towards the water due to it being paralyzed and fell in, effectively cleansing it of the powder. It then jumped back out of the water and looked as good as new.

"Yay! That's the power of water Pokemon!" Misty cheered.

"It looks like status effects won't work here if Misty's Pokemon can just wash the powder off in the water," Ash said to himself. "It looks like I'll have to focus on just attacking."

"Staryu, dive underwater and use Tackle!" Misty called.

Staryu hopped into the water and the distortion made it difficult for Butterfree to see it underwater.

"Be on the look out, Butterfree! I can come out at anytime," Ash warned.

Butterfree nodded and waited for Staryu to appear again. Despite the impossibility of the situation, Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Butterfree thought Staryu had drowned underwater due to how long it had been there. Suddenly, Staryu shot out of the water at lightning speed and spun towards Butterfree. It made a direct hit, and Butterfree was sent reeling back from the high-speed attack. Staryu then flew back into the water.

"_That Staryu is fast. There has to be a way to counter it,"_ Ash thought.

No sooner had he finished this thought than Staryu erupted from the water again and went into a spinning Tackle towards Butterfee once more.

"Butterfree, use Confusion!" Ash said quickly.

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue, and it stopped Staryu just before it collided with it again. Staryu then became enveloped in a blue light.

"Oh, no! Staryu!" Misty cried with worry.

"Send Staryu sailing back towards the platform!" Ash ordered.

Butterfree nodded and Staryu went flying back towards dry land and crashed on the platform rather painfully. It then got up slowly.

"Are you still good to battle, Staryu?" Misty asked, receiving a nod.

"Great. Let's try to get Butterfree from far away to avoid its Confusion. Use Water Gun!" Misty shouted.

Staryu jumped into water once again and began shooting many streams of water at Butterfree. As Butterfree moved back and forth dodging the jets of water, Ash couldn't help but be reminded of his gym battle with Brock, only Butterfree was dodging rocks instead of water then.

"Misty isn't like, doing too badly," Violet commented from the side. "She's better than I thought."

"Well, we inherited the beauty of this family so I guess it's only fair that she got some talent in other things," Lily agreed.

Eventually, Butterfree was beginning to tire out from dodging so much and Ash knew he had to think of something quickly. Confusion or Psychic wouldn't work since Staryu was halfway in the water, and it couldn't do a direct attack like Tackle either because it couldn't get close due to the water.

"Try your Gust attack to blow Staryu away!" Ash tried.

Butterfree began to flap its wings at Staryu, but Misty was ready.

Dive underwater to avoid the wind, Staryu," she ordered as Staryu complied.

"Darn! That's no good either!" Ash scowled. Something then occurred to him. "Hey wait a minute, maybe we can get to Staryu while it's underwater also. Butterfree! Use Gust on the pool!"

_"What's he up to?"_ Misty thought.

Butterfree began sending strong gusts of air towards the pool. At first, nothing happened except for a few ripples. As Butterfree continued to blow its Gust into the pool, the water began to become pretty choppy. It wasn't much longer before the pool began swaying back and forth violently. Water was splashing out of the pool and hitting the people outside of it, but Ash didn't care.

"Like, hey! Watch where you're splashing!" Daisy called as she and her sisters were continuously splashed by the turbulent waters. Serena was being splashed herself. She sulked slightly as her clothes were being drenched. She would make sure to get Ash back at some point for this.

Despite Staryu being an aquatic Pokemon, it was getting hard for it to maintain its control because of how violent the waters were. It was continuously being tossed around and was unable to swim while Butterfree was safely in the air out of harm's way. Staryu finally had no choice but to come out of the water, and Ash saw his chance.

"Butterfree! Now use Gust on Staryu!" Ash called

Butterfree then shifted its attention from the pool to Staryu and shot a large gust of wind at Staryu. The force was too much for Staryu to take, and it flew backwards and slammed hard into the Cerulean gym wall. It then slumped in defeat.

"Oh, Staryu," Misty muttered sadly at her fallen Pokemon

"That was great, Butterfree! Way to go!" Ash cheered.

Misty returned Staryu to her pokeball and gave Ash a serious look and said "You may have been able to beat Staryu, but this one is going be much harder! Misty calls…Starmie!"

The pokeball opened up to reveal a Pokemon that looked similar to Staryu except it was purple instead of tan in color. Its center red jewel was larger, and it had twice as many legs as Staryu.

"Starmie…" Ash muttered as he pulled out his pokedex.

"Starmie, the center core glows the seven colors of the rainbow and is sometimes valued as gem," said the pokedex.

"It's okay, Butterfree! You can do it! Let's make this two-for-two!" Ash encouraged.

Butterfree nodded and got ready for the battle.

"Starmie! Dive underwater!" Misty called.

Starmie obeyed and soon disappeared into the water. The pool had settled down since Butterfree had used Gust.

"Butterfree! Use Gust on the pool just like before!" Ash ordered.

"We're not falling for that one again, Ketchum!" Misty hollered. "Starmie use Tackle!"

Like Staryu before it, Starmie bolted out of the water and into a spin right towards Butterfree.

"Butterfree, use Confusion to stop it!" Ash called.

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue for a moment before Starmie was caught in the blue aura. Much to Ash's surprise, it broke free of the aura and continued to speed towards Butterfree until it collided with it, sending Butterfree reeling back again in pain.

"I don't get it. Why didn't Confusion work?" Ash wondered.

"Aside from Starmie being a lot stronger than Staryu, it's also gained a secondary typing in psychic. It can now resist Butterfree's Psychic attacks a lot easier," Misty answered.

Ash knew he was in trouble once he heard that.

"Starmie, let's give them a taste of their own medicine! Use your own Psychic attack!" Misty called.

Psychic waves began to emit from Starmie before they collided with Butterfree. Butterfree was knocked out of the air and into the water where it began to struggle to get out of the water despite its injuries.

Ash, knowing its defeat, decided to return it to its pokeball. "Butterfree, return!" he called. The beam returned Butterfree to its pokeball, and Ash smiled at it. "You were great, Butterfree. Thank you." He then turned to look down at Pikachu. "You're up, buddy!"

"Chu!" Pikachu cried as it jumped onto the second small platform in the pool.

Misty smiled. "Just because Pikachu is an electric type doesn't mean it has a huge advantage. It only has that small area to battle on while Starmie has the whole room!"

"We'll see about that!" Ash shot back. "Pikachu! Thundershock!"

"Starmie, dodge it!" Misty countered.

The electricity soared towards Starmie, but it was able to quickly move out of the way due to its speed.

"Starmie, dive underwater and use Tackle like before!" Misty commanded.

Once Starmie dove in the water, Pikachu began to scan the waters. It could see a vague shape moving around in the water, but it was very fast and then disappeared.

"Pikaaaaa" Pikachu mumbled as it was trying its hardest to keep track of Starmie. It then heard the splash of water signaling Starmie had come out, but it couldn't see it anywhere.

"Pikachu! Heads up!" it heard Ash call, but it was too late.

Starmie had come out of the water from behind Pikachu and slammed right into its backside, knocking it off the platform and into the pool. Starmie then returned underwater.

Ash knew it wouldn't be a good idea to have Pikachu use an electric attack inside of the water unless he risk hurting Pikachu (and probably frying everybody else in the Gym to a crisp as well). He tried to think of something but was unable to. In short, Pikachu was helpless in the water.

"Pikachu! Try to swim back to the platform!" Ash said to it.

Pikachu began dog paddling back to the platform as fast as it could, but Starmie was faster. It emerged from the water again, but this time from underneath Pikachu.

"Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried as it was sent soaring through the air.

"Starmie!" Use Water Gun!" hollered Misty.

Starmie shot a jet of water from its top point straight towards Pikachu where it collided with the rodent and sent soaring back onto the hard platform.

"Like, I think Misty might win this," Daisy said from the side as she and her sisters dried themselves with a towel. Serena was currently in a towel as well and trying to dry her clothes, too, but it was a lot harder for her since she wasn't in a swimsuit like Misty's sisters were.

"Pikachu, can you stand?" Ash asked with worry.

"Chuuu," Pikachu muttered tiredly as it slowly got up. It was running out of energy.

"I really hate having to hurt Pikachu like this, but it's necessary because of the Gym battle. One more attack should take care of it. Starmie! Use Tackle!" Misty called out.

Starmie then shot towards Pikachu at great speed once again.

"Pikachu!" Try Thundershock again!" Ash said through gritted teeth.

Pikachu once again launched the attack, but Starmie easily spun out of the way and continued its track to Pikachu. Pikachu was a sitting duck with nowhere to go. It would be in trouble both in and out of water.

Ash knew Pikachu probably couldn't take another hit, but he couldn't think of anything. Starmie was too fast to be hit by any of Pikachu's electric attacks. Ash had to admit Misty had trained her Pokemon well. The only way Pikachu would be able to hit Starmie would be if it was stunned. As Ash and Pikachu watched helplessly as Starmie came closer, Ash was reminded of the rocks that were thrown at Pikachu in the Pewter Gym. How they were traveling at a high speed and Pikachu had to use Iron Tail to deflect them…..Wait that's it!

"_I've got it!"_ Ash thought. He then called out, "Pikachu! Get an Iron Tail ready!"

Pikachu looked at its trainer and nodded its head as its tail began to glow white. It must have been thinking the same thing as its trainer.

Starmie was almost upon Pikachu, and it was ready. Pikachu got on all fours. Just as Starmie was about to collide with Pikachu, the rodent leaped into the air and swung its Iron Tail around right into Starmie. The force of both attacks caused incredible knockback for them both as they went soaring in different directions.

Pikachu did a flip in midair and regained its balance while Starmie was still flying backwards, still a little stunned since it received the brunt of the attack. Ash then saw his chance. "Pikachu! Thundershock!" he yelled.

Pikachu let loose a massive stream of electricity from its whole body. This Thundershock seemed to be a lot more intense then previous ones. Ash's face lit up with excitement once he realized what it was. Pikachu had learned Thunderbolt.

The electricity sailed towards Starmie who was unable to dodge due to its stunned state. It was engulfed in the massive amount of electricity.

"Oh, no! Starmie!" Misty exclaimed worriedly as her Pokemon continued to be shocked. It then began to fall through the air and back into the water where it disappeared.

Everyone in the gym, people and Pokemon alike, waited anxiously to see if Starmie would resurface. Everyone had a tense look on their faces. Soon, they saw a shape began to come towards the water's surface. Ash couldn't believe that Starmie could still have fight in it after such a powerful electric attack! Soon, however, he was proven wrong as Starmie broke the water's surface where it simply floated. Its red jewel was blinking in and out. It had been defeated.

"I can't believe it! You beat Starmie!" Misty exclaimed in disbelief.

"Alright! Way to go, Pikachu!" Ash congratulated.

Pikachu faced Ash and did a V-shape with its fingers before falling in exhaustion. Ash went over to it and scooped Pikachu up in his arms before he went over to where Misty's sisters, Serena, and Seel were waiting for him by the edge of the pool.

"That was awesome, Ash!" Serena praised once he reached them.

"Thanks, I couldn't have done it without my Pokemon!" he said. He then looked down at Pikachu in his arms. "Do I have the greatest Pokemon ever or what?" Pikachu smiled and nodded its head.

As Misty came over to join the group, she was expecting her sisters to make fun of her for losing, but to her surprise, they did just the opposite.

"Hey, Misty. That was like, a super awesome battle you did," Daisy said.

"Totally!" added Violet.

"You're a lot better than we made you out to be," Lily continued.

"What do you mean? I lost," Misty asked in bewilderment.

"Like that doesn't matter. The way you handled your Pokemon was great! You're an excellent trainer," Daisy answered.

"Wow. You mean it?" Misty asked hopefully.

"Totally! I mean you are one of the four Sensational Sisters, after all," Daisy smiled.

"You consider me a Sensational Sister?" Misty asked, her eyes shining with tears of happiness.

"Of course! Despite how we tease you, you know we still love you," Daisy reminded.

It was always one of Misty's goals to be recognized by her sisters. Misty wiped her eyes and turned to Ash. "Ash, you have definitely gotten a lot stronger since I first met you. You beat me fair and square. You really have earned the Cascade Badge." She then handed the blue, tear-shaped badge to Ash.

"Thanks, Misty," Ash replied as he set down Pikachu to take it. He then held it out in front of him. "I just got the Cascade Badge!"

"That was a great victory, Ash! How do you feel?" Serena asked him.

"I feel on top of the world! Like I can handle anybody!" Ash replied happily.

"Good! Then handle this!" Serena smirked as she quickly pushed Ash into the pool, causing quite a splash.

Ash resurfaced and glared at Serena. "Hey what was that for?!" he asked a little angrily.

"That was for completely drenching me and my clothes while you were battling," Serena replied with her hands on her hips. She then got closer to the pool to stick her tongue out at him, but Ash saw it coming.

"Hey, Serena! Think fast!" Ash said quickly. He then grabbed her by the leg and pulled her into the pool with him.

Serena gave a shriek as she fell into the pool and went underwater, her hat coming off in the process. Serena then came back up to see Ash laughing at her. She then gave Ash a death glare. "That's it, Ash Ketchum! You're going to get it!"

Seeing that look in her eyes, Ash decided to swim for his life. He immediately swam to get out of the pool as fast as he could with Serena right behind him. Everyone else looked on in amusement. Despite Ash being a good swimmer, he wasn't as fast as Serena. She caught Ash and easily overpowered him as she began to dunk him continuously until he cried for mercy.

* * *

><p>"I think we already missed the Battle Chateau challenge today so I guess we will just have to go tomorrow," Ash informed Serena.<p>

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were now walking through Cerulean City again by themselves. It was now about five-thirty in the evening, and Misty had decided to spend the rest of the day with her sisters. She told Ash and Serena they could stay at the Cerulean gym for the night if they liked, but they politely refused to give Misty better family time. They would just sleep in a Pokemon Center.

"That's okay. I have more time to prepare if we go tomorrow, anyway," Serena replied. She then added, "It's still going to be a couple of hours before we meet Brock so we might as well find a place to eat."

"I wish we would have asked Misty or her sisters if they knew of any good places to eat or something we could do for the next two hours," Ash sighed.

"I can't help you out with the food situation, but I know what we can do," Serena told Ash while giving him a wink.

"Really? What?" Ash asked curiously.

"Shopping!" Serena exclaimed happily as they stopped in front a mall and she stood in front of Ash. "It's been a while since I've been to the city. I bet there are some stores with some really cute outfits in that mall!" She put her hands on her cheeks and blushed at the thought.

Ash and Pikachu got terrified expressions on their faces. "Please, Serena! Not shopping! Anything but that!" Ash pleaded.

Serena gave a pouting look at Ash, but her face soon lit up with excitement and surprise when she saw someone approaching Ash from behind.

Ash was about to ask what was up when all of the sudden, his world was covered in complete darkness. Someone was covering up his eyes with their hands.

"Guess who?" a familiar voice asked playfully behind him.

Ash recognized the voice immediately but decided to humor the owner of it anyway. "Hmmm. It has to be some weird person who likes to sneak up on people."

"Jerk," the voice's owner responded in mock anger before removing their hands from Ash's eyes.

Ash turned around to see Leaf grinning broadly at him and Serena.

Ash gave her a smile back. "It's good to see you again, Leaf. How have you been?"

* * *

><p><strong>And that's a wrap for right now! The next chapter will have A LOT of content in it and is one of my longest chapters yet. I strongly considered breaking it up into two parts but couldn't find a good place to end half of it. So one super long chapter it will remain. I guess that's a good thing? And what on Earth is Brock doing right now?! The next chapter will be up next Tuesday evening as usual. See you all then!<br>**

**Please leave a review, follow, or fave my story if you like it. It's all of this encouragement why I am still doing this fic. I'm still determined to see it through until the end! **

**The poll for Misty's fate is closing NEXT TUESDAY when I update the story and be replaced with a new poll. Once again, if you haven't voted, please do so by next Tuesday! It's really close right now!**

**Chapter 14: Cerulean City Battle Chateau! Serena Vs. Leaf!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will misty still come up with a wisecrack to Brock's pick up lines every time she pulls him off by the ear?_

**_Yes she will. At least I will try to make them wisecracks. Forgive me if I have a dry sense of humor._**

_Will Misty still get a 'Psyduck sized headache' from our favorite Psyduck?_

**_Of course. It wouldn't be Psyduck if it didn't grate on Misty's nerves all of the time._**

_Can we still expect Jessie to get our favorite blue blob that is Wobbuffet?_

**_That's a huge spoiler for the story as it goes to whether Team Rocket appears in Johto or not which I don't want to reveal. I love Wobbuffet, and it will be in this story. I just won't reveal if it will become Jessie's Pokemon or someone else's._**

_I wanted to ask if Leaf and Serena are going enter the silver conference? I want them to have a piece of that action and show that Pallet Town pride._

**_Serena and Leaf won't enter the Silver Conference. They have other ways to show that Pallet Town pride. Serena is trying to rise to the top in the Battle Chateau while Leaf is completing the pokedex. I suppose you could call them Ash's cheerleaders while he is participating in the tournaments. Likewise, Ash will do the same for them when they compete in a tournament.  
><em>**

_One thing that concerns me is when you discussed the possibility of Serena being stronger than Ash. While I wouldn't mind this for some other characters, Ash's goal is to become the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer, and the only way to achieve that is by being the best._

**_When did I say Serena would be stronger than Ash? If I gave anyone that impression, I certainly wasn't trying to. I merely said Serena would establish her own identity like Ash does._**

Like Charizard, will you have Pidgeot come back in some chapters to help Ash out in battles?

_**Pidgeot will stay with the flock always to be able to protect it. If it helped Ash in battles, it would be gone for a while leaving the flock vulnerable to attack. That being said, Pidgeot will be seen in battle a few times after Ash leaves it. In what ways, you will have to wait and see!**_

_Also, since Ash is gonna be more when he goes through the regions, will he be able to tame Pokemon like Poochyena and Mightyena?_

**_Of course. Pokemon like that won't stop Ash. He will be getting an Aerodactly later on after all from his old amber fossil. Those things are far more viscous than a Mightyena._**

_What if Ash got a Pokemon egg which will hatch into Riolu, the Pre-evolved form of Lucario?_

**_Ash might get a Riolu later on in the series, but it won't be in Kanto or Orange Islands._**

_Do you plan throwing in minor recurring characters from the anime around like Todd Snap the photographer or Angie from the Sinnoh Summer School arc, as examples?_

**_Angie will be in Sinnoh, but she may make an appearance that's different from the anime. As for Todd Snap, as of right now, he is in this story, but I'm changing my mind a lot. He is in one moment and then out the next. I'll just have to play it by ear to see if he has a place in this story._**

_Will there be more rivals for them in the other regions then what has been seen?_

**_Most likely._**

_Will Ash get a Honedge?_

**_I have no clue as that is a Kalos Pokemon, and I'm still not sure if Kalos Pokemon will appear yet.  
><em>**

_Are you gonna get Damian arrested or beat up really bad in this?_

**_I have plans for Damian and what will happen to him._**

_What about Serena's father, and will she know how to bake like in the anime._

_**That's an intereting question as I haven't thought about Serena's father yet. Now that you mention it, that might be a good arc to cover as well at some point in the series. For the other question...yes she will bake, but Serena doesn't know how to bake and cook yet but will learn from Brock later on.  
><strong>_

_Will Ash capture a Dratini in this arc or are you saving him capturing a Pseudo-Legendary till when Gible arrives?_

**_SPOILER ALERT! SKIP IF YOU WANT! (Yes Ash will get a Dratini later on in Kanto)_**

_Will Lapras be a temporary pokemon just like in the anime or will Ash get one during the Silph Co chapters?_

**_As of right now, I still don't plan for Lapras to appear until the Orange Islands. Ash MIGHT end up keeping it permanently but no promises._**

_Will Misty tame a Gyarados while traveling with Ash?_

**_Yes. Misty will be getting a Magikarp in a few chapters and it will evolve into Gyarados at some point._**

_Do you plan to write special chapters regarding holidays and national events?_

**_Probably not as there are enough of those on the site right now, but hey, I may change my mind later. They won't be part of the actual story, though. Probably separate._**


	14. Cerulean City Chateau! Serena Vs Leaf!

**A/N: I'm going to be honest and say you guys will either like this chapter or not, mostly because of Serena's behavior. That being said, I think it is necessary for her to act like this in order to learn from her mistakes and grow as a person. After this chapter and the next arc of Ash capturing Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, this story really starts to diverge from canon. You readers will be introduced to many fresh ideas in the story so hopefully that will cause the story to be even more enjoyable.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 14: Cerulean City Chateau! Serena vs. Leaf!<p>

"Leaf!" Serena cried as she ran forward to give her best friend a hug. "We haven't seen you since you left Pallet Town!"

"I know!" Leaf squealed back, returning the hug. "I've really missed you guys. Just today, I was hoping to see both of you soon, and here you are!"

They both released each other, and Leaf went over to give Ash a bone-crushing hug as well. "What about you, Ash?" she asked.

"_Gasp…_I just earned my second badge," Ash choked out.

"Really!? Can I see?!" Leaf asked excitedly as she released him.

Ash took a second to catch his breath. Then he opened the inside part of his sleeveless jacket and proudly showed Leaf the two badges pinned to it.

"That's really great, Ash! I'm so happy for you!" she grinned.

"So what are you doing here in Cerulean City?" Ash asked.

"I've actually been here in Cerulean City for a few days trying to find the various Pokemon around the area. I've already seen over fifty kinds of Pokemon and caught plenty of them also!" Leaf replied.

"That's amazing! You're well on your way to completing the Pokedex!" Serena said excitedly as Ash nodded in approval as well.

"I also ran into Gary briefly," Leaf mentioned.

"You did?!" Ash exclaimed. That bit of information immediately got his attention. "What was he doing?"

"He had just received his second badge, also. He even asked about you two, but I told him that I hadn't seen any of you either," Leaf said sadly. She then rolled her eyes. "Then he just HAD to start bragging about how great he was. I just tuned out that part."

Ash and Serena laughed at that. Their friends hadn't changed a bit.

"I just got back into town from exploring outside the city and was hoping to see some of the sights before I leave," Leaf said as she looked towards the mall. "So I figured I would start by going shopping!"

"Ash and I were just fixing to do that, too!" Serena exclaimed as her eyes lit up.

"We were?" Ash questioned in a scared tone.

"In that case, we can all go shopping together!" Leaf suggested. "It'll be fun!"

"Uh, you two girls go ahead and do that. Pikachu and I will go do something else in the meantime," Ash said nervously as he began to back away from Serena and Leaf.

"You're not going anywhere, Ash," Leaf said as she directed her attention to him. She and Serena then leered at Ash. "Someone needs to carry our bags."

Ash gulped. "Um, I think you two are strong enough to carry your own bags."

"You're a boy so be a gentleman!" Leaf scolded as she and Serena each grabbed one of Ash's hands and began to drag him towards the mall.

"Kill me now, Pikachu," Ash pleaded while looking at the rodent as it was being left behind.

Pikachu snickered at Ash's predicament and shook its head while it waved good-bye to its trainer. Its laughter was short-lived, however, as Serena reached out and grabbed Pikachu to carry it along as well.

* * *

><p>If there was one thing aside from crooks that Ash really hated, it was shopping, and that is the predicament he and Pikachu found themselves in at the moment. To say he felt like he was being tortured was spot on. Leaf and Serena were being shop-a-holics right now while Ash was forced to carry their bags. Pikachu was unable to carry anything big so it was left with the tiny things. What made it even worse was Serena and Leaf decided to shop for their Pokemon as well which just gave more bags for Ash to carry.<p>

Deciding to give Ash a break for carrying their things, Serena and Leaf treated him to supper, which he gladly accepted. They were currently eating at the food court in the mall with the pile of bags beside their table. They even got Pikachu some ketchup, which the rodent was licking at greedily. Ash and Serena were taking this time to get reacquainted with Leaf.

"So Serena. I know Ash has been collecting badges. What have you been doing?" Leaf inquired.

"I've actually decided to start participating in the Battle Chateau. I saw an advertisement for it at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City and thought it was interesting," Serena told her.

"Oh yeah! I remember seeing something for that, too. Have you risen any in of the rankings?" Leaf asked.

Serena's face darkened slightly. "Unfortunately, no. Both Ash and I tried it out in Virdian City and were beaten badly. That's the only one I have tried so far, but I'm determined to beat this one!"

"That's the spirit! It looks like you guys are doing great at training your Pokemon!" Leaf approved while nodding.

"Speaking of training Pokemon, you aren't doing any sort of battling goal, Leaf. Do you train yours at all or just capture them?" Ash asked before having his shin kicked from underneath the table by Serena. Ash grunted slightly and realized how rude that must have sounded.

"I mean…I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that! I just…," he tried to correct.

"It's fine, Ash," Leaf chuckled. "I know you didn't mean anything bad by it. To answer your question, I've actually been training very hard. I haven't done any gym battling, but I've battled a few trainers here and there. I always make sure to dedicate some part of my day to bond with my Pokemon, whether it be training, battling, or doing other things with them."

"That's great! I'd definitely like to have a Pokemon battle with you to see how you've done!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"Normally, I would take you up on that offer, but my Pokemon and I are super tired from exploring today. It will have to be some other time," Leaf smiled sadly.

"Well, that's okay. Just promise me one next time we run into each other," Ash told her.

"You got it, Ash!" Leaf replied while winking.

Serena then looked at a nearby clock on the wall. It was about six forty-five. They would need to be meeting Brock again soon.

"Hey, Ash. It's almost seven o'clock," she told him.

"Oh yeah! We need to meet up with Brock," Ash remembered as he got out of his seat.

"Who's Brock?" Leaf questioned.

"He's one of the friends we're traveling with," Ash told her. "I battled him for my Boulder Badge, and he decided to come with us on our journey to be the best Pokemon Breeder. Would you like to meet him?"

"Sure. Why not?" Leaf shrugged.

The group and Pikachu quickly gathered their bags and left the food court.

* * *

><p>"Yo, Brocko!" Ash called once he, Serena, Leaf, and Pikachu saw him in the distance waiting in the spot where they agreed to meet.<p>

Brock noticed the group and ran over to them. "Hey, guys. What all have you done today?" he asked.

"See for yourself," Ash replied as he showed Brock his Cascade Badge.

"Way to go, Ash," Brock congratulated as he and Ash fist bumped.

"Yeah. Would you believe that I battled Misty this time to earn it?" Ash asked him. "She was one of the Sensational Sisters that qualified as a gym leader."

"Imagine that," Brock said to himself. "Maybe that was why she was so reluctant to come here. Speaking of Misty, where is she?"

"She is spending the night with her sisters at the gym, so we are on our own at the Pokemon Center," Serena told him.

It was then Brock saw Leaf among the group. "Oh, hello. What's your name?" Brock asked politely.

"I'm Leaf! I'm a long time friend of Ash and Serena. I started my journey at the same time they did," Leaf said in a bubbly tone.

Brock smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Brock," he introduced to which Leaf nodded in response. He then addressed everyone else. "Well, since it's getting late, we better head to the Pokemon Center so we can get a good night's sleep."

"Right, I need to be prepared for my Battle Chateau challenge tomorrow," Serena said as they began to head in the Pokemon Center's direction.

"Actually, I was thinking of participating in the Battle Chateau tomorrow as well to see what the hype is about. It sounds like fun!" Leaf told the group.

"Really?" Serena asked in surprise. She then grinned. "That would be awesome to have another friend be there with me!"

"Great!" Leaf replied happily. "I think this will be a great way for me to test how well I've been training my Pokemon."

"Yeah. Just look out because you have me to face as well!" Serena reminded Leaf.

"Hee Hee! I know, but I won't go down without a fight!" Leaf giggled. She then turned to Ash. "Will you root for me, Ash?"

"You bet!" Ash said enthusiastically as he gave her a high five. "Best of luck to you!" He then added, "Ahh, a friendly rivalry between you and Serena tomorrow. If only I could have something like that with Gary."

"Of course, Ash! Serena and I just get along like that! We would never fight over who is better or who is going to win over silly reasons! Isn't that right, Serena?" Leaf asked while turning to face her.

"Absolutely!" Serena agreed. A thought then suddenly occurred to her. Leaf had already proven herself to be a competent battler from what Samurai had told her. Also, the Battle Chateau was full of trainers just as serious as she was. No, this couldn't happen. She was starting to get nervous again. Another bad thought then came to Serena. Who would Ash be rooting for tomorrow? He had already told her that he would be rooting for her, but that was before they ran into Leaf, and now he just said he would want Leaf to win. Ash had known Leaf a lot longer than he knew her so what if he rooted for Leaf instead of her? What if Ash liked Leaf more than he liked her? What's worse is if Leaf liked Ash back.

"Hey, Serena. What's wrong?" Ash inquired once he saw the tense look on her face. Leaf also looked concerned.

Serena shook her head. These thoughts were completely ridiculous. She couldn't believe how selfish she was being. Knowing Ash, he would probably root for both of them. Despite her crush, having her want Ash to only want her to win would be completely selfish and not fair to Leaf. These two were her best friends, and she would not be the one to cause problems.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Serena told them as her face softened and she gave a smile. Despite this, she still had one nagging thought in her head that wouldn't go away. What do Ash and Leaf think of each other?

* * *

><p>The Battle Chateau in Cerulean City looked just as majestic as the first one in Viridian City. The group couldn't help but still be in awe at the sight of the building. Misty still hadn't joined the group and had opted to spend more time at the Cerulean City Gym. The group would go to get her once they were finished with the Battle Chateau.<p>

This was Leaf's first time to go in one so she was really excited. "Come on! Let's go!" Leaf squealed as she began to pull at Ash and Serena to go in.

"Hahahaha! You don't have to pull at us! We're coming! You're a little too eager!" Ash laughed.

Leaf smirked at him. "Oh yeah? You are one to talk, Ash Ketchum! Who was the one who always went exploring and jumped headfirst with me into all sorts of trouble when we were younger?"

"That might have been me," Ash said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "We certainly have a lot in common, don't we?"

"Yep!" Leaf smiled at him. She then began to pull at Ash and Serena again to go inside. "Now come on!"

As she and Ash were being pulled by Leaf, that same nagging thought had come back to Serena. Leaf and Ash really did have a lot in common, more so than Serena had with Ash. She knew Ash, she and Leaf were best friends so Serena couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. This was no different than how Leaf and Ash usually acted around each other, so why was she suddenly acting...jealous? She wasn't actually jealous of Ash and Leaf's relationship, was she?

"Welcome to the Battle Chateau, beaus and dames!" Hennessy greeted once the group was inside.

"Hennessy!? You come here also?" Serena asked in surprise.

"I beg your pardon, madam, but have we met?" Hennessy politely asked.

"Yes. You were the head butler at the Viridian City Battle Chateau," Serena told him.

Hennessy gave a light chuckle. "Hahaha. That is my first cousin. We are often mistaken for one and the same. In fact, all of the head butlers at the Battle Chateau are named Hennessy, and we all look alike!"

The group sweatdropped. It was the same way with Hennessy as it was with the Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys.

"In any case, which of you will be taking part in our tournament today?" Hennessy asked the group.

"I will," Serena answered.

"Me, too!" Leaf chirped.

Hennessy nodded. "Very well. Please follow me as I lead you to the other rooms to change your clothes," he said as he began to walk down the huge hallway.

"Wow, this place is so big," Leaf said in wonder as she looked at the beautiful room.

"I know! It's like we are in a real castle!" Serena giggled causing Leaf to smile back at her.

Hennessy stopped walking once they came across two maids who bowed to all of them.

"Please lead these two dames to their changing rooms. They wish to participate in today's tournament," Hennessy told them politely while gesturing to Leaf and Serena.

"Of course," the maids replied before walking off down another corridor, Serena and Leaf following suit.

Ash, Brock, Pikachu were now left alone, and Brock decided to break the silence.

"You sure are lucky, Ash," Brock told him.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked him curiously.

Brock got a mischievous smile on his face. "I mean, you have all of these girls that like you and travel with you. Why don't you do anything about it?"

"Huh?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Serena and Leaf are pretty cute, Ash," Brock teased.

Ash turned beet red. "Please stop it, Brock," he muttered embarrassedly.

"Heheheh. Whenever you are older, you will understand. Just come to your old buddy Brock for love advice when you're ready," Brock said while giving Ash a thumbs-up.

"Oh, brother," Ash mumbled as he covered his face with his palm while Pikachu snickered. Why was Brock teasing him about Serena and Leaf? They were just his friends, weren't they? He had known Leaf since childhood. She was pretty, of course, and he certainly liked her.

Then there was Serena, whom he was also glad to have in his life. He still remembered the time they met at summer camp. He would help her out all over again just so she could still be his friend. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he always felt his relationship with Serena was different. It felt like something more than friendship sometimes. What could it be? Maybe Brock was right. He might understand when he's older.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Serena and Leaf arrived back from the changing room. Serena was dressed in the same pink outfit as the first time she was at the Battle Chateau. Leaf was in the same style of dress as Serena but hers was lime green in color. She also had her hair tied back with a green ribbon instead of a pink headband like Serena had. Like Serena, she had left her hat behind. Ash was quite impressed with how pretty they looked.

"So guys? Do I look okay?" Leaf asked Ash and Brock in a somewhat embarrassed tone while placing her hands behind her back.

"You look more than okay. You look excellent!" Brock complimented while nodding in approval.

Ash continued to stare until he was elbowed by Brock. "Oh yes! You look awesome, Leaf!" Ash smiled.

"What about me, Ash?" Serena asked almost sadly.

"How could I forget you, Serena? You look just as great as you did the last time, if not better," Ash told her, also with a smile.

Serena felt a little better after hearing that from Ash. "Thank you, Ash," she said.

Ash didn't notice anything different about her tone, but Leaf did. "Serena, is there anything wrong? You aren't as cheerful as you normally are," Leaf pointed out.

"I'm fine. I think I'm just a little nervous," Serena half-lied.

Ash and Brock nodded their heads in understanding while Leaf stared at Serena suspiciously. She knew something more was up with her friend than just a little nervousness.

"If I may, it is time to start the tournament. Do I need to go over the rules with anyone?" Hennessy asked.

Serena and Leaf shook their head no. Serena had explained the rules to Leaf on the way to the changing room.

"In that case, may the young madam in the green dress come with me? You are up first. Your friends my watch from the side, of course," Hennessy said as he motioned for them to follow him.

The group was led into the large battle room with a judge in the center. Hennessy bowed to the group one last time before exiting the room.

"Here I go. I think this is the first serious battle I've done so far. I'm kind of nervous," Leaf said.

"Leaf, you'll do awesome! You have all of us rooting for you! Right, guys?" Ash addressed the others.

"You got it!" Brock smiled.

"Of course!" Serena confirmed as well.

Leaf then stepped over to the end of the battle hall while the rest of the group went to the edge to watch. Leaf's opponent soon came out of the room as well. It was another girl who had blonde hair in pigtails. She also seemed to carry a somewhat haughty expression.

"May the two dames please curtsey to one another before choosing their Pokemon," The judge said.

Leaf smiled and did a curtsey before the girl who gave a small one in exchange.

"You may now choose your Pokemon!" the judge announced.

Ash was really eager to see which Pokemon Leaf would send out. He had forgotten to ask her which ones she had on hand right now. Serena stood quietly watching, wondering how good Leaf was should they go up against one another.

"Sandshrew! I choose you!" Leaf cried as she sent out a small, sand colored mouse Pokemon with a cream underbelly. It stood on two legs and had a really tough hide. It had two claws on each foot and three claws on each hand.

Ash and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan the new Pokemon. "Sandshrew, the mouse Pokemon. This Pokemon burrows in the ground in arid regions which it uses to protect itself," the pokedexes said.

"In that case, I shall choose Meowth!" the other girl responded as she sent out her Pokemon.

Unlike Team Rocket's Meowth, it looked like a typical Meowth. It was female, stood on four legs instead of two and apparently lacked human speech.

"This is an official Battle Chateau Challenge between Leaf and Elsa! There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Alright, Sandshrew! Let's shake things up with Magnitude!" Leaf ordered.

Sandshrew gave a cry and stomped its foot hard on the ground, causing the room to shake. Due to the special way the room was built for battles, it kept its trainers and any spectators from feeling the vibrations. The Meowth still felt the brunt of the attack. It was struggling to stay on its feet which Leaf used to her advantage.

"Great, Sandshrew! Now use Poison Sting!" Leaf called out.

Sandshrew shot out a barrage of glowing needles which struck Meowth dead-on.

"We aren't done yet! Meowth! Use Screech!" Elsa ordered.

The Meowth then let out an ear-piercing screech causing everyone else in the room to cover their ears. Sandshrew received the brunt of the attack and its defense was harshly lowered.

"Use Quick Attack, Meowth!" Elsa ordered as her Meowth dashed forward at great speed and slammed into Sandshrew.

Sandshrew was sent toppling backwards and landed on its back. The attack had clearly hurt more due to the Screech.

"One more Quick Attack should do it, Meowth!" Elsa called out.

"Hurry Sandshrew! Use Defense Curl!" Leaf yelled.

Sandshrew was able to curl into a tight ball just before the Meowth slammed into it once more. The mouse Pokemon was sent flying backwards but still managed to maintain its curled up position.

"Sandshrew! Turn that Defense Curl into a Rollout!" Leaf shouted.

Sandshrew then began to spin very fast. It soon landed on the ground and spun towards the Meowth. It then crashed into it though it didn't seem to do much damage. The Meowth looked a little dazed from the attack but still seemed ready to fight.

"Keep using Rollout!" Leaf ordered.

The Sandshrew then gave a sharp turn as it picked up speed. It then collided with Meowth again. This time it seemed to do more damage.

"Try to stop that Sandshrew in its tracks, Meowth!" the girl cried.

The Meowth was unable to, however. By then, the Rollout had grown too strong, and it was knocked backwards onto the ground in defeat.

"We have a winner! Meowth is unable to battle which makes Leaf and Sandshrew the winners of the first round!" the judge announced while waving his flag in Leaf's direction.

"Rollout. I've never seen that move before," Ash muttered.

"Rollout is a move that increases in power the more times it is used. That's why it did more damage with each successive hit," Brock explained.

"Oh. I see. I have to admit. Even though Leaf isn't going for the Pokemon League, she is still a pretty good battler," Ash commented.

"Yeah," Serena agreed.

"Hey, guys!" Leaf called as she and Sandshrew went over to them.

"You did super, Leaf! I was really impressed!" Ash praised.

"I was as well. You had a good strategy by keeping the Meowth off balance like that," Brock agreed

"Thanks!" Leaf smiled, but she then noticed Serena wasn't saying anything. "Serena, how did I do?"

Serena got a smile on her face. "You did really well, Leaf! Congratulations!" she told her.

Despite the friendly remark, Leaf could tell how forced Serena sounded. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on with her friend.

* * *

><p>Here she was. Serena was about to participate in her first Battle Chateau tournament round since Viridian City. Even though she knew she had to relax and keep a cool head, she couldn't help but be really nervous. Even if she did manage to win all the way up to the final round, there was still the possibility Leaf would be there as well, and she appeared to be really good. What if she lost and Leaf won? What if she lost the first round again? Ash would be happy and proud of Leaf instead of her. She couldn't let that happen.<p>

"Before we begin, may the dame and beau please curtsey and bow to one another respectively?" the judge told them.

Serena curtsied while a blonde-haired, husky boy bowed back.

"You may now choose your Pokemon!" the judge called.

Serena tried to focus on what options she had. Charla clearly had the most battle experience so far, but she would need to save it for the final round (if she got that far). Nidoran had battled a few times but not as much as Charla. Her Jigglypuff had hardly had a real battle at all. Knowing she would need her more experienced Pokemon later, she made her decision.

"Jigglypuff, go!" she cried as she threw Jigglypuff's pokeball to release it. Jigglypuff came from the pokeball and began to wave and bow before an invisible crowd. It seemed to still like to pretend it was on stage.

"Let's go Poliwhirl!" the other trainer yelled as a medium-sized, blue tadpole Pokemon appeared. It hard two arms and legs and what looked like white gloves on its hands. It had no mouth and had a vortex facing counterclockwise on its white stomach.

"Hmm, a Poliwhirl," Serena muttered as she scanned it.

"Poliwhirl, the tadpole Pokemon and the evolved form of Poliwag. This Pokemon can live both in and out of water. The spiral on its stomach causes drowsiness," the pokedex said.

"Be careful, Serena! Poliwhirl's an evolved Pokemon!" Ash warned.

Serena heard his warning and frowned. Did Ash think that just because Poliwhirl was evolved that she couldn't handle it? Did he think Leaf would be better suited to face an evolved Pokemon instead of her?

"_Quit it, Serena! Ash isn't like that at all! What's wrong with me? I'm being so unfair to Ash and Leaf right now! They are my best friends!" _Serena thought to herself.

"This is an official match in the Battle Chateau Tournament between Serena and Joseph! There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge called.

"Poliwhirl! Use Water Gun on Jigglypuff!" Joseph called out. Poliwhirl immediately shot out a jet of water at Jigglypuff which pushed it back into the wall. Jigglypuff shook it off and got an angry look on its face for getting wet.

"That's okay, Jigglypuff! Use Pound!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff began to puff up so it could float and began to fly towards Poliwhirl.

"Shoot that Jigglypuff out of the sky with Water Gun," Joseph said.

The Poliwhirl once again shot a stream of water at Jigglypuff. However, Jigglypuff was quicker in the air and dodged the attack. It then reached Poliwhirl and smashed its fist into Poliwhirl's face which caused it to cry in pain.

"Grab Jigglypuff and use Mega Punch, Poliwhirl!" the other trainer called.

Poliwhirl reached out and grabbed Jigglypuff before it could get away. It then reared its arm back and delivered a powerful punch to Jigglypuff's face. Jigglypuff was sent sailing back but slowed down significantly due to it still being inflated. It rubbed its cheek and glared at the Poliwhirl. How dare that Poliwhirl punch it in the face like some punk! It wanted to be a star! It'll show this Pokemon!

Without waiting for Serena's orders, Jigglypuff flew forward and began to ruthlessly slap Poliwhirl across the face continuously, surprising the Poliwhirl as well as everyone else in the room.

"Puff! Puff! Puff!" Jigglypuff yelled as it continued to slap Poliwhirl silly. Once it was finished, it deflated itself and began to pound it back and forth.

Serena, Ash, Brock, Leaf, and Pikachu continued to stare in surprise at how Jigglypuff was acting.

"Poliwhirl! Try to fight back!" Joseph cried out.

It was no use, though. Jigglypuff was delivering such a barrage of attacks that Poliwhirl was unable to retaliate. It finally couldn't take it anymore and fell over with swirls for eyes. Jigglypuff then stood over Poliwhirl in victory.

"Puff!" it cried. Nobody would punch its beautiful face and get away with it!

"Uhhh, Poliwhirl is unable to battle! Jigglypuff is the winner!" the judge said, somewhat in shock at the display that went on.

Serena was incredibly happy she won her first match at the Battle Chateau but decided Jigglypuff could still use some training. She chuckled nervously once she saw her opponent was glaring at her from across the room. He returned Poliwhirl and left the room rather swiftly.

"That was a great battle, Serena!" Ash said as he went over to her. "You won your first Battle Chateau challenge! I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you, Ash," Serena said quietly.

"Hey, Serena. I know Jigglypuff might have acted a little out of line for its first battle. All you need to do is make sure to have a few more battles with it to prove yourself. You two will be just fine," Brock assured her.

Serena shut her eyes tight. This day had been really stressful for her so far. She was acting like a jealous fool. She was worried about Ash and Leaf liking each other, and even though she won the round in the Battle Chateau, it felt more like it was all because of Jigglypuff's attitude rather than Serena's training. That made the win more embarrassing than anything. Plus, she still had three more battles to win before she could achieve a new rank.

Her friends continued to stand around her in confusion. They just weren't getting why Serena was acting this way.

* * *

><p>It had been a really tough time, but both Serena and Leaf had managed to win the next two rounds. Leaf had used a Spearow and a Beedrill to battle in the next rounds, while Serena had stuck to her Nidoran. She felt a bit better after winning the next two rounds the right way, but was still upset because of everything else. The group was currently out in the lobby. They were given five minutes of rest to prepare. Now the final round of the Battle Chateau Challenge was about to begin, and as Serena had feared, she was facing her friend, Leaf.<p>

She wanted to beat Leaf so bad! If she lost, Ash would notice how good Leaf was instead of her! She had to win! She couldn't take it anymore after all of the hugs and high-fives she had seen Ash and Leaf give each other! She had pushed all of her feelings of regret away by now. She had to beat Leaf in order to receive recognition from Ash!

"So, Ash? Who do you want to win?" Leaf asked him while smiling.

Ash smiled back. "You don't have to ask me that, Leaf. It's obvious. If I could choose, I would be happy if you won, but…."

"What about me, Ash!?" Serena suddenly cried out, causing everyone to look at her in surprise and confusion. "Don't you want me to win as well?! We've been traveling together for the past few weeks! Why are you picking Leaf over me?!"

"Serena, I-I….Of course I want you to win. I was going to say I want both you and Leaf to win. You didn't let me finish. You're both my friends. I don't want to see any of you lose. I can't choose one of you over the other," Ash said, completely taken aback.

Leaf then got a very rare but still angry look on her face. "What's wrong with you, Serena? This isn't like you at all! What happened to us not fighting over who would win?"

"It's nothing," Serena lied. Leaf didn't buy it.

"We are going to have a talk right now!" Leaf said firmly as she grabbed Serena by the wrist and began to drag her off into a nearby bathroom. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu watched in confusion, still pretty surprised by Serena's outburst.

"_What is wrong with you, Serena? I hate seeing you like this," _Ash thought. If only he knew.

* * *

><p>"What's gotten into you, Serena?!" Leaf asked angrily once they were in the bathroom. "You've been acting really distant all day and even shouted at Ash!"<p>

Serena avoided eye contact with Leaf and stared at the ground. She had done the very thing she told herself she wouldn't do: be the one who was causing problems.

"I-I'm…." Serena stuttered.

"Yes?" Leaf urged.

"Do you like Ash, like…more than a friend?" Serena asked and immediately realized how childish she sounded right now. Despite that, she couldn't take it anymore. She had to know if any of her fears were justified. It still wouldn't excuse her behavior, though.

Leaf immediately understood where she was going with this and gave Serena a hard stare. "Serena, you're the one that has a crush on Ash! Do you really think I'm the type of girl who would try to steal Ash from you, after knowing that you like him? I thought we knew each other better than that!" she exclaimed.

Serena immediately got a look of regret on her face. Leaf was one of the first people who knew of her crush on Ash and had even supported her. Now, here Serena was, thinking her best friend was trying to win Ash's affection, also! She felt horrible. Ash and Leaf were acting no different than they usually do with each other, so why did she feel jealous now and not before? Maybe she….

"Serena, you should know better than anyone how close Ash and I are," Leaf scolded slightly, still having a frown on her face. "It's true that I like Ash, but not like that. He's like a twin brother to me, and I can tell Ash doesn't like me as more than a friend, either."

"I-I'm so sorry, Leaf," Serena said as tears began to spill from her eyes. "You two are such great friends to me, and I began treating you all terribly just because I was jealous. It seems I've still got a lot of maturing to do."

"Ash and I have a great relationship, Serena, but you have a great one with him as well," Leaf told her. "You get to travel with him every day now. You get to see all of his battles. He gets to see yours as well. You get to be with him all the time and experience things together. Because of this, you two can support each other every day."

Serena had though about the words Leaf had said. She was right. She and Ash had been through so many things together. She had no right to be jealous of another girl's relationship with him.

"Not to mention, I think Ash acts differently towards you than me, and I mean that in a good way. I think he might have some suppressed feelings for you as well. He is just hasn't realized them yet," Leaf told her.

"Do you forgive me, Leaf?" Serena asked with tears still in her eyes.

"I will on one condition," Leaf stated.

"What's that?" Serena asked.

"We have a great final battle together as friends, not rivals. Also, no matter who wins, we are happy for the other for their friend's victory just like we agreed in the first place," Leaf told her while finally losing her frown to replace it with a smile.

Serena dried her tears and gave Leaf a smile of her own. "You got it, Leaf!" She then added, "And I also promise to control my emotions a lot better. It was wrong of me to act the way I did because I misunderstood everything."

"That sounds more like the Serena I know," Leaf smiled.

"Yeah! Let's go have a great battle! Just watch out because I'm going to win!" Serena said with determination as they left the bathroom.

"Uh, is everything okay?" Ash asked awkwardly once he saw the girls reemerge from the bathroom.

"Everything has been settled, Ash!" Leaf said while giving him a wink.

However, there was one thing Serena still had to do. She went over to Ash and embraced him with a hug. "I'm really sorry, Ash," she said sincerely.

"Uh, Serena?" Ash questioned. He was rather surprised by this sudden gesture from Serena. He gave a questioning look at Leaf who just nodded her head in Ash's direction. Ash knew that was a signal to just accept the hug. He slowly wrapped his arms around Serena to return the embrace.

Brock and Pikachu smiled as they watched the scene before him. It was just as they thought. There was certainly something going on between those two.

* * *

><p>Serena and Leaf were now standing at each end of the battle hall ready to face each other. Serena had gotten over her jealousy and nervousness after talking to Leaf and now had her focus completely on the battle in front of her. She felt more than ready right now and was determined to receive the rank of Viscountess.<p>

"This is an official match of the Battle Chateau tournament! Whoever wins this round shall receive their plaque and move up to the next rank! The trainers may now curtsey to one another and choose their Pokemon!" the judge announced.

Serena and Leaf did as told and gave polite curtsies to one another. It was then time to choose their Pokemon.

"Come on out, Charla!" Serena called once she threw the pokeball. With Charla being the most experienced so far, she hoped she could win.

"I see you are saving your strongest for last! I was doing the same thing!" Leaf called out. "Ivysaur, I choose you!" She then threw the pokeball.

The group watched as a Pokemon the looked similar to Bulbasaur appeared. It was a little larger than one and was a darker shade of blue. Instead of a bulb on its back, it had bloomed into a bud.

"An Ivysaur…" Serena muttered as she pulled out her pokedex.

"Ivysaur, the seed Pokemon and the evolved form of Bulbasaur. Exposure to sunlight adds to its strength and makes the bud on its back grow larger," the pokedex spoke.

"_That must be the Bulbasaur she started out with,"_ Serena thought. "_It's already evolved."_ She hoped that Charla could stand up to the challenge.

"This is great! We can each battle with our starter Pokemon! Just because Charmander has the type advantage doesn't mean I can't win!" Leaf told her.

Ash and Brock stood watching on the sidelines. They were both happy Serena was feeling a lot better now than she was earlier. They also knew that this would be a tough fight for both of them. No matter who won, though, they would be happy for their friend.

"This match will have no time limit! Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Charla, use Ember!" Serena shouted.

Charla blew forward, and its embers shot out like a rocket and struck Ivysaur dead on, causing it to yell from the super effective hit.

"Shake it off, Ivysaur, and use Vine Whip!" Leaf called.

Ivysaur then shot out its vines and flung them at Charla. Charla had tried to run out of the way, but the vines followed it and grabbed it. Charla was then lifted off of the ground and into the air.

"Now that you have control of it, you know what to do, Ivysaur!" Leaf told it.

Ivysaur then began to slam Charla onto the ground continuously with its vines.

Serena cringed at the situation Charla was in. She had to get her Charla to break free.

"Charla, use Ember!" Serena called to it.

Charla then shot its embers out again, but Ivysaur was ready this time and jumped out of the way despite the speed the embers were traveling. It then continued to slam Charla into the ground.

"_This isn't good if Ivysaur's quick enough to get out of the way,"_ Serena thought. She then noticed how the vines were attached to Ivysaur and had an idea.

"Charla, use Ember again, but this time use it on the vines!" Serena called.

"Oh no! Ivysaur, throw Charmander away from you!" Leaf cried.

Ivysaur swung its vines around and threw Charla through the air, but not before Charla was able to light Ivysaur's vines on fire with Ember. The fire traveled along the vines until they got to Ivysaur where it began to get burned.

Charla was able to land on its feet despite the powerful throw. It was still showing signs of fatigue, however. Meanwhile, Ivysaur had withdrawn it vines back into itself to stop the fire.

"Use Sweet Scent, Ivysaur," Leaf called.

Ivysaur then released an aroma from its bud that drifted toward Charla. Charla breathed in the smell and got a relaxed look on its face. It felt so peaceful.

"Charla! Try to snap out of it!" Serena yelled. Charla didn't seem to hear Serena as it continued to have a peaceful smile on its face.

"Use Leech Seed now that Charmander's distracted!" Leaf called

Ivysaur then launched a seed from its bud straight at Charla. Charla wasn't paying it any attention though because of the Sweet Scent. The seed landed on Charla as vines began to cover it.

This broke Charla out of its trance, and it began to struggle. "Chaarrrr!" it cried in pain as its energy began to get sapped from it.

"Wow. Leaf's a lot better than I thought she would be. She should definitely consider being a trainer," Ash commented from the side.

"You're right. She isn't letting the type disadvantage bother her at all. Serena really has her work cut out for her now that her Charmander's in Leech seed," Brock agreed.

"Let's win this with Take Down, Ivysaur!" Leaf called.

Ivysaur began to charge forward straight at Charla. The salamander Pokemon wasn't able to move very well because it was trapped within the Leech Seed. It wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time. Serena looked on with worry as she knew Charla was in big trouble if it was hit with another attack. There had to be something she could do. It was then she noticed Charla's tail flame began to get larger like before. It was just like her battle with Samurai! Charla's special ability, Blaze, had activated!

"Charla! Use Ember!" she called.

Charla blew forward, but instead of the tiny embers, huge fireballs had erupted from its mouth. The power of fireballs also incinerated the vines from Leach Seed and sailed towards Ivysaur. The seed Pokemon had just been about to crash into Charla when Serena had ordered the attack so it received the fireballs at point blank range.

Ivysaur yelled in pain as it was scorched by the fireballs. The fire lizard jumped away from Ivysaur and began to pant heavily. Serena had hoped that was enough to take Ivysaur down. What she wasn't counting on was for Ivysaur's special ability, Overgrow, to take effect, too. Ivysaur's eyes seemed to get a certain fire in them as its plants seemed to grow larger.

Serena became worried as she knew that like Charla, Ivysaur's grass-type moves just got a lot more powerful. Things just got a lot worse than they already were.

"Alright! Now that your special ability has activated also, use Razor Leaf!" Leaf called.

"Use Metal Claw to try to swipe them away, Charla!" Serena yelled.

The seed Pokemon then began to shoot a humongous stream of sharp leaves at Charla. Charla's claws glowed white, and it began to move its arms back and forth at lightning speed, slashing everyone of them. Serena was quite impressed with Charla's precision.

"_I don't think this is getting us anywhere. They are evenly matched. I better have Charla use Ember while I can!_ Serena thought. She then called out, "Charla, Ember!"

Leaf must have been thinking along the same lines as she ordered her Ivysaur use its strongest attack so far, Petal Dance.

A flurry of large, glowing leaves shot from the plant on Ivysaur while Charla shot a stream of fire from its mouth. Serena smiled when she saw that they weren't embers that shot from Charla's mouth anymore. Charla must have learned Flamethrower! What awesome timing!

The attacks soared through the air and connected with each other midway, creating a large explosion. The force of the blast threw each Pokemon backwards as the smoke engulfed them. Pretty soon, the smoke had covered the whole center of the battle hall where the Pokemon were.

Everyone in the room waited intently for the smoke to clear, especially Serena and Leaf. They knew that their Pokemon were at the end of their ropes and wondered if they had made it through the explosion. After what seemed like and eternity, but really about thirty seconds, the smoke had cleared.

Both Ivysaur and Charla were standing and glaring hard at each other. Each trainer sighed that they had to battle even longer. Then, without warning, Leaf's Ivysaur collapsed to the ground in defeat. Everyone stared in shock for moment.

"Ivysaur is unable to battle! The winner is Charmander, and the one who will be ascending in rank today shall be Serena for winning the tournament!" the judge called.

Serena stood in shock for a moment. She had actually done it. She had really just won her first Battle Chateau tournament. Maybe she really was capable of being a trainer, after all!

"Way to go, Charla!" Serena cried as she sprinted towards her Pokemon. She then knelt down. "You were great!" she praised.

Charla gave a tired smile before it fell over in exhaustion as well. Serena smiled sympathetically and picked her Pokemon up in her arms.

Leaf, meanwhile, gave a sad smile and returned Ivysaur to its pokeball. She then thanked it for an awesome job and went over to where Serena was standing. Ash and Brock were on their way over as well.

"You did awesome, Serena!" Ash praised.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

"You really came through at the last moment! You should be proud!" Brock said.

"Well, Serena. You beat me, after all. Congratulations, and thanks for a great battle!" Leaf said.

"Thanks everyone!" Serena smiled.

"See, Serena? What did I tell you? I knew you had it in you as a trainer! I know you will become a Duchess in no time!" Ash said as he gave her thumbs-up.

Serena blushed and looked away. Just because she was over her jealousy for the time being didn't mean her blushes would go away anytime soon.

A few minutes later, the friends were standing in the lobby where Hennessy presented Serena her certificate and symbol to show she had achieved the rank of Viscountess. She even received a small case to keep the items in.

"Well done, madam. I hope for you to participate in future tournaments," Hennessy told her.

"You bet!" Serena said excitedly as she looked down at her certificate and symbol happily. She had a huge boost in confidence now that she had won her first official Battle Chateau tournament. Maybe she could achieve the rank of Duchess, after all.

* * *

><p>The sun was now setting on Cerulean City as evening approached. The group had gone and gotten Misty as soon as they left the Battle Chateau. Misty was sad to leave her sisters so soon, but they assured her that she was welcome back any time which made her really happy.<p>

It was now time to head out to their next destination. According to Brock, they should probably go to Vermillion City next. Misty couldn't wait to be next to the beach. Unfortunately, for Ash and Serena, they knew they would be parting with Leaf again soon, but decided to try anyway.

"Leaf, are you sure you don't want to travel with us for a little bit?" Serena asked hopefully. All bitter feelings she had felt earlier were now gone. Leaf was such a good friend.

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

"No thanks. I've still got to stay in this area for a little bit longer. It turned out to be much bigger than I thought. I need to make sure to get pokedex information on all the available Pokemon. I heard there was a Pokemon maniac around the Cerulean Cape up farther north named Bill. I think I might go visit him." Leaf replied.

Ash and Serena smiled sadly. "We understand. We'll make sure to call you more often from now on to see how you're doing. Feel free to call us anytime as well," Ash said.

"Of course," Leaf replied as she hugged Ash goodbye. She then went over to Serena. "Now remember to take good care of Ash since I'm not here. Someone has to keep him line."

"I'm the one that needs taking care of?" Ash questioned, which caused both girls to giggle.

Leaf and Serena then hugged each other. "I'm really sorry about earlier," Serena whispered again.

"It's okay," Leaf assured as they released each other. She then got a serious look. "Just don't do it again."

"It was nice meeting you," Brock said as he gave a nod in her direction.

"You, too," Leaf responded.

"Until next time, Leaf, see you later!" Ash said as he and the rest of the group turned to leave the city.

"Bye, guys! Hope to you all, soon!" Leaf shouted out. The group continued to wave until they turned a corner and Leaf was out of sight.

The whole group ended up having a great experience in Cerulean City. Ash had obtained his second badge. Serena had won her first Battle Chateau tournament and achieved the rank of Viscountess. They had even reunited with Leaf for a little bit. Misty had patched things up with her sisters so she wasn't nervous around them anymore. As for Brock, the group never quite figured out what he was doing while they were at the gym. The only clue they had was his goofy smile afterwards.

Out of all of them, it had been Serena who matured the most. She realized from now on to not jump to conclusions about anything, whether it involves Ash or otherwise. Even if she still wasn't ready to tell Ash how she felt yet, but felt reassured that no matter what happened, everything would turn out okay with him in the end. She did have a lot of great friends supporting her, after all.

* * *

><p><strong>Along with many other things, you guys got a slight look at how Jigglypuff acts in battle. It seems Serena will have an uphill battle trying to get Jigglypuff to fully listen to her.<strong>

**The next three chapters cover Ash's capture of Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Bulbasaur's and Charmander's captures are somewhat the same with a few differences. Squirtle's capture is completely different. Just because they are predictable what will happen in the outcome, you don't want to skip these chapters! Each of them has a twist to make them worth reading, especially the Charmander and Squirtle chapters. Serena will also be getting a new Pokemon next chapter. See you all next Tuesday! You guys are great!  
><strong>

**The decision for Misty to stay or go has been decided. Winning by a hair…Misty stays in Orange Islands and Johto! For those of you who really hate Misty, it's not like she will be in this series forever. She still leaves after Johto, and she won't ever be in the way of Ash and Serena's relationship. The poll results will be up for a few days if case any of you wish to view them. A new poll will then replace it. This poll will be asking if you guys want Squirtle and Bulbasaur evolving in this series, so please vote in this one also. **

**There is one more thing I want to say before I end my long author's note. I'm suffering writer's block right now with how to introduce Mankey/Primeape in this story. I want it to be different from canon so if you guys have any ideas, I would love to hear them via PM. On the other hand, if it's okay to introduce Mankey/Primeape pretty much the same way as in canon, I can do that, too, and it will help me overcome writer's block faster.**

**Chapter 15: The Hidden Village**

**Chapter 16: Charmander, the Stray Pokemon**

**That's right! A double update next week since I will have some spare time and as a reward to you guys for being so supportive and encouraging!  
><strong>

**Answering the Questions:**

_Is Serena going to get any Pseudo- Legendary Pokemon in the future?_

_**Yes.**_

_Why not have a side tournament arc where everyone can compete?_

_**There will be a few side tournaments in the future for everyone to compete in. I don't have one planned for Kanto yet, however.**_

_Will Jessie, James, and Meowth be referred to as "Three Stooges" by Ash and friends in response to being called "twerps" or "brats"?_

_**No because Jessie, James, and Meowth aren't bumbling idiots in this fic.**_

_Will our favorite Bayleaf still have a tackling crush on Ash?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will there be times in which either Ash or Serena might take Misty's place in pulling Brock away by the ear and say something sarcastic?_

_**That is mainly Misty's thing, but if there is a time she isn't around, Ash or Serena may have to do it.**_

_Can we still expect Tracey Sketchit in the orange island arc?_

_**Absolutely.**_

_If Ash were to catch Fearow for himself after his Pidgeot evolves, maybe there won't be a need to leave his Pidgeot behind, since the Spearow could be without leadership. What do you think?_

_**I'm pretty much headset with Pidgeot staying with the group of Pidgey and Pidgeotto. Sorry. Ash won't be catching the Fearow.**_

_If you're going to include the St. Anne arc, is James still going to be... (I can't believe I'm saying this) the coooolest girl?_

_**Lol. The St. Anne will be in this story but it will much different than in canon as to what takes place. To satisfy your question, James will still be the coooooolest girl to lure the group onto the ship.**_

_Will Ash and his friends actually get Team Rocket to disband upon concluding their first Kanto journey, presumably defeating the Viridian Gym, much like Red did in the games and as shown in Pokémon Origins?_

_**Sorry that really is too big of a spoiler for me to reveal.**_

_Will Ash get any Psychic or Steel type Pokemon?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash get Zorua?_

_**Probably not as that is a Unova Pokemon and I'm not sure if Unova or Kalos Pokemon will appear yet as I've said several times.**_

_Could you have Team Rocket receive Wobbuffet early in the story as a way to get Ash interested in Johto like they did with Togepi and Donphan?_

_**If I can think of an appropriate and believable way to introduce Wobbuffet early then yes. **_

_Will Ash put more training towards the leagues then he did on the show?_

_**Yes.**_

_I'm curious about Ash getting Aerodactyl, like once it's revived will it only be disobedient before its caught or will it give Ash a hard time even after its caught forcing Ash to grow as a trainer in order to handle it?_

_**Ash will definitely need to become a better trainer by Cinnabar Island to get an Aerodactyl to listen to him.**_

_I was wondering how close you were going to base your story to the games, especially when you're going to crossover to the Johto region._

_**This story is mostly anime with a mixture of games, small bits of manga, and my own ideas. I'm quite a bit ahead in the story right now and aside from Ash releasing Butterfree, there hasn't been anything similar to the anime after Vermillion City so far. As for Johto and the other regions, it will have a mixture of games, manga, and my own ideas as well.**_

_Do you plan to make the Viridian gym battle the same as in the anime or in the game?_

_**I don't want to give away too much about the Viridian Gym. I will promise you that Ash will not be battling Jessie, James, and Meowth for it.  
><strong>_

_Is there the possibility that we might see Brock do his maraca act while singing his girl soon like in the anime?_

_**I'm sorry but I don't remember anything like that. Could you possibly tell me what episode that is from?**_


	15. The Hidden Village

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to this special double update this Tuesday night! We are now going to enter the arc where Ash catches Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Bulbasaur's and Charmander's captures are this week while Squirtle's is next week. Serena also gets a new Pokemon in this chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nope.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15: The Hidden Village<p>

The group knew that it would still be a while before they reached Vermillion City. It was still a good three weeks away, in fact. With as long as they would be away from any major cities, it was times like this that the group was thankful to have Brock with them. Thanks to his abilities to read a map and cooking skills, everyone knew they were in good shape.

After they left Cerulean City behind them, the group had decided to have a nice rest after all that happened. They camped a few of days outside the city and used that time to just relax. They played games with their Pokemon, slept in, and just enjoyed the scenery and bonding time with their Pokemon.

The days to relax were over now, and it was time to start heading towards Vermillion City again despite the distance. The group figured since it was still a while before they would get there, it would be a prime time to catch some more Pokemon.

"Let's see, this forest doesn't seem to have anything interesting in it aside from some wild Pokemon if any of you are interested. I see no reason to stay here for any longer than necessary," Brock muttered as he read the map.

The rest of the group nodded as they continued to walk. While they were wandering through the forest, they noticed an Oddish cross their paths.

"Oh! It's an Oddish! Cool!" Ash said as he and Serena took out their pokedexes.

"Oddish, the Weed Pokemon. During the day, Oddish usually bury themselves underground to avoid the harsh sun and grows by absorbing moonlight," the pokedexes said.

"I think Oddish is so cute! Would you mind if I tried to capture it, Ash?" Serena asked.

"Be my guest!" Ash smiled.

"Alright! Jigglypuff! I choose you!" Serena called as she released the balloon Pokemon.

The Pokemon did a bow and pose once it came out of the pokeball. It really wasn't in the mood to battle. To the group's surprise, it began to sing. It had to practice, after all.

"Wait, Jigglypuff! This is no time to sing!" Serena called out frantically, causing the Pokemon to puff its cheeks in anger at her. "We promise we will listen to you later, but for now, I need you to help me capture that Oddish!"

Jigglypuff held its angry look for a second before it deflated itself and nodded. The group sighed in relief that they wouldn't be put to sleep for the moment. They had enough relaxation the past few days. Plus, there was the fact that Jigglypuff would draw on their faces.

Jigglypuff then went over to Oddish who watched it in confusion. Without warning, Jigglypuff reached over and pounded Oddish on its head. It then followed up with a Doubleslap attack. Jigglypuff figured the sooner Serena could capture the Oddish, the sooner it could perform.

"Jigglypuff! Wait for my orders!" Serena called, trying to get Jigglypuff's attention. Jigglypuff wasn't listening, though, as it continued to slap Oddish continuously.

The group groaned at Jigglypuff's antics. Yeah, Serena decided it could still definitely use some training. While Jigglypuff was fine most of the time, when it wasn't in the mood to do something, it was hard to get it to reason.

Oddish soon began to cry at the ruthless way Jigglypuff was treating it. It almost felt like it was being punished. All it was doing was walking on its way to get a drink of water. Not to mention, it wasn't feeling that well to begin with.

Jigglypuff was about to land the finishing blow for its trainer to catch the Pokemon, but to it and everyone else's surprise, another Pokemon leaped into the clearing and delivered a Tackle attack to Jigglypuff. Jigglypuff was knocked to the side and glared at the Pokemon who gave it a sneak attack.

The Pokemon in question turned out to be a Bulbasaur. It glared back at Jigglypuff and then glared at the humans and Pikachu for daring to harm its friend.

"Oh wow! It's a wild Bulbasaur!" Ash said in surprise. "I wonder if I can capture it!"

Upon hearing this, Bulbasaur immediately scowled and shot a Razor Leaf at everyone in the group, causing them to duck for cover. It then picked up Oddish with its Vine Whip and disappeared into the sea of trees.

"They both got away," Serena said sadly as she and everyone else stood back up.

Jigglypuff then went over to the group and gave them an intense stare. It still expected a mock concert performance despite Oddish not being captured. The group sighed and got out their tape recorder for Jigglypuff to sing into. It looks like their journey was still going to be delayed slightly longer than they had hoped. At least they wouldn't have to worry about Jigglypuff drawing on their faces.

* * *

><p>After allowing Jigglypuff to perform (and falling asleep due to its voice), the group was finally ready to continue with their journey. It had been about two hours since the group had the encounter with Oddish and Bulbasaur, and they hadn't seen a trace of the two. They figured it was best to just forget about the incident and move on.<p>

They were now upon an old bridge in the middle of the forest that they would need to cross. They looked over the cliff and saw it was long way down to the water should they fall.

"Uh, do we really have to cross this bridge? Surely there is another way to cross," Misty pleaded.

"I don't really like the looks of it myself," Ash agreed. "We better try to cross this bridge one at a time. We don't need to put any more weight on here than we need to."

"I'll go first," Brock volunteered.

Brock then began to make his way across the bridge as slowly as possible. The group was watching him nervously from behind.

"Just keep going slowly," Brock said to himself. Just then, a strong gust of wind appeared from seemingly nowhere causing the bridge to swing violently. He was beginning to lose his balance.

"Brock! Hold on!" Ash cried out as he saw the danger his friend was in.

Brock tried to hold on as best as he could, but the wind was too strong. He soon toppled over the side of bridge as the rest of the group watched in horror. Brock had managed to hold onto the edge, but was struggling. In their panic, Ash, Serena, Misty, and Pikachu had forgotten about how rickety the bridge was. They immediately ran onto the bridge to try to help Brock. Unfortunately, the extra weight was all the bridge needed to snap in half.

Brock was sent plummeting into the water below as the rest of the group desperately grabbed onto any part of the bridge they could. Ash, Serena, and Misty were clinging for dear life onto the dangling bridge. Ash had managed to get ahold onto a fully intact part of the bridge Thus, he was able to climb to the ground above. Pikachu rode on Ash's shoulder so it was safe as well.

Serena and Misty weren't so lucky. They had no footing like Ash had and were holding on to the edge of the bridge as tight as they could.

"Serena, Misty! Can you guys climb at all?!" Ash called out to them.

The two girls tried as hard as they could, but didn't have the strength to pull themselves up.

Ash knew this was a bad situation. If he didn't think of something quick, both girls would soon fall into the water below just like Brock had. Maybe his flying Pokemon could help!

"Pidgeotto! Butterfree! Go!" Ash yelled as he released them.

As soon as the Pokemon appeared, Ash gave his commands.

"Okay, guys! I want you to fly underneath Serena and Misty and help push them up. That way they can get a proper footing on bridge!" Ash told them.

His Pokemon nodded and immediately went underneath the two girls. They then proceeded to nudge them with their heads to help them up. Because of the push the two flying Pokemon were giving them, Serena and Misty now had the strength to pull themselves farther up the bridge. Once they were within reaching distance, Ash reached out his hand to help them the rest of the way up. Pikachu was attempting to help as well by pulling on their pinkies.

Serena and Misty had finally made it back onto the ground above and gave a huge sigh of relief. Ash returned Pidgeotto and Butterfee and sighed with relief as well. However, they knew they weren't all accounted for.

"Brock…." Misty trailed as she and Serena began to sob. They couldn't believe their friend was gone so quickly.

Ash, however, got a determined look on his face. "Never give up until the end, remember? Brock is still alive. I know it. Let's start by going along the water level to find him," he said.

Serena and Misty dried their tears and nodded. They then got up and followed Ash along the edge of the cliff.

"Pikachu. Can you pick up Brock's scent anywhere?" Ash asked it.

Pikachu began to sniff the air as it tried to find some sort of lead. Since the open forest was much more refreshing than the air inside Mt. Moon, Pikachu was able to pick up on something rather quickly. Its ears perked up, and it signaled the rest to follow it. The group then took off in search of Brock.

* * *

><p>Ash, Serena, Misty, and Pikachu had been looking for Brock for over two hours and still hadn't found him. Pikachu had managed to lead them down to the water bank at the edge of the river. His scent then lead from the edge of the water to another part of the woods. The group gave a huge sigh of relief as this meant Brock was surely alive. They just needed to find him now.<p>

Brock's scent seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as the group kept following Pikachu. They smiled broadly as they knew it wouldn't be long before they found Brock. Unfortunately, they were so excited they didn't notice the rope that was placed on the ground. The group stepped right into it which activated a trap. Soon, they found themselves suspended in a net, and it was a really tight fit.

"Hey! Who put this trap here?!" Ash called out in surprise as they struggled to get free.

"I don't know, but get your elbow out of my face, Ash Ketchum!" Misty yelled.

"Misty, your foot is jammed right into my side!" Serena complained.

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu choked as it was struggling to find room among the bigger humans.

"Hold on, guys. Let's just stay calm and think of a plan," Ash said.

"There are no plans! What are we supposed to do? We can't even reach for our pokeballs because it's so crammed in this net!" Misty retorted.

It was then that the group heard laughter below them. They looked down to see a Bulbasaur below them. It had a smirk of triumph on its face. In fact, it looked just like the one from earlier.

"Hey, Bulbasaur! Could you help us down from here? We are kind of stuck," Ash called out to it.

Bulbasaur shook its head as it continued to smirk at the group. It then turned around to walk into another part of the woods.

"Hey! Wait! You can't just leave us here!" Ash cried out as he watched it leave.

"What do you suppose that Bulbasaur's problem is with people anyway?" Serena wondered to herself.

"I don't know, but I swear if Ash doesn't get his elbow out of my face, I'm going to scream!" Misty shouted.

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu sighed. Not only were they packed like sardines in a net suspended above the ground, they had to listen to Misty's nagging as well.

The group soon heard more footsteps approaching. They hoped that whomever it was, they would be able to help them down.

To their great relief and happiness, Brock appeared in the clearing and saw the group.

"Brock! You're okay! What happened?" Ash shouted in happiness.

"I'll explain in a little bit. Right now, let's get you guys down from there," Brock told them.

Brock then noticed a part of the rope that was holding the net up by him. He then reached into his backpack and pulled out a small pocket knife. He cut the rope which caused the net fell to the ground where everyone landed with a painful groan, but at least they were free. Brock was then bombarded with questions by the rest of the group.

"How did you survive?"

"Where were you this entire time?"

"How did you know where we were?"

"Chu! Chu! Pikapi?!"

Brock motioned with his hands for them to calm down. "It's okay. I'll explain everything," he said. He then put a finger over is lips to signal them to be quiet. Despite the fact they were in the middle of a forest, Brock still made sure no one else was around.

"Follow me," he whispered as he turned around to walk off. The group wordlessly followed him.

While they were walking through the forest, Brock decided to relate his experience to the group but still talked quietly. "After I fell into the water, I was carried rapidly down the stream. The current was moving so fast that I was unable to swim at all. I thought I was a goner. Luckily, I was close to the edge of the river and was able to grab onto some rocks I saw in the distance. It was then that the most beautiful girl in the world saw my predicament and rescued me."

"A beautiful girl rescued you? Are you sure you didn't just hit your head and were dreaming?" Misty deadpanned.

"I was not dreaming. It really happened," Brock defended. "After she rescued me from the river, she could see I had various cuts and bruises. She then led me to a small clearing in the forest to her home and treated me there. It's then that I decided to search for you guys. While I was walking through the forest, I heard you guys scream. I followed the noise, and the rest is history."

"I see. Well, we're just glad you're okay," Ash said quietly as they followed Brock.

"Me, too, but why are you telling us to keep quiet?" Misty asked.

"I'm leading you to the hidden place in the forest where I was rescued. This is a secret place to most people, especially trainers. I don't want to compromise its location in case the wrong people hear about it," Brock replied.

The group nodded. It was then that saw a break in the trees ahead. They went through the trees and entered into a small but sufficient clearing which consisted of a pond and log cabin.

The group spotted a teenage girl roughly the same age as Brock tending to some Pokemon. Upon hearing the footsteps behind her, she turned around and smiled once she saw Brock.

"Hello, Brock. Welcome back," she said pleasantly.

The group took in her appearance. She was thin and had long blue hair that was tied into a ponytail and held by a large yellow bow. She also wore a red headband on her head and had blue eyes. Brock was right. This girl was relatively pretty, but that was beside the point.

"Thank you," Brock replied as he and the rest of group stopped a short distance from the girl. "Melanie, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Ash, Misty, and Serena."

"So your Brock's friends! He told me all about you," Melanie smiled.

"That's great!" Serena replied. She then noticed the dozen or so small Pokemon that were gathered around the area. "So do all of these Pokemon belong to you?"

"Oh, no," Melanie said. "This is a place where Pokemon can come anytime they need rest."

"So is it like a camp?" Ash asked.

"Not exactly," Brock decided to respond this time. "Whenever Pokemon become injured or abandoned, they can come here and Melanie takes care of them. Then they leave when they feel better."

"I see," Misty said. "So this is like a Pokemon Center and Melanie's a Pokemon doctor?"

"Oh, no," Melanie giggled. "I don't have the qualifications to be a Pokemon doctor. I just take care of the Pokemon that come here." She then went over to pet some of the Pokemon with her back to the group.

"Melanie collects plants around the village to use for medicine," Brock told them. "She knows all about what type of plants can help which Pokemon."

"It seems like you both love taking care of Pokemon," Serena commented.

"We sure do," Brock agreed. He then gave a somewhat longing expression at Melanie while she wasn't looking.

Misty noticed this and got a sly look on her face. "You like her, don't you Brock?" she asked deviously.

Brock blushed and put both his hands over her mouth. "Quiet! She might hear you!" he whispered harshly.

Ash suddenly realized something. "So was that net that captured us earlier set by you, Melanie?" he asked, but not in an accusing way.

Melanie turned around and got an apologetic look on her face. "Yes. It was me. You see, I have to protect the Pokemon here so I must capture trainers before they enter the village," she confirmed.

"Yeah. I made a promise to Melanie that we wouldn't try to capture any Pokemon while we are here," Brock told them.

"That's no problem. I can keep that promise," Ash said.

"Me, too," Serena agreed.

"It seems like a great thing you are doing here, Melanie. You wouldn't mind to share a few of your healing techniques with me, would you?" Ash asked.

"I'd be happy to, Ash," Melanie smiled.

As Ash and Brock went with Melanie into her cabin so she could show them the various types of plants she used for medicine, Serena and Misty were left to their own doings. Serena looked around and noticed how tranquil this place seemed to be and how happy all of the Pokemon were. She then noticed a Pokemon that particularly stuck out to her who was eyeing her curiously. It was an Oddish.

Serena approached the Pokemon and knelt down to be more eye level with it. Oddish seemed to back away slowly as if it was afraid of her. Serena then realized that this must be the Oddish she had tried to capture. No wonder it didn't appear to want to battle. It was trying to recover in the village.

"Hi, Oddish," Serena said to it.

The Oddish didn't say anything and continued to watch Serena closely, wondering if she was going to do anything.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for hurting you earlier. It must have frightened you quite a bit. If I had known the situation I would not have attacked you like that," Serena apologized.

Oddish lost its curious glance and moved a little closer to her.

"It sure is a great place here. I can see why all of the Pokemon seem so relaxed," Serena said as she gestured to all the Pokemon in the village, which the Weed Pokemon nodded to.

"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say so I hope there are no hard feelings between us," Serena told it.

Oddish shook its head and happily jumped into her arms.

"Aw, you're sweet Oddish," Serena smiled as she rubbed its head.

"You two sure seem to be hitting it off," Misty commented as she approached Serena from behind.

"Mmm hmm," Serena answered while smiling.

It was then that she and Misty heard a growl in front of them. Serena looked up just in time to see a Bulbasaur charging straight at her. She was unable to get out of the way and was knocked over painfully onto her behind, where she dropped Oddish. The Bulbasaur then stood protectively in front of Oddish.

"Owww," Serena muttered in pain while Ash, Brock, and Melanie ran outside the cabin to see what the commotion was about.

"Hey! You're that Bulbasaur from earlier! Why do keep antagonizing us?! It sounds like you are asking for a battle!" Ash yelled as he pulled out Pidgeotto's pokeball.

Melanie then ran in between Ash and Bulbasaur and spread her arms out while Brock and Misty helped Serena to her feet.

"Please wait!" Melanie cried. "Bulbasaur was only trying to protect Oddish!"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"This Bulbasaur has been here a while. It's volunteered to be the protector of this village," Melanie explained. "This is a very reliable Bulbasaur. It is always willing to help out any Pokemon in need. Unfortunately, it seems Bulbasaur does too good of a job sometimes. Pokemon feel so safe here because of it that some of them don't' go back into the wild."

"I see," Ash said. He then felt pushing and looked down to see Bulbsaur was pushing against his leg trying to nudge him out of the village.

"Despite all of Bulbasaur's great strengths, it is very distrustful of Pokemon trainers," Melanie continued sadly.

"Then I'm just going to have to earn its trust!" Ash told her. "I'm sure when Bulbasaur sees that we mean no harm, it will warm up to us."

"I hope so. In the meantime, would you like to continue where we left off with the medicine?" Melanie asked.

"Yeah," Ash nodded. He then turned to Serena and Misty. "You guys should come in as well. I think this stuff will be pretty useful for our journey."

The two girls and nodded and followed the rest back into the cabin. Bulbasaur even decided to follow, if not to at least keep an eye on the humans.

* * *

><p>It turned out that the group was learning a lot from Melanie. She had showed them the various types of plants that she uses and what each one does. She even did a few demonstrations of how she turns the plants into medicine for the Pokemon. She then let the group try it out themselves. The group was learning a lot and figured this would be very useful in case there were no Pokemon Centers close by and they needed to heal their Pokemon quickly.<p>

As Bulbasaur watched the group, it couldn't help but be curious about these humans. They were unlike any trainers it had met before. Melanie had been the only human it trusted for a long time, but maybe these ones weren't so bad, either. The trainer called Ash especially intrigued it.

Pikachu seemed to notice Bulbasaur's stare and hopped down from its position on Ash's shoulder to converse with it. Pikachu told Bulbasaur about how it was very distrustful of humans at first, as well. It then talked about the first time it had met Ash, and it shocked him. Bulbasaur was especially surprised when Pikachu told it that Ash wasn't angry at all. Pikachu then went on to tell it what a great trainer Ash was and that it couldn't have asked for a better trainer. Because of him, it was now a lot more accepting of humans. In a way, Pikachu and Bulbasaur were a lot alike.

Bulbasaur then looked at Ash again and decided to test out Pikachu's claim. It went over and decided to help Ash by using its vines to hand him different ingredients that he needed while making the medicine.

"Oh, thank you, Bulbasaur!" Ash said gratefully as he accepted the things Bulbasaur was handing him.

Bulbasaur smiled as it watched Ash and the rest of the group make the medicine. Once they were done, Melanie asked Bulbasaur if it would like to be the taste tester, to which it happily agreed. It turned out they had done the medicine pretty well. Of course, they weren't as good as Melanie with the exception of Brock, but still perfectly acceptable, especially if any of their Pokemon were in danger.

"That was pretty courageous of you to try our medicine for the first time, Bulbasaur. I think it's a really great thing you do for this village with how you always stand up for the Pokemon. You would be a great Pokemon for anyone to have," Ash told it, causing Bulbasaur to smile at his remark.

"Ash, don't you think Bulbasaur would be a great addition to your team?" Melanie asked him.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked curiously.

"Bulbasaur still has a lot of growing to do. Unfortunately, this village is too small for it to reach its full potential. It definitely needs a trainer who is going to take great care of it. I believe that trainer is you Ash," Melanie said.

"But what about this village? Doesn't Bulbasaur have to protect it?" Ash asked.

"Bulbasaur has always done a great job protecting this village, and I will certainly miss it, but this would be what is best for it," Melanie replied. "Also, Bulbasaur can't stay in this village forever. If it does, so will the Pokemon as they will be too comfortable. It's when a Pokemon leaves this village in great condition that is most rewarding to me. Please take Bulbasaur with you. I know you won't regret it."

"In that case, I would love to have Bulbasaur on my team! Welcome to the group! I'm happy to have a brave Pokemon like you!" Ash said happily.

"Bulbasaur," it said happily back to him before running a short distance away from Ash.

"Heehee. It seems Bulbasaur would like to battle you first," Melanie said to him. "I normally don't like battles in this village, but I will make an exception this time."

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, everyone was standing outside. Ash and Pikachu stood on one end, and Bulbasaur stood on the other. Serena, Brock, Misty, and Melanie stood off to the side to watch. Pikachu had been the one who decided it wanted to battle Bulbasaur. It wanted to show the Pokemon that it was true to its words about Ash being a great trainer.<p>

After about ten seconds of staring at each other, Ash made his move.

"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Pikachu sped up to Bulbasaur and rammed into it which caused the Pokemon to skid back a few feet. Bulbasaur then brought out its vines to grab Pikachu. It then lifted Pikachu off the ground and began to slam it back down.

Ash was quickly reminded of this situation when Serena had her battle against Leaf's Ivysaur and the strategy she used to get out it.

"Pikachu!" Use your Thundershock on the vines!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu nodded and used the electric attack. This created a current which traveled along the vines until shocking Bulbasaur. This startled Bulbasaur enough to where it dropped Pikachu, but it wasn't done yet. It then used Razor Leaf on Pikachu and shot a flurry of sharp leaves at it.

"Use Quick Attack to get out of the way!" Ash called.

Pikachu sped out of the way and appeared behind Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur was quick to turn as well, however. It began to shoot another Razor Leaf at Pikachu.

"Jump into the air and use Iron Tail!" Ash said to Pikachu.

Pikachu then leaped high into the air above the Razor Leaf as its tail glowed white. It then began to fall to the ground and slammed its tail on top of Bulbasaur. The Pokemon let out a huge groan of pain as the attack hit.

Ash knew he would have to take his chance with the pokeball now before Bulbasaur's special ability, Overgrow, activated. "Pokeball, go!" he cried as he threw a spare one forward.

The ball connected with the Pokemon and sucked it inside. The ball then began to shake back and forth. To Ash's relief, the ball 'dinged' to signal Bulbasaur was successfully captured.

"Alright! We got Bulbasaur!" Ash cheered.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered as well as it made a V-shape with its fingers.

"Bulbasaur, I'll miss you," Melanie said sadly.

* * *

><p>Melanie had allowed the group to spend the night in the hidden village since it was getting late in the day to which the group was glad to accept. They had spent the rest of the day playing with the Pokemon, and Ash had concocted a small batch of medicine that he had learned from Melanie to heal Bulbasaur after he had battled it. Now, it was the next morning, and the group was ready to leave to set out on their journey once again.<p>

"Thank you for all you showed us, Melanie. It will definitely be useful on our journey," Ash told her.

"You're very welcome. I'm just glad I was able to assist even a little with my limited knowledge," Melanie smiled.

"Bulbasaur," Bulbasaur said a little sadly as it was outside of Ash's pokeball at the moment.

"Don't worry about a thing, Bulbasaur. We will just fine here. Thank you for everything you've done," Melanie reassured it.

Bulbasaur smiled slightly upon hearing that.

"Hey, Melanie. Since Bulbasaur won't be around anymore, I would love to stay here and take care of the village with you," Brock said sincerely.

"That is a very kind offer, Brock," Melanie smiled.

"Really?" Brock asked hopefully.

"But I wouldn't want to keep you from your dreams. You should continue to follow your goal to be a Pokemon breeder," Melanie finished.

"Oh yeah. Of course," Brock said, but the group could tell he was disappointed.

"Well, goodbye, Melanie. Thanks for everything!" Ash said as he and the rest of the group waved.

"Take care of yourselves! Good bye!" Melanie called as she waved back.

Oddish was next to Melanie as she waved goodbye to the group and couldn't help but be a little sad as it watched Serena leave. She seemed like a really nice person and had spent all day playing with it yesterday.

"Oddish!" it called as it ran after the group.

"Oh?" Serena questioned once she noticed Oddish caught up to them.

"It seems Oddish has decided it wants to go with, Serena," Brock smiled.

"Really, Oddish? You want me as your trainer?" Serena asked hopefully, to which the Pokemon nodded.

"I think that's a great idea as well," Melanie commented.

"I'd love to have you as my Pokemon, Oddish," Serena said gratefully as hugged the Weed Pokemon. She then took out a spare pokeball, and Oddish happily jumped into it to be officially caught.

Serena stared at the pokeball that contained her new friend and smiled.

"I guess you two just have a way with befriending a lot of Pokemon," Misty smiled.

"Yeah, I guess so," Ash replied embarrassedly while rubbing the back of his head.

What Misty had said was true. Ever since they had started their journey, the majority of the Pokemon they had caught came to them by choice rather than forcefully captured. It was this knowledge that had them comforted that they really had their Pokemon's trust and truly belonged as Pokemon trainers, even though a couple (especially Jigglypuff) could listen a little more. Despite that, their journey was still at the beginning and still had many great things to come.

* * *

><p><strong>The group has learned some valuable techniques on the basics of Pokemon medicine which will undoubtedly help them in the future. <strong>

**Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter. After that, the next chapter is waiting for you to read at your leisure. Any questions that were asked will be answered there. **


	16. Charmander, The Stray Pokemon

**A/N: Just so you all know, Damian will make more than one appearance in this story. How? Read and find out! I'm rather happy with the way this chapter turned out. Without further ado, here is Chapter 16!**

**Disclaimer: Just as I said in the last chapter and the ones before it, I don't own Pokemon so please don't sue me.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 16: Charmander, the Stray Pokemon<p>

The group was making great progress to Vermillion City. It had been about two weeks since they left Cerulean City, and needless to say, they were ready to get back to a populated area. However, they were told they still had another week until they reached the city.

Ash and Serena had battled a few hobby trainers along the way to help their Pokemon grow. Ash and Serena had made sure to use their newly acquired Bulbasaur and Oddish, respectively, to test out their battle strengths. Both Pokemon had proved to be very capable in battle. Ash and Serena were happy to have them as part of the team now.

"Oh, we are finally getting close to Vermillion City. It will be by the beach. I can't wait to get a nice tan," Misty commented as the group walked along the forest path.

"Right. The route we are on right now intersects with Route 24 which will take us straight into Vermilion City," Brock agreed.

"That's where I'm going to receive my third gym badge!" Ash declared.

It was then the group noticed an enormous rock right in the middle of the path, casting a huge shadow. It wasn't the rock that got the group's attention, however, it was the Pokemon that was on top of the rock. It was a Charmander. Unlike Serena's Charmander, it appeared to be a male.

"Oh wow! A Charmander!" Ash exclaimed. "I remember when we were about to pick our first Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab, and I had really wanted to get a Charmander but wasn't able to."

"Oh, you wanted to get the Charmander, Ash?" Serena asked him nervously.

Pikachu also gave its trainer a questioning look.

Ash realized he had put his foot in his mouth and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Eheheheh. I mean…I had wanted a Charmander to begin with, but I am very happy with the way things turned out. Don't worry Serena. If I could do it over again, I would always let you pick Charmande so I could get Pikachu!" he said.

Pikachu and Serena decided that was acceptable and turned their attention back to the Charmander on the rock. "Well, Ash, this Charmander does appear to be wild so why don't you try to capture it?" Serena asked.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. He was just about to send out Pidgeotto, but Brock stopped him.

"Hold on," he said. "Take a look at the flame on its tail. It looks really weak. I don't think battling it is the best idea at the moment."

Ash looked at the Charmander again and saw the flame on its tail looked very small compared to normal. The Charmander was panting heavily and appeared to be very tired.

"I still have some medicine we made back at Melanie's cabin. I'll see if I can give it some," Brock continued.

He pulled out a small bottle of medicine from his backpack and went up to Charmander.

"Hey there, Charmander. I got some medicine for you that might make you feel better," Brock said gently as he held the bottle for Charmander to take.

Charmander stared at the bottle of medicine for a moment before quickly turning away. It didn't appear to trust these strangers.

"If it won't take medicine, I should try to capture anyway so we can at least take it to a Pokemon Center," Ash decided. He then took out an empty pokeball and threw it at the Charmander.

The Pokemon saw the ball coming and immediately swung its fiery tail in a circular motion to knock back the pokeball. The ball returned to Ash Ketchum's hands, and he gave it a questioning look.

"I know this Charmander's weak, but it still seems strong enough to fight back. Maybe Pikachu should battle it," Ash suggested.

"Maybe my water Pokemon can help," Misty tried.

Brock shook his head. "I still don't think it's such a great idea. Try your pokeball one more time, Ash," he told the raven haired boy.

Ash nodded his head and threw the pokeball once more at Charmander. This time Charmander didn't fight back as it was sucked into the pokeball. The group thought they had gotten the Pokemon, but it soon broke free from the pokeball and glared at the group.

"This Pokemon seems to have a lot of courage. Do you think we should have one of our Pokemon talk to it?" Ash asked.

"I know! We should have Charla talk to it since it's a Charmander also," Serena said as she let Charla out of its pokeball.

"Okay, Charla. I'd like you to climb on top of that rock and talk to the Charmander there," Serena told it.

Charla nodded and then turned to look at the Pokemon. As soon as Charla saw the Charmander on top of the rock, it got hearts in its eyes and a goofy expression on its face.

"Chaaaaaar," it said dreamily as it began to climb the rock.

"Charla, this is no time to make boyfriends!" Serena said embarrassedly.

Pikachu decided it should follow Charla up to the top of the rock to make sure they got the information they needed.

Charla was the first to reach the rock and immediately began to converse with the other Charmander. It gave Charla a strange look before turning away in the other direction. Charla immediately got a crestfallen expression on its face and looked fit to cry. It was then Pikachu reached the top of the rock and told Charla to focus on the task. Pikachu then began to talk to the Charmander, and it seemed to receive Pikachu a little better as Pikachu wasn't trying to ask it on a date like Charla was. Once Pikachu was done, it and Charla climbed back down the rock and went to the humans.

"So what's the story, guys?" Ash asked them.

The two Pokemon then began to make various hand gestures and facial expressions to Misty and Brock's confusion. However, Ash and Serena were able to understand their Pokemon.

"I see. This Pokemon is already owned by a trainer," Ash deduced.

"And this trainer left Charmander here on this rock promising to come back for it," Serena finished.

Both Pokemon nodded their heads to signal their trainers were correct.

Brock sighed. "If this Charmander is already owned by another trainer, there is nothing we can do for it except hope the trainer comes back soon. Judging by this Charmander's tail, it's been waiting on this rock a long time. The trainer should definitely start taking better care of it once he or she comes back," he said with disapproval.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "According to Brock's map, there is a Pokemon Center near here. Let's rest there. We can check here later on to make sure its trainer came back."

The group agreed to the plan as they made their way to the Pokemon Center.

* * *

><p>It was about eight o'clock in the evening right now, and the group had just finished eating supper at the Pokemon Center. Nightfall had fallen by now and a storm seemed to be coming on top of that. The group was really glad they were inside of the Pokemon Center, but they couldn't help but think about the Charmander they had encountered earlier. Ash and Brock, in particular, were worried. They were staring out the window and appeared to be deep in thought.<p>

"Hey, you two. I think Charmander is just fine. There is no way it would wait around on a rock this long," Misty told them, trying to cheer them up.

Ash and Brock said nothing as they continued to stare out of the window.

"Charmander's trainer would surely have come for it by now. No decent human being would leave their Pokemon out in the rain like that," Serena tried.

"I hope you're right," Ash mumbled.

It was then that they overheard a group of teenage boys talking and laughing obnoxiously in another part of the Pokemon Center. One of the boys, who was wearing stylish clothes and had blue hair, had a bunch of pokeballs set out on the table in front of him with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Wow, Damian. That's an awesome collection of Pokemon you have there," one of the teenagers said.

"Of course! I mean…I am the greatest ever!" the boy known as Damian laughed.

Ash and Serena were strongly reminded of Gary Oak.

"I don't have any time for weak, useless Pokemon. They can rot for all I care. That's why I got rid of my Charmander, that worthless pile of trash," Damian continued.

The group immediately got a glare on their face as they overheard the boy. They weren't trying to eavesdrop, but this boy was so loud and obnoxious that they couldn't help it. They took back what they thought earlier about comparing him to Gary. This boy was a million times worse than Gary. At least Gary would never call a Pokemon worthless and get rid of it.

"What a horrible attitude that boy has," Misty muttered as they watched Damian from afar.

"What did you end up doing to that Charmander you got rid of?" one of the boys asked.

"Eh, I left on some rock," Damian said carelessly.

That immediately alarmed the group. Was this the trainer of the Charmander they came across earlier?

"That thing is so stupid! It kept following me whenever I tried to get rid of it. It finally left me alone after I said I would come back for it. What a total loser," Damian bragged.

Brock and Ash had enough. They went over to where the boy was seated, and Brock grabbed Damian by his collar and pulled him up so they were eye-level.

"Go get your Pokemon!" Brock ordered.

"You're pretty stupid to mess with Damian! He will crush you!" one of the teenagers warned, but Ash and Brock ignored him.

"How could you leave it like that?! We happened to come across that Charmander earlier, and it was still waiting for you! You should consider yourself lucky to have such a loyal Pokemon!" Ash said angrily.

"Mind your own business!" Damian growled.

"The flame on your Charmander's tail was really low when we saw it earlier. It's now even raining. If a flame on a Charmander's tail goes out, it dies," Brock said through gritted teeth.

"And I should care why?" Damian scoffed.

"You're horrible!" Ash yelled. "You should care because you're its trainer!"

"Not anymore. I abandoned that loser. What happens to it now isn't my responsibility," Damian said coldly.

"You make me sick to my stomach," Serena said as she and Misty came up behind Brock and Ash.

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu growled as its cheeks sparked.

"Are you punks looking for a fight?!" Damian asked and narrowed his eyes. He was about to reach for a pokeball, but Nurse Joy stepped in.

"That's it! Break it up everyone. I will not allow you to use your Pokemon for personal battles. It's disrespectful to both the Pokemon and their trainer," Nurse Joy scolded.

Damian broke free from Brock's grasp and gave the group one final glare. "Heh, if you are so worried about Charmander, you go get it." He then added with a smirk, "If it's even still alive."

At that, Ash and Brock were about to pounce on him, but they were held back by Serena and Misty, respectively.

"He isn't even worth it," Misty muttered as they watched Damian walk away with the other boys.

"You four shouldn't get mixed up with those guys. They have a very bad reputation," Nurse Joy told the group.

"I've never met someone so despicable in my life," Ash said as the girls released him and Brock. "I though Paul was bad, but this guy isn't even human!"

"Ash…." Serena trailed as she put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"I'll be fine, Serena. I'm just really angry right now that there are actually people in the world like him," Ash said.

"We need to hurry up and find that Charmander before it's too late. Let's go!" Brock told the group as they rushed to get their raingear.

* * *

><p>The rain was pouring very heavily as the group ran through the forest. They really hoped that the Charmander was where it was earlier so they wouldn't have to search for it.<p>

"Oh, I'm getting soaked. The rain is so heavy. My raincoat isn't helping much," Misty moaned.

"You could have just stayed at the Pokemon Center, you know," Serena said to Misty.

"I've got to help a Pokemon in need," Misty said with a wink.

The group knew where they were going so it only took them about ten minutes to get to where Charmander was from the Pokemon Center. Once the group reached the place, they gasped in horror at what they saw.

Charmander was huddled over and doing its best to cover itself with a large leaf. It wasn't big enough to cover its whole self however, so Charmander mainly had it covering its tail flame. It was very low. It wouldn't be too much longer until it was completely out. To make matters worse, a few Spearow had decided to attack and were pecking mercilessly at Charmander.

"Pikachu! Thundershock!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu immediately let loose the attack and the electricity soared through the air which effectively scared off the Spearow.

The group then rushed over to Charmander. Brock and Ash took off their raincoats and placed them over Charmander. Brock's raincoat covered the main body while Ash's covered the flame on its tail. Charmander didn't resist this time when they picked it up. The group then rushed back to the Pokemon Center as fast as they could.

"Come on, Charmander. You can't let your flame go out," Ash mumbled to himself.

The group soon arrived back to the Pokemon Center and burst through the doors panting heavily.

"Is everything okay?!" Nurse Joy asked as she came rushing to the group.

"No it isn't," Brock answered. "This Charmander needs help fast!"

Nurse Joy looked at Charmander and gasped. "There isn't much time," she said hurriedly as she took Charmander and rushed to the emergency room.

"I sure hope it's not too late," Ash said worriedly.

"We've done all we can so far. We've just got to wait and trust in Nurse Joy," Serena told him.

"Right," Ash agreed as the group went over to sit down on the furniture in front of the emergency room.

Damian happened to pass by at that time and saw the group.

"I hope you're happy," Brock muttered as he gave Damian a glare. "Your Pokemon is in critical condition because you don't care for it."

"Whatever. I'm about to get a good night's sleep so don't bother me, or you'll regret it," Damian shrugged and continued on his way.

"What a creep," Ash scowled as he clenched his fists but forced himself to relax. He really wished he could teach this guy a lesson. What Misty had said earlier was correct. Damian just wasn't worth it. Ash had no choice but to wait and hope Charmander would get better.

After several hours of waiting anxiously, Nurse Joy finally stepped out of the Emergency Room. The group didn't waste any time to go over to her.

"How is Charmander, Nurse Joy?" Brock asked.

Nurse Joy paused but then smiled broadly. "Charmander was able to pull through. It should be just fine by tomorrow morning," she said.

"That's great!" Ash exclaimed.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Yes. Since this Charmander was abandoned by its trainer. I will happily look after it for a while. I will make sure to find it a good home."

"Oh, Nurse Joy! You are so kind! You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside!" Brock cried as he took her hands in his.

The group sweatdropped. It seemed since Charmander was going to be okay, Brock had reverted back to his Nurse Joy syndrome.

"Oh. Heheheh. Thank you," Nurse Joy said nervously.

"Perhaps we can get together for breakfast tomorrow and….yeowww!" Brock started, but didn't finish as Misty had reached out to drag him away by the ear.

"You're acting like a goofball, Brock. Control yourself," Misty said in aggravation.

Brock said nothing as he was pulled along. He had never actually had someone drag him away like that before. It surprised him greatly. Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were surprised as well. It looked like they could count on Misty to keep Brock under control.

* * *

><p>The next morning, the group had decided to check to see if Charmander was feeling any better. They were allowed by Nurse Joy to enter the Emergency Room, and what they saw shocked them.<p>

Charmander was indeed much healthier. The bright, burning flame on its tail proved that, but it seemed to be trying to escape the room.

"Charmander? Why are you trying to escape?" Ash asked it in confusion.

Charmander turned away from the window it was about to hop out of and gave the group a guilty look.

"You were going back to the rock to wait for Damian, weren't you?" Brock figured.

Charmander nodded its head and turned back towards the window.

"Charmander. I hate to tell you this, but I don't think Damian is coming back for you," Ash told it.

"Ash!" Misty scolded.

"Charmander has the right to know the truth!" Ash defended.

"It's natural that you still feel loyal to Damian. It's just we happened to hear him talking about you last night. It didn't sound like he had any intention of coming to get you. I just don't want you to go back to the rock and wind up sick again," Brock muttered softly.

"It's your decision to make, Charmander. Just keep in mind what we told you," Ash said again.

Charmander hesitated for a little bit. It looked back towards the window and then back at the group. It certainly knew the strangers in front of it cared. They had proven that much by saving its life last night. Charmander wished it could say the same of its current trainer or ex-trainer. It wasn't sure which. Charmander couldn't recall one time when Damian had said a kind word to it. He was always calling it weak, stupid, or pathetic when it would lose a battle. Even if Charmander would win a battle, Damian never told it that it did a good job.

"I think you are a great Pokemon, Charmander. Any trainer would be lucky to have you," Ash continued. "Why don't you show us how powerful you are? That will show Damian."

Pikachu then went over to Charmander and told it how Ash was really sincere with the things he said.

Charmander took one last look at the window before turning around and nodding towards the group.

* * *

><p>Everyone was now in front of the Pokemon Center. They had set up various targets, both still and moving ones for Charmander's accuracy. Then they set up several dummies to test Charmander's strength. Once they were done, Ash smiled at the Pokemon. Charla also happened to be watching at the moment so it could learn from this Charmander.<p>

"This will prove that you are just as powerful a Pokemon as any," Ash told it. "Don't let anyone tell you different!"

Charmander nodded as it prepared to aim at the various targets.

"Can you use Flamethower and Ember?" Ash asked the Pokemon to which it nodded in response.

"I would like Charla to see this as well," Serena said as she sent out her Pokemon.

"Alright, Charmander! Go ahead when you're ready!" Ash told it.

Charmander nodded and used various fire attacks to destroy the targets. It had perfect accuracy on both the moving and non-moving ones.

Charla saw this and got hearts in its eyes again. This Charmander was so strong…and cute, too!

"It looks like Charla has a little crush on that Chamander," Misty whispered to Brock.

"Just like its trainer has a crush on Ash," Brock whispered back but wasn't heard by Ash or Serena.

"Let's see your strength next, Charmander!" Ash said. "Use any attack you can and destroy those dummies!"

Charmander obeyed and used a barrage of attacks on the dummies ranging from fire attacks to Metal Claws and Scratch attacks. It wasn't long before all of the dummies were in pieces.

"That was perfect, Charmander!" Ash praised.

"You were super, Charmander!" Brock added. "We knew you were a powerful Pokemon. Don't ever forget that."

Charla went over to congratulate the Charmander as well with a small blush on its face. Charmander rubbed the back of its neck nervously and blushed as well.

"Hey, Charmander. If you'd like, you can come along with us. I'd love to have a great Pokemon like you," Ash suggested.

"You would be a great trainer for Charmander, Ash. You did keep the flame on its tail lit while we were running through the rain, after all," Brock agreed.

Charmander seemed to be thinking it over, but before it could give its answer, everyone heard a voice behind them.

"Hey there, Charmander. I've been looking for you," the voice said.

They spun around to find none other than Damian standing there who surprisingly had a smile on his face. It looked forced to the group, however.

"What do you want, Damian," Brock asked in an unfriendly tone.

"I'm here to get Charmander back just like a promised," Damian replied.

The group let out collective gasp. "What?!" they all exclaimed.

"It's true. Let's go, Charmander," Damian said.

"Hold on a second. What is with the sudden change? Last night you didn't even care if Charmander died," Ash asked suspiciously.

"That was before I saw what it could do this morning. I was watching you guys from the window of the Pokemon Center. Charmander is a lot better than I thought so I will be taking it back now," Damian replied.

"So you're only taking it back because you think it's strong now and not because you're sorry for what you did?!" Ash exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's right. I'm glad I did leave it on that rock, too. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have ran into you guys who helped train it for me so I don't have to," Damian confirmed.

At this, Charmander hung its head in sadness.

"You see, Charmander. This guy only wants you so he can win battles. He doesn't care about your well being at all. Damian just freely admitted that he left you to die last night," Brock told it.

"You aren't trying to keep me from getting back my Pokemon, are you?" Damian asked dangerously, now losing the smile on his face.

"You don't deserve a great Pokemon like Charmander!" Ash shouted.

"Charmander is my Pokemon. I'm the one who caught it. You can't keep it from me!" Damian retorted.

"It's not your Pokemon anymore since you abandoned it!" Ash yelled.

"I'm now coming back for it! If you even think about taking what's mine from me, I'll have you arrested for Pokemon thievery!" Damian argued.

"We could have you arrested for Pokemon abuse in return!" Ash fired back.

"Heh. It seems the only way we are going to settle this is through a Pokemon battle. If I win, I keep Charmander. If you win, you keep it." Damian said as he pulled out a pokeball.

"You're on!" Ash yelled with determination.

"Machoke! I choose you!" Damian hollered as he sent out a large, purple, muscular Pokemon.

"Woah. A Machoke," Ash muttered as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes.

"Machoke. The superpower Pokemon and the evolved form of Machop. Machoke is so strong it must wear a power safe belt to control itself," the pokedexes piped up.

"So it's a fighting type. I know who to use against it," Ash said. He was just about to reach for Pidgeotto's pokeball, but to his and everyone else's surprise, Charmander stepped out in front of Ash.

"You want to battle Damian, Charmander?" Ash asked in confusion.

"Char! Char!" it confirmed and nodded its head.

"You're battling against me? Your own trainer? I'll make you regret that decision!" Damian growled menacingly.

"Come on, Ash! Beat this creep!" Serena yelled.

"Charmander!" Charla agreed.

Brock then walked between Ash and Damian. "I'll be the judge. This is a battle for ownership of Charmander. There will be no time limit! Begin!" he shouted.

"Machoke! Use Karate Chop!" Damian called.

"Quick, Charmander! Smokescreen!" Ash countered.

Charmander let loose a lot of smoke from its mouth so Machoke couldn't see anything. Before it knew what hit it, Machoke felt a painful slap go across its face. Charmander had slapped it with its fiery tail.

"Use Foresight to locate Charmander!" Damian ordered.

Machoke's eyes began to glow so it could now see Charmander inside the Smokescreen.

"Use Flamethrower, Charmander!" Ash ordered.

Charmander was about to run up to get a close range attack, but Damian was ready.

"Use Vital Throw, Machoke!" he yelled

Charmander used Flamethrower which caused Machoke to yell in pain, but it grabbed Charmander before it could get away. It then hurled Charmander into the ground as hard as it could.

The group cringed as they saw Charmander hit the grass at high speed. That must have really hurt.

"Can you stand, Charmander?" Ash asked worriedly.

Charmander nodded and slowly got back up to its feet.

"Use Submission!" Damian ordered.

Machoke then grabbed Charmander and got in a Submission hold causing Charmander to yell out in pain and stuggle to break free, but Machoke was too strong.

"Come on, activate," Ash said to himself. "If what Charla has taught him in the past was true, Charmander's special ability, Blaze, should take effect soon. Then he could win.

Machoke continued to incapacitate Charmander. Charmander was trying to shoot various Embers and Flamethrowers at Machoke, but they kept missing due to the angle it was at. It really didn't want to go back to this cruel trainer so it had to win.

"Why isn't it activating?" Ash thought worriedly. "Does this Charmander have that ability?"

Everyone else in the group seemed to be wondering the same thing as they stared worriedly at Charmander. At this rate, Charmander was in big trouble.

Then to Ash's great relief, Charmander's tail flame increased substantially.

Machoke saw this and dropped Charmander onto the ground as its tail was beginning to burn it.

"Oh no!" Damian shouted in horror.

"Oh yes!" Ash shouted back. "Charmander! Use Flamethrower!"

Charmander then took a deep breath and let out a massive burst of fire. It completely engulfed Machoke and even burned Damian as well.

Machoke then fell to the ground in defeat, charred completely black and let out a puff of smoke.

"Machoke is unable to battle! Charmander is the winner!" Brock said happily.

"You did it, Charmander!" Ash praised as he and Pikachu ran up to it to give it a high-five.

"Chaaaaaar," Charla said as it watched Charmander with a blush on it face. That Charmander was so strong!

"Oh yeah?!" Damian suddenly called out. "I've decided to take Charmander back regardless if I won or lost so hand it over!"

"No way! I won, and Charmander wants to stay with me!" Ash told him with a glare.

"Who cares?!" Damian retorted hotly as he pulled out another pokeball.

"Ash beat you fair and square, you jerk! Don't cheat!" Serena yelled at him.

"No one asked you, you slut!" Damian hollered back.

That did it. Ash had really had enough of this guy. Ash could honestly say that Damian was the first person he truly hated. The way he acted. How he treated Charmander like garbage and left it die. How he thought of Pokemon as nothing but tools used for battle. Now, to top it off, he just completely insulted Serena. He had gone too far.

Without warning, Ash ran up to Damian and punched him as hard as he could right in the middle of the face. Damian was knocked off his feet and hit ground hard. He then felt around his face. His nose was bleeding profusely and was badly swollen. It wasn't broken, but it still hurt.

The group, especially Serena, looked at Ash in surprise. They had never seen Ash lose his cool like that before.

Damian stared up in hatred at Ash and jumped to his feet. "You hurt me you little piece of crap! I swear you haven't seen the last of me! I'll make you pay one of these days!" he shouted. He then turned around and ran off.

Ash glared back until Damian was completely out of view. He then took a deep breath and let out a sigh. He turned back around to see all of his friends staring at him.

"Sorry about that. It's just…when Damian called Serena…you know…what he called her, something inside of me just snapped. I don't think I've ever been that angry in my entire life," Ash said as he hung his head.

Brock,Misty, Pikachu, and Charmander came up to him. "Hey, Ash. It's okay. To tell you the truth, I would have done the same thing if he had insulted someone I was close to. He deserved it," Brock reassured him.

"He really had it coming," Misty added.

Ash then looked at Pikachu and Charmander next. They both made gestures that they were going to attack Damian themselves if Ash hadn't acted first.

He then saw Serena going toward him. "Ash. Thanks for standing up for me like that," Serena said gratefully.

"There aren't any thanks necessary," Ash told her. "I'm not going to let some jerk trash talk you like that. What he said was completely uncalled for and unacceptable."

Serena blushed. "I guess I can always count on you to be there for me, in that case."

To her surprise, Ash turned a little red in return. "Of course. I'll never let you down. You can always count on me," he said firmly despite his redness.

"Aww. Heehee, you two are so close. I'm almost jealous," Misty giggled.

"Indeed," Brock said while nodding. He then winked at Ash. "Remember what I told you in the Battle Chateau?"

"Kn-knock it off guys," Ash mumbled as he turned away. He hadn't recalled ever being embarrassed like this around Serena before.

"Oh yeah! Don't forget! We have to officially welcome Charmander to the team!" Serena reminded Ash, trying to change the subject.

"Definitely. Welcome to the group, Charmander!" Ash said happily as he smiled down at it and pulled out a spare pokeball.

"Char!" it replied enthusiastically and leaped into Ash's pokeball to allow itself to be captured.

Ash then stared at the pokeball in his hands. "Don't you worry, Charmander. I'll make sure to treat you how you deserve be treated," he told it.

Charla then came up to Ash and signaled it wanted Ash to release Charmander from the pokeball.

Ash did so and once Charmander was out, Charla immediately went up to it and whispered something in its ear. Nobody knew what it was saying, but Ash's Charmander got a nervous expression on its face while Charla blushed.

"Like Pokemon, like trainers," Brock whispered to Misty, who nodded in response.

"Well, guys what are we waiting for?! Vermillion City is just a few days away!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"Alright! Let's go!" Serena agreed.

Ash and Serena, followed by Pikachu, Charla, and Charmander, took off running down the path.

"Those guys are too enthusiastic," Misty said as she began running with Brock to catch up.

"Hey. It gets us to our destinations faster," Brock shrugged.

* * *

><p>Unbeknownst to them, Damian hadn't completely left yet. He was hiding behind the trees as he watched the group run by down the path. He had a tissue pressed up against his nose to stop the bleeding.<p>

"How dare those little punks humiliate me and take Charmander," he mumbled to himself. "We'll meet again. They'll be sorry they ever crossed me!"

Damian then turned to go off his own way but bumped into two taller people.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" Damian snarled as he took in the two people's appearances.

One was a man with blue hair, and the other was a woman with red hair. They both wore white uniforms with a huge red "R" in the middle. There was also a Meowth standing next to them.

"Hello. My name is Jessie, that's James, and that's Meowth. We happened to see your confrontation with those kids just now," Jessie began as she leered at Damian. "It turns out we hate them just as much as you do. You also seem to be a powerful trainer."

"If you're interested, we have a proposition for you," James smiled evilly.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh oh! What does Team Rocket want with Damian!?<strong>

**Charla, being the lovey-dovey Pokemon I've established it to be, clearly has a crush now on Ash's Charmander while Ash's Charmander is just really nervous around it. How will this romance affect Ash and Serena, if at all?**

**This is also the first chapter Misty pulls Brock away by the ear. She will start adding her famous witty responses next time she pulls him away.**

**I'm sure many of you are glad about the punch Ash gave Damian. He was such a jerk in the anime and really deserved a good old fashioned right hook, but Damian has vowed revenge so how will this grudge affect everyone? Future chapters will provide the answer.**

**Squirtle's capture in this story is completely different compared to the previous two which are more or less the same. Misty will also be getting a new Pokemon next chapter. It will be up next Tuesday as usual so see you all then! Once again thank you very much for all the support from you guys!**

** One more thing: the poll for Squirtle and Bulbasaur's evolutions in this story is up. I don't think I missed a single type of combination. Make sure to vote if you want them to stay the same or evolve later on!**

**Chapter 17: The Rogue Squirtle**

**Answering the questions:**

_Will you be doing the Pokemon Tech episode that has Giselle in it?_

_**No I won't. Sorry**_

_Will our heroes still have to work with you know who to get out of the ship?_

_**No because the shipwreck won't happen in this story but the St. Anne will still be in the story.**_

_I can already see tensions between Chikorita/Bayleef and Serena in the Johto region._

_**The tension will mainly be on Chikorita/Bayleef's side. Serena isn't worried about a Pokemon winning Ash's affection.**_

_How frequently will Ash encounter Gary and Paul while in his first trip around Kanto?_

_**Paul will make an appearance again in Vermillion City, Fuchsia City, and the next time the group is in Viridian City. Gary will be in Celadon City, Saffron City, Cinnabar Island, and the second time in Viridian City. Leaf won't appear again until Fuchsia City and then the second time in Viridian City. Basically all the rivals will gather in Viridian City if you haven't noticed. There will also be one more rival for Ash introduced in Celadon City. Oddly enough, Celadon City is where Serena will get her first official rival as well.**_

_Will Ash face the Elite Four after obtaining all 8 badges?_

_**Ash will go to the Pokemon League after obtaining all eight badges. The winner of the Pokemon League gets to challenge the elite four and finally the champion. Ash will challenge the elite four for the leagues he wins in the series. Note that he won't win all of them but will win some. He will also still get farther than he does in canon at all of them.**_

_Will Giovanni be like he is in the anime or in Pokémon Origins? And what Pokémon will he have?_

_**Giovanni will be more like he is in the anime but also have some of PO Giovanni's characteristics as well. As for the Pokemon he will have, it will be a mixture of different types, but he will specialize in ground types.**_

_Will Serena catch a Water type pokemon for her own team?_

_**Definitely.**_

_Will Ash be smarter about his gym and League battles than the show?_

_**Yes. Hopefully the Pewter and Cerulean gym battles proved that.**_

_Will Misty catch other Pokemon besides the one she has in Canon with the exception of Togepi of course? Also will Misty still end up getting Azurill from Tracy?_

_**Yes. Misty catches a non canon Pokemon next chapter. Well…it's sort of non canon. As for Azurill…she will get it eventually but not anytime soon.**_

_Will you have an interlude where Gary and Paul meet?_

_**I don't plan to have an interlude but those two will definitely meet at some point in Kanto.**_

_Will Gary and Paul face each other in the 1st 3vs3 round for the final time in the league and Paul gets knocked out of the competition?_

_**Sorry that's a big spoiler. I already have how the Indigo League will play out in my head but I don't want to give away anything about it, not this early anyway.**_

_Will training Jigglypuff be a hard job for Serena? _

_**Yes. Serena will have an uphill battle trying to get Jigglypuff to be fully obedient.**_


	17. The Rogue Squirtle

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm glad most of you seemed to like the twist with Damian! This chapter has the St. Anne in it, but it's different from canon. I'll call it half canon and half my own ideas. One more thing you guys should know: after the Vermillion City gym battle, the story really starts to diverge from the canon anime (aside from Butterfree's release) with only a few similarities like the Pokemon Ash catches. A lot of my own ideas will start to be implemented into the story so be prepared. **

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. (I've said this so many times that I'm running out of witty ways to do it)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 17: The Rogue Squirtle<p>

"Finally! Civilization!" Misty cried.

After a whole month of traveling in the woods with only a couple of small villages along the way, the group had finally arrived in Vermillion City. Needless to say, Ash was very eager to obtain this third badge at the Vermillion Gym from here. While there wasn't a Battle Chateau for Serena to take part of here, she would still be training and was always happy to support Ash in his gym battles.

"Yes! The first order of business is getting my third badge!" Ash declared while pointing to the sky, Pikachu following his gesture.

"Hold on, Ash. We've been away from the city for a month! Can't we at least rest and enjoy the city for once? The gym will still be there tomorrow," Misty said in an annoyed tone.

"I'm going to agree with Misty on this one, Ash. Vermillion City is on the beach after all. Let's relax and enjoy the ocean…and the beautiful girls," Brock finished while turning red.

Ash turned to Serena. "How do feel about all this, Serena?" he asked.

Serena smiled that Ash was including her by asking her opinion as well. "Well, being on the beach would be really nice," she said while blushing.

Ash sighed but then smiled. "Alright. You guys win. Last one to the beach is the rotten egg!" he shouted as he and Pikachu took off running.

"No fair!" Misty yelled as she and the others followed him.

While the group was running through the busy streets of Vermillion City, they realized that it would probably faster to take a shortcut. They spotted an alleyway off to the side and decided to cut through there.

"This alleyway is kind of dark and spooky," Misty commented as they made their way through it.

"Come on, Misty. You aren't afraid, are you? The worst thing that is going to be back here is a Rattata or Meowth in a trashcan. It's nothing we haven't seen before," Ash told her.

"But what about muggers?" Misty asked worriedly.

"We have our Pokemon, Misty," Brock answered this time. "We'll be fine."

The group then turned a corner in the alley and was surprised at what they saw. It was a Squirtle that was spray painting various graffiti on the alley walls. This Squirtle seemed a little different than the ones that the group saw in the past. It had mischievous smirk on its face and was wearing sunglasses. The Squirtle clearly knew it was doing wrong.

"Hey! What do think you're doing?" Ash asked it in surprise.

The Squirtle turned and gave the group a questioning look. Who did they think they were by telling it what to do? It didn't trust humans at all after being abandoned by its trainer. It believed it had every right to vandalize their property after what it went through.

"You can't just go spray painting anywhere you please," Ash continued.

The Squirtle didn't listen, however, and sprayed Ash right in the face with a Water Gun attack. It then laughed when it saw Ash's wet state.

Ash was drenched and got an angry expression on his face. "Hey! What did you do that for?!" he asked angrily.

Pikachu then jumped in front of Squirtle and gave it and angry expression as well, ready to protect its trainer if necessary. Pikachu and the Squirtle continued to glare at each other in a stand off for a good thirty seconds before the group heard sirens blaring. As soon as the Squirtle heard the sirens, it got a panicked expression on its face and took off, leaving the can of spray paint behind.

Serena went over to pick up the can of spray paint to throw it away just as Officer Jenny turned the corner on her motorcycle.

"Hold it!" Officer Jenny ordered. "We've had reports of someone vandalizing the buildings in this city! It seems I've caught the culprits red-handed! You're even still holding the spray paint can!"

Serena saw she was holding the can of spray paint and immediately threw it away while turning red. "I didn't do this!" she cried in alarm.

Officer Jenny gave her a hard glare. "Don't lie to a police officer, young lady!"

"We're telling you the truth Officer Jenny," Ash tried to defend. "It was a Squirtle that did this. We were just passing through this alley on the way to the beach. It ran away when it heard your sirens."

Officer Jenny seemed to be in thought. "Hmmm…was this Squirtle wearing a pair of sunglasses?" she asked.

"It was, actually!" Ash confirmed. "Do you know anything about it?"

"Everyone in Vermillion City knows about that Squirtle. It was abandoned by its trainer a while back. It was so upset by how the person just threw it out like that so it has no respect at all for people or their property. All it ever wants to do is play pranks on people or steal things," Officer Jenny told them.

"Why doesn't the gym leader of this city do anything about it?" Serena asked.

"The gym leader prefers not to worry himself with things like this. Personally, he isn't worried about a rogue Squirtle in the city despite it terrorizing everyone," said Officer Jenny.

"He sounds lazy if you ask me," Misty muttered.

"Oh, he actually isn't lazy at all. He is an army lieutenant and war hero. His name is Lt. Surge. With all of the wars and battles he has seen in his lifetime, he considers handling a rogue Squirtle beneath him," Officer Jenny explained.

"Oh, I see," Misty realized.

"Since Lt. Surge doesn't want to get involved, it's up to the Vermillion City police force, but that Squirtle is so evasive we aren't ever able to catch it. It's always gone by the time we arrive on the scene," Officer Jenny said. She then got a sad look on her face. "I think deep down, all that Squirtle really wants is a loving trainer."

Officer Jenny then got on her motorcycle and turned towards the group. "I'm sorry of accusing you guys. The only advice I can offer is to try to stay clear of that Squirtle while you are in Vermillion City." She then drove off down the alley and turned a corner, disappearing from view.

* * *

><p>The group stared at the beautiful beach in front of them. They could even see the enormous ship, the St. Anne, at the harbor in the distance. It had been a really long time since either of them had been to the beach. Vermillion City was known for its awesome beaches, and if the clean, sparkling waters were any indication, it was true.<p>

The group found a nearby beach house and changed into their swimsuits there. Then they were ready to have some fun!

"Hey, why should we be the only ones to have fun? Let's send out our Pokemon also!" Ash suggested.

"Great idea!" Serena agreed.

The group then sent out their Pokemon, and everyone went off to do their various activities. Ash and Serena immediately went towards the water to swim there. Misty brought out a towel and lay it underneath an umbrella to take a nice nap, and Brock began to look at all of the pretty girls in swimsuits, discreetly of course.

It was then Brock was confronted by two ganguro girls.

"Like congratulations! You've won four tickets to the party at the St. Anne cruise ship!" one said excitedly.

"I won a cruise?" Brock asked skeptically.

"Not the cruise itself, but you're still invited to come to the party before it departs! It's going to be so cooooool!" the other one answered while jumping up and down.

"How did I win? I don't remember entering a drawing for anything," Brock asked in a confused tone.

"We're just giving away tickets to awesome Pokemon trainers such as yourselves!" the first one exclaimed.

"Cooooool, huh?!" the second one added.

"Uh, in that case, I'll take them. Thank you," Brock said appreciatively.

"The party starts in an hour! See you there!" the first one giddily said.

"Cooooool!" the second one yelled again.

"Wait until I tell the other guys about this!" Brock smiled to himself.

* * *

><p>Serena was swimming through the water right now and having a blast. The weather was perfect right now. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the temperature was just right. She was about to turn towards Ash to ask him something, but he had disappeared.<p>

"Uh, Ash?" Serena asked, but there was no response.

She began looking in all directions around her, but didn't find him anywhere.

"Ash!" Serena called again, but then felt something grab her ankle.

Serena let out a shriek, and the culprit revealed itself to be none other than Ash, who was laughing.

"Hahahahaha! That was great!" Ash said while laughing.

Serena got a mock angry look on her face. "Hey! I was starting to get worried about you, and then you go and pull something like that! You're going to get it!"

"First you have to catch me!" Ash teased.

Serena then leaped at Ash which knocked him back under the water. They than began to play wrestle each other in the water. They took turns dunking and splashing each other and occasionally tackling the other. Before either of them knew it, they their arms around each other in tight bear hug, trying to throw the other underwater first. That's when Ash realized the position they were in.

"Uh, Serena?" Ash questioned, but she didn't move from the embrace.

"Serena, are you going to let me go?" Ash asked again. He was becoming pretty embarrassed.

If he didn't know better, he could have sworn he heard Serena give a sigh of disappointment before letting go.

"Are you ready to head back to the shore? There seems to be a nice game of volleyball going on there. Maybe we can jump in," Serena suggested.

"Uh, sure," Ash agreed, wondering what the sudden change in her attitude was about.

It was then they felt movement below the water's surface, and to their surprise, a Squirtle with sunglasses popped its head out of the water.

"Woah! I think that's the Squirtle from earlier!" Ash realized.

The Squirtle gave a smirk before shooting its Water Gun in Ash's face again. How was it that he always seemed to get the Water Gun?

Ash was already wet so it didn't bother him like last time, but that didn't change the fact the Squirtle was trying to aggravate him.

"You seem to be asking for a battle!" Ash said angrily to it.

The Squirtle ignored that threat and Water Gunned Ash's face again. Now he was getting pretty annoyed.

"If you're so cocky, I dare you to face me in a Pokemon Battle! Meet me up at the shoreline, and then we will see how tough you are!" Ash shouted.

The Squirtle rolled its eyes from behind its sunglasses and began to swim back towards the shoreline. Ash and Serena followed it. As they approached the shore, they spotted Brock, who was waving his arms frantically at them, signaling them to come over. He looked really excited.

"Hey guys!" he called once they reached them. "I just won four tickets to the party that's going to take place on the St. Anne in an hour! I mean, they aren't tickets for the cruise, but we can still attend the party!"

"When and where did you enter a drawing for a party?" Serena asked him curiously.

"I received it from those two ganguro girls over there," he said pointing behind him, but there was nobody there.

"Uh, that's strange. Where did they go?" Brock wondered.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter. If you won, you won. I say we don't let these tickets go to waste," Ash said.

"Alright. Let's go get Misty and our Pokemon and have some fun at the party!" Brock cheered.

"Oh right! The Squirtle!" Ash remembered. He looked around, but it had already disappeared.

* * *

><p>"Oh wow! This ship is even bigger up close!" Serena exclaimed amazed.<p>

"Brock! Are you positive that this is the ship you won tickets, too?" Ash asked, equally amazed.

"I'm positive. I guess I just got really lucky," Brock told them. He then got a dreamy expression on his face. "I hope there are a lot of pretty girls on board."

The group rolled their eyes at that remark.

"I can't wait to get on that cruise liner! I bet it's so beautiful! I wonder if there is a dance at the party," Serena said while her eyes sparkled.

She could picture it now. She and Ash are dancing together to a slow song. It would be so romantic! Ash would pull her gently a little closer to him. There would be a beautiful sunset on the deck of the ship. They would lean in a little closer, then even closer. Their lips would only be inches apart. And then…

"Serena! Are you coming or not?" Ash called out to her.

Serena snapped out of her thoughts and saw the group was already some distance ahead of her. "Coming!" she said as she ran to catch up with them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the two ganguro girls had walked into a nearby warehouse where a large computer was at the edge of the room. They then changed out of their clothes and into their regular white uniforms. It was Team Rocket!<p>

"So were all of the tickets given away?" Meowth asked as he stepped out of his hiding place.

"They were," Jessie answered. "You aren't going to believe who we gave away four of those tickets to. It was that squinty-eyed friend of the twerp with the Pikachu. He will undoubtedly share it with the others. This our perfect chance for revenge against them, once and for all."

"Sounds good to Meowth!" Meowth agreed.

"Let's go ahead and report to the boss," James said as he pressed a button in front of the computer

The large screen turned on and a man cast in shadows appeared. It was hard to make out his face, but he seemed to be wearing an orange suit. He was sitting behind a large desk and had a Persian next to him.

"Is the plan set?" the man asked. His voice was very deep and dark sounding.

"It is sir. We've given away all of the tickets as you requested," Jessie replied.

"Excellent. You three have failed me the last few times at Mt Moon and the Pokemon Center in Viridian City. Hopefully this time, you will be able to come through," the boss said.

"But Boss, the only reason we failed at the missions was because of this brat who carries around a Pikachu and his friends," James complained. He immediately realized that this was NOT the right thing to say.

"You idiots! You're telling me you're letting my plans be foiled by a bunch of children?! Are you that incompetent?! Do I have to threaten to demote you to grunts to motivate you?!" the boss shouted as he slammed his fist on his desk.

"Way to go, Jimmy," Meowth muttered.

Trying to make up for James' mistake, Jessie spoke up. "Sir. We won't fail you again. All of the Rocket grunts are in place on the ship. Failure will be out of the question."

"It better be. I will not accept failure for much longer. If you can't complete my missions, I will simply find someone else who can. Perhaps Cassidy and Butch can handle the missions better," the dark man said.

"No! Anyone but them!" Jessie said frantically. She, James, and Meowth hated those two with a passion.

"Then make sure this mission doesn't fail!" the boss yelled again.

"Aye aye, sir!" the trio saluted.

With that, the screen was turned off.

* * *

><p>"Wow. With how fancily everyone is dressed right now, I kind of feel out of place in my normal clothes right now," Ash commented as they looked around the ship.<p>

"So Brock, was this just supposed to be a Pokemon trainer party? Are there going to be things like dances and a bunch of food? All I see are people standing around talking to each other or showing off their Pokemon," Misty stated.

"You know what? I'm not entirely sure. Those two girls didn't give me a lot of details about the party. They just told me it was for Pokemon trainers only," Brock answered.

"Then what are we supposed to do here? I mean there are some tables with food, but that's it," Serena sighed. She was slightly disappointed that there didn't appear to be some sort of special event that was going to take place.

"Psst! Hey! You four! Over here!" A man whispered in a foreign accent.

The group turned to see a short man with a thin mustache and short brown hair. He was wearing a white button shirt and what looked like a white headband. Next to him in a fish tank was a medium-sized fish with heavy reddish-orange scales. It had vacant eyes and long, tan barbells.

"Have I got a deal for you!" the man continued once the group went over to him. "I'll let you have this swell Magikarp for just thirty dollars! Did you know that a Magikarp lays a million eggs at a time? Each of those million Magikarp lays a million more eggs! If you sell each of these Magikarp, you will have tons of money!"

The group gave the man a deadpan expression. They knew that everything he was telling them was completely bogus. He must be a con man.

Ash was about to refuse, but to his surprise, Misty spoke up.

"I'll take it!" she exclaimed.

"What?!" everyone else asked her in surprise.

"It's because a Magikarp evolves into a Gyarados," Misty explained. "You see, I'm training to be the best water-type Pokemon trainer. I have to be able to master all of them, even the frightening Gyarados!"

"Why not just fish for a Magikarp in a nearby lake? This isn't exactly a rare Pokemon we are talking about," Ash wondered.

"It's because I have a fear of Gyarados. They really scare me which always deters me from fishing for one. If I pass up this opportunity, I may never get the motivation again to get one," Misty said.

"If you say so," Ash sighed.

Misty turned back to the salesman. "Alright! I'll take it for thirty dollars even!" she declared.

"Hee hee! I can tell you are going to be a very rich girl!" the man laughed as he picked up the Magikarp from the tank and put it in a pokeball.

"Cut the garbage. I'm not doing this to become rich," Misty told him as she took the pokeball and handed him thirty dollars.

"Yes…well…thank you for buying, and I don't give refunds!" the man said hurriedly as he packed up and sped away.

"That's fine. The thirty dollars will be worth it once this Magikarp becomes a Gyarados," Misty said as she and the group walked away. They then heard a commotion coming from the food tables.

They ran over to see what was going on and saw the Squirtle with sunglasses on top of one of the tables. It was throwing food at everyone around it. How did that Squirtle sneak onto the ship undetected?

"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing?!" Ash asked angrily.

The Squirtle turned towards Ash and gave a smirk again. It then began to throw food at only Ash. Did that thing have some kind of vendetta against him?

Pikachu snickered once it saw Ash had food thrown in his face, but then the Squirtle threw some at its face also. Pikachu then got an angry experession and sparked its cheeks.

"Grrr…I'll show you!" Ash yelled as he lunged for it.

The Squirtle jumped out of the way and took off out of the room and down one of the hallways.

"You aren't getting away from me this time!" Ash shouted as he and Pikachu ran after it.

"Wait up!" Serena called as she followed Ash.

"Should we go with them?" Misty asked Brock.

Brock shook his head. "Nah. They'll be back in a little bit. I say we just wait here."

Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth, who were disguised as staff members, received a beep on a device kept on their belts. They gave a smirk to each other. That was their signal. It was time to carry out the plan to steal everyone's Pokemon on the ship.

The trio then threw off their uniforms to reveal their traditional Team Rocket uniform and jumped into the middle of the main room where everyone was gathered. The other disguised Rocket members threw off their uniforms as well and closed off all of the doors that led out of the room to prevent escape. Jessie, James, and Meowth then began to recite their motto.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!

"And James!

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!

"Meowth! That's right!

"It's Team Rocket!" Misty and Brock gasped.

"And now, we shall proceed to steal all of your Pokemon!" Jessie announced as she and all of the other Rocket members pulled out vacuums.

* * *

><p>Not everyone had been captured inside of the room, however. Ash, Pikachu, and Serena were still chasing the Squirtle down the hallway. It had finally reached a dead end, and the Squirtle stopped and turned around to face Ash, Serena, and Pikachu. It was ready to battle if necessary.<p>

"What is with you?!" Ash yelled at Squirtle once they cornered it.

The Squirtle grimaced and Water Gunned Ash's face again.

Ash was about to shout again, but Serena put her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Relax, Ash. Shouting at Squirtle isn't going to do any good. You're better than this," she told him.

Ash realized she was right and took a deep breath. He then walked up slowly to Squirtle and knelt down to be eye level with it. The Squirtle took a step back and made a defensive stance.

"Hey, Squirtle. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have to keep playing mean pranks on people. I'm sure you are destined for greater things than this," Ash said.

Squirtle didn't say anything in response and continued to give Ash a hard stare.

Taking that as a good sign to continue, Ash went on. "I know it probably hurts that you were abandoned by your trainer, but that doesn't mean all humans are like that."

The Squirtle frowned and turned away from Ash. It didn't believe him.

Ash sighed. "If you don't believe me, then perhaps you will believe fellow Pokemon. I just happen to have a Charmander with me that was abandoned by its trainer. My Pikachu also has had rough instances with people in the past," he tried.

This got Squirtle's attention. It then turned around got a curious expression on its face.

"It's true. They can tell you themselves," Ash told Squirtle as he sent out his Charmander.

Pikachu and Charmander then went over with Squirtle and began to talk to it. Ash and Serena watched the Pokemon converse and were wondering what they were saying, but they could get a good idea by the expressions and gestures the Pokemon were making.

Finally, Squirtle turned towards Ash and got a guilty expression on its face. "Squirtle Squirt," it said apologetically.

"It's okay, Squirtle. I just want you to know that I know there is a trainer out there who will take great care of you one day. You will be just fine. I promise," Ash said.

"That was well done, Ash," Serena smiled.

"It was Pikachu and Charmader who did most of the talking," Ash replied while gesturing to them. He then turned to Squirtle. "What do you say we return to the party and have fun?"

The Squirtle seemed to think for a moment before nodding. "Squirtle," it replied.

Once Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Squirtle made it back to the doorway that led to the main hall, they found it locked.

"That's weird," Ash said more to himself than the others as he began to yank on the door, trying to get it open.

It was then they heard what sounded like a lot of commotion going on inside, but could pick up what some voices were saying.

"Alright! Team Rocket has taken over this ship! Hand over all your Pokemon right now if you don't want to get hurt," they heard one say.

"And don't even think about calling for the police to come help!" another voice said. "We've rigged the ship with a bomb that's in the engine room. The second any of you try to get help, we will blow this ship to pieces with all of you still on board!"

Ash heard a collective gasp through the doors. He then turned to Serena. "This looks bad with Team Rocket here. It looks like we are the only ones who weren't captured. We've got to save these people, but our first priority should be locating the bomb to disarm it."

"Right. I built a model of this ship once so I know the blueprints. I can lead us to the engine room," Serena agreed as she, Ash, and Pikachu took off down the hallway as fast as they could.

They then heard footsteps behind them and noticed the Squirtle was following as well.

"You want to help, Squirtle?" Ash asked.

"Squirtle," it replied while nodding its head.

"Thanks. Let's go!" Ash said as the four resumed running towards the engine room.

As the group was making their way to the engine room, they rounded a corner and were met by two Rocket grunts guarding the passageway. They attempted to hide, but the Rocket grunts were too quick for them.

"Hey! Someone broke loose for the main room! I'll call for help, and you get their Pokemon!" one grunt said to his partner.

"I don't think so! Pikachu! Thundershock!" Ash called.

Pikachu let out a mighty electric attack which shocked the grunts into unconsciousness. The group then ran past the Rocket members, down the steps, and into the engine room.

The engine room looked like a regular maze. There were many different walkways and gears all over the place. They weren't expecting it to be this big, but then again, this was a very large ship they were in.

"Alright. We need to find that bomb fast! Let's go!" Ash said as he turned to the rest, but found one was missing.

"Hey, where's Squirtle? It didn't run away, did it? I thought we had reached it," Ash said in a sad tone.

Serena gave Ash a sympathetic look. "You did all you could for it, Ash. If Squirtle still doesn't trust humans, it's not your fault."

"I know. I just wonder what's going to happen to it," Ash trailed. He then sighed. "I hate to say it, but we'll have to worry about Squirtle later. We need to find that bomb."

"It will probably be in the back part of the room," Serena said. "Let's go there."

After running through the maze that was the engine room, the group rounded a corner and spotted the bomb at the very back, just as Serena had predicted. They then made a mad dash towards it, but someone stepped in their way before they could reach it, and it was someone Ash, Serena, and Pikachu were completely not expecting.

"Damian!?" they exclaimed, completely dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>Back in the main room, the Rocket grunts were going to each person one-by-one to take their pokeballs. If the person refused, Team Rocket simply reminded them of the bomb threat or used their vacuums to forcefully suck the pokeballs from the trainers. As bad luck would have it, Misty and Brock had to have Jessie, James, and Meowth that were the ones to take their Pokemon.<p>

"Well, well. It looks like we win this time. I'd like to see you twerps get out of this one," Jessie said with a smug look.

"You will now hand over your Pokemon. We are in such a good mood today, we won't hurt you if you hand them over immediately," James told them.

Misty and Brock said nothing as they reluctantly handed over their pokeballs. They knew Team Rocket was right. They were dead if they tried to resist. They could only hope Ash and Serena hadn't befallen the same fate.

* * *

><p>"Well, look who it is," Damian smirked.<p>

"Damian! What the heck are you doing with Team Rocket?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Heheheh. After you punks humiliated me, I came across two people named Jessie and James who hate you just as much as me. They promised I could have my revenge against you if I joined Team Rocket, not to mention they told me I could achieve great things by joining their gang. It sounded like a good deal," Damian explained.

"Just when I thought you couldn't sink any lower," Ash scowled.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu growled while sparking its cheeks

"Shut up! I told you that you would regret messing with me, and now it's payback time! You will start by giving me your Pokemon. You still owe me Charmander, after all," Damian said.

"We'll never give any of our Pokemon to you!" Ash yelled.

"That's unfortunate because I'll have to hurt you if you don't," Damian said in a dark tone as he reached for one of his pokeballs.

"We'll just beat you like last time! Go Pikachu!" Ash told the rodent.

Pikachu ran forward to attack, but Damian held up a device in his other hand which immediately made everyone else stop in their tracks.

It was the detonator to the bomb.

"I wouldn't make any hasty movements if I were you," Damian smirked. "You wouldn't want me to accidentally press this button and blow all of us up, would you?"

"You're bluffing," Ash breathed in a heavy tone. "If you detonate that bomb, it will kill you, too."

"I think not," Damian replied. "I happen to have a device to help me and my comrades get away just in time before the ship explodes. The same can't be said for you and the party guests."

"You're despicable," Serena growled.

"You can call me what you like, but that doesn't change the fact that I have the upper hand here. If you don't give me your Pokemon immediately, I will order all of my Pokemon to crush you two," Damian replied.

Ash and Serena hesitated. There was absolutely nothing they could do right now.

"Hurry up!" Damian urged. "If I don't have all of your Pokemon in my possession by the time I count to ten, I'm going to take them by force and detonate the bomb, anyway!"

"You wouldn't!" Ash and Serena gasped.

"I would, especially to you punks!" Damian yelled back. He then smirked again. "Perhaps whenever I take back Charmander, I'm going to torture it a little bit with my other Pokemon. That will teach it to defy the great Damian!"

Ash and Serena felt tears burn their eyes. They were told there was always at least some good in everyone, but Damian had certainly proved them wrong. Damian then began to slowly count to ten. When he saw Ash and Serena still weren't moving, he began to count louder for emphasis.

Serena and Pikachu frantically looked at Ash to see if he had some sort of idea, but he was at a complete loss at what to do. It looked like this was the end, and there was nothing Ash could do about it unless he gave up his Pokemon to this crook.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ash, Serena, and Pikachu saw a small turtle shell spiraling towards Damian from behind him. Damian was too occupied with who was in front of him to hear or notice the object coming closer to his head. The shell clonked Damian on the back of his head and rebounded onto the ground. Damian got a dazed look on his face and fell forward on to the floor, knocked out.

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu looked in amazement at the turtle shell on the ground. The shell began to stir, and the Pokemon that came out was none other than Squirtle!

"Squirtle!" Ash and Serena exclaimed in happiness.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed with an equal amount of excitement.

"Squirtle!" the turtle Pokemon replied, giving them a thumbs-up

"You saved us! Thank you! We thought you had left, but you showed us you really care," Ash said gratefully.

The Squirtle smiled and nodded its head.

"Now we just need to figure out how to diffuse this bomb. There has to be a disarm switch on it somewhere," Serena said as went over to the small device and began to search around it."

"We have to find it quickly before Team Rocket gets away!" Ash said urgently.

"I know!" Serena replied as she continued to look, but couldn't find anything. "It's no good! It looks like we have to cut the wire!"

"My Bulbasaur can handle that!" Ash said as he released his Pokemon.

"Bulbasuar!" the Pokemon cried as it looked at its trainer expectantly.

"Use your Razor Leaf to snap the wires on the bomb. Just be careful not to hit the bomb itself!" Ash ordered.

Bulbsaur then shot out a few razor sharp leaves that cut through the wires cleanly, completely disarming it.

Everyone let out a huge sigh of relief upon disarming it, but didn't allow it to last for long.

"Come on! We've got to save Brock, Misty, and the rest of the guests!" Ash said as he and everyone else made their way back to the main room. Ash gave the unconscious Damian one last disgusted look before leaving the engine room.

* * *

><p>"Where are our team members at?" Jessie wondered. "They should have been here with the helicopters ten minutes ago!"<p>

"It doesn't matter how long they take now, Jessie," James said. "We've already got everyone's Pokemon. It's not like we are in a hurry anymore. This mission was a total success for once, and this time, there was no twerp with a Pikachu to ruin our plans."

Right on cue, there was a loud thud on one of the double doors. Everyone turned in the direction at the loud noise. It then made a loud thud again.

"Meowth! What in blazes is that noise!?" Meowth wondered aloud as the thud happened again.

It wasn't long before the double doors burst open and a Bulbasaur, two Charmander, a Squirtle, a Pikachu, a Nidoran, a Jigglypuff, and an Oddish spilled into the room, followed by Ash and Serena.

"It's them!" Jessie, James, and Meowth gasped in disbelief.

"I knew that it was suspicious that we didn't see those two here," Jessie growled.

"Everyone!" Ash called into the room. "We've found the bomb and disarmed it! We've also called the Vermillion Police who are on their way! You aren't in danger anymore! Let's get your Pokemon back!"

"They did what?!" the Team Rocket trio screamed as they saw the party guests suddenly give them and the other Rocket members angry glares.

"I think we better prepare for trouble," Jessie started.

"And make it double," James finished.

Mass chaos suddenly broke out in the main room on the ship. The party guests immediately began to tackle any Rocket member they could to get their pokeballs back. They were trying to fight back, but the party guests outnumbered the Rocket members by a long shot, making it impossible.

"How could things have turned south so quickly?! This plan was going so well!" Jessie exclaimed as she was trying to fight off the horde of people.

"The same twerps as always, of course!" Meowth yelled.

"Such dreadful twerps!" James agreed.

It was then they heard the sound of helicopters above them and knew their teammates have arrived.

"Let's get out of here! Every person for themselves! Retreat!" Jessie yelled as she, James, and Meowth, struggled against the party guests. They then looked hard and found an opening where there weren't as many party guests.

"This way!" Jessie motioned to her teammates as they rushed out of the room, a few Rocket grunts following suit after seeing the opening.

Ash, Serena, and their Pokemon, having been reunited with Brock and Misty, saw Team Rocket escaping and chased after them.

"You guys aren't getting away!" Ash hollered after them.

"That twerp's chasing us!" Meowth yelled to his teammates as they continued to dash towards the deck where the helicopters were waiting.

"Forget him! Let's just keep running!" James shouted back.

They soon burst onto the deck where they immediately saw rope ladders extended from the helicopters. They and the grunts that made it grabbed on as the rope ladder began to be pulled up.

"Don't wait for the ladder to be all of the way up! Just go! The police and some brats are on our tails!" Jessie hollered at the pilots

The group made it onto the deck just as the helicopters were pulling away. Ash grimaced once he saw the helicopters flying into the distance. Team Rocket had escaped.

* * *

><p>About one hour later, the group was standing in front of Officer Jenny by the St. Anne.<p>

"Thank you very much for your heroic efforts," Officer Jenny said as she saluted them. "Because of you, everyone was able to get their pokeballs back, and we were able to arrest most of the Rocket members on the ship. We searched the engine room where you said a few were but found no one."

"That means Damian was able to get away as well," Ash muttered.

"Come on, Ash. Don't you get it? You and Serena are real heroes, right now," Brock told them.

"Thanks, but a lot of it was because of Squirtle," Ash said as he smiled down at it.

"Squirtle blushed and rubbed the back of its neck nervously.

"Indeed. I will take the job of making sure Squirtle finds a good home," Officer Jenny said.

"Did you hear that Squirtle? Officer Jenny will make sure you find the loving trainer you deserve," Ash told it.

At this, Squirtle shook its head. It went over to Ash and pointed one of its fingers at him.

"You want me to be your trainer?" Ash asked it surprise, to which the Pokemon nodded.

"I think you would be a great trainer for Squirtle," Serena said. "You were the first one to gain its trust, after all."

"Is that okay, Officer Jenny?" Ash asked.

"I agree. You seem like the type of trainer who will treat Squirtle right," Officer Jenny smiled.

"Alright! Welcome to the group, Squirtle!" Ash told it enthusiastically.

"Squirtle!" it said as it removed its sunglasses. It then jumped into a hug from Ash.

"Looks like I caught a new Pokemon!" Ash smiled.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu agreed.

"That's a hardly a catch, Ash," Misty said while rolling her eyes, but it was clear that she was happy, too.

"I still got a new Pokemon, all the same!" Ash replied. He then looked at Squirtle. "We're going to make a great team, won't we?

"Squirtle Squirt!" it responded happily.

* * *

><p><strong>Ash has now gotten all of the Kanto starters and Misty has gotten a Magikarp. Once Ash captures Krabby (in a few chapters), Muk, Primpeape, and Haunter, he will begin to catch a few non canon Pokemon which will force him to rotate his team. The next time Serena catches a new Pokemon will be in Celadon City. Once she gets past a full team of six, she will rotate her team as well. <strong>

**Paul is also in the next chapter! What effect will he have?! Next week will reveal it! See you guys next Tuesday!**

**Chapter 18: Electric Shock Showdown!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_After Ash catches Krabby will Dragonite appear at Bill's lighthouse or not?_

_**Ash will catch Krabby in a few chapters, but no, Bill's lighthouse will not be in this story.**_

_Since you will only include the Safari Zone of the banned episodes does that mean that mean that Porygon and his evolution will not appear?_

_**They'll probably make an appearance at some point outside of the banned episodes, including other Pokemon that only appeared in banned episodes.**_

_Will Primeape also leave after the P1 championship?_

_**No. Ash will keep Primeape in this story.**_

About the GS Ball, would it be like in canon or the story will be different when the story reaches the Johto arc?

_**It will be different. I will replace the fourth Pokemon movie with my own Celebi story arc involving the GS ball to do what the anime forgot to do. It probably won't be until Ash gets seven or all eight badges in Johto, however.**_

_Will Max also come up with witty comments when he drags Brock off by his ear/clothes (if you plan on featuring Brock in Hoenn)_

_**If they are both in the Hoenn arc, then yes. There will be poll up (much) later on asking if you want them to travel in Hoenn with Ash, Serena, and May. Don't worry about their fates yet because we aren't even close to Hoenn, and I haven't fully outlined it yet.**_

_Will Brock still be able to tell the difference between a girl and a guy disguised as a girl like he did with Ash(ley) in the celadon gym._

_**Yes. Brock still has that ability, but Ash(ley) won't appear. The Celadon gym is much different from canon.**_

_Will there be a chapter in the Johto arc where Chikorita/Bayleef will have to put her tensions with Serena aside to get out of a pickle?_

_**Most likely.**_

_Y'know, this could possibly be spoiler-ish, but I just thought of something - that special "Legend of Thunder". When Ash, Serena, and friends come to Johto, could we expect to see them meeting up with Jimmy, Marina, and/or Vincent at some point? And will any of them try and ship Jimmy and Marina at all?_

_**Yes. It's a spoilerish question, but I'll let the cat out of the bag on this one. I wanted it to be a surprise but yes, Jimmy, Marina, and especially Vincent will appear in more ways in than one when the group is in Johto and befriend them.**_

_Are Jimmy & Marina going to appear, and also is Duplica and the others make an appearance, you can always use them in the Battle Chateau or something._

_**Yes. Jimmy and Marina will be in this story, but I don't see Duplica appearing. Sorry.**_

_I think you should wait until your Johto arc to have Serena's Oddish evolve into its final stage, and I know which one of Oddish's branched evolutions it should evolve into - Bellossom. Whatcha think?_

_**Yep! That was my intention from the beginning. Oddish will become Bellossom eventually. I think Bellossom fits Serena better than Vileplume.**_

Since you just established more of Charla's personality, are you going to make her resemble closely Fennekin's personality from the anime, such as having an aversion to getting dirty and taking pride in her personal grooming?

_**Charla will have those characteristics but not as much as Fennekin. It still likes fashion just as much, though.**_

_Can we expect Gary to use his iconic catchphrase 'Smell ya Later' in this story?_

_**No. Sorry. I just hate that catchphrase.**_

_On your profile page, I've noticed how you show us how your future chapters are coming along, so on to my question. When you get far enough in the Kanto Arc, will you publish all of them at once as soon as possible since it would fill it instantly, or will continue to publish each chapter weekly?_

_**Okay. I've had few people ask me why I only post one chapter a week when I'm much farther ahead in writing it. I think it's time to address everyone on this. Here we go.**_

_**First off, no. I will continue to post one chapter a week once I finish and probably take a small break (not too long) from writing the Orange Islands Arc and here is why:**_

_**As stated in my profile, I have both a full-time and part-time job. I work between 50 and 60 hours a week so I'm already a busy guy. Another reason is when I proofread a chapter, it can take a little longer than I would like. I try to read every nook and cranny of the chapters to correct any errors (though I still sometimes miss a couple), reword things, and make the chapter flow better. Plus, I answer any questions about my story at the end of each chapter. This can take a few hours on some of my longer chapters. I also spend some of my day writing the story of course. I prefer to be far ahead in my story so if I ever encounter writer's block, I can still post chapters at a steady pace to keep you guys from waiting a long time while I try to get out of it. Finally, the reason is because I have a life outside of . I have friends, family, and church activities which I am a big part of. I hope this sheds light on why I have posted chapters weekly when I am so far ahead in my story. **_

_Will you have Ash, Serena, and the others age as your stories go along?_

_**Yes! Everyone will definitely age in this series. Here is a list of the ages I plan to have Ash and Serena be in my stories with Serena only a couple of months younger than Ash. Brock is five years older than them with Misty being roughly a year older than Ash and Serena. May and Dawn will be year younger than Ash and Serena and Max will be five years younger than them. Gary, Leaf, and Paul are the same ages as Ash and Serena.**_

_**Ash and Serena's ages:**_

_**Kanto: 10-11**_

_**Orange Islands: 11-12**_

_**Johto: 12-13**_

_**Hoenn and Battle Frontier: 13-14**_

_**Sinnoh: 14-15**_

_**(Time skip)**_

_**Final Story: 18**_

_Though if I may say one thing try not to have Ash and Serena rely on Blaze to much. There is nothing wrong with having them rely on it occasionally. Just don't have them use it in every battle._

_**You make a good point and don't worry. They won't rely on it for a while.**_


	18. Electric Shock Showdown!

**A/N: Here is the third gym battle. I apologize that it is pretty similar to the anime, but I thought it was an important episode that establishes Pikachu's background for never wanting to evolve so I had to keep it mostly the same. There is still of course a few differences from the anime with the inclusion of Paul, of course. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. POKEMON.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 18: Electric Shock Showdown<p>

After getting his newly acquired Squirtle, Ash and company decided to go take a nice rest at the Pokemon Center in Vermilion City. They had a completely exhausting day so far after the incident on the St. Anne. Ash decided it would be better if he had his gym battle tomorrow. Evening time had also approached so it was getting late. When the group got to the Pokemon Center, they saw it was fairly busy at the moment.

There was a crowd of trainers lined up at the desk where Nurse Joy was who were all in a panic. Nurse Joy was trying to calm them down by waving her hands but to no success.

"Alright, everyone. Settle down, please. I realize all of you were beaten by Lt. Surge, but our hospital beds are booked at the moment. You will have to keep your Pokemon inside their pokeballs until I can see them," Nurse Joy tried to explain.

"But Nurse Joy, my Rattata was severely injured at the Vermilion Gym!" a young boy begged.

"My Pokemon were injured, also!" another one cried.

"And mine, too!" yet another one added.

Nurse Joy gave a sigh. "Alright. Go ahead and hand me your pokeballs. I will transfer them to the other Pokemon Centers across the area. They will be treated there. It's the best I can do at the moment."

The crowd nodded as they handed their pokeballs to Nurse Joy before dispersing around the center.

It was after Nurse Joy came back to the front desk after delivering the pokeballs to the other centers that the group was finally able to speak with her.

"Oh, hello," she said with a tired smile. "What can I do for you today?"

"Yes. We would like two rooms for the night, please," Ash said politely.

"Certainly," Nurse Joy replied as she began to register them on the computer.

"Did this many trainers lose to the Vermillion City gym leader?" Misty asked in amazement as she saw all the trainers around.

"They did," Nurse Joy responded. "He is definitely not a Gym Leader to be taken lightly. The poor trainers go in there thinking they can take him on having no prior experience at Pokemon gyms, but they end up being beaten terribly."

Ash and Serena immediately thought of when they took on the Battle Chateau for the first time and got destroyed due to their inexperience.

"I see," Ash said quietly.

"You aren't getting discouraged, are you?" Serena asked him, Pikachu also giving his trainer a worried look.

"I don't know, I just…" Ash started, but was cut off by Misty.

"You have to beat Surge, Ash! You have already beaten Brock and me. How do think we'll look if he beats you!?" Misty shouted.

"Misty. Go easy on him. You can't just make Ash win," Brock said as he put a hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"Chu! Chu! Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it jumped off Ash's shoulder.

"What's that, Pikachu?" Ash asked it.

Pikachu began to make boxing motions and victory poses.

"You're saying you will face Surge, and there's no way you will lose?" Ash guessed.

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed

"Thanks, buddy," Ash smiled. "You're a great friend."

"Alright. All of you have your rooms ready. It's a good thing there was space considering how busy we are," Nurse Joy said.

"Oh, Nurse Joy! You work so hard! How hard you work is only matched by your beauty!" Brock exclaimed while running up to take her hands in his.

"I'm sorry?" Nurse Joy asked in a confusing tone.

Misty then reached out and grabbed Brock by the ear. "She's busy enough with doing her job. She doesn't need it worse by having to worry about you," Misty muttered as she dragged Brock away.

"Is Brock going to do this for every girl we come across?" Serena whispered to Ash.

"I don't know, but I guess the only thing we can do is ignore it," Ash whispered back.

Just then, the doors to the Vermilion Pokemon Center opened once more as another trainer entered. Unlike the previous trainers who entered, this one looked familiar to the group.

"Woah. It's Paul," Ash muttered in surprise as the cold-faced boy got closer.

Paul noticed the group and frowned upon seeing them. "Oh, it's you guys," he mumbled.

"I take it you just got back from the Vermillion City gym. How did you do?" Ash asked. He didn't know why, but he was very curious.

"I beat him," Paul said simply. "Anyone can win the battle with a competent Pokemon." He then looked around at the various trainers scattered around. "I guess the same can't be said for these trainers. That just reinforces what I said about scanning the Pokemon with your pokedex to make sure it's good enough."

"Don't start that again!" Ash said, getting fired up.

"It's true, but I suppose someone like you won't understand," Paul smirked. "Were you able to get the Vermilion City Badge?"

"I actually haven't challenged him yet. I'm not going until tomorrow," Ash said sheepishly.

Paul glared upon hearing that. "Well, after you challenge the gym leader, come find me. I'll have a Pokemon battle with you, assuming you've caught more Pokemon since last time."

"I have caught more Pokemon! I have a full team of six right now!" Ash declared.

Paul glared again. "You've only caught six Pokemon after all this time? Well, at least it's enough to test your battle strategy."

"Most of the Pokemon he captured followed him by choice," Misty muttered, but then covered her mouth.

"Misty! You aren't helping!" Serena whispered harshly.

Paul sighed at Ash. "You're pathetic," he said. He then noticed Pikachu. "You aren't going to battle the gym leader with that Pikachu, are you?"

"Yes, I am. Why does that matter?" Ash asked.

Paul smirked. "Nothing," he said as he walked away to a different part of the Pokemon Center.

The group didn't see Paul for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>It was the next day, and Ash was really fired up. Seeing Paul at the Pokemon Center had spurred him not to rest at all afterward. He spent all evening training his Pokemon for the Vermilion City gym. Of course, after the intense training, he gave them, he made sure they had a good rest and good food before going to bed himself.<p>

As he made his way to the gym, it didn't matter to him that so many trainers had lost to Lt. Surge. It only mattered that he was determined not to be one of them to prove to Paul that any Pokemon is good enough. He trained his Pokemon very hard, and in return, they worked very hard. He felt he couldn't be a luckier trainer with the superb Pokemon he had.

The Vermilion gym was a large building with several lightning bolts designed onto it. The group stood in front of the intimidating building for a second before Ash took a deep breath. They then entered through the double doors and were met with total darkness. The only light in the building was coming from the windows.

The group was met by two people upon entering, a man and a woman, who were dressed as if they were part of a gang if anything.

Despite being a little intimidated by their appearance, Ash spoke up. "Hello. My name is Ash Ketchum, and I'm here to challenge the gym leader for a Thunder Badge."

The two people smirked as the man called over his shoulder, "Hey boss. We have another victim for the emergency room."

The group glared upon hearing that. What made them so cocky?

They then saw a large shadow coming from behind the two subordinates. The shadow came closer until it was revealed to be a hulking man in a green sleeveless shirt and cargo pants. He had spiky brown hair and brown eyes.

"Woah, he's huge!" Brock said in awe.

"Is that the Lt. Surge we heard about?" Misty asked in equal amazement.

"Welcome to Vermillion gym!" Lt. Surge suddenly shouted in delight, which startled the group. He then bent down and gave Serena and Misty tight hugs which made them a little uncomfortable. "Oh, my next challengers are cute ones! Don't think I'll go easy on you two."

"Umm…we aren't the trainers," Serena said timidly. She was still intimidated by this guy.

Lt. Surge got a confused expression on his face. "Oh really? Then who is it?" he asked.

"I am," Ash declared as he and Pikachu stepped forward.

Lt. Surge then turned to Ash and smiled. "Oh you. Okay then baby!" he said as he patted Ash on the head condescendingly.

Ash grit his teeth that this guy was treating him like a toddler. "I'm no baby!" he shouted as he brushed Lt. Surge's giant had away. "My name is Ash Ketchum!"

"I always call people who lose to me baby," Lt. Surge responded.

The group frowned upon hearing this. This man was a little too overconfident.

"My Pokemon saved my life numerous times during the war. We can stand up to any challenger!" Lt. Surge declared.

"_Right. Officer Jenny mentioned he is a war hero,"_ Ash remembered.

Lt. Surge then saw Pikachu. "Is that the Pokemon you're going to use?" he asked.

"Yeah! That's right!" Ash replied.

Lt. Surge then smirked and turned to his two subordinates. "Hey! Look at this! Baby brought along a baby Pokemon!" All three of them laughed arrogantly.

"Why are you making fun of my Pikachu?!" Ash demanded as he and Pikachu glared at Lt. Surge.

"Oh, I'll show you why," Lt. Surge said as he withdrew a pokeball from his belt and threw it forward. "Go pokeball!"

The ball landed on the floor and opened up to reveal the Pokemon inside. Ash, Pikachu, and the rest were surprised at the Pokemon that had come out.

It was a Raichu.

"It's a Raichu," Ash muttered as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Raichu. The mouse Pokemon of the electric element. Raichu is the evolved form of Pikachu. It can shock with more than ten thousand volts, enough to render a Dragonite unconscious," the monotone voices of the pokedexes said.

_"This must have been why Paul chuckled when he learned I was using Pikachu. He doesn't think we have a chance against a Raichu. Well, Pikachu and I will show him!" _Ash thought.

"As you can see, there's no way your little Pikachu can win against my Raichu. You're better off leaving right now or choosing a different Pokemon," Lt. Surge told Ash.

"Maybe Lt. Surge is right, Ash," Misty suddenly spoke which caused Ash to look at her in surprise. "I'm not saying you should quit, but try using a different Pokemon. You don't have to use Pikachu here."

Before Ash could respond, Pikachu stepped forward and glared at the Raichu in front of it.

"You still want to battle Pikachu?" Ash asked it, to which Pikachu nodded.

"In that case, I'm sticking with Pikachu," Ash declared. "My Pikachu has the strength of any Raichu, and we aren't afraid of it!"

"Heh, what could a baby like that do? If you want to become a Pokemon Master, you should make your Pokemon evolve as soon as you catch them," Lt. Surge said as he patted Raichu on the head.

"Pokemon don't have to evolve to be strong! I've trained my Pokemon very hard, and each one of them have performed excellently because of it!" Ash stated.

"In that case, let's put your theory to the test. You'll learn playing with the big boys can be a shocking experience," Lt. Surge smirked. He then clapped his hands as the lights to the gym finally turned on.

The group shielded their eyes from the sudden change in brightness, but quickly recovered.

Lt. Surge and his Raichu went over to the other side of the room while Ash, Pikachu, and the rest of the group stayed on the side they were on. The two subordinates went to the center of the room to judge.

"Come on, Ash! You can do it! You and Pikachu have a great bond!" Serena encouraged him from behind, causing Ash to smile at her.

"Thanks, Serena! We've got this!" he replied, giving her a thumbs-up, Pikachu doing the same.

"Do you really think Ash can win Brock?" Misty whispered to Brock.

Brock sighed. "It's going to be extremely tough. Raichu excels at Pikachu in almost every aspect. Ash really has his work cut out for him."

Ash glared at Surge while Pikachu sparked its cheeks at the Raichu. The other two simply wore arrogant smiles on their faces.

"This will be a one-on-one official Vermilion City Gym match!" the male subordinate announced. "The leader, Lt. Surge, will be using Raichu. The challenger, Ash Ketchum, will be using Pikachu. There will be no time limit. Begin!"

"Go, Pikachu! Use Thundershock!" Ash called as Pikachu leaped forward with Lt. Surge's Raichu doing the same.

Pikachu let loose its electricity scoring a direct hit. Much to it and Ash's surprise, it didn't' appear to hurt Raichu at all!

Lt. Surge laughed. "See? What did I tell you? Raichu! Show them a real Thundershock!"

Raichu then charged up its electricity and let loose a Thudershock that was substantially larger than Pikachu's was. The electricity slammed into Pikachu and knocked it back several yards.

The group gasped at how powerful the Thundershock was. Pikachu was laying on the ground in obvious pain. It was struggling to get back up.

"It's over baby," Lt. Surge said. "You didn't really think that your puny Pikachu could beat my Raichu, did you?"

"Ash, call back Pikachu!" Brock suddenly yelled from behind Ash. "Raichu's shocks are way to powerful! This is a mismatch!"

"Brock's right Ash! Raichu is way too strong!" Misty agreed.

"I know it hurts, Ash, but they're right! We need to think of a strategy and try again later! I don't want to see Pikachu anymore injured than it already is!" Serena cried.

Ash grimaced. Even Serena didn't think he and Pikachu stood a chance against Lt. Surge. Maybe they were right.

"Pikachu," Ash sighed. "Let's forfeit. We can come back anytime."

To his and everyone else's surprise, Pikachu got up and shook its head. It still wanted to battle. It was not going to lose to Raichu that easily.

"Pikachu doesn't want to stop. This is bad," Brock commented.

"Heh, your Pikachu is pretty gutsy for a toy," Lt. Surge chuckled as Pikachu ran forward towards the Raichu again.

"No, Pikachu! Come back!" Ash yelled, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Play time is over! Raichu! Mega Punch!" Lt. Surge called.

Raichu reared back its fist and punch Pikachu right in the face before Pikachu could land a hit.

"Now a Mega Kick!" Lt. Surge followed up.

Raichu then brought its foot back and rammed it into Pikachu, sending it sprawling backwards onto the floor.

"Pikachu!" Ash called out worriedly.

"Now give us the grand finale, Raichu! Use Thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge ordered.

Raichu then sent out a huge amount of electricity which zapped Pikachu head on.

Ash and the rest of the group could only look on in horror as Pikachu screamed in pain before the electric attack finally stopped. It then fell over and didn't get back up.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as he ran over and scooped up Pikachu in his arms. "I forfeit Surge! That's enough!"

"Good choice, baby," Lt. Surge replied as he returned Raichu. "As I said, electric Pokemon need to evolve once they learn all of their electrical attacks. If you keep your Pikachu the way it is now, it will be nothing more than a pet."

Ash glared. He couldn't think of a response to that. He looked at the unconscious Pokemon in his arms worriedly. What if Pikachu were to ever become a Raichu? What would happen then?

* * *

><p>Once the group arrived back at the Pokemon Center, they were surprised to find Paul waiting for them.<p>

"Well?" Paul asked. Despite his lack of words, the group knew what he meant.

"I-I didn't get it," Ash grimaced as he still cradled Pikachu in his arms. He then glared at Paul. "You knew Lt. Surge always used Raichu, didn't you? That's why you laughed at my Pikachu yesterday."

"So what if I did? Had I told you, would that have changed your decision to use it?" Paul asked.

Ash looked down at the ground. Paul was right. He still would've used Pikachu regardless what Paul had said about Lt. Surge.

"You're never going to beat Lt. Surge the way you are now," Paul told Ash. "If you want to win, you need to go out and catch stronger Pokemon."

"My Pokemon are plenty strong! I don't care what you say about scanning their stats! Any Pokemon can be strong if trained and bond with their trainers!" Ash stubbornly yelled.

"Ash, please calm down," Serena said. She had never seen anybody get Ash this fired up except Gary Oak.

"Suit yourself. If you spend your time bonding with Pokemon rather than training them to the extreme, they will only become weak. I'm not even going to bother battling you if you can't beat the Vermilion gym," Paul said.

"Just you wait! I'm going to challenge Surge to a rematch once Pikachu feels better, and then we'll win next time!" Ash yelled.

"Heh. Whatever," Paul smirked as he walked away.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Pikachu! You're awake!" Ash said as he went over to check on his Pokemon once it opened its eyes.<p>

"Chuuuu," Pikachu muttered and turned away with an upset expression on its face.

"Take it easy, Ash. Pikachu was hurt pretty badly," Brock told him

"I know it has," Ash replied.

"No. I mean its spirit was hurt. Pikachu was totally overpowered by that Raichu," Brock corrected.

Ash then felt tears burn his eyes. "Pikachu was trying its hardest, and there was nothing I could do the entire time but watch it," he muttered.

Serena put her hand on Ash's shoulder to comfort him, but Ash didn't pay attention to it.

"There has to be some way to beat that Raichu," Ash said.

"There might be a way," a voice suddenly spoke up.

The group turned in surprise to find Nurse Joy there. "I'm sorry," She apologized, "But I overheard your conversation and thought that maybe you can use this."

She then held out a shiny bluish gray stone with a lightning bolt in the middle of it.

"It's a Thunderstone," Ash mumbled. "I could evolve Pikachu into a Raichu with this."

This bit of information hit Pikachu's ears, and it sat up to look curiously.

Paul happened to be walking by the room at the moment. Upon seeing what was taking place, he stopped to watch, also.

"If I evolve Pikachu with this, it might be strong enough to win," Ash mumbled to himself.

"You have to think hard before using the Thunderstone," Nurse Joy said solemnly.

"That's right," Misty agreed. "If you make Pikachu evolve, you can't change it back."

"Pikachu will never be the same," Brock added.

"What's there to think about?" Paul asked as he stepped into the room. "If you evolve your Pikachu, you might actually win. Isn't that what you want?"

"Nobody asked you, Paul," Misty said rudely.

"Heh. I'm only saying that's the only way he'll win," Paul smirked.

Ash took the Thunderstone and gave it a hard look. "If I use this Thunderstone to evolve Pikachu, it might be strong enough to win. On the other hand, if I make it evolve just to fight, I would be just like Surge and Paul."

Ash then turned towards his rodent partner. "Pikachu, what do you want to do?" he asked it.

"Pi?" Pikachu questioned while looking at the Thunderstone.

"I really want to beat Lt. Surge, but I also don't want to force you to evolve if you'd be happier staying the way you are now," Ash told it.

Pikachu appeared to be deep in thought as it looked at Thunderstone. Everyone in the room was watching it, awaiting its decision.

Pikachu then got up on its own two feet and walked closer to the Thunderstone in Ash's hands.

"Pikachu?" Ash questioned. It looked like Pikachu was about to accept the Thunderstone's power.

Suddenly, Pikachu swung its tail around and knocked the Thunderstone away, surprising everyone except Paul, who frowned.

Pikachu then began to go on a rant. Despite not understanding what Pikachu was saying, Ash got the idea of it.

"You're saying if you're going to beat Raichu, you'll do it just as you are?" Ash asked, to which Pikachu nodded.

Ash then took Pikachu's hands in his own and got a determined expression on his face. "Pikachu, together you and I will defeat Lt. Surge and his Raichu!" he stated, to which Pikachu nodded.

"If you aren't going to evolve your Pikachu, it's just a lost cause," Paul muttered as he turned to walk away.

"You know what, Paul? I don't get you! You seem to care nothing for what any of your Pokemon think. I saw that back at the Pewter City Pokemon Center!" Ash scowled while turning to face Paul.

Paul turned around and glared back at Ash, "And I thought you wanted to win."

This statement startled Ash, but he quickly recovered. "I do but not the way you go about doing it!" Ash fired back.

Paul gave a light grunt and walked out of the room, Ash glaring after him. He had never met anyone like Paul before. What was his deal?

"Just ignore what Paul said," Ash said turning back to Pikachu. "I have faith in you. We're going to win for sure."

"Ash, are you sure you want to use Pikachu?" Serena asked.

"I don't agree with the choice of words Paul used, but it may not hurt to use one of your other Pokemon against Surge," Brock suggested.

"It's hard, but it's not impossible. Pikachu and I will find a way to win!" Ash stated.

"Pikachu!" the yellow rodent nodded.

"Exactly! There has to be something you have that Raichu doesn't," Ash agreed. "Now we just need to find out what it is. Never give up until the end!"

"Pikachu!" it nodded again. It then got a tired look on its face as it sat down on the bed.

"I guess you still need a little rest, huh, buddy?" Ash asked.

"Chu," it replied in the affirmative.

"_Ash and Pikachu have such an amazing friendship. He trusts it so much that he's willing to go up against Lt. Surge again with it. Their determination is incredible. I guess his endurance is just one of the many things I like about him,"_ Serena thought.

Brock crossed his arms and appeared to be in thought. "Hey, Ash," he spoke up.

"What's up, Brock?" Ash asked.

"Lt. Surge said he made Raichu evolve as soon as he got it, didn't he?" Brock inquired.

"Yeah, that's right," Ash replied.

"Then perhaps there is a way to win," Brock smiled.

* * *

><p>The group stood in front of the gym once again. This time, however, they knew what to expect with Lt. Surge. Thanks to Brock's idea, Ash and Pikachu definitely felt ready this time. They had a good strategy.<p>

"Are you ready, buddy?" Ash asked the rodent, who nodded in response.

"Then let's go," Ash said seriously as they walked through the lightning adorned double doors.

"You've got this, Ash," Serena encouraged.

"Lt. Surge! It's me, Ash Ketchum! I've come for a rematch!" Ash shouted into the darkness.

The lights turned on and the group once again saw Lt. Surge and his two assistants standing in the middle of the gym.

"Heh, you're coming back so soon? You didn't even evolve your Pikachu like I suggested. Didn't you learn anything from our last battle?" Lt. Surge asked.

"As a matter of fact, I did," Ash responded. "Pikachu and I have a strategy now!"

"Is it a new strategy on how to lose, baby?" Lt. Surge smirked.

"You'll see," replied Ash.

"Heh, well as gym leader of Vermilion City I accept your challenge once again," Lt. Surge said. "Maybe another beating is what you need to teach you a lesson."

"I don't care what you say! I'm sticking with Pikachu!" Ash shouted.

"And I'm sticking with Raichu!" Lt. Surge replied as he sent out the large orange mouse.

The Raichu appeared and crossed its arms like its master. "Ready when you are, baby," Lt. Surge said.

"Do you think Ash's strategy will be enough, Brock?" Serena asked.

"It should be, but Ash still should know not to get overconfident as that could still lead to his defeat," Brock replied.

"This will be an official Vermillion City gym match! Lt. Surge will be using Raichu while the challenger, Ash, will be using Pikachu. There will be no time limit! Begin!" the male subordinate shouted.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called.

Pikachu began to dash forward confidently while Ash smiled. "I knew it. Lt. Surge isn't ordering Raichu to use any speed attacks."

Pikachu was just about to ram into Raichus stomach when to its surprise, Raichu stepped out of the way just in time, and Pikachu went soaring by it. Raichu then reached out and grabbed Pikachu by the tail.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Ash! Remember! Don't let your strategy go to waste! You should still know better than to have Pikachu charge Raichu head on like that!" Brock advised.

"Heh, that won't work, baby! Raichu! Use Thundershock!" Lt. Surge yelled.

While still holding onto Pikachu's tail, Raichu unleashed its massive Thundershock. Pikachu yelled in pain, but Raichu wasn't done. It then slammed Pikachu into the floor and began slapping it with its tail.

"Oh, this just like last time!" Misty cried worriedly.

"Use Body Slam, Raichu!" Lt. Surge ordered.

Raichu then fell forward and put all of its weight into slamming on top of Pikachu. Pikachu screamed in pain once again as it felt the larger creature fall on top it.

Ash grit his teeth. How can this happen? Is there really no way for his Pikachu to beat this Raichu? Should he really decide on using a different Pokemon?

Pikachu wasn't thinking those thoughts, however. It didn't care if this Raichu was bigger than it. It didn't care that Raichu's electric attacks were more powerful. All it knew was one thing. It was going to fight in the name of all Pikachu, and it would defend its honor and Ash's as well. It would not lose a second time to this Raichu.

"Finish this off with one last Body Slam!" Lt. Surge yelled.

"No, Pikachu!" Ash called.

Hearing its name called by Ash was all Pikachu needed to summon strength inside of itself. It got a determined expression on its face and jumped out of the way just in time. Raichu ended up missing and crashed on to the arena floor in pain.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash cheered.

Pikachu turned back to Ash and gave it smile. "Chu!" it said.

Ash understood it to be wanting a command and smiled as well. "You got it, Pikachu! Use Agility!" he said.

Pikachu began to sprint forward at incredibly fast speed.

This seemed to surprise Lt. Surge who cried out. "Raichu, use Body Slam!"

Raichu lunged itself at Pikachu once again, but Pikachu dashed out of the way once more causing Raichu to it the hit the floor again. Raichu kept trying to repeat at Body Slam attempts, but they were missing every time. Pikachu was just too quick.

"It's working!" Serena said in happiness.

Brock smiled as well. "Yes, Raichu evolved too fast to learn the speed attacks it can only learn in the Pikachu stage. All Pikachu has to do is out speed Raichu at everything!"

"Continue to use Agility, Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu then began to run around in circles around Raichu. The orange mouse was trying to keep up with Pikachu's speed, but was unable to and became dizzy.

"Your Raichu is way too slow, Surge! That's its weakness!" Ash said to Lt. Surge.

Lt. Surge was growing frustrated as he clenched his fists. "Grr…okay Raichu! Give that Pikachu a Thunderbolt! Shut it down!"

Raichu gave a charge and let out a yell as it delivered a massive Thunderbolt. The attack was so powerful that it shattered the windows and tore up parts of the floor.

The group looked in shock at the Raichu's power. They didn't see how Pikachu could have made it through that attack.

Lt. Surge smirked. "End of the match," he said, but then got a surprised look on his face as the smoke cleared. "What the…"

Pikachu was revealed to be standing on its tail.

"Way to go, Pikachu!" Ash praised as the rest of the group was ecstatic.

"Ah, Pikachu used its tail as a ground to dodge the electric shocks. That was clever," Brock explained.

"Really. Well let's see it dodge Thunderbolt twice! Do it again, Raichu!" Lt. Surge told it.

Raichu began to charge up once again but stopped. It then tried again but was unable to and got a confused expression its face.

"It's over. Raichu ran out of electricity," Brock commented.

"We've got it now, Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

"Use Take Down!" Lt. Surge called out frantically.

Raichu attempted to use the attack, but Pikachu slammed right into its gut before it was able to do anything.

"Use Slam!" Ash called.

Pikachu charged up its tail with electricity and swung it around to smack Raichu in the face.

"And now Iron Tail!" Ash finished.

Pikachu's tail glowed white and it slammed its tail right into Raichu's middle section.

Raichu yelled in pain and fell backwards in defeat.

"Unbelievable!" Lt. Surge cried.

Pikachu smiled to itself. It had done it. It beat its evolved form. There was only one emotion Pikachu was feeling right now. Pleased.

"You did it, Pikachu," it heard Ash cry from behind it. Pikachu turned around and smiled as Ash lifted it into the air and gave it big hug.

"This was your victory," Ash told it.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu shouted happily.

Serena, Misty, and Brock smiled at the scene in front of them. Those two should be really proud of themselves right now.

Lt. Surge, his Raichu, and the two assistants came over to Ash and smiled. "That was a great victory, Ash. You really proved me wrong by showing me evolving fast isn't always the way to go," Lt. Surge said.

"Thanks, Lt. Surge," Ash replied.

"As proof of your victory, you have definitely earned the Thunderbadge," Lt. Surge said as he handed Ash a yellow badge with many ends and an orange center.

"Wow, a Thunderbadge," Ash muttered as he took it from Lt. Surge's hand. He then showed it to Pikachu. "Take a look at that Pikachu. It was all thanks to you!"

"Rai Rai!" Raichu added as it praised Pikachu also.

Pikachu rubbed the back of is head embarrassedly at all the praise it was receiving.

Lt. Surge and his subordinates than began to clap. "You are no baby, Ash. Good luck in the rest of your gym challenges," he said.

"Thank you," Ash said before giving Pikachu another hug.

"Those two are quite a team, aren't they?" Serena asked.

"They sure are!" Misty and Brock responded.

* * *

><p>The group decided to rest one more night at the Pokemon Center before heading off to their next destination. When they got to the center, they were surprised to see Paul was still there. They thought he might have left after the confrontation from earlier. Upon seeing them, Paul glared and turned to walk away, but Ash called out to him.<p>

"Hey Paul! I just got the Thunderbadge from Lt. Surge! I won it with Pikachu, after all!" Ash shouted.

"What? You actually won with that Pikachu?" Paul asked turning around. Despite not showing many emotions a lot, even Paul looked mildly surprised at that information.

"That's right!" Ash smiled. "What do you say to that? It turns out Lt. Surge's Raichu evolved so fast it never learned the speed attacks. Pikachu was able to beat it because it was too quick for the Raichu!"

Upon hearing this, Paul smirked again.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked getting angry. "This just proved that you were wrong! Pokemon don't have to evolve to win battles! If I had evolved Pikachu fast like Surge, it would never have learned its other attacks!"

"When did I say anything about evolving your Pokemon fast?" asked Paul. "Everyone knows that some Pokemon can only learn certain attacks in their pre-evolutionary form. I merely said you should evolve your Pokemon once they learn all of their useful attacks. That's the only way for them to get stronger."

"Well…" Ash started but was interrupted by Paul.

"We both know that if that Raichu knew any speed attacks, your Pikachu still would have lost," Paul finished.

"What did you say?!" Ash shouted.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu growled. Paul had just totally insulted its pride as a Pikachu.

"That's not true!" Serena said while stepping in. "Ash won because of the incredible bond he and Pikachu have!"

"If you guys think that love instead of strict training makes a Pokemon stronger, then why don't you prove it in a battle with me? Are you in or not?" Paul asked.

"You bet I'm in!" Ash declared. "Name the time and place!"

"Tomorrow morning. Eleven o'clock. Right on the outskirts of Vermilion City. I don't have all day to spend waiting so don't be late," Paul told him.

"I'll be there!" Ash confirmed.

Paul gave a rough smile before he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked away. The group watched him until he disappeared into another part of the Pokemon Center.

"I've got to beat him tomorrow," Ash said to himself. "The way he trains Pokemon is just wrong!"

"Ash sure is worked up isn't he?" Misty whispered to Brock.

"Of course he is. This battle has a lot on the line. Ash and Paul are two completely different trainers," Brock responded.

Serena watched Ash with worry. She didn't agree with the way Paul trained Pokemon either, but there was something with the way Ash and Paul's personalities clashed which added fuel to their arguments. It seemed Ash had found another rival besides Gary Oak. Unlike Ash and Gary who merely had arguments, these two flat out disliked each other.

"There's no way I'm going to lose to Paul," Ash said with determination. "I can't."

* * *

><p><strong>Aaaaaaand this is the last chapter for a while that follows the canon timeline (besides the Butterfree release). Expect a lot more original content to take place in the upcoming chapters. I think you guys will like them. Expect rivalry battles, Serena's first official rival finally appears, the group being caught in Team Rocket's evil plots (one may even succeed), and the capture of Krabby, Primeape, Muk, and Haunter(and a noncanon Pokemon for Ash) and new captures for Serena as well!<strong>

**Ash and Paul finally have a battle next chapter! It will be four on four as they originally agreed. The reason why I'm not doing six on six is because I'm saving it for later. Yes they will have another battle before Kanto ends. **

**The next chapter will be up next Tuesday! See you all then!**

**Chapter 19: Ash vs. Paul! First Rivalry Battle!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Does Giovanni have a son (Silver) in your story like in the games?_

_**Yes. Silver is in this series but won't appear until Johto (Surprise!). **_

_Will there be anything from Pokémon Origins that'll play a part in your story?_

_**Yes.**_

_Could ash get a fairy type pokemon?_

_**Maybe.**_

_I always thought there would be the island stranded part. Would you include such a part in the story?_

_**No. That part won't be in the story as it is only filler. It was neat to watch what the Pokemon were saying to each other in the anime, but in this story, it serves no purpose.**_

_Will you feature a rewrite of the legend of Raikou three part special in the Johto arc?_

_**I'm strongly considering to do it at the moment.**_

_Will Jimmy be one of Ash's rivals in the Johto saga?_

_**Yes. Jimmy will be one of Ash's main rivals in Johto, but they will still be friends. I always believed Ash and Jimmy would get along quite well if they were to ever meet.**_

_Will our heroes still visit Alto Mare in the Johto arc?_

_**They might. I'm thinking the Latios and Latias movie isn't one of the ones I will skip like the third and fourth ones.**_

_Will Misty still have an extremely close to impossible challenge teaching our favorite duck to swim throughout the remainder of her role in your stories?_

_**Yes. Psyduck still has all of his hilarious and loveable quirks in this story. **_

_Will Jimmy use his "You rock and you rule" catchphrase whenever he wins a battle in the Johto arc and will he be an upcoming rival for Ash in the Johto league?_

_**Yes he will still use that catchphrase, and yes he is one of Ash's rivals in Johto.**_

_Will there be other types of shipping in your series? Like JimmyxMarina, MayxDrew, and DawnxKenny? Just outta curiosity._

_**Yes. There will be other pairings in this story. JimmyxMarina is an affirmative. As far as MayxDrew or DawnxKenny, I'm not sure because I don't support those pairings, especially contest. As I've said before, however, I may have to push away my dislike for some of these ships so everyone gets a happy pairing ending. **_

_Will you have Serena try for Pokémon Contests in Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**No. I can definitely say Serena will never do contests. There are already enough characters in this story for that.**_

_Will the Battle Frontier be in Hoenn or Kanto?_

_**It's in Kanto but will still be probably be part of the Hoenn arc as of right now.**_

_Will Brock's Onix become a Steelix at some point?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash and friends have to deal with members of Team Rocket throughout Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh?_

_**I will not reveal whether Team Rocket will be in those arcs.**_

_Will Mewtwo's story be different at all?_

_**Mewtwo's backstory will be the same, but I will try to make the events of the first movie as different as I can.**_

_Will Ash and Serena's Charizards be the only main Pokémon to be able to use Mega Stones to Mega Evolve?_

_**No. There will be others.**_

_Will Ash's Krabby evolve into Kingler the same way it did in the anime?_

_**Ash will use Krabby a little more than in canon so I'm pretty sure it will evolve differently.**_

_Will the gang celebrate each other's birthdays whenever they come around?_

_**The only ones that are shown to be celebrated in the story are Ash and Serena's since they are the main characters.**_

_Will Casey appear in the Johto saga?_

_**Yes, but will only have a minor roll like in the anime.**_

_Will Jimmy, Marina, and Vincent's starter Pokémon be what they are in the anime- Cyndaquil/Quilava/Typhlosion for Jimmy, Totodile/Croconaw/Feraligatr for Marina, and Chikorita/Bayleef/Meganium for Vincent?_

_**Yes.**_

_Can I assume that Squirtle will be staying in for the long haul this time since there was no Squirtle Squad introduced?_

_**Yes. Squirtle will be a permanent member of Ash's team.**_

_In regards to Charla, will she also have moments of jealousy just as Serena would have if other female Pokémon take up Ash's Charmander's attention?_

_**It's an interesting idea and I may have some Charla jealousy in my story, though nowhere near as often as Serena. (Did I just spoil something for Serena?)**_

_Oh come on no 'Pikachu thunder shock' or any 'Waaahh' or the boom or the iconic 'Looks like team Rocket's blasting off again' those were my favorite parts about their encounters with team rocket in the anime._

_**If you recall, Team Rocket actually DID blast off at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City and Mt. Moon. They just didn't at the ship.**_

_Since there will be a Pokemon pairing in this story, though I'm guessing most of it will be for some kind of comedic effect, should we be expecting Charla and Charmander to evolve together for the sake of the pairing?_

_**Charla and Charmander will evolve into Charmeleon at different times in the story (but not far apart from each other) and stay in that form longer than in the anime. They will both evolve into Charizard at the same time.**_

_If the final story takes place after a time skip, then will Ash and Serena have Unova and Kalos Pokémon despite those regions not being featured as stories themselves?_

_**Probably. If I do plan to incorporate Unova and Kalos in the time skip, I will provide a brief recap of what happened in those regions as the first chapter in the final story.**_

_At the Celadon City gym, is Ash gonna be quiet about the perfumes?_

_**Lol. Yes, but not in the way you expect.**_

_There was this one episode where the group wandered into this town where children were disappearing, only for it to be all the cause of a Hypno's sleeping waves and were acting like pokemon. I was just wondering if you would be doing that episode?_

_**No. That episode won't feature in the story. Yes I know that is the episode where Misty gets Psyduck, but she obtains Psyduck a different way in this story.**_

_Will any of the group catch magnemite._

_**Maybe.**_

_I'm just wondering this final story of yours what it going to be about?_

_**Ash's ascension into Pokemon Mastership**_

_I got to ask will Tomo be in this story?_

_**No.**_

_Is Ash gonna become a temporary ghost like in canon when the gang reaches pokemon tower and if so will Serena be a ghost too?_

_**Hahahaha that would be hilarious, but no. They will not become temporary ghosts in this story because that part really never made sense to me in the anime how Ash could become a ghost and then come back to life when he felt like it. The Pokemon Tower segment will be much different from canon but Ash will still get Haunter. (Serena will get a Pokemon there as well) That one isn't really too hard of a guess as there is only one other type of Pokemon to be found at Pokemon tower.**_


	19. Ash Vs Paul! First Rivalry Battle!

**A/N: Before I begin, I would like to address one particular reviewer (you know who are). If you have a legitimate complaint or problem about my story, please let me know in a review or PM and I will do my best to fix it…..but don't be extremely nitpicky and whine in a span of five reviews about how Misty doesn't have really witty comments in response to Brock's flirting with girls. If something that trivial is important to you in a story that has nothing to do with that, then watch the anime. If you must complain about something like that, limit it to one review instead of several, otherwise, it's spam. I've deleted most of those reviews already. Thank you.**

**Now that that's out of the way, please enjoy the battle between Ash and Paul. I think it turned out quite well so please let me know. Enjoy the chapter!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: Fanaticlaguy06 still doesn't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 19: Ash Vs. Paul! First Rivalry Battle!<p>

It was now time for the group to depart Vermilion City. Just like with Cerulean City, they had an eventful time there. They were able to put an end to Team Rocket's plan, Ash had obtained a new Pokemon, and he also received his third gym badge. It was somewhat sad to leave the big city once again to travel in the wilderness for a while, but hopefully, it wouldn't take as long to get to Celadon City as it did to get to Vermillion City. Brock had made sure to stock up on supplies that morning, but before they fully continued on their journey, there was one thing they had left to do.

The group showed up right outside Vermilion City at eleven o'clock sharp, but that was mainly because of Ash. There was no way he would give Paul the pleasure of mocking him because he can't even get to a scheduled battle on time. As expected, once they arrived at the destined location, Paul was already waiting there. Contrary to Ash, who had a serious and determined look, Paul was not displaying any emotion.

Despite the group waving at him in an attempt to be friendly, Paul did not give any sort of greeting in return. He merely walked up to Ash before even saying anything.

"Are you ready?" Paul asked.

"I am! I'm going to show you that bonding with Pokemon is just as important as training them!" Ash responded.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.

Paul gave a light grunt and said nothing else before heading off to presumably his side of the impromptu battle field.

"I know you will win, Ash! The bond you have with your Pokemon is stronger than anyone else I know!" Serena told him.

"I haven't let you down yet, and I won't start now, Serena!" Ash replied giving her a thumbs up.

Serena blushed and went over to stand on the side of the battle field with Misty who was already over there. Brock went to stand between Ash and Paul to be the judge.

"How many Pokemon do you want to use?" Ash called across the field.

"We shall do a four on four battle. There is no need for a full six on six battle yet! The first person who has four Pokemon unable to battle shall be declared the winner!" Paul said back.

"That's fine with me!" Ash replied.

"This will be a four on four Pokemon battle between Ash and Paul! There will be no time limit. Trainers may begin as soon as they are ready!" Brock shouted.

Pikachu sparked its cheeks at Paul. It really wanted a piece of this trainer for the way he has acted so far.

"Hold on. I'll make sure you get to battle with Paul, Pikachu," Ash told the rodent. "I'm saving you for last."

Pikachu decided that was acceptable and hopped off Ash's shoulder to stand by him while Ash decided on his first Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" Ash called as he threw the ball forward.

"Bulbasaur!" the plant reptile cried as it emerged from the Pokemon.

"Rhyhorn! Stand by for battle!" Paul said once he threw his pokeball as well.

The spikes Pokemon emerged from its pokeball and gave a roar.

Serena cringed once she saw this Rhyhorn appear. It looked a lot scarier than the one she had at home.

"We should be able to win this one because of the type advantage, Bulbasaur!" Ash told it. Bulbasaur gave a short nod of agreement.

"Only beginners think they can win because of type advantage," Paul commented. He then called out, "Rhyhorn! Use Take Down!"

Rhyhorn then charged forward towards Bulbasaur.

"Going on the offense, huh? We're ready for that! Bulbsaur leap over Rhyhorn!" Ash yelled.

Bulbsaur then leaped high into the air away from the charging Rhyhorn.

"I knew you would do that," Paul said. "Rhyhorn! Use Rock Blast!"

Rhyhorn immediately stopped charging and sent up a series of boulders at Bulbasaur. Because Bulbasaur was in the air, it was unable to dodge and was hit by every one of the boulders.

"Oh, Bulbasaur!" Ash cried.

As Bulbsaur began falling Paul quickly called out, "Now use Horn Attack!"

Rhyhorn reared back its horn and struck Bulbasaur hard which sent it flying backwards.

"Paul must have made Ash think he was charging straight forward for an attack, but that was just a decoy to get Bulbasaur in the air where it was helpless. He wants to know how Ash reacts to certain situations," Misty deduced as she watched from the sidelines.

"You don't think Ash is that predictable, do you?" Serena asked Misty.

"I don't know. Ash has given some surprises in the past, especially during his gym battles. However, if he doesn't come up with something creative in this battle and Paul figures that out, he will be in serious trouble," Misty replied.

"Bulbasaur! Can you stand?" Ash asked it as it slowly got to its feet.

"Saur!" Bulbsaur cried as it stood, ready for more.

"Great perseverance, Bulbasaur!" Ash praised. "Use Razor Leaf!"

A flurry of leaves shot out from Bulbasaur and struck the Rhyhorn who yelled in pain from the super effective hit.

"Great job, Bulbsaur! That one hit! Let's do another Razor Leaf!" Ash called.

Bulbsaur complied as it shot another series of sharp leaves.

"Seriously?! You're using the same attack twice in a row?! Rhyhorn! Dig underground to avoid that attack!" Paul yelled.

Rhyhorn quickly began to burrow underground and had made it completely under by the time the leaves reached it. They soared above the hole, not hitting anything.

"Ash is doing what I was worried about. He is so determined to beat Paul that he isn't playing smart. He saw an attack that worked and did it again which was a big mistake," Misty said.

"_I've got to focus," _Ash thought. _"It was wrong of me to use the same attack twice in a row. That gave Paul a chance to counter it the second time."_

"Be careful, Bulbasaur! Rhyhorn could be anywhere!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur stood still and tried to listen for Rhyhorn underneath the ground. It soon heard movement beneath it and prepared to jump out of the way, but then there was silence.

Bulbasaur stopped moving for a second, momentarily confused by the silence and lack of movement beneath it. It had dealt with several Dig attacks before so why was this one not making any noise.

Suddenly, Rhyhorn burst out of the ground right underneath it and used the momentum for a Horn Attack. Bulbasaur was sent sailing high into the air.

"Now finish with Stone Edge!" Paul ordered.

"Quick Bulbasaur! Use Leech Seed!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur managed to launch a Leech Seed from its bulb just as Rhyhorn shot a large chuck of rock at it. The seed fell on top of Rhyhorn as vines began to cover it and sap its energy. Unfortunately, the huge chuck of rock struck Bulbsaur while it was in the air also which sent it plummeting to the ground.

"Bulbasaur! Are you okay?!" Ash asked worriedly.

Bulbasaur tried to get back up but was unsuccessful and fell over again, this time not getting up.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle! Rhyhorn is the winner!" Brock yelled.

"Oh, Bulbasaur lost," Serena said sadly.

"Yeah, Paul really has that Rhyhorn trained well. Bulbasaur never even heard it while it was underground. It able to win even though Bulbasaur had the type advantage. It was a good thing he got that Leech Seed on it, though," Misty said.

"Return, Bulbasaur!" Ash called before giving a sad look at the pokeball. "You were great, Bulbsaur. Take a good rest."

"You have a really predictable battling style so far," Paul commented from across the field. "You did exactly what I thought you would do when I ordered a full on charge attack by having Bulbasaur jump over it where it was completely vulnerable to attacks. Your next mistake was to have Bulbasaur use the same attack twice in a row after the first one struck which is how I was able to counter it easily."

Ash grit his teeth as he knew Paul was right. He wasn't facing some starter trainer like Samurai was. Paul was very capable despite Ash not wanting to admit it.

Ash thought through his options on what is next Pokemon should be. Rhyhorn was really strong and Charmander, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, and Pikachu were all weak against rock or ground-types. Ash was getting the feeling that Pidgeotto and Pikachu's steel-type moves wouldn't cut it with Paul. He only had one option.

"Squirtle, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw the ball forward.

"Squirtle!" the turtle Pokemon said once it came out of the ball. It then saw the Rhyhorn in front of it and gave a hard stare. This was its first battle since coming with Ash so it wanted to prove itself.

"Rhyhorn! Use Take Down!" Paul ordered once more.

Despite the Leech Seed sapping away its energy, Rhyhorn pushed forward for a full speed charge.

Ash was about to order his Squirtle to leap over Rhyhorn but then remembered what happened last time with Bulbasaur. He had to think of something else.

"Squirtle! Use Withdraw!" Ash called. He hoped Squirtle's hard shell was enough to counter Rhyhorn's stone body.

Squirtle saw the incoming Take Down and immediately hid inside its shell for protection. The Rhyhorn slammed into Squirtle which sent it sailing into the air.

"Please be okay, Squirtle," Ash said to himself.

To his great relief, Squirtle emerged from its shell looking slightly bruised but still very capable of battle.

"Great! Now use Water Gun!" Ash yelled.

Squirtle took a deep breath and blew a stream of water out of its mouth down towards Rhyhorn striking it dead on. The Rock Pokemon roared in pain at taking a second super effective attack. That and the Leech Seed were too much for it, and it fell to the ground in defeat.

"Way to go, Squirtle!" Ash cheered.

"I bet you anything Paul had Rhyhorn use Take Down again on purpose to see if Ash would fall for the same thing twice. He wants to know as much as he can about how Ash battles and learn from that. I hate to say it, but Paul is a pretty smart battler," Misty said.

"Ash is a good battler, too!" Serena defended.

"I never said he wasn't, but Ash needs to realize this isn't like a battle he's had before so he needs to learn Paul's strategy as well," Misty replied.

Paul wordlessly returned Rhyhorn to its pokeball and said nothing. This angered Ash a little bit that Paul didn't even tell his Rhyhorn a good job.

"Fearow! Stand by for battle!" Paul yelled as he threw it the pokeball to release the large bird.

"Uh oh. A Fearow," Ash said as he and Serena pulled out his pokedex to scan it.

"Fearow, the beak Pokemon and the evolved form of Spearow. Fearow has a very bad temper and has huge wings which can enable it to fly all day long," the pokedexes said.

"Fearow! Use Leer!" Paul ordered.

Fearow's eyes glowed blue for a second and gave Squirtle an intimidating stare which caused it to shrink back.

"Don't be scared, Squirtle! Use Water Gun!" Ash called.

Squirtle once again shot out a jet of water from its mouth which Fearow dodged easily.

"Now go in for a Drill Peck!" Paul told the Fearow.

The beak Pokemon shot forward at great speed as its beak began to spin in a drill-like fashion.

"Try Bubble Beam!" Ash yelled.

"Use Agility to get out of the way!" Paul countered.

The bubbles missed its target completely as Fearow was too quick and shot out of the way. It then resumed flying toward Squirtle for a Drill Peck attack.

Not knowing what else to do, Squirtle hid in its shell as Fearow descended upon it. Fearow then began to ruthlessly peck at Squirtle's shell.

Ash knew his Squirtle must be taking serious damage despite being protected inside of its shell and knew he had to do something, but Paul had other plans.

"Grab Squirtle in your talons Fearow so it can't get away!" Paul yelled.

Fearow then latched onto Squirtle's shell with its sharp talons as it continued to assault Squirtle with its Drill Peck.

Ash knew this was bad. He couldn't risk Squirtle to come out of its shell to attack because there was no doubt Fearow would aim for its weak spot then. On the other hand, Squirtle couldn't hide in its shell forever, either.

"Ash, you should return Squirtle before it's too late!" Serena called.

Ash was about to comply, but he noticed something weird about Squirtle's shell. It seemed to start moving in a circular pattern. It then began to get faster and faster until pretty soon, Fearow began to spin around as well because its talons were latched onto Squirtle.

The force of Squirtle spinning was beginning to kick up dust as it began to spin even faster. Ash smiled when he realized Squirtle must have just learned Rapid Spin!

"That's awesome, Squirtle! Now break free of Fearow!" Ash yelled.

The force of the spinning shell was enough to break free of Fearow's talons and Squirtle had now become a spinning projectile. Fearow, meanwhile, had become extremely dizzy from being spun around so much.

"Snap out of it, Fearow!" Paul yelled.

"Quick, Squirtle! Turn that Rapid Spin into a spinning Tackle!" Ash called.

Squirtle continued spinning into the air as it came closer and closer to Fearow. The beak Pokemon was too dizzy to get out of the way and was knocked straight in its face by Squirtle's shell.

Ash knew this was his chance while Fearow was still dizzy. "Follow up with Bubble Beam!" he shouted.

Squirtle came out its shell and launched a barrage of bubbles at Fearow who could do nothing but let them slam into it. It shrieked in pain.

"Now Skull Bash!" Ash called.

Squirtle reard its head back and slammed it into Fearow's midsection as hard as it could, once again causing the beak Pokemon to yelp.

"Now finish this with Water Gun!" Ash continued, thinking this was the end.

Before Squirtle launched its Water Gun, it suddenly got an extremely pained look on its face and fell over onto the ground, not getting up.

"Squirtle! What's wrong?" Ash cried, but Squirtle only gave a weak noise in response.

"Squirtle is unable to battle! Fearow is the winner!" Brock called.

"What do you think happened, Misty?" Serena asked. "Squirtle was doing so well."

"I think it's because Squirtle had taken a serious amount of damage from Fearow's Drill Peck attack, not to mention it had sustained damage from Rhyhorn as well. Then Ash began telling Squirtle to launch a series of attacks at Fearow while it was dizzy. While this is normally a good strategy if Squirtle was still healthy, it was too badly damaged to keep up with Ash's commands and became exhausted," Misty explained.

Ash happened to overhear Misty telling this to Serena and hung his head low. He had gotten too excited when Squirtle learned Rapid Spin and got too caught up in the battle to worry about how Squirtle felt. It would have been different if Squirtle was his last Pokemon, but he still had four other perfectly healthy Pokemon that could battle. He should have returned Squirtle while he had the chance to let it rest for a minute before using it again. He had to be careful from now on. He was making too many mistakes in his desire to win against Paul, and it was costing him the match.

"Return, Squirtle!" Ash called to return the exhausted Pokemon. "Thank you, Squirtle. You were great. It was my fault you ended up like this."

Ash looked across the battle field and saw Paul glaring at him. Paul was certainly not keeping it a secret that he thought of Ash as a poor battler right now. If Ash lost, there would be way Ash could prove to Paul that his methods were wrong. Pokemon need love and support just like they do hard training to be the very best they can be.

"_Okay. I'm facing someone who is the complete opposite of me. I get that. I can't get carried away. I can still win this,_" Ash thought.

"Chu?" Pikachu asked its trainer curiously.

"I'll be fine, buddy," Ash responded.

He then went through his remaining options in his head. There was no doubt Pikachu would have a huge advantage over flying types like Fearow, but he still wanted to save it for last, if necessary. Pidgeotto and Butterfree would no doubt be able to match Fearow in speed in the air, but Fearow was far too aggressive so Ash would need to keep it closer to the ground like he did with Squirtle.

"Charmander! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released the fire salamander.

Serena suddenly felt one of her pokeballs open up to reveal her Charla had popped out its pokeball.

"Charla! Why did you come out of your pokeball?" Serena asked in surprise.

"Char! Char!" it replied and pointed to Ash's Charmander.

"Oh I see. You want to watch Ash's Charmander battle, don't you?" Serena figured.

"Charmander!" Charla confirmed before waving at Ash's Charmander.

Charmander turned towards Charla to see it waving at it, causing it to get an embarrassed look on its face. Misty, Brock, and Serena chuckled while Ash stood there, confused as to what was going on. Paul merely rolled is eyes. This group was so annoying to him.

"Are you done playing around yet to get back to the battle?" Paul called to Ash, which caused him to glare back.

"You bet! We're not finished yet!" Ash yelled.

"The battle may start once again after the brief interruption!" Brock announced.

"Charmander! Fearow should be weak by now! Use Flamethrower!" Ash said, the fire salamander complying.

"Dodge it, Fearow, and take to sky!" Paul ordered.

Fearow had long since recovered from its dizziness and returned to the sky once again, completely dodging the Flamethrower. It then glared down menacingly at Charmander.

"Use Razor Wind, Fearow!" Paul yelled.

Fearow gave a huge flap of its wings as what looked like glowing blasts of air shot through the sky. They quickly sailed through the air and hit Charmander dead on.

"You okay, Charmander?" Ash asked once his Pokemon was hit by the attack.

"Char!" it replied as it quickly shook it off.

"Try another Flamethrower!" Ash yelled.

"Dodge it again Fearow and prepare for a Drill Peck!" Paul said.

The Fearow once again easily dodged the Flamethrower. Charmander kept trying to hit over and over, but Fearow dodged every time due to its speed.

"Remember the training we did with moving targets, Charmander!" Ash called to it. "Try to predict Fearow's movements!"

Charmander then began to concentrate as it looked at the way Fearow moved through the air and its pattern. When Fearow began to charge up for Drill Peck, Charmander saw its chance.

"Chaaaaar!" it yelled as it blew a Flamethrower through the air. Its timing and prediction was perfect as the flames crashed right into Fearow causing it to yell in pain. It began to fall to the ground quickly, but Ash didn't want to give it time to recover.

"Charmander! Quick! Jump into the air and use Metal Claw!" Ash called.

Charmander ran forward to where Fearow was falling and leaped up towards it. Before Fearow could react, Charmander's claws on its hands glowed as it slashed at Fearow with its right arm.

Both Pokemon hit the ground. Charmander landed on both of its feet while Fearow fell on its back. It had been defeated.

"Fearow is unable to battle! Charmander is the winner!" Brock yelled.

Charla cheered happily upon seeing Charmander score a victory. It hoped that Charmander could see it win sometime soon as well.

"Way to go, Ash! You've got two already. Just two more to go!" Serena encouraged.

Once again, Paul returned his Fearow without saying a word to it. Ash grew angry again upon seeing that. Couldn't he at least give some form of thanks to it?

"Magby! Stand by for battle!" Paul shouted as he released a Pokemon the group had never seen before.

The Magby had a red body with a yellow flame marking on its stomach and a yellow, rounded beak. It had lumps on its head a spike on its back. Its hands and feet had claws at the end of them.

"Woah! What's that?!" Ash asked in surprise as he and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Magby the live coal Pokemon. It is found in volcanic craters and can spit flames at 1100 degrees Fahrenheit," the pokedexes.

"I've never heard of that Pokemon before," Ash said in wonder. Serena was thinking along the same lines as Ash.

"That must be one of the newly discovered baby Pokemon," Brock explained to Ash. "The only way you can get one is by breeding a Magmar. I wonder where Paul was able to obtain one."

"Where did you get that Pokemon?" Ash asked curiously. He couldn't help himself.

"That's really none of your business," Paul replied rudely. "Focus on the battle. I'm losing my patience by your distractions."

"Well, whether that's a newly discovered Pokemon or not, Charmander and I can still take it!" Ash said with determination.

"Charmander!" the Pokemon agreed.

"Magby! Use Smog!" Paul ordered.

The baby Pokemon unleashed a brown fog from its mouth that soon spread around Charmander, causing it to cough violently. Before it could recover, Magby appeared in the smog as well and slammed into Charmander for a Faint Attack.

Charmander was knocked backwards onto its back, but it wasn't done just yet. It quickly got back on its feet, ready for more.

"Alright, Charmander! Use Flamethrower!" Ash commanded

"Counter it with your own Flamethrower, Magby!" Paul countered.

Both Flamethrowers flew from the recipient's mouths and collided midway. After a brief standstill, Charmander's Flamethrower began to overpower Magby's as its Flamethrower began to push towards Magby. Suddenly, there was a large explosion and Magby was blown backwards onto its back from the force. Charmander only received minimal damage from the blast because the explosion was closer to Magby.

"Get up, Magby!" Paul shouted.

Magby looked tired from the blast but still looked ready to fight.

"That's better! Use Confuse Ray!" Paul ordered.

Magby's eyes glowed blue for second as a white ray came from its eyes and engulfed Charmander. When the ray died down, Charmander had a dazed look on its face and was making funny movements.

"Oh, no! Charmander's become confused!" Misty gasped.

"So it will be a lot harder for Charmander to attack Magby now," Serena said.

"Char! Char!" Charla called, trying to get Charmander to snap out of it.

"Charmander! Try a Flamethrower!" Ash called.

Charmander did use Flamethrower, but instead of using it on Magby. It used it on Ash.

"Woah! Not on me" Ash cried as he and Pikachu ducked.

"Finish this with Faint Attack!" Paul ordered.

Magby then ran up to Charmander while it was dazed and delivered a sucker punch, knocking it backwards.

Charmander fell on the ground in defeat.

"Charmander is unable to battle! The winner is Magby!" Brock shouted.

Charla sulked sadly once it saw Charmander was knocked out.

"I thought Charmander was going to win against a fellow fire-type," Serena said sadly as Ash returned Charmander.

"There was no doubt Charmander would overpower Magby in that regard. Paul must have realized that which is why he ordered Magby to use Confuse Ray," Misty commented.

Ash gave a sigh. He only had one Pokemon left while Paul still had two. He then turned to his faithful buddy Pikachu and gave a nod.

"You're up, Pikachu," he said.

Pikachu nodded and ran forward. It sparked its cheeks at Magby and Paul. It had seen the way Paul acts and really wanted to win this one for its trainer.

"Alright, Pikachu! Start things off with a Thundershock!" Ash said.

"Magby! Counter with Flamethrower!" Paul shouted.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other. They collided in midair and made an explosion.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash commanded.

"Use Confuse Ray, Magby!" Paul yelled.

Pikachu began to dash forward as Magby's eyes began to glow, but before it could launch the Confuse Ray, Pikachu was already upon it and slammed into Magby.

"Now before Magby can recover, use Thundershock!" Ash called.

"Use Flamethrower!" Paul ordered.

Once again, Pikachu was too quick for Magby as it shocked the Live Coal Pokemon before it was able to blow Flamethrower with its mouth. It then landed on the ground and didn't get back up.

"Magby is unable to battle! Victory goes to Pikachu!" Brock shouted.

"Great! I knew Pikachu would be able to handle it!" Serena said happily.

"Awesome job, buddy! Just one more! Let's turn it around!" Ash said giving Pikachu a thumbs-up.

"Pikachu!" the rodent responded making a V shape with its fingers.

Paul glared as he returned the Magby to its pokeball. "You should have been able to overpower that Pikachu. Its speed is no excuse," he muttered to it before pulling out his final pokeball.

"So I take it you're going to use Weepinbell now since grass-types are strong against electric types?" Ash guessed.

"Weepinbell?" Paul questioned.

"Yeah! The Weepinbell that we saw at the Pewter City Pokemon Center!" Ash replied.

"Oh, that thing. I got rid of it a long time ago," Paul said while frowning.

"You what?!" Ash yelled.

"That Weepinbell was a lost cause. It couldn't even beat types that it was strong against so it wasn't worth keeping," Paul replied while glaring.

Ash became angry upon hearing that. If Paul would have spent time training with Weepinbell like any caring trainer, it could have become strong, but he released it and never gave the poor Pokemon a chance to prove itself again!

Serena, Brock, and Misty were thinking along the same lines as Ash as they frowned deeply upon hearing what Paul said about Weepinbell.

Since it wasn't Weepinbell, the group waited in anticipation to see what Paul's final Pokemon would be.

"Elekid! Stand by for battle!" Paul yelled as he threw his pokeball to reveal another Pokemon the group had never seen before.

It was a yellow, round-bodied Pokemon with back stripes. It had bulky arms and rounded toeless feet. It had horns on its head that resembled the prongs on a plug.

"I've never seen that Pokemon before, either," Ash commented as he and Serena once again pulled out their pokedexes.

"Elekid, the electric Pokemon. A weak electric current flows between its horns. It rotates its arms quickly to build electricity," said the pokedexes.

_"That must be another baby Pokemon. I wonder how Paul was able to obtain them,"_ Ash wondered.

"I'll go ahead and let you attack first. I won't even tell Elekid to move," Paul said.

This surprised Ash. He was wondering what Paul was up to. There had to be a cache.

"Why?" asked Ash.

"Just do it before I change my mind," Paul replied.

"Fine! Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu fired off the large electric attack. As Paul promised, he didn't even tell Elekid to get out of the way. The lightning struck Elekid dead on, but it didn't appear to be doing anything to it at all. Ash and Pikachu were very surprised.

"But how? That Thunderbolt should have done some damage," Ash wondered.

"That was the reason I told you to go first. I wanted to see if you would actually use an electric attack. They have no effect on Elekid so all you did was supercharge it!" Paul told Ash.

"_I should have know better than to fall for something like that,"_ Ash berated himself.

"Elekid! Use your own Thunderbolt!" Paul called.

Elekid then shot out a massive bolt of electricity at Pikachu that looked about as powerful as Lt. Surge's Raichu's shocks. The bad part was the grass they were battling on wasn't sturdy enough for Pikachu to stand on its tail again like at the gym. It had no choice but to endure the Thunderbolt. Pikachu yelled in pain as the attack struck and was sent sailing backwards.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

Pikachu slowly got to its feet and shook itself to once again get a serious expression on its face.

"Why don't you just give up?" Paul smirked.

"No way! Use Agility, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu then began to run in circles around Elekid. Unlike Lt. Surge's Raichu, Elekid was fairly fast as well and able to keep up with Pikachu. It then began to shoot various Thundershocks at Pikachu as it was running. They were fortunately missing Pikachu, but were getting closer with every shot.

Seeing how this was no good, Ash knew he had to go on the offensive. "Quick Attack, Pikachu!" he called.

Pikachu suddenly changed directions, which caught Elekid off guard. It then dashed forward and collided right into Elekid which knocked it onto the ground.

"Use Slam!" Ash shouted.

"Elekid! Brick Break!" Paul countered.

Pikachu leaped into the air, and began to charge up its tail. It then began to bring its tail down onto Elekid, but Elekid blocked it with Brick Break. The two Pokemon were now in a furious battle of wills as they tried to push the other one back with their attacks. The intensity of their standstill was beginning to get them tired. Unfortunately, Paul had another trick up his sleeve.

"How unfortunate for you that your Pikachu is tied up, but Elekid still has a free arm! Elekid! Thunderpunch!" Paul commanded.

Seeing what was coming, Ash reacted quickly. "Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu saw the incoming electrically charged fist and quickly change tactics as it moved away from Elekid and charged up its tail as it began to glow white. It then swung its tail in a circular arc and let it crash into Elekid's fist. The resulting combination of attacks caused an explosion that blew both Pokemon backwards.

Both trainers and spectators awaited anxiously to see which Pokemon were standing. The smoke finally cleared to reveal both Elekid and Pikachu collapsed onto the ground. Neither of them were getting up.

"Both Elekid and Pikachu are unable to battle! Since this was each your fourth Pokemon, this match is a draw!" Brock yelled.

Both Serena and Misty were very surprised. Out of all the outcomes, they were certainly not expecting a draw.

"Oh, Ash," Serena said sadly. She had wanted her crush to win so badly.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he ran over to it to scoop it in his arms.

"Alright, Elekid. Return," Paul muttered.

"This match sure looked like a draw to me," Brock repeated as he went over to Ash.

Ash grit his teeth. He wasn't able to beat Paul.

"I might as well have lost," Ash mumbled as he looked up at Paul who was approaching him.

"The match was judged as a tie. A tie it will be," Paul said.

"We don't have to end the match at four Pokemon! We each still have two Pokemon to battle with! Let's use them!" Ash suggested.

"No thanks. I've already got a pretty good idea what kind of battler you are. If I used my other two Pokemon on yours, I would definitely win. Take your tie and run with it for now so you don't lose," Paul replied.

Paul then turned and began to walk away from the group.

"Then prove it! Let's battle again, Paul!" Ash called after him.

Brock put his hand on Ash's shoulder to calm him. "Ash, let it go," he said gently.

Serena and Misty soon joined Ash and Brock as they watched Paul walk off.

"At least it was a tie and not a loss," Misty said, trying to cheer Ash up.

"That doesn't matter. Paul and I had this battle to prove which of our training methods were better. I'm no closer to showing Paul that caring for a Pokemon is important as well than if I had lost," Ash replied.

Serena looked sadly at Ash. She wished there was something she could say to Ash to make him feel better, but she was at a complete loss.

"If anything, Paul thinks lower of me now than he did before because of all the mistakes I made during the battle," Ash sighed.

Ash the felt stirring in his arms and looked to see Pikachu had awoken.

"Thanks for your hard work, buddy. It was my fault we didn't win," Ash told the rodent.

"Ash, try to think of this as a learning experience," Brock suggested which caused Ash to look at him in surprise.

Brock then continued, "The outcome of the battle might very well have been because of the mistakes you made. That was because you were too focused on beating Paul rather than forming strategies for the battle."

Finally finding something to say, Serena added, "That's right, Ash. Remember my time at the Cerulean City Battle Chateau? I was so focused on my emotions at the time that I was unable to focus on the match and almost ended up losing. It wasn't until Leaf talked to me that I was able to focus on the battles themselves again."

Ash realized the truth in his friends' words and nodded. "You're right," he said. "I'm going to follow your example and keep a cool head during battles from now on and not get upset no matter what the circumstances."

Everyone smiled upon hearing that.

"That's good to hear, Ash," Serena told him. "I'm sure you will battle Paul again, and you will win for sure. Your bond with your Pokemon is clearly much stronger than his."

"Thanks, Serena," Ash replied. "What do you say we head back to the Vermilion City Pokemon Center one more time so I can heal my Pokemon before we set out for the next city? Then let's get some lunch. I'm starving!"

The group laughed merrily at seeing Ash was back to his usual self. Despite this, as they headed back into the Vermilion City limits, they all knew that this wasn't the last they would see of Paul. Ash and Paul were polar opposites so circumstances would dictate they would cross paths once more. When that time came, Ash would be ready. He was determined to never tie (or lose) to Paul again.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm sure out of the outcomes, no one seemed to be expecting Ash and Paul to tie their first match (except one). This chapter marks the beginning of Ash vowing to become a much stronger trainer and mature a bit. He made a lot of rookie mistakes in his battle with Paul which really cost him. He still isn't fully motivated to lose his recklessness yet, however. The Celedon City and Saffron City chapters (most definitely Saffron) are very important to help with Ash and Serena's maturity in the series and will be the ones to change that. You guys definitely don't want to miss those.<strong>

**This was also the first appearance of Pokemon outside of the Kanto region in my stories, but only sort of since they are just baby forms of Kanto Pokemon. Don't really expect any more until Togepi.**

**See you all the following Tuesday with the next chapter! Thanks for all of the reviews and likes and favs! Ash finally gets Krabby next chapter despite it being much later than canon. I tried to change Butterfree's release episode as much as I could so hopefully it isn't too much of a clone chapter. **

**Chapter 20: Bye Bye Butterfree**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ash get the Red Gyrados or are you gonna give it Lance like it was in the anime?_

_**I'm a bit on the fence with that one right now so I haven't fully decided. If I believe Ash can handle the red Gyrodos when I reach that moment, he will get it. As far as Lance being overpowered, he is supposed to be super powerful because he is one of the best trainers in the world.**_

_Do you plan to include Jimmy and/or Marina in another arc?_

_**They might appear in other arcs, but Johto will be their main one.**_

_Will this last story include a tournament bringing together all of Ash's rivals in every region he has traveled to for him to battle against to claim his title as Pokémon Master._

_**That will be part of the last story but not cover all of it.**_

_Will Ash start fresh in the hoenn region by only bringing Pikachu with him?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will you have Jimmy and Marina get more Pokémon than they had in the anime?_

_**Honestly, only two out of their presumably six Pokemon even made an appearance on the show. Yes. They will have more than two each.**_

_Will Serena catch a Miltank in Johto? Will Ash and Serena catch a Volbeat and Illumise while in Hoenn?_

_**Maybe and maybe.**_

_You mentioned in Chapter 12 that Serena will gain Mudkip. Do you know if Mudkip will evolve into Marshtomp and eventually Swampert?_

_**Considering how both Treecko and Torchic evolve to their final stages, it's only fair that Mudkip does the same as well.**_

_Will Ash catch Rhyhorn in the Safari Zone? _

_**Maybe**_

_I was wondering if ash will recieve any Shiny Pokemon in Kanto. Can you confirm if there will be one?_

_**Ash and Serena will get a shiny Pokemon at some point (besides Noctowl). I don't believe they will get on in Kanto, though.**_

_When Ash and co. reach Saffron City and take part in the Rocket Silph Co. takeover, will Gary, who you said Ash's going to encounter the next time there, help them?_

_**Yes. Gary will take part in the Silph Co. chapters (it covers more than one chapter as it's a lot of content). It will be explained why Sabrina won't be at Silph Co. to help. I'm really looking forward for you guys to get to that segment!**_

_Since you answered someone's question about Giovanni's son, Silver, would there be a chance that he and Paul face off?_

_**I don't see Silver and Paul ever meeting in this series. That isn't to say it will never happen.**_

_Will May and/or Dawn have a crush on Ash at some point, or will they just see him as a friend?_

_**They might have a brief crush on him but back off once they realize Serena and Ash are girlfriend/boyfriend (Whoops I let that one slip!) Ultimately, they will just be his close friends.**_

_You won't have Ash's Charizard using flamethrower on Ash as a running gag, will you?_

_**No. Charizard is much more obedient in this fic.**_

_Will you display Sabrina as she was in the anime, I mean the fact she use her moves almost perfectly(like using phychic & confusion block and redirect attacks, teloport to dodge, and recover if she somehow got hit)._

_**Sabrina is definitely as powerful as she is in canon and will be one of Ash's hardest gym battles.**_

_Since you'll have Ash get Haunter as a Ghost-type, will you have Ash also catch a Steel-type, Psychic-type, and Fairy-type in your series?_

_**Most likely.**_

_Will Ash use unevolved Pokémon in his league battles? Since several of his Pokémon have refused to become stronger through evolution._

_**Yes.**_

_Can we expect more appearances from the Magikarp con man in your future stories?_

_**Probably not unless it is absolutely necessary.**_

_What's the celadon chap going to be like?_

_**Very different from canon.**_

_Will Ash dress up like a girl in your later stories?_

_**I don't plan for him to ever do that.**_

_Might I be wrong in presuming that he will get himself a Bagon / Metang in Hoenn?_

_**He will at least get one of those types of Pokemon in Hoenn.**_

_Will there be any chapter that will focus on the training Ash does with his pokemon?_

_**There will be scenes of Ash training his Pokemon. As far as having a whole chapter around it, it will probably only be right before Ash goes to the Pokemon League.**_

_So when the Sinnoh arc rolls around, can we still count on the Hearthome Tag Battle taking place since it focused so heavily on Ash and Paul's rivalry?_

_**It's true that it is definitely important with Paul and Ash's rivalry. I want all of my gym battles to be different from now on so I'm not sure how I will do Hearthome gym yet.**_

_Will any of Ash's Pokémon who didn't evolve in the canon story such as Totodile or Gible evolve here?_

_**If you guys want them to. There is a poll up for Squirtle and Bulbasaur regarding that right now. Make sure to go ahead and vote if you haven't yet.**_

_When Ash catches Muk, will he use it more and teach it more attack?_

_**Yes.**_

_Instead of releasing Butterfree, why don't you let Serena catch the pink one, so there's no need of releasing it? And why don't you just make the pidgey vs spearrow thing never happen, so Pidgeot never has to go._

_**I'm pretty dead set on releasing Butterfree. I've already explained my reasons in the past why I'm having Ash release Butterfree. As for Pidgeot, it seems I have everyone people against me releasing it. Maybe I will keep it around after all.**_

_Will Ash and Gary have a battle when they meet up?_

_**They won't have a battle in Celadon City but will in Saffron City (not at Silph Co like the games)**_

If you do decide to do the Latias and Latios movie and decide to have Ash capture legendary pokemon, is it possible that Latias could be his first?

_**It might.**_

_Will Ash keep Haunter?_

_**Yes.**_

_Since we know they have a mega evolution is ash going to get mega sceptile & serena get a mega swampert?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will there be multiple Nurse Joys and Officer Jennys in the indigo, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh leagues followed with Brock going gaga crazy?_

_**Yes.**_


	20. Bye Bye Butterfree

**A/N: Not a lot to say right here. I almost didn't get this chapter out on time because I was so busy this week. Also, my birthday was over the weekend so I took a break from writing and celebrated with my friends and family.**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, you would be allowed to carry more than six Pokemon while on your journey.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 20: Bye Bye Butterfree<p>

Currently, Ash was in a heated battle with another trainer they had just met on the road. Ash figured this would be a good time to use his Butterfree since he didn't use it in the Vermilion City gym or his battle against Paul. Despite this, the butterfly Pokemon still proved to be a very capable battler as shown in the Pewter and Cerulean City gym battles. Needless to say, after all they had been through together, Ash and his Butterfree have grown quite close.

"Go, Butterfree! Use Psychic!" Ash yelled to his Butterfree.

Butterfree's eyes glowed blue for a moment before unleashing a psychic blast of energy at its opponent who was a Raticate. The Raticate gave a yelp of pain as it was knocked off its feet and onto the ground.

The opposing trainer, who was an older man dressed in a formal outfit, wasn't going to give up so easily. "Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" he said.

Raticate got off the ground and leaped into the air at Butterfree with its teeth bared.

"Dodge it quick, Butterfree!" Ash told his Pokemon.

Butterfree than flew above the Raticate, and the rat Pokemon soared underneath it. Once Raticate landed on the ground, it leaped into the air again for another Hyper Fang, but Butterfree dodged that one, too. This went on for a few more times before Ash decided to act.

"Use Stun Spore, Butterfree!" Ash called.

Butterfree nodded as it prepared its wings for the attack. This time, once Raticate landed on the ground again, Butterfree began to sprinkle a brown powder from its wings onto the opposing Pokemon. The Raticate than began to tremble violently as the powder fell onto it. It was paralyzed.

"Try to shake free of it, Raticate!" the gentleman yelled, but it was no use.

"Excellent, Butterfree! Finish it with a Tackle attack!" Ash said.

Butterfree then flew forward and slammed into Raticate. The rat Pokemon was then knocked onto its back and down for the count.

"Raticate is unable to battle! Butterfree is the winner!" Brock, who was judging, announced while pointing to Ash.

"You were super, Butterfree!" Ash congratulated his Pokemon as he and Pikachu rushed forward to it.

"Freeeeeeeee!" Butterfree cried in delight

"Pika Pikachu!" the yellow rodent told its friend while leaping up to give it a high-five.

"Way to go, Ash!" Serena said happily as she and Misty joined them.

"Thanks guys, but you know most credit goes to Butterfree!" Ash replied.

Butterfree turned red at the praise it was receiving, but it was still pleased.

The gentleman returned Raticate to it pokeball and walked towards Ash. "Young man, your Butterfree is a very swell battler. I'm impressed."

"Thank you, sir," Ash replied politely. "This Butterfree was the first Pokemon I ever caught. I've raised it ever since it was a Caterpie so we have been through a lot together."

"It certainly shows," the gentleman nodded. "Have you ever thought about what Butterfree's future will be like?"

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Freeee?" Butterfree questioned as well.

"The Butterfree mating season is around this time of year," the gentleman explained. "Trainers from all over the Kanto region gather around a cliff near here and let their Butterfree find their true love."

"Their true love?" Ash questioned.

"That's right," the gentleman confirmed. "Your Butterfree is certainly destined for great things, whether it be battling or starting a family of its own. Considering how close you are with Butterfree, I know you will find out what its real calling in life is. Good day."

As the group bid farewell to the man, Ash and Butterfree looked at each other.

"_Hmm, I wonder what it is that Butterfree really wants to do with its life,"_ Ash thought.

"Ash?" Serena questioned, once she noticed her crush lost in thought.

"Oh, I'm good," Ash replied while snapping out of his thoughts. "So are you guys ready to continue to Celadon City?"

The rest of the group nodded before continuing on.

* * *

><p>As the group walked towards Celadon City, they soon saw a huge group of Butterfree flying around in the air near a cliff which overlooked the ocean. There were also several balloons hovering in the air around all the Butterfree.<p>

"The Butterfree mating season," Ash mumbled to himself once again as he and the rest of the group continued along the path.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu questioned its trainer.

"Hey, Pikachu. If you were a Butterfree, what would you want to do? Start a family or stay with me?" Ash asked the rodent.

"Ash, you aren't going to get your answer from Pikachu," Misty told him. "Each different Pokemon want different things. The only way you are going to get your answer is from Butterfree itself."

"Right. It's just hard to imagine what it would be like if I didn't have Butterfree," Ash muttered.

"Each trainer has to make difficult decisions in life, Ash. I say you let Butterfree out of its pokeball and see what happens," Brock told him.

"Alright," Ash replied. "Butterfree! Come on out!"

Butterfree appeared and looked at its trainer expectantly.

"Hey, Butterfree. I was wondering if you would like to join that group of Butterfree over there. I bet your partner is waiting for you somewhere in that group. Why don't you go take a look?" Ash asked his Pokemon.

"Freeeee!" Butterfree said before flying off towards the others.

"Hey. I was thinking. Why don't we rent a balloon and watch like the other trainers are doing?" Brock suggested.

"Good idea. Let's go," Ash replied.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the group had rented one of the large, hot-air balloon and had joined all the other trainers in the sky. Ash found it extremely difficult to figure out which Butterfree was his. There had to be over one hundred Butterfree flying around the area. They didn't have to wait for too long, however, as Butterfree came back to the balloon soon afterward.<p>

"Hey, Butterfree. How did it go?" Ash asked.

Butterfree bowed its head a little sadly in response.

"Oh I see. There weren't any Butterfree over there that seemed to catch your interest," Ash figured.

Butterfree nodded its head in response.

"I'm sure your future mate is out there, Butterfree. You just haven't met it yet," Ash reassured it. "We can always try again next year."

"Pika Pika," Pikachu said to comfort its friend.

Butterfree was about to allow itself to return to the pokeball when it happened to give one last look at the group of Butterfree and froze. In the distance, it saw the most beautiful Butterfree it had ever seen just join the other Butterfly Pokemon. It was a bright pink in color, and Ash's Butterfree was instantly love stuck.

"Freeeeeeee!" it cried happily as it seemed to get hearts in its eyes.

The group noticed where it was looking and smiled.

"Ah, I see. That pink Butterfree has captured your interest it seems," Ash commented.

"Freeeee!" Butterfree nodded.

"I've got something that might make you stand out from the other Butterfree," Brock said as he took out a yellow ribbon from his backpack and tied it around Butterfree's neck.

Butterfree smiled in approval at what Brock had done.

"Well, what are you waiting for Butterfree?! Go get your girl!" Brock shouted enthusiastically.

Butterfree gave a nod and flew off towards the pink Butterfree.

Once Butterfree reached the pink Butterfree, it began to do dances around the pink Butterfree and showing off its moves. The pink Buttefree, however, didn't appear impressed at all. Every time Butterfree would do something in an attempt to impress it, the pink Butterfree would turn away. Finally, in order for Ash's Butterfree to get the message, the pink Butterfree gave it a harsh slap across the face. The group saw this and immediately got a frown on their face.

Ash's Butterfree looked absolutely crestfallen as its eyes began to water. It then flew off into a nearby forest in shame.

"Oh man. Poor Butterfree," Ash said sadly as they watched Butterfree fly off.

"I feel your pain, Butterfree!" Brock suddenly cried out with tears streaming down his face. "I know exactly what it's like to be rejected by a girl!"

"Oh get over yourself, Brock. We need to find Butterfree," Misty said in an annoyed tone.

The group then moved their balloon towards the forest and landed next to it. Then they entered the small piece of woods and began to search for Butterfree.

Since the patch of woods wasn't very large, it didn't take them to long to find Butterfree. They spotted it on the ground with its back turned to them with its head bowed.

"Hey Butterfree. I'm really sorry about what happened," Ash told it sympathetically.

"Freeee," Butterfree said sadly as it hung its head any lower.

"I know it probably hurts a lot to be rejected," Ash continued gently, "But you can't let that get you down. There are plenty of other Butterfree out there."

"What would you know about any of this, Ash?" Misty asked in an annoyed tone.

"I'm only trying to help it, Misty," Ash said defensively.

"The thing is that your Butterfree had love at first sight so it naturally pictured a future with the pink Butterfree. Telling it there are plenty of Butterfree out there doesn't do it any favors. It just had its heart broken by the one Butterfree that caught its eye. You won't ever know how it's feeling until you go through something like that yourself," Misty told him.

"Well, excuse me," Ash retorted.

Serena watched the scene as she thought to herself what it would be like with her and Ash in the future. It was no secret to a lot of people that she had a crush on him. She also knew she couldn't keep her feelings inside forever and would have to tell him eventually. How would he react if she were to tell him her feelings? Would he return them or reject them? She didn't think she would be able to bear it if Ash didn't return her feelings.

Deciding to try for herself, Serena went over to Butterfree next and knelt down next to it. "I know you probably feel terrible that your one true love rejected it you. It's probably one of the worst feelings in the world," Serena told it sadly, receiving a nod from the butterfly Pokemon.

"You are a great Butterfree and a great Pokemon in general. Don't ever think you aren't good enough for any Butterfree. They would be lucky to have you," Serena said giving it a smile.

Butterfree looked up hopefully at Serena but still looked somewhat upset.

"Hey, Butterfree! What do say we help you get the pink Butterfree's attention?" Ash suggested.

"Freee?" it asked hopefully.

"Of course! We'll all help you! Right, guys?" he asked, receiving a nod from everyone else.

Ash then stood up. "I think a good way to impress the pink Butterfree is to show off your String Shot," Ash told it. "Why don't you try to maneuver your String Shot into various patterns. Show us what you've got!"

Butterfree nodded its head and unleashed its String Shot attack. It started off as just an ordinary String Shot, but Butterfree soon began to move it around and began to form many different designs, ranging from webs to even an image of a Butterfree. The group was surprised at how talented Butterfree was.

"Now try to sprinkle all of your designs with your powder," Ash suggested.

Butterfree then let loose its powder on all of the String Shot designs it made causing them to sparkle. The group thought that if ever given the chance, Butterfree would do excellent in Pokemon contests.

"You were amazing, Butterfree!" Ash praised it. "If you show this to the pink Butterfree, it will no doubt love it!"

The group then left the woods and headed back to the cliff overlooking the ocean. It didn't take them long to see the pink Butterfree again flying around idly amongst the other Butterfree.

"You can do it, Butterfree," Ash encouraged. "Just remember what you did in the forest."

Ash's Butterfree nodded and flew back towards the pink Butterfree. The pink Butterfree saw it coming once again and turned its head away to show it had no interest whatsoever in Ash's Butterfree.

Ash's Butterfree didn't let that upset it, though. It began to shoot its String Shot attack into the sky into different designs. Once it was finished, it sprinkled some of its powder over the String Shot. The end result looked very beautiful. It then looked expectantly at the pink Butterfree.

The pink Butterfree studied the artwork for a moment before turning its head away once again. Ash's Butterfree's eyes began to water once again.

"Poor Butterfree," Ash said to himself.

The pink Butterfree then flew away towards the ocean and landed on a small rock just above the water in order for some peace and quiet. Ash's Butterfree looked on sadly, but it soon cried out in alarm once a Tentacruel leaped out of the water and cornered the pink Butterfree.

Ash's Butterfree sprang into action and flew as fast as could towards the endangered Pokemon. Ash was about to call out some commands for Butterfree to use but was stopped by Brock.

"Hold on, Ash. Let Butterfree do this on its own," he said.

Ash nodded as he continued to watch the scene. "_Come on, Buttefree. I know that after all we've been through, you can handle anything,"_ he thought.

The Tentacruel was too occupied with the pink Butterfree to notice the other one charging straight for it. Ash's Butterfree collided into the back of Tentacruel as hard as it could. Tentacruel stood dazed for a moment before shifting its attention to Ash's Butterfree.

The butterfly Pokemon gave a glare at the Tentacruel as if telling it to back off.

The Tentacruel did not comply, however, and shot an Acid attack at Butterfree who dodged the attack with ease.

Butterfree then launched a Psychic attack at the Tentacruel. The waves shot through the air and stuck Tentacruel right in the soft portion of its head. The Tentacruel gave a yell of pain before returning underneath the water.

The group grinned broadly once they saw that Butterfree had fended off the Tentacruel. To their surprise, they saw the pink Butterfree shyly fly over to Ash's Butterfree. It then started to move back and forth in a dance-pattern. Butterfree's face lit up and began to join the pink Butterfree in the dance.

"Well, would you look at that," Ash smiled when he saw the two Butterfree dancing together.

"I guess your Butterfree finally got the other's attention by helping it out in its time of need," Brock told Ash.

"Yeah, good for you, Butterfree!" Ash shouted happily to it.

Ash's Butterfree turned to Ash and raised its hand into the air as a sign of acknowledgement. The two then flew back higher into the air to join the rest of the Butterfree flying around in the air. All of the Butterfree must have found their mates because they all began to chirp happily. It almost seemed like the Butterfree were singing a song.

"Chuuu," Pikachu said. It felt so relaxed right now.

"That must be their love call," Brock commented as the group listened to all the Butterfree singing.

"It's so pretty," Misty smiled.

Brock then turned to Misty and offered his hand. "May I have this dance, madam?" he asked politely.

"Why thank you, sir," Misty smiled back before slipping her hand into Brock's.

The two then began to slow dance as Ash and Serena watched. Ash smiled as he watched the two. He then noticed that Brock and Misty looked at him and jerked their head in Serena's direction. Ash turned to look at Serena and saw she was looking at him expectantly. Taking the hint, Ash went over to Serena and offered his hand to her as well.

"Um, would you like to dance, Serena?" he asked nervously.

Serena was delighted. The last time Ash had ever offered his hand to her like this was when she hurt her knee at summer camp. In other words, it has been quite a long time. Only this time, he was asking her to dance. She was finally going to get to dance with her crush. She blushed heavily as she took his hand.

"I'd love to, Ash," she replied.

Ash then looked at Brock and Misty for guidance on what to do next. The two motioned for Ash to put his other hand on Serena's back, which he did.

Serena blushed even harder once she felt Ash's hand against her back. They then began to move slowly back and forth. Ash was moving a lot more awkwardly then Serena was, however.

"Eheheheh, I guess I'm not a very good dancer," Ash said in an embarrassed tone.

"You're doing fine, Ash. Just follow my lead," Serena told him while smiling.

Serena then began to lead him in the movements to the song the Butterfree were singing.

"Okay, Ash. Now one, two, three, step. One, two three, step," she guided.

It took Ash a few tries, but soon enough he was starting to get the hang of the movements he and Serena were making. He had never danced like this with a girl before. Sure, he had a few fun, fast paced dances with Serena and Leaf in the past, but this time it felt different. It felt more personal and closer than any other dance he had done before. The strangest part was that he was actually enjoying it!

Serena herself was extremely happy at the moment. She had always wanted to share a dance with Ash like this before. The best part was that he asked her rather than the other way around. Serena was resisting the urge to lay her head on Ash's shoulder as that might make Ash a little uncomfortable since he was already nervous enough. Ash may not be the best dancer in the world, but that didn't matter to Serena at all. He could have been the worst dancer, and Serena still would not have cared because it was with Ash Ketchum, her crush.

The Butterfree continued to sing while the four danced below. Pikachu, not having a partner at the moment, found a bottle of ketchup in Ash's backpack and began to dance with it instead. The bottle was a little heavy for the rodent which caused it to stumble a lot as it mimicked the humans' movements.

After a few minutes, the Butterfree stopped singing and the group stopped dancing. The men and Pikachu bowed while the ladies curtseyed. The dance may have been a little impromptu but still enjoyable.

"Thank you for the dance, Ash," Serena said while blushing heavily.

"Eheheheheh, it was no problem," Ash answered while rubbing the back of his neck. He was red as well.

* * *

><p>It was now sunset, and the group stood in front of Butterfree and its mate.<p>

"So I guess you want to go start a family of your own now, don't you?" Ash asked.

"Freeeeee," his Butterfree answered in the affirmative.

"Then this is where we part ways, I guess," Ash said sadly.

Ash's Butterfree got a sad look in its eyes whenever it realized it may never see Ash again after this.

Ash knelt down and looked at the pink Butterfree. "This is a very special Butterfree. I want you to take really good care of it for me," Ash told it, receiving a nod from the Pokemon.

Ash then stood up and looked down so the brim of his hat was covering his eyes.

"Good bye, Butterfree," he muttered. He didn't realize it, but a few tears were beginning to come to his eyes.

"I'm sure your babies will be beautiful," Serena said while smiling to Butterfree.

"Best of luck to both of you," Brock added.

"You two will have such a happy life together," Misty finished.

The pink Butterfree then left the cliff and flew into the air to wait for Ash's Butterfree.

"Freee?" Butterfree asked as it looked up sadly at Ash.

"Don't worry. I'll just tell the other Pokemon that you went on a trip, and maybe you will come back some day," Ash replied.

Pikachu then went up to Butterfree and shook its hand. Pikachu then went on to tell Buttefree that it knew Butterfree would be able to achieve its dream, which caused Butterfree to smile.

"Well, you don't want to keep your mate waiting, do you?" Ash told it, attempting a smile.

Butterfree nodded as it flew into the air with the pink Butterfree. They then turned around and began to fly into the sunset with the other Butterfree. Ash's Butterfree was taking several looks back.

"Bye bye, Butterfree!" Misty, Brock, and Serena called.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu waved.

As Ash watched Butterfree leave, he began recalling all that he and Butterfree had been through together. He remembered how he first captured it as a Caterpie after it freaked out Misty. He remembered how as a Metapod, it won a fight against Samurai's Metapod and protected him from a Beedrill. He remembered its great battles in the Pewter and Cerulean gyms. He really would miss Butterfree, but he also knew that this is what Butterfree really wanted: to start a family of its own, and that was enough for Ash.

"Butterfree…," Ash trailed as tears began fall from his eyes.

"Hey, Ash. Butterfree is almost out of sight," Serena told him.

Upon hearing this, Ash snapped out of his thoughts as ran towards the edge of the cliff.

"Take care, Butterfree! Good luck, buddy!" he called.

Butterfree heard its trainer's voice and looked backwards again to see Ash waving at it.

"I'll always remember you! Thank you for everything! Good bye, Butterfree!" Ash yelled.

Ash's Butterfree began to have tears streaming down its eyes, too. It had many great memories with Ash. It could never have become the Butterfree it had today without Ash. It could not have asked for a better trainer. Hopefully, it will see Ash again some day. With a final nod and wave to Ash, Butterfree turned around and fought the urge to look back again.

"You raised it to be a great Butterfree. You should be proud of yourself, Ash," Brock told him as he put a hand on Ash's shoulder.

"Thank you, Brock," Ash replied.

"Releasing your Pokemon to start its own family takes a lot of courage. It shows you have matured and grown up a little yourself," Brock continued.

Pikachu leaped up onto Ash's shoulder and gave him a smile which Ash returned.

Ash nodded while the group continued to watch all the Butterfree go off into the sunset until they were completely gone.

"_Be happy, my friend,"_ Ash thought.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day after Ash had released Butterfree. The group decided to spend the night by the cliff overlooking the ocean since there was no more need for traveling that day. They were still a week away from Celedon City so they weren't in any particular hurry to get there. They were currently walking along the beach, each to their own thoughts.<p>

"So Butterfree found its mate," Ash said to himself as they walked along.

"Yeah," the group agreed.

"Maybe I will find my mate one day as well," Ash continued without realizing what he was saying.

"Huh?!" everyone exclaimed, clearly not expecting Ash to say that. Pikachu also gave its partner a surprised look.

"Uh, I mean…" Ash trailed, before breaking into a nervous chuckle and turning red. "Eheheheh, I mean, I do plan on getting married eventually."

The group continued to give Ash a questioning look. Was Ash actually thinking about getting married one day?!

Serena blushed at the thought of Ash getting married. Maybe he wasn't as clueless about these things as she originally thought. Maybe if she told him her feelings soon….no she still wasn't ready yet, but that did encourage her that Ash wasn't planning to remain single forever. There was still hope for her and Ash to be a couple. She let that thought entertain her for the next several minutes as the group continued on their way.

"So now that Butterfree isn't with me anymore, I don't have a full team of six anymore. I will need to find a new Pokemon pretty soon to make up for that," Ash commented, wanting to change the subject.

"I only have four Pokemon so I need to get a full team of six as well pretty soon," Serena groaned.

"You know, Ash. I would like to see you capture a Pokemon on your own," Misty teased.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"All of your Pokemon chose to come with you rather than you capture them by yourself," Misty continued.

"Excuse me! I captured Butterfree and Pidgeotto all on my own! Fair and square!" Ash argued.

"Whatever, but that isn't even half," Misty replied.

Ash was about to yell at Misty for taunting him like this, but took a deep breath. He wasn't going to act immature about this.

"Alright, Misty. I guess I will have to prove to you that I can capture a Pokemon by myself. There are bound to be some Pokemon along the beach here. Let's go!" Ash declared as he began to walk ahead of the group.

"I was just kidding," Misty mumbled

"You should know by now that Ash won't ever back down from a challenge like that," Brock told her.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu sighed as it watched its best friend march ahead of them.

It wasn't but a few minutes later that the group saw a Krabby walking along the shoreline.

"A Krabby?" Ash questioned as he and Serena scanned it.

"Krabby, the River Crab Pokemon. Krabby's pincers are not only used as powerful weapons. They are also used for balance while walking sideways," said the pokedexes.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to catch this Krabby on my own, guys. Go ahead and stand back. I've got this."

Brock, Misty, Serena, and Pikachu complied with Ash's request and stepped back a few yards to give him some room.

Ash was about to pick up a stick to assault Krabby with, but thought better of it. He remembered the last time he tried to attack a Pokemon all by himself. Not only was he unsuccessful to catch the Pidgey and was attacked, he and Serena also ended up with a flock of Spearow after them because of his mistake. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice by attacking Krabby while defenseless.

"Alright, Krabby! You're mine!" Ash shouted.

The Krabby stopped and looked at him curiously.

"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw the Pokeball to release the grass-type.

"Bulbasaur!" cried the plant dinosaur as it came out.

"Bulbasuaur! Use Razor Leaf!" Ash called.

Bulbasaur shot a flurry of sharp leaves from its bulb straight a Krabby, but Krabby was ready. It began to cut up the leaves one by one with its powerful pincers. It was quick.

"Hey that isn't bad," Ash praised it. "Let's see you handle this! Bulbasaur! Use Leech Seed!"

"Saur!" Bulbasaur yelled as it shot a small, glowing seed from its bulb.

The bulb sailed through air but was caught by Krabby in its pincers. What Krabby didn't expect was for the Leech Seed to take effect anyway. Many vines shot out of the seed and entangled Krabby who then began to have its energy sapped.

"Great job! Now Tackle, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled.

"Bulbasaur!" it yelled as it crashed into Krabby, which sent it flying backwards and onto the ground.

"Alright! Pokeball! Go!" Ash shouted as he threw the ball.

It sailed forward and connected with Krabby, effectively sucking it inside. The ball shook a few times before it dinged to show Krabby had been caught.

"Alright! I just caught Krabby!" Ash cheered.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur said happily. It was glad to help its trainer with his catch.

"Thanks, Bulbasaur! You were awesome!" Ash praised as he rubbed its head. He then got up and went over to the rest of the group. "Well Misty? How did I do?"

"Alright. Alright, Ash. You did just fine capturing Krabby," Misty admitted, but then added, "Just don't let it go to your head."

Ash smiled triumphantly at Misty's words. He hadn't formed a bond with Krabby yet, but would in due time. He couldn't help but think that if he was still at the start of his journey, he would try to attack Krabby on his own or brag childishly after he had captured it to Misty. It was true that Ash had grown up a little since he started his journey. He showed that when he had the courage to release Butterfree in a very mature way. However, he still had a ways to go to be good enough for the Pokemon League. He was determined to reach that level one day, and when he did, he would be an incredible Pokemon trainer.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope this chapter was original enough for you guys. I added a lot of amourshipping to this chapter to please you all with the drought from the last few chapters and being patient for more moments between the two. The group enters Celadon City next chapter, and the story will start to get pretty intense in some moments, very worthy of its T rating, and only more so in the Saffron City chapters with what happens. I hope you guys will enjoy them.<strong>

**Unfortunately, I will be out of town all next week and be in Florida on a trip so I won't have the chapter up next Tuesday. Instead, it will be two weeks from today on July 1****st**** when I update next. See you all then!**

**Chapter 21: Blackout in Celadon City Part 1**

**Answering the questions:**

_Will the Mewtwo returns Movie also be featured in the Johto arc?_

_**I would give that movie about a 50/50 shot of appearing. Sometimes I want to do the movie, and other times I don't think it is very relevant to the story.**_

_Can the Pokémon in this story use more than four moves?_

_**Yes. That way I don't have to keep up with which Pokemon have which moves, trying to decide which move to take away to give them new ones, etc. It is easier to write with freedom in the number of moves Pokemon can have at a time.**_

_Do you mean that it will be like episode 14 in Pokémon the series xy where Serena keeps coming up with creepy possibilities causing everyone to get goose bumps? _

_**If you mean the Pokemon Tower chapter, no. It will be nothing like that. The Pokemon Tower segment is much different from canon.**_

_Will there be a tournament in the orange islands before a trainer can challenge the Orange islands' champion?_

_**I'm still trying to think of ideas on how to do the last part of Orange Islands. Ash will definitely face Drake, but I don't want it to be the same as in the anime. A tournament may be one of the ideas I incorporate.**_

_Will there be Pokémon Rangers featured in your stories?_

_**If I deem them necessary at some point, then yes.**_

_I'm curious if both Dawn and Serena will (literally) be Ash's cheerleaders in the Sinnoh arc as well._

_**Yes, but I'm mainly going to keep the dressing up in the cheerleader outfit to Dawn exclusively. It was one of the many traits that made her different from Ash's other companions, and I don't want to take that away from her.**_

_Will Brock also be able to identify fake Nurse Joy's and Officer Jenny's?_

_**Yes. He has that ability.**_

_Will Tobias make an appearance in your story?, and if he is, why don't you put him this region?  
><em>

_**Sorry, but Tobias won't be in Kanto. The big reason for this is because he is defined by having a team of uber legendary Pokemon, and Kanto doesn't have enough legendaries to fulfill that role, unless I gave him Mewtwo, Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and two Magikarp…just joking. He may appear earlier than Sinnoh, but just not in Kanto.**_

_Will you include Primal Groudon and Primal Kyogre as apart of the Hoenn arc since they are the two legends Mega Evolutions?_

_**I have no idea. It's a little early to be asking me a question like that since omega ruby and alpha sapphire haven't even been released yet, nor do I know which role they will even play in the new game.**_

_What are your plans, if any, on the Elite Four in making appearances as a general factor?_

_**The best way I found to do the elite four and champions in this story is to have the winner of the Pokemon League a chance to challenge the Elite Four of that region. For Kanto and Johto (as of right now), it will be Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance, and the champion is a secret for now (will be revealed later and it isn't Red). It may change to Will, Bruno, Karen, and Koga in Johto with Lorelei and Agatha's departure explained. If the trainer can beat the elite four, they can challenge the champion of that region. If they win, that person becomes the champion of the region. If the trainer wins all Pokemon Leagues in every region and bests the champion of each region, they become the World Champion. Only one trainer holds that title right now. Due to the high honor of this achievement, the person's identity remains a mystery to many people except the Elite Four and Champions.**_

_Will Serena have Ash fantasies?_

_**She already has had a brief one in Chapter 17. Serena might have few more as she is still a young girl and likes to fantasize about her and Ash in romantic situations.**_

_Will Jessie and James still lose Pokemon with each region they travel to (Victreebel in Johto, Arbok and Weezing in Hoenn, etc.?)_

_**It depends on if they are in the other regions or not. I don't want to give away too much about Team Rocket outside of Kanto.**_

_When Ash catches Corphish, you think Kingler and Corphish can be partners and good friends because it would be awesome with they were in a double battle together._

_**Yeah. I'm sure those two will get along just fine when they meet eventually. **_

_When Ash catches Muk, any chance he catch Magnemite too?_

_**Sorry. Ash won't be getting Magnemite. I want to limit Pikachu being his only electric type in Kanto for obvious reasons.**_

_In the Johto arc, will Ash still (temporarily) turn into a Pikachu along with Serena?_

_**Definitely Not!**__** No offense to anyone who liked that idea, but even when I was 12 when that episode first came on, I thought it was extremely weird when that happened. Another reason is that Ash looked really stupid as a Pikachu.**_

_Since Jimmy is going to be a major rival for Ash in Johto, does that mean Morrison and Tyson will appear more frequently in Hoenn than they did in canon?_

_**I didn't like Morrison too much so probably not him. Tyson was okay so he might make more frequent appearances throughout Hoenn.**_

_Besides Butterfree and Pidgeot, will Ash be releasing any other Pokémon?_

_**None that I can think of at the moment. The only one I'm not entirely certain on is Lapras.**_

_Will it be possible for Misty to hook up with Tracey? In canon he's been said to have been visiting her recently? Is it also possible for Brock to find a real relationship with Pike Queen Lucy?_

_**Maybe to both of those questions.**_

_Will Misty still obtain her Politoed?_

_**Yes.**_

_Since you said that Ash will catch a Rhyorn and a Dratini, is it crazy to think he might eventually have a Rhyperior (or at least a Rhydon) and a Dragonite?_

_**Ash having those Pokemon does seem strange, but keep in mind that he becomes a much more powerful trainer as this fic goes on. He certainly couldn't handle one right now.**_

_Will Jessie and James still obtain Lickitung and Victreebel or will they be caught instead by one of the protagonists?_

_**Yes. They will still get Lickitung and Victreebel, but their captures won't be shown in the story. Jessie and James will merely state that they captured new Pokemon when Lickitung and Victreebel are set to appear. (and before anybody asks, Victreebel will still try to eat James on occasion. Even though they are more threatening in this fic, I couldn't resist that gag, kind of like Butch's name issue once he and Cassidy appear.)**_

_Will Ash still catch a bunch of Tauros in the Safari Zone?_

_**No. Just one, along with a couple other of Pokemon.**_

_When Ash gets Haunter, will it evolve into Gengar? Gengar is one of my favorite Pokémon._

_**Gengar is an awesome Pokemon. However, at the moment, I have no plans to evolve Haunter anytime soon.**_

_Can we expect to see Ash getting some new pokemon soon as in different ones not following the anime?_

_**Ash gets his first non canon Pokemon in Saffron City. Others will follow after that.**_

_Is it safe to bet that after the Indigo League we won't be seeing too much of Paul in Johto and Hoenn, only for their rivalry to be restarted in Sinnoh, or is Paul going to be in those regions as well?_

_**As you suspect, Paul will not be in Orange Islands, Johto, or Hoenn. He will reappear in Sinnoh which is where there will be more learnt about him.**_

_Will you include movies as rewrites as chapters in the main story or will you write its own story but make it fit into your time line?_

_**I'm leaning more towards the latter at the moment of making them separate because I'm worried that including the moves in the actual story will disrupt the flow of this story too much.**_

_Will ash catch all the starters in each region or just what he got in the anime?_

_**He will get the same he got in the anime.**_

_Will there be a Battle Chateau in each region because I don't want Serena to do nothing or contests._

_**At the moment, I'm thinking hard about something else Serena can do for the other regions. I can only carry the Battle Chateau idea so far in my story. I'm still hoping Serena will have a true goal in the anime that I can work off of when I get to other regions. Furthermore, I don't think the Battle Chateau will work in the Orange Islands so she will have to do something else there already.**_

_Will Paul's starter Turtwig make an appearance in Kanto?_

**No, it won't appear until Sinnoh.**

_Since Ash and co. will age throughout this fic, will the fic's rating (from Fiction T to Fiction M) raise too?_

_**No. This story will remain T rated. There is no reason to include anything M rated in a Pokemon fic. Lemons and swearing don't fit whether the characters age or not, and there is never going to be guts and gore spewing out of people or Pokemon in this fic either.**_

_Will you feature some stories with Pokeringer?_

_**I'm not sure yet. Maybe.**_

_Will either Koga or Janine be Gym Leader of the Fuschia City Gym?_

_**It will be Koga, and Janine will be learning underneath him as a gym leader-in-training.**_


	21. Blackout in Celadon City Part One

**A/N: Hello everyone! Welcome to the next chapter! Before we start, I would like to address a glaring flaw my story has that a few people have kindly pointed out. Where is the romance?! You are absolutely correct. This story has not had very many romantic moments so far. I was hoping the dance last chapter would help, but it only did at a minimum level. With that being said, hopefully, you guys don't have to wait too much longer. I have in my head exactly when and where I want Ash and Serena to officially become a couple. For now, I'm letting their relationship develop before I do that. There will be personal talks between them and a lot more amourshipping moments coming up soon in future chapters before they date. So just please be a little more patient. They will date before Johto. I promise. I just don't want to shove them together too quickly.**

**Another thing a few people pointed out was that Butterfree's release was too early and Ash's bond wasn't as strong as in the anime. I suppose you guys are right on that account as well. It is quite difficult to try to balance a lot of things in this story such as plot development, character development, romance, etc, that I sometimes forget to have personal times with Ash and the others with their Pokemon. I really want to fix this, however. If anyone has any suggestions on ways I can have the group strengthen the bond with their Pokemon without interrupting the story too much, I would love to hear them. Suggestions are very welcome!**

**One more thing. Please avoid using profanity in reviews for my story, particularly the f-bomb as one person did. Thank you.**

**Now on with chapter! **

**Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own Pokemon!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 21: Blackout in Celadon City Part One<p>

"Oh, wow! It's Celadon City!" Misty squealed as she clasped her hands together.

"It's a lot bigger than I thought it was!" Serena exclaimed while her eyes sparkled.

"There is supposed to be a huge department store here with all sorts of things! I can't wait to check it out!" Misty squealed again.

"Me neither! There is also a really huge mansion here to visit! I can also compete at the Battle Chateau here!" Serena added.

The group had finally made it to another large city. Celadon City was the second largest city in Kanto after Saffron City. Since they have never been to Saffron City, the size of this one still blew them away.

A very large city had different meanings for each member of the group. For Ash, it just meant another place to earn his fourth gym badge. For Brock, it meant a nice break from cooking and cleaning since a Pokemon Center could take care of all of those things, as well as a chance to see pretty girls, especially Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. For Misty, it meant shopping and visiting the local attractions. Serena had mostly the same views as Misty except large cities also meant another chance at a Battle Chateau title.

The group was so excited about finally getting to another city that they didn't notice the water advisory posters around on various buildings and street poles.

"I think before we do anything that it would be best that we visit the Pokemon Center here," Brock suggested.

"Yeah. Good idea," Ash agreed. He had learned not to just rush headfirst to the gym anymore since starting his journey. It was important to make sure that all of his Pokemon were in top shape, especially his newly caught Krabby.

After training some with his Krabby, Ash had learned that Krabby was actually a very good battler as well. It was very skilled with its huge pincers and could handle many Grass-type attacks if its battle with Bulbasaur was any indication. Most Water-types would need to watch out for Grass-types, but not Krabby.

As the group made their way to the Pokemon Center, they saw a red convertible speeding past them. As they watched it pass, Ash and Serena instantly recognized one of the faces in the car. It was none other than Gary Oak.

Upon seeing the two, Gary ordered the cheerleader driving the convertible to stop. He then got out of the car and approached the four and Pikachu.

"Yo, Ash. Serena," he greeted as he held up his right arm.

"Gary!? What are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Isn't it obvious? I was here to win the Rainbow Badge from Erika, the gym leader here. Now that I've beaten her, I just got my fourth gym badge," Gary bragged as he showed Ash his case of four badges.

Ash gave a sigh. Gary always seemed to be one step ahead of him.

"How many badges have you collected so far?" Gary asked Ash as he put his badge case away.

"I've only gotten three," Ash mumbled.

"You have a lot of catching up to do, Ashy-boy!" Gary said with that arrogant smirk that Ash hated so much.

Ash's face turned an angry shade of red as Gary turned to Serena. "What about you, Serena? How have things been? I heard from Leaf that you were doing the Battle Chateau."

"Oh, I've been doing fine. I've only made it to Viscountess so far, but I'm determined to improve in rank while I'm here!" Serena answered.

"There you go! Good attitude!" Gary smiled.

Gary then directed his attention back at Ash. "You could learn a thing or two from Serena about confidence. Here she is telling me how she can get her new rank while all you have been doing is moping ever since you saw me!"

Brock and Misty watched the exchange between Gary and Ash and immediately understood why Ash always felt he had to be better than Gary. It seemed Gary had a big habit of making fun of Ash.

"I'm confident enough to challenge you to a Pokemon Battle!" Ash shouted as he raised his fists in the air.

"Heh, no thanks, Ash. I only challenge skilled trainers who take great care of their Pokemon!" Gary smirked.

"What are you talking about Gary!? My Pokemon are doing super!" Ash yelled back.

"Have you looked at your Pikachu, lately?" Gary asked while pointing to the rodent on Ash's shoulder.

Ash looked and was alarmed when he saw that Pikachu had a weak look on its face as sparks flew from its cheeks.

"Pikachu! Are you okay?!" Ash cried. Now that he thought about it, Pikachu hadn't said a word since they entered Celedon City. Ash berated himself as he should have noticed sooner but was too distracted by Gary showing up.

"Your Pikachu will be fine. It just has a cold," Gary informed him. "I'm so generous that I will give you a Potion to help you out until you get to the Pokemon Center."

Gary then reached into a pouch in the bag he was carrying and tossed a Potion to Ash who caught it. Ash immediately sprayed it onto Pikachu. Once the potion took effect, Pikachu looked a little better but would still need a trip to the Pokemon Center. Ash was relieved that it was nothing serious but scowled that he always had to look bad in front of Gary Oak.

"Ash actually has an incredible bond with his Pokemon, Gary," Serena said, coming to Ash's defense. "He and his Pikachu have grown exceptionally close. You haven't seen him since you left Pallet Town. You can't judge his training skills based on this one meeting!"

Gary looked at Brock and Misty and saw them nod their heads, signifying they agreed with Serena. Then he noticed Pikachu weakly nod its head in return.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it that Ash is better than I gave him credit for," Gary told Serena.

He then turned to Ash and crossed his arms. "I'll tell you what, Ash. Go heal your Pikachu at the Pokemon Center, and we can have a battle the next time we meet."

"You're on!" Ash shouted with fire in his eyes.

"Now you sound like a trainer worth battling!" Gary praised.

He then nodded to Brock and Misty before turning around to head back to his car and addressing Serena and Ash. "Later guys. One more thing, don't drink the water here!"

"Gary! Gary! He's the best!" his cheerleaders cried as Gary got into the back seat of the convertible. The car was soon turned on by one of the cheerleaders and sped off.

"Gary has his own car and fan club?" Misty asked, clearly amazed.

"Don't ask," Serena muttered as she and Ash face-palmed.

* * *

><p>As Ash watched Gary leave, he figured their first meeting since leaving Pallet Town could have gone much worse. At least Gary didn't call him a loser. The only downside was he had to have his friends stand up for him instead of showing proof of the strong bond he had with his Pokemon. He cursed his luck but realized there were more pressing matters to deal with at the moment than his rivalry with Gary Oak. He had to get Pikachu to the Pokemon Center.<p>

Once the group arrived at the Pokemon Center, they could see it was already pretty busy. It was a lot bigger than the one in Vermillion City due to Celedon City being a larger city, but that didn't mean there was any less traffic.

"Excuse me, Nurse Joy," Ash said once it was the group's turn in line. "I think my Pikachu has come down with a bad cold. Do you think you can help it as well as check up on my other Pokemon?"

"I'd be very happy to," Nurse Joy smiled as she put on rubber gloves to take Ash's Pikachu.

"Could you check on our Pokemon, too, Nurse Joy?" Serena asked as she, Misty, and Brock held up their pokeballs.

"Of course," Nurse Joy replied. She was just about to take their pokeballs when Brock ran up to her and held her hands.

"Nurse Joy! Are you free later today? I can take you out to a nice restaurant and…YEOWW!" Brock started, but yelled in pain when Misty began to pull him by the ear.

"You may have Nurse Joy's hands but my hand has your ear," Misty said in annoyance as she pulled him away.

"Not the ear. Not the ear," Brock muttered.

Ignoring the scene with Brock, Ash had noticed a strange Pokemon standing on top of the desk, staring at the group. It was a golden colored, duck-like Pokemon that had its hands holding its head, like it had a headache.

"Uh, is that a Psyduck?" Ash asked.

"Why is it staring at us?" Serena wondered as she tilted her head in confusion.

The two then took out their pokedexes to scan it. "Psyduck, the duck Pokemon. This Pokemon has mysterious powers but doesn't recall how to use them. This is why it always looks puzzled," the pokedexes said.

"Nurse Joy? What's up with this Psyduck?" Ash asked curiously once he and Serena put away their pokedexes.

"Honestly, this Psyduck has been here for weeks now. It wandered in one day very injured. I nursed it back to health quickly, but it never leaves despite my efforts to encourage it. I don't know where it came from," Nurse Joy said.

"So it just stands there all day with a blank expression on its face?" Misty asked as she came back once dragging Brock a suitable distance away.

"Yes. It does," Nurse Joy confirmed.

Misty leaned in a little closer to get a better look at Psyduck. The duck Pokemon stared back at Misty without moving at all.

"This thing looks pretty dopey," Misty commented while raising one of her eyebrows.

As soon as Misty finished her comment, Psyduck leaned forward and pecked Misty on the mouth with its beak, almost like it was kissing her.

"Gross!" Misty exploded as she wiped her mouth with her hand, startling everybody else in the Pokemon Center. "This dim-witted duck just kissed me!"

Ash, Serena, and Brock couldn't contain themselves as they burst into a fit of laughter.

"What do you know? Psyduck likes you Misty," Ash said in between laughs.

"I need to go wash my mouth out and take a shower while I'm at it!" Misty yelled as she ran to the bathroom.

"Oh no! You mustn't do that!" Nurse Joy called suddenly, causing the group to look at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?" asked Serena.

"Celedon City's water has become very polluted lately. This is due to Celedon being such a large city. There is so much energy and pollution here that it contaminated our waters. Now there have been many Grimer and Muk that are down in our sewer systems making the situation even worse. This isn't good as our entire city runs on hydroelectric power," Nurse Joy explained.

"That must have been what Gary meant when he told us not to drink the water," Ash realized.

"So what's being done about the problem?" Misty asked as she walked back to the counter.

"Our gym leader Erika has gone down to the sewers a few times to try to at least fend off the Grimer and Muk. The only problem is she uses Grass-type Pokemon, and they are weak against Poison-types like Grimer and Muk. There have even been a few trainers to go down to the sewers to see what is wrong, but they turn up missing. I don't know why the Power Plant workers aren't doing anything. Nobody has been able to contact them for weeks," Nurse Joy replied.

"That's awful," Brock muttered.

"Yes it is. Our police force is having a hard time trying to search for the missing trainers and help with the water problem," Nurse Joy agreed. "Until the problem is fixed, we have to rely on bottled water to take care of ourselves. Thankfully, we are getting it donated for free here at the Pokemon Center."

"I guess we will just have to use the bottled water to wash ourselves while we are here," Ash figured.

The group was just then walking away from Nurse Joy's desk when the lights to the Pokemon Center went out.

"Woah! Who turned out the lights?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Nobody did! The power has gone out!" Misty yelled at him.

The lights going out had caused quite a commotion. Many people had begun yelling and frantically running outside to get out of the dark since it was still daytime. The only one not looking panicked was Psyduck. It never changed its expression or moved from its spot despite the chaos.

"I need to call the police station on the wired phone now!" Nurse Joy said as she ran to the only phone in the center that didn't run on electricity.

"What do you suppose the problem is?" Ash asked the group among the chaos at the Pokemon Center.

"Do you think it has anything to do with the polluted water system?" Serena suggested.

"I don't think so," Brock replied as he crossed his arms in thought. "Dirty water shouldn't make the whole Pokemon Center shut down."

It was then that Nurse Joy got off the phone with a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong, Nurse Joy?" Brock asked as the group went over to her.

"It's terrible. The Grimer and Muk have become so numerous in the water system that they are blocking all the water needed to run the Power Plant. This whole side of Celadon City is in a complete blackout until the problem is fixed!"

The group gasped upon hearing that.

"Can't you send the sick and injured Pokemon to the other centers while the problem is being fixed?" Ash asked.

"I wish I could, but our transfer system runs on electricity. Without any electricity, there is nothing I can do," Nurse Joy replied sadly as she buried her face in her hands.

"Isn't there some kind of back up generator for emergencies?" Serena asked.

"There is, but unfortunately it only runs on water as well. With our water system the way it is, it won't help. I suppose no one could have anticipated an event like this to happen. I don't know what to do!" Nurse Joy said as tears came to her eyes.

"We'll go down there and get rid of the Grimer, Nurse Joy!" Ash declared.

"What? You are? Can you really do that?" Nurse Joy asked hopefully as she looked up.

"Somebody has to act! If the gym leader is unable to take care of them, then we will! There's no way I'm going to let these sick and injured Pokemon suffer because of this," Ash said with determination.

"Ash! You heard what Nurse Joy said! Trainers that have gone down to fix the problem turn up missing! I don't want to end up like them!" Misty told Ash.

"By all means, then you can stay here, Misty. This problem can't be ignored," Ash replied.

Ash then looked at Serena and Brock. "Are you guys in?" he asked.

"Definitely!" they both replied

"Oh, why do you have to be so stubborn?" Misty muttered.

Ash then turned to Pikachu who was still on Nurse Joy's desk. "Pikachu. I need you to stay here while we are gone. You are in no condition to fight right now."

"Chuuuu," Pikachu shook its head slowly.

"I know you want to come, but I need to make sure you are safe. We'll be back before you know it," Ash said as he ran out of the Pokemon Center with Serena, Brock, and Misty on his heels.

"Please be careful!" Nurse Joy called after them.

She then turned to see Pikachu running after them despite its cold. "Wait!" Nurse Joy cried, but it was too late. Pikachu had already left the Pokemon Center.

Nurse Joy sighed as she turned to see how Psyduck was taking this chaos, but it was gone, too.

"_That's weird. __Where could Psyduck have gone to?" _Nurse Joy thought.

* * *

><p>The group was running through the streets of Celadon City as fast as they could. It was hard to maneuver around all the people who were scurrying about. They were trying to find an entrance into the sewers below to see if they could fend off the Grimer and Muk causing the problem, as well as find the water blockage.<p>

As they passed a small pond, they could see exactly what Nurse Joy was talking about. The water looked absolutely filthy and smelled terrible.

"Do you guys think there could be some sort of clue in there?" Ash asked in thought as he put his finger to his chin.

"Great idea, Ash! How do expect us to go down and look?!" Misty asked sarcastically.

"We could send some of our Water-type Pokemon and…never mind," Ash trailed. It would be cruel to send their Pokemon into that disgusting water to look for clues.

"I bet your Magikarp won't mind going into the water, Misty," Brock said. "Magikarp have a high tolerance to any type of water so it should be fine."

"I guess I could give it a shot," Misty sighed. "Go, Magikarp!"

Magikarp came out of the pokeball and landed into the water.

"Alright, Magikarp! Go down under the water, and see if there is anything below!" Misty commanded.

However, Magikarp didn't seem to be able to carry out Misty's commands. All it was doing was splashing around on the surface. It didn't even look like it could swim properly.

"Karp! Karp! Karp!" it choked out.

"Uh, can't you dive down in the water, Magikarp?" Misty asked.

All Magikarp continued doing was splashing around pointlessly on the water's surface.

"Ohhhhh! This Magikarp can hardly even swim!" Misty groaned.

This Pokemon was giving her a headache. With a sigh, she returned it to her pokeball. That Magikarp had been no help at all.

"Sooooo…what now?" Ash asked awkwardly.

Before anyone could come up with an answer, they saw a yellow duck run up to them.

"Hey, is that the same Psyduck we saw at the Pokemon Center?" Misty asked.

"Psy aye aye!" the Psyduck said as it hopped into the water, almost splashing the group in the process.

Unfortunately, it couldn't swim either and began thrashing frantically in the filthy liquid. It managed to dog paddle to the edge and climbed out, panting. The group sweatdropped upon seeing the display.

"Ugh, this thing can't even swim. What a boring Pokemon," Misty muttered.

"Shouldn't you be back at the Pokemon Center, Psyduck?" Serena asked it as she knelt down to be more eye level.

Psyduck stared cluelessly at the group before holding its hands on its head again like it had a headache.

"I don't think we are going to get anywhere by trying to search the water. Let's just continue looking for a way into the sewers below," Ash sighed as the group continued on, leaving Psyduck behind.

"Psy?" Psyduck remarked as it watched the group leave.

* * *

><p>"Hey, look! Here's an entrance right here!" Ash announced, pointing to a sewer lid in the ground<p>

"Do we really have to go down there?" Misty asked as she eyed the entrance nervously.

"Once again, Misty, you can stay up here if you want," Ash told her as he lifted the lid.

The group was just about to go down when they saw Pikachu emerge from some nearby bushes. It still looked like it had a cold.

"Pikachu! What are you doing here? You should be back at the Pokemon Center," Ash stated.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu shook its head again. It didn't want to leave Ash's side.

"I get it. You are worried that we won't come back and may end up like the other missing trainers," Ash realized.

Pikachu nodded its head.

"I guess you can come along with us. Just please be careful since you aren't feeling well," Ash told it.

"Pika," Pikachu said while giving a tired smile.

"Okay. Pikachu and I will go down first and let you know if the coast is clear," Ash planned as he made his way down the ladder into the sewers below, Pikachu following suit.

The group waited anxiously to hear any sign from Ash and sighed with relief when they heard his voice.

"Okay, guys! Everything is fine! Come on down!" Ash called up to them.

"I'll go next," Serena decided as she began to slowly make her way down the ladder.

"Careful, don't slip, Serena," Ash said as Serena came closer to the surface below.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine," Serena smiled

No sooner had she said this than her foot missed the next step, which caused her to stumble and fall to the ground below.

Luckily, the fall wasn't very far, and Ash had managed to catch her just in time.

"See. It's a lot more slippery on those steps than one would think," Ash said as he smiled down at Serena.

Serena was blushing heavily as Ash was holding her in his strong arms. He didn't seem to realize that he was holding her bridal style. She almost felt like she could faint. She could stay in this position forever. It was so comfortable!

"Hey! Is everything okay down there? I thought I heard someone fall!" Brock called from above.

"Yeah! We're fine!" Ash called back as he set Serena back on her feet.

Serena let out a disappointed sigh once Ash let her go but didn't let him or Pikachu see it.

Brock made his way down into the sewer next without incident. Misty was next. She was grumbling the whole way down about how this was totally gross and how badly she would need to wash herself once she was through with this. The group really hoped she wouldn't be complaining the whole way. Brock took out a flashlight from his backpack and turned it on so they could have some light, and they began their trek.

As the group made their way down the sewer, they didn't notice a dark, floating figure following them. Every time it saw Pikachu's cheeks spark, it seemed even more intrigued…

"It really smells down here," Serena gagged as she held her hands over her mouth.

"Yeah. I know sewers are supposed to stink, but this doesn't smell natural. It almost smells like sludge," Brock agreed.

Misty happened to look behind them at that moment and noticed the dark figure following them. Once it saw Misty was looking, it quickly moved back into shadows. Misty let out a gasp and began shivering.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked as he and the group turned to look at her.

"Th-Th-There's something following us," Misty stuttered as she pointed her index finger in the direction where she saw the figure.

"I don't see anything," Ash replied as he looked around in the darkness.

"Trust me. I know I saw something back there," Misty said fearfully.

"Listen, Misty. If you're scared you can still head on back. The rest of us can continue on," Ash told her.

"I'm telling the truth, you little twerp! There was SOMETHING back there whether you believe me or not!" Misty yelled in Ash's face.

"Alright. Settle down, Misty," Brock said, trying to calm her.

It was then that Serena decided to look behind her and saw the dark figure as well. It moved back into the shadows as soon as Serena saw it.

"A-A-Ash. Mi-Misty's telling the truth. I-I just saw it, too," Serena stammered as she grabbed his arm for support.

"Really?!" Ash asked as he turned around to look, but once again saw nothing.

"Okay! Whoever that is can come on out! Show yourselves!" Ash said bravely.

"Chuuu," Pikachu growled despite its cold.

"_Ash is so brave,"_ Serena thought as she looked in admiration at her hero.

"On the other hand, if you are a ghost or something else that's scary, you can stay where you are, and we won't bother you," Ash finished lamely, which caused the rest of the group to fall over in disbelief. So much for Ash acting brave!

The floating figure began to slowly come out of the shadows right behind Pikachu. Its eye began to glow as the group began to huddle around each other fearfully.

"Watch out, Pikachu!" Ash warned as Pikachu began to panic.

Brock quickly shined his flashlight on the shadowy figure, and it was revealed to be a robotic-like Pokemon with one large eye in the middle and a horseshoe magnet at its sides. It had two screws at its bottom on one on top. It was a Magnemite.

The group sighed with relief that it was just a Magnemite. Serena and Ash pulled out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Magnemite, the magnet Pokemon. This Pokemon is able to float in the air by generating electromagnetic waves and can generate powerful magnetism," the pokedexes said.

"Where do you suppose this thing came from? It seems odd that an electric Pokemon like this would be wandering around in the sewers of Celadon City," Ash commented.

"It must have come from the Power Plant in the city," Brock suggested. "I hear that the workers use Magnemite to help run and control the electricity there."

"That must mean there is an entrance to the Power Plant from somewhere in the sewers!" Ash realized.

"Probably so," Brock agreed.

"Hey, Magnemite! Do you think you could lead us to the entrance to the Power Plant from here?" Ash asked it.

Magnemite didn't appear to be listening to Ash, however. It was circling around Pikachu with a distracted look on its face. It then turned red as Pikachu watched it curiously.

"You don't think Magnemite is in love with Pikachu, do you? Ash asked in disbelief as he tilted his head.

"I don't see how that would make sense, either. Magnemite is an inorganic Pokemon while Pikachu is an animal," Brock agreed.

The group then noticed Pikachu's cheeks spark once more, and Magnemite turned red again.

"Of course! Magnemite must be attracted to the sparks coming from Pikachu's cheeks!" Brock realized as he put his fish in the palm of his hand.

"Chuuu," Pikachu muttered as it tried to back away from the Magnemite, but the Magnemite kept following it.

"Hey! Leave it alone, Magnemite! Pikachu isn't interested!" Ash said to it.

To the group's surprise, Magnemite obeyed and disappeared back into the shadows. They were surprised that Magnemite left so easily, but it was then they noticed the sludge smell had gotten a lot stronger. They heard movement behind them and spun around to find a horde of Grimer there!

"Woah! How did these things sneak up on us?!" Ash asked in surprise.

The Grimer then began to pour into the area. They were coming up out of the flowing sewer water, from the pipes, everywhere!

"My nose feels like it's on fire! They smell terrible!" Misty exclaimed as she pinched her nose shut.

Upon hearing that comment, the Grimer's eyes widened in anger. "Griiiiimer!" they all shouted.

"You might want to be careful of what you say, Misty. Don't say anything that will insult their pride, or it will make them angry," Brock warned.

"Do you think we should try battling the Grimer to get them to leave?" Serena asked.

"I don't think we can take all of these Grimer on by ourselves," Ash replied as he and the rest of the group slowly backed away.

"We can do whatever as long as these nasty Pokemon go away!" Misty shouted.

"Shut up, Misty!" the rest of the group said as they covered her mouth.

The Grimer had enough, however, and got angry looks on their faces. It was then that a much larger Sludge Pokemon arose from the back of the group, A Muk.

"Oh great!" Ash said sarcastically as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Muk, the Sludge Pokemon and the evolved form of Grimer. This Pokemon is so toxic that even its footprints are poisonous," said the pokedexes.

The Muk then raised one of its arms in the air and signaled the Grimer to go after the group.

"Way to go, Misty!" Ash yelled as they turned around and began to run. How was it they always seem to get chased by angry Pokemon?! They had a bad habit of this!

After the group had been running from the Grimer for quite some time, they were starting to get tired. Pikachu was especially becoming tired because of its cold. Ash had no choice but to pick it up and ignore the slight jolts of electricity that kept coming from Pikachu.

"Hey, look! There's a ladder leading up! We can get out of here!" Serena shouted while pointing.

The group made their way up the ladder with Misty going first. Once she was up enough distance, Serena went next, followed by Brock. Unfortunately, by that time, the sludge Pokemon had caught up to the group and began to crowd around Ash in such a way that they were blocking the ladder. Ash managed to throw Pikachu up onto the ladder, but he was still trapped.

The Muk then appeared again behind the Grimer gang and ordered them to charge at Ash. The Grimer did so and soon began to smother him so he couldn't get to his pokeballs. Not only was the smell making Ash want to vomit, the Grimer were literally beginning to suffocate him.

"Oh no! Charla! Help, Ash!" Serena cried with worry as she opened Charla's pokeball.

Charla grabbed hold of the ladder and shot out a Flamethrower which hit all of the Grimer around Ash. The Grimer gave a yell of pain and backed off which gave Ash enough room to make his way up the ladder as well.

The group hurriedly made their way through the opening in the sewer lid and quickly closed the lid with the angry Grimer still below them. Once the lid was securely fastened, they all let out a sigh of relief.

"It seems like…those Grimer and Muk were the ones polluting the water, after all. They were everywhere!" Ash panted.

"Ash, are you okay?" Serena asked him worriedly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ash said. He was thankful none of the sludge had gotten stuck to him while the Grimer were smothering him.

Pikachu then went over to rub against Ash. Ash grimaced from the slight shocks he was getting but knew Pikachu was just worried about him.

Serena thanked Charla for a job well done and returned it to its pokeball. The group then got a good look at their surroundings as Brock shined his flashlight around. The sewer exit didn't lead them back outside like they had expected. They instead seemed to be inside of a narrow hallway of some sort with an empty waterway next to it. The weird part was that Brock learned that they didn't need their flashlight anymore as the lights were still on here.

"Do you guys think we somehow ended up at the Celadon Power Plant?" Serena asked as they looked around.

"I don't know. It's hard to tell," Brock answered as he noticed the empty waterway next to them at the edge of hallway.

They then went over to inspect it.

"I think this might be the Power Plant, after all," Brock realized while putting his fist underneath his chin. "This must be the path the water travels to get to the generator. If we follow it, we will no doubt find something. One way may lead to what's blocking the water while the other should lead to the generator itself."

The group realized this was a good plan and began walking along the waterway.

"I don't get it. If this is the Power Plant, then where are all the workers?" Ash wondered aloud.

"Yeah. You would think that such a large Power Plant would have a lot of people here, especially with Celadon City being in a blackout right now," Misty agreed.

"There is something else I don't get," Brock added.

"What is it?" Ash asked

"The Grimer and Muk are no doubt the ones that are polluting Celadon City's water, but I saw no evidence that they would be the cause for the blackout," Brock said.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"It's true that there are a lot of Grimer and even a Muk, but as we were running along the sewers, it didn't look like any water was being blocked anywhere. If it were, there is no doubt the sewers would have been flooded, but the water level looks completely normal down there," Brock explained.

"Yet the waterway is empty through this hallway," Serena pointed out.

"Right," Brock said. "It seems that there is a problem at the Power Plant itself rather than the Grimer and Muk causing it. I think the flow of water might have been shut off manually rather than blocked."

"So you're saying someone shut off the flow of water to the generator on purpose?!" Serena exclaimed.

"It's only a guess," Brock shrugged.

"Why would someone do that, though?" Misty asked curiously. "The workers should know that the city is very dependent on hydroelectric power."

"That's the part I don't get," Brock replied in thought. "Why WOULD anyone purposely shut off the water supply to the generator?"

"I bet you the answer is at the end of this waterway," Ash said as they continued to walk along.

After a few minutes, the group rounded a corner and were surprised to bump into at least four other men. The only problem was they were men the group was hoping to never run into again. They had on black uniforms with a giant red "R" in the middle.

They were Team Rocket grunts.

"Chaaaaa," Pikachu said worriedly as it hid behind Ash's leg. It normally wouldn't be afraid of them, but it was still sick.

"What the…!? What are these kids doing here?" one exclaimed.

"It looks like we have some more nosy trainers poking around somebody else's business," another growled.

"Team Rocket! You guys must be the ones who are behind the power outage in Celadon City!" Ash accused.

"That's right. We caused it," the first one confirmed.

"Why would you do something like that?!" Serena exclaimed.

"That's none of you business!" a third one sneered.

"Yeah. For poking your nose where it doesn't belong, you're coming with us or else!" the fourth one said threateningly as they pulled out pokeballs.

"We aren't afraid of you guys! If it's a battle you want, a battle you will get!" Ash yelled.

He and the others each withdrew a pokeball from their belts. It looked like a battle was going to take place. Before the group was able to release their Pokemon, something cold and hard was pressed against the back of Ash's head, which made him and the others immediately halt their movements. It was something Ash was hoping never to have directed at him.

Someone was holding a gun to the back of his head.

"Drop the pokeballs, and turn around very slowly," a very raspy voice said dangerously from behind him. "Unless you kids want us to put a bullet through your heads."

* * *

><p><strong>Wow. My first cliffhanger. Please don't hate me!<strong>

**The next chapter will be up next Tuesday as usual. See you all then! Thanks for all the support and comments. I can't believe I actually reached 400 follows. That's incredible. Thank you all so much!**

**Chapter 22: Blackout in Celadon City Part Two**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ash ever see Butterfree again?_

_**Maybe. Keep in mind I said he would release Butterfree. I never said it would never make another appearance at some point. **_

_By any chance will Serena go all "fire-up angry" in some distant future? I would so love to see that!_

_**She might, but keep in mind that Serena is a very sweet-natured girl, albeit a little sassy. It would take something very enormous to offend or anger her enough to go on a rage and lose her temper.**_

_Will, Ash, Serena, Misty, Brock, Tracey, May, and Dawn, etc. have different Poké Balls besides the usual standard Poké Balls?_

_**If necessary, yes.**_

Will Magma Leader Maxie and Aqua Leader Archie have Pokémon in your series when you come around to the Hoenn and Sinnoh arcs?

_**Definitely. **_

_Since You Said that Tobias will return, will Ash get "destroyed" like in the Anime?_

_**I don't want to give away too much about Tobias such as when he shows up or what his encounter with Ash will be like. Sorry.**_

_Will Ash get jealous from a rival that could fall in love with Serena?_

_**Yes. **_

_Will Ash and friends end up imitating at least one of team rocket's mottos?_

_**I don't have anything like that written so far, but something like that may turn up as a fun teaser in the future.**_

_Will Ash use his old pokemon in the hoenn league?_

_**Yes. Ash will definitely use all of his Pokemon in each league he attends rather than just that region's Pokemon.**_

_Will you include the episode "Pikachu's Goodbye" as a part of the story? _

_**That was a touching episode that really strengthened Ash and Pikachu's bond. I would like to write an alternate take on that episode if I can fit it into the story.**_

_Where do I go for the poll? Are Jessie and James gonna date in this fic? Will Gligar still go away for a while?_

_**1. The poll is at the top of my profile page. Vote there; 2. I'm a fan of Rocketshipping so they might, but there won't be much focus on it; 3. I'm not sure as Sinnoh is still a long ways away.**_

_How about Pokeathalons in the Johto region?_

_**Pokeathalons will definitely be in the Johto arc. **_

_Will you do a remake of Mr. Mime Time since that is the episode where Mr. Mime becomes part of the Ketchum family?_

_**Mr. Mime will definitely become a member of the Ketchum household someway. It won't follow how canon portrays it, though. **_

_Can you please make Giovanni say Butch's name wrong please?_

_**That actually seems (to me anyway) a little OOC of Giovanni to get his subordinate's names wrong, even Butch's. He strikes me as a super serious guy. Everyone else Butch encounters will get his name wrong if that makes you feel better.**_

_So will James' gag with his Cacnea and Carnivine still be present if he appears in Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**If he is in those arcs, then yes.**_

_What's gonna happen with Aipom?_

_**I'm not quite sure. I know it won't leave to play Ping Pong and will stay with either Dawn or Ash, though.**_

_Now, are you going to throw in wild Legendary Pokémon for Ash and his friends to battle? I'm getting the feeling that you're probably not going to have them capture them._

_**I plan for Ash to befriend all of the legendary Pokemon, at least. Capturing them is a completely different story, though. If Ash does get a legendary, don't expect it to be something like Mewtwo, Mew, Celebi, Ho-oh, Lugia, Deoxys, Dialga, Palkia, Giratina, Arceus, etc. That's pretty unrealistic to me.**_

_Will Brock ever date a Nurse Joy or Officer Jenny?_

_**Poor Brock. He won't get the "two perfect girls" like Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy. He will end up with someone by the end, though. He will have his happy ending.**_

_Will any of them get an eevee?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will any of the movies be different or changed up any?_

_**I really would like to do that for the movies I choose to do. I want the movie chapters (or separate stories) to be as original as I can make them while still having the same idea.**_

_Will a girl flirt with Ash to make Serena mad?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash still get his nine Unova Pokemon somehow in Sinnoh or in a new arc after Sinnoh?_

_**Probably.**_

_Why not have Serena catch the Magnemite?_

_**She might. It did make its appearance in this chapter, at least.**_

_Since Ash will be catching fanon Pokemon in Kanto, will he do so when traveling through the other regions?_

_**Yes. He will catch noncanon Pokemon in other regions, also.**_

_Will Ash lose the Indigo League the same way as canon?  
><em>

_**The Indigo League will play out differently than canon. I will not reveal whether Ash wins or loses, but if he does lose, it won't be because Charizard refused to battle.**_

_Will Ash face the same opponents in the Indigo League as he did in canon?_

_**There will be a mixture of canon and non canon opponents in the Indigo League.**_


	22. Blackout in Celadon City Part Two

**A/N: Hi guys. With this new chapter comes a new poll! I know this last one ended rather abruptly with no warning, but I needed to go ahead and take this poll as it's pretty important.**

**Announcing the results of the last one and winning by an overwhelming majority….Squirtle and Bulbasaur will become Blastoise and Venusaur at some point. It was like 70 to 6 of everything else…That being said, that doesn't mean they will evolve anytime soon. They may not even be evolved by the end of Kanto. That just means they will be Venasaur and Blastoise by the end of the series. Hopefully, that appeals to everyone.**

**About the new poll, a lot people say my story's biggest weakness is lack of development between the Pokemon and side characters like Brock and Misty. In order to correct this, I will need to make a lot more chapters or at least much longer chapters with many added scenes. Because of how much time this will take to write much longer chapters, added scenes of side characters, and more content for more development, I will be unable to keep up with weekly updates to ensure quality chapters because I'm so busy. Basically, updates will be done when updates are done. That's where the poll comes in: if you guys want more content and development at the cost of update time, or less filler content in order to keep the same consistent updates and chapters stay the way I've been writing them. EVERY READER OF MY STORY NEEDS TO VOTE IN THIS POLL ASAP AS IT AFFECTS THE FUTURE OF THE STORY AND UPDATES GREATLY!**

**Now on with the chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22: Blackout in Celadon City Part Two<p>

"Psy aye aye," Psyduck muttered to itself as it walked through Celadon City.

Ever since the group had left it, Psyduck had been wandering around aimlessly without a clear destination in mind. Most people who passed it by just ignored it. They were either too panicked about the blackout or just didn't care about a Psyduck going about the streets, not that Psyduck minded. It was used to being treated poorly by now so it just did whatever it wanted to.

It eventually came to a large building at the edge of the city with two very large generators sticking up from the building. Psyduck had never seen this building before. Deciding to see what's inside, Psyduck walked up to the door and jumped to turn the door handle but found it was locked.

Giving up already or just simply forgetting what it was doing, Psyduck made its way to another part of the building and saw a Magnemite hovering above its head.

Psyduck stared blankly at the Magnemite for a moment before the Magnemite began floating away from Psyduck. The duck Pokemon followed after it and watched it go into an open air vent on the side of the building. The vent was just large enough for the duck Pokemon to squeeze through if it crawled. Without giving it much thought, Psyduck entered the vent.

* * *

><p>Ash was sweating profusely right now. He was too nervous to even move. Brock, Misty, and Serena didn't have the gun pointed against the back of their head like Ash, but they knew they were in just as much danger.<p>

"Didn't you hear what I said?" the raspy male voice growled. "I thought I told you to drop the pokeballs and turn around slowly."

Seeing the dangerous look on the four Rocket members' faces in front of them, the group decided it was best to do what the voice said. They slowly put the pokeballs back on their belts and very slowly turned towards the owner of the voice with their hands raised in surrender. Once they were facing the other way, they discovered there was another person standing next to the man who was the apparent owner of the distinct, raspy voice. It was a young woman, and both had on black Team Rocket uniforms, but they seemed to hold an air of authority around them.

The man had short green hair and brown eyes while the young woman had long golden hair that split into pigtails down her back and purple eyes.

"Good," the man said in his distinct voice once the group did as they were told.

The woman spoke next, "You four! Take their pokeballs, and be careful not to get shocked by that Pikachu! It doesn't look too good."

"Yes ma'am!" the four grunts saluted before doing as they were told. They merely shoved Pikachu over to where they were since they couldn't pick it up at the moment before swiping all of the group's pokeballs and clipping them to their own belts.

"Now that you have our pokeballs, could you please stop pointing the gun at my head?" Ash asked nervously with his arms still raised in surrender.

"We will once we make sure you are completely helpless," the man responded.

"Who-who are you?" Serena asked nervously as well. The group had run into Team Rocket a few times by now and had never seen these Rocket members before.

"If you'd like to know, we'll tell you!" the woman responded.

They then struck a pose. "Prepare for trouble and make it double!" they both said before the woman started her line.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch!"

"We're Team Rocket circling the Earth every day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

"That's right!" they both finished before the man pointed his gun at Ash's head again.

The group was having a strange sense of de-ja-vu. There was another group of Team Rocket members that like to introduce themselves with a motto, as well.

"So Cassidy and Buzz?" Ash asked.

"It's not Buzz, you little brat! It's Butch! Weren't you listening!?" the man shouted angrily.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Ash apologized quickly. He realized this man still had a gun pointing at his head and thought it would be best not to upset him.

"Hmph! Whatever," the man grumbled as he quit shaking with rage.

"Anyway, you four are coming with us! Let's go!" Cassidy ordered as she walked past the group and Rocket grunts. The Rocket grunts were next, followed by the group and Pikachu, with Butch bringing up the rear.

"So where are you taking us?" Serena asked.

"You will see soon enough, little girl," Cassidy responded as they were being led down the corridor.

It wasn't long until they reached the end of the hallway. Cassidy opened the door and allowed everyone to walk past her before going in herself.

Inside of the room, the group was surprised to see a lot people tied up. There were several adults that appeared to be workers for the power plant and about four other kids or teenagers that looked like Pokemon trainers, as well.

The group's face lit up with realization. This is what happened to all of the missing trainers and why no one could be contacted at the Power Plant! They were all captured by Team Rocket! These crooks were behind everything!

The group also noticed how weak and tired all of the workers and trainers looked. It seemed as though they were give the bare minimum to stay alive.

"Go sit against the wall with the other trainers!" Cassidy barked.

The group made their way over to the wall to sit down, and Ash sat next to an unknown trainer on his right with Serena on his left, followed by Misty on Serena's left and lastly Brock. Butch finally took his gun away from Ash's head once they were sitting against the wall.

The four Rocket grunts then went over to the group and began to tie them up with some spare rope that lay in the room. As they were being tied up, Ash took in the appearance of the trainer on his right and was surprised to find he sort of looked like him and wore similar clothes.

The boy had messy auburn hair covered by a blue and yellow hat He wore a dark green, open, short sleeve jacket over a green shirt with green and yellow pants. Ash also noticed that he was the only person tied up who didn't look on the verge of collapsing. He stared up defiantly at Team Rocket as they tied up the group.

"So this is what's happened to everyone," Ash commented. "You crooks have been capturing anyone who comes to investigate the polluted water."

"That's right," Cassidy confirmed. She then noticed something. "Hey, wait a second. You are a black-haired boy with a Pikachu outside of its pokeball with two girls and another boy. Your name wouldn't happen to be Ash, would it?"

"Yeah, it is. What of it?" Ash retorted.

"We've heard a lot about you from those losers Jessie, James, and Meowth," Cassidy replied. "They kept trying to tell the boss that his plans kept being ruined by this twerp with a Pikachu named Ash. The boss was furious."

"Yeah. Now they are on some heavy duty punishment because they kept failing the boss!" Butch said as they both began to laugh.

The group could tell there was some rivalry between these Rocket members considering how they talked of the others.

"Finally the boss allowed us to lead this mission. I say we are doing a much better job than those three ever could. We even captured the oh-so-powerful Ash and his friends," Cassidy smirked in sarcasm

"I don't get it! What do you guys hope to accomplish by stealing Celadon City's electricity?" Ash asked.

"You're a curious one, aren't you?" Butch smirked as he folded his arms.

"We have cut off the flow of electricity to Celadon City, and by using the help of the Magnemite and Magneton in this Power Plant, have been redirecting it back to our headquarters. We are using the electricity to have enough for the many things we are researching there!" Cassidy said.

"Don't you realize that there are sick and injured Pokemon in the Pokemon Center who need that electricity? If they don't get the proper care they need, they could die!" the boy beside Ash spoke up.

"And we should care why?" Cassidy sneered.

"You're horrible!" Serena yelled.

"We're Team Rocket, you silly girl! Do you expect us to be nice and care for weak Pokemon?!" Cassidy yelled back, making the girl shrink back under her intense glare.

"Once this city has been without electricity for a while, we will bring it under siege," Butch said evilly. "Once we take over Celadon City, we will move this plan to the other cities around Kanto as well. Then we will take over those cities, and before long, the whole region will belong to Team Rocket!"

"So that's your ultimate goal," Brock spoke in a low voice.

"Hah! You brats don't even know half of it! You four and those other trainers get front row seats to watch Team Rocket take over this region," Cassidy grinned evilly.

"Well, we'd love to stay and chat, but we have business to take care of," Butch said.

"That's right. If you keep quiet, we might even bring you some water later. Just keep in mind that it's dirty!" Cassidy laughed.

The two then exited the room followed by the grunts who were wearing rubber gloves while holding Pikachu.

"Wait! Don't take Pikachu! It's sick!" Ash called out frantically.

"Quit whining kid. We'll take real good care of your Pikachu," one of the Rocket grunts replied as they shut the door.

"Pikachuuuu!" Ash hollered, but it was too late. They were gone, leaving the group alone with the other trainers and power plant workers.

Ash shut his eyes tight. He couldn't believe Pikachu was just taken from him, and it was all his fault!

"Pikachu…," Ash whispered before his head snapped up when the unknown boy beside him spoke.

"I'm sorry. It looks like you four were captured as well," the boy beside Ash said sadly.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "How long have you been here?"

"I've been here about seven days," the boy answered. "I managed to come up to the Power Plant after being chased by the Grimer and Muk through the sewers, but when I got up here, I saw that the Magnemite and Magneton were under some sort of spell. It was then I bumped into Team Rocket, and they tied me up here."

"You've been here seven days?!" Misty exclaimed.

"Yes. I was the first trainer they captured. I've had nothing but bread and water since then. It's killing me on the inside, but I can't let them know I'm weakening," they boy said.

"So you said the Magnemite and Magneton in the Power P lant were under some sort of spell?" Serena asked.

"That's right. They seem to have a dazed look in their eyes so they are probably being controlled by a psychic Pokemon somewhere in the Power Plant," the boy responded.

"I see," Ash muttered before realizing they didn't even know the boy's name and should probably introduce himself. "Oh, by the way, my name is Ash Ketchum."

"I'm Serena Gabena," Serena introduced.

"I'm Misty Waterflower," Misty added.

"I'm Brock Harrison," Brock finished.

The boy nodded. "It's nice to meet you guys, though I wish the circumstances were different. My name is Ritchie."

Ritchie then added. "Your Pikachu didn't look so good," he noted.

"I know. Pikachu is sick, and now it's with Team Rocket all because of me. If I hadn't let it come along, it would still be safe," Ash replied as tears began to come to his eyes.

Ritchie nodded his head sympathetically. "It's okay. Even though it was sick, I can tell you raised Pikachu really well. I have a Pikachu myself, so I would know."

"If I was a better trainer, Pikachu wouldn't be captured like us," Ash muttered in defeat.

"I'm sure it's because you're such a great trainer that Pikachu followed you," Ritchie told Ash.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"I think he means that since Pikachu cares so much about you, it wanted to make sure you were safe while investigating the sewers. That's why it came even though it was sick," Serena said, jumping in.

"Exactly!" Ritchie smiled.

Ash thought about what Ritchie and Serena had told them and realized what they said was right. He recalled all the times that he had risked his life for Pikachu and saw Pikachu was returning its love to Ash by risking its health. Pikachu really was the best friend Ash could ask for, and that's why he had to get it back.

"Thanks. You're right," Ash said with renewed determination. "There's got to be a way to get out of this mess and rescue Pikachu and our other Pokemon."

"Well, Ash. You seem to get us out of bad situations the most. Do you have any ideas?" Misty asked as she squirmed helplessly in the ropes.

"Ritchie, you've been here the longest out of all of us. Have you come up with any sort of plan?" Ash asked him.

"As a matter of fact, I have one underway right now. It seems one of the Magnemite here wasn't affected by the psychic Pokemon due to it being away when Team Rocket first came. It has come in this room occasionally through the air vent, and I got acquainted with it. It keeps trying to seek out help," Ritchie explained.

"Do you think that's the same Magnemite we saw in the sewers?" Brock realized. "It was by itself."

"If that's true, it probably was," Ritchie agreed. "It should be coming back here pretty soon to report if it found anything."

No sooner had he said this then Magnemite appeared from the air vent and floated in front of Ritchie.

"Magnemite! You're back! Have you found anything?" Ritchie asked hopefully.

The Magnemite said nothing as it turned back towards the air vent and looked up. The trainers followed its gaze and heard what sounded like crawling in the air vent. Someone was above the ceiling coming to rescue them!

"Way to go, Magnemite!" Ritchie smiled. "Who did you find?"

His question was answered soon, however, as a certain yellow duck Pokemon fell out from the air vent, frantically yelping and waving its arms the whole way down. It hit the floor hard and appeared dazed.

"Psy aye aye," Psyduck muttered.

The group sweatdropped upon seeing the Psyduck.

"Uh, is this the same Psyduck that followed us out of the Pokemon Center?" Ash asked.

"I think so. That clueless expression is enough to give it away," Misty said with a hint of disdain.

"How do you suppose it got all the way over here?" Brock wondered.

"Who cares how it got here? Psyduck can help by untying us!" Misty smiled.

Ritchie then called out, "Hey, Psyduck! Do you think you can untie us from these ropes?"

"Psy?" the Pokemon questioned as it tilted its head to the side.

"Uh, you know, untie us? We are trapped in these ropes and need your help," Ritchie tried again.

The Psyduck continued to stare blankly at the group. Everyone sighed. It looked like this duck couldn't even comprehend that they needed to be saved.

However, Misty had enough and exploded. "You stupid duck! Get that thick head of yours over here and untie us right now!"

"Misty, stop. Yelling at Psyduck won't do us any good," Brock scolded.

"Besides, you don't want Team Rocket to hear us and take away our only chance at getting out of here," Ash added.

Misty let out a huff but said nothing else. This Psyduck was really getting on her nerves.

"Oh, please! You have to help us, Psyduck!" Serena pleaded. "We've all been captured by an evil group and had our Pokemon taken away! If we don't get out of here, something terrible is going to happen to our Pokemon and the rest of the city!"

"Psy?" Psyduck questioned as it directed its attention to Serena.

Serena then felt tears come to her eyes. "My best friend's Pikachu is sick and needs medical attention fast, but it can't get it with the power out like it is at the Pokemon Center. If you don't save us, it could end up in even worse shape. I can only imagine what will happen to my Charla and the rest of our Pokemon if they fell into the hands of Team Rocket. Please, you have save us, Psyduck," Serena said as the tears began to fall freely from her face.

Psyduck continued to stare blankly at Serena, giving no sign it comprehended anything she said.

"It's hopeless, Serena," Misty scoffed. "That Psyduck is too dopey to understand anything."

Then to her and everyone's surprise, Psyduck walked over to them and began to untie Serena.

"Oh, Psyduck! Thank you!" Serena cried with delight.

"I don't know what you said to it to make it help us, Serena, but thanks," Ash complimented.

"I'm impressed as well," Ritchie commented.

"What do you know? Psyduck can listen to reason, after all. Maybe it's not as dopey as I originally thought," Misty said.

"It must have been the heartfelt words from Serena that were able to reach Psyduck," Brock reasoned. "Her words were so genuine that even though Psyduck seems a little slow, it could really tell we were in trouble."

Once Serena was untied, she went over to Ash and began to untie him while Psyduck went over to Brock. Next, Ritchie was untied, and finally Misty. Psyduck earned a glare from Misty that it waited to save her last, but it didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks, Psyduck. You really saved us," Ritchie said as he began to rub Psyduck on the head.

"Psyduck?" it said, giving Ritchie another blank expression.

"So what should we do now?" Ash asked.

"I'd say the best plan would be to locate our Pokemon first," Ritchie suggested. "That way if we run into Team Rocket again, we can fight back."

"Good idea," Ash agreed.

Misty turned back to the other semiconscious trainers and Power Plant workers who were still tied up. "What about them?" she asked.

"I hate to say it, but we may have to leave them here for right now," Ash replied. "They are too weak to even stand. We can save them once we take back the Power Plant."

The group agreed that was the best course of action as they went to open the door. They were very lucky that it turned out to be unlocked. Ash entered the hallway first and slowly looked around to make sure the coast was clear. He then motioned for the rest of the group and Magnemite that it was safe, and they followed him. Psyduck stood in a zoned out state for a moment before coming as well

"Ritchie, do you have any leads on where our Pokemon are being taken?" Ash whispered.

"Your Pikachu has a cold so sparks are flying from its cheeks, correct?" Ritchie asked.

"That's right," Ash confirmed.

"In that case, this Magnemite may be able to sense the strong electricity coming from your Pikachu," Ritchie reasoned. "Do you think you can help us, Magnemite?"

"Magnemiiiiite," it replied.

The group began to follow Magnemite down the corridor as they kept their eyes peeled for any Rocket members they could possibly run into. They were also trying to keep as quiet as possible.

After a few minutes of walking, the group found out the Power Plant was becoming a maze. There seemed to only be a straight path as they were coming through the corridors originally. Now, it almost seemed to rival Mt. Moon as far as different pathways. They were really lucky they had a Magnemite who seemed to know where it was going.

After a few more minutes, the group rounded a corner and spotted two Rocket members ahead of them with their backs turned. They quickly darted back behind the other side and pressed their backs against the wall, hoping they weren't heard. Luckily, it didn't seem they were. They decided to listen in to what was being said.

"Man, this stinks. I don't see why we have to guard the room that has all of the Pokemon in it. It's not like those trainers and workers can break free," one Rocket grunt grumbled.

"You said it. I feel like we were given the short end of the stick while Cassidy, Biff, and other Rocket grunts get to actually conduct the activity at the Power Plant," the other whined.

"So this is definitely the room where our Pokemon are being held," Ash whispered.

"We just need to figure out how to get past these Rockets without our Pokemon," Brock whispered as well.

It was then that Magnemite flew around the corner and revealed itself to the two Rocket grunts.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing here, Magnemite? You should be in the generator room with the others! Is Drowzee taking a nap or something!?" the first grunt said angrily.

The Magnemite said nothing as it let loose a Thunderbolt which shocked the grunts into unconsciousness.

"Way to go, Magnemite," Ritchie cheered as they came around the corner and ran past the grunts to open the door but found it locked.

"Darn it! Isn't there some way we can open this door?!" Ash asked angrily as he began to tug on it

"Wait, Ash. One of these Rockets are bound to have the key with them. Let's search their uniforms," Ritchie suggested.

The group then began to search any pockets that were on the Rocket's uniforms until at last Ritchie found the key. He unlocked the door as the group, Magnemite, and Psyduck filed into the room and looked around.

The room was filled with the different trainers' pokeballs. In the center of the room was Pikachu who was also tied up.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried happily as he went over to his buddy. To his surprise, Magnemite flew past Ash as well and began to circle around Pikachu affectionately once more, confirming it was the same Magnemite as the one in the sewers.

Ignoring it for the time being, Ash quickly untied Pikachu. Once it was untied, it quickly leaped into Ash's arms and gave him a hug. Ash was shocked, but he didn't care as he embraced Pikachu back.

"Oh, Pikachu. Thank goodness you're okay. I was so worried," he said as he looked down affectionately at his partner.

"Pikachu," Pikachu cooed back.

Serena watched the heartwarming scene with a smile on her face. Just seeing those two reunited once again was enough to make her happy. She then began to search for her own pokeballs throughout the pile with the others.

"Magnemiiiiiite," Magnemite said as it floated around Pikachu with a dreamy expression on its face.

"Thanks for leading us to the Pokemon, Magnemite," Ash said gratefully, but Magnemite paid Ash no mind as it continued to watch Pikachu closely.

By that time, the group had recovered all of their pokeballs while Serena walked over to Ash to give his back.

"I believe these are yours, Ash," Serena smiled as she kindly handed Ash back his pokeballs.

"Thanks, Serena," Ash smiled back as he took them and clipped them to his belt.

"You aren't going anywhere!" an angry voice yelled behind everyone.

They spun around to find Cassidy and Butch standing there in the doorway along with the two grunts who were guarding the door that Magnemite attacked, and they didn't look happy.

"Oh no! It's Cassidy and Butcher!" Serena exclaimed.

"Aaaiieeeee! The name is Butch! It's not Butcher!" Butch shouted angrily as he pointed his index finger accusingly at Serena.

"I don't know how you brats managed to escape, but if you know what's good for you, you will put those pokeballs back down or else," Cassidy said dangerously.

"I'm not giving you crooks my Pokemon ever again!" Ash yelled.

"Oh really?" Butch smirked as he withdrew a gun once again and pointed it at the group. "Are you sure about that?"

Before the group could answer, they saw that Psyduck had wandered its way around the Rockets and cried out which distracted them.

"What the…? What is this Psyduck doing here?" Cassidy asked in confusion.

Psyduck stared at Team Rocket blankly for a second before it unleashed a Water Gun from its mouth. Unfortunately, all that came up was a few trickles of water that landed a short distance in front of evil group.

"How embarrassing," Cassidy deadpanned while everyone else in the room sweatdropped. That was one thing the two opposing groups agreed on.

"Psy aye aye aye aye aye!" Psyduck said frantically as it stomped its webbed feet. It then rubbed the back of its head sheepishly and blushed.

Team Rocket continued to stare at the Pokemon in disdain, but fortunately, it was enough distraction for Ash to run forward and tackle Butch to the ground, knocking the gun out of his hand.

There was a mad dash towards the gun in the next minute as everyone in the room went after it. Finally, after much struggle, the one who ended up with the gun was none other than Pikachu.

"Way to go, buddy!" Ash cheered.

"Chuuu," it muttered weakly.

"Grrrr…now that they have the gun, what are we supposed to do, Cassidy?" Butch asked as he looked at Cassidy for ideas.

"We still have our Pokemon! Don't panic, Hutch!" Cassidy said.

"My name isn't Hutch!" Butch screamed.

"Go, Raticate!" Cassidy said, ignoring Butch's outburst and releasing the evolved Ratatta.

"Go, Primeape!" Butch yelled as an angry pig monkey Pokemon appeared from its pokeball.

"Woah, a Primape," Ash said as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes.

"Primeape, the pig monkey Pokemon and the evolved form of Mankey. If you make eye contact with this Pokemon, it will chase you forever," the pokedexes said.

"Fine, let's do this! Go Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled as he threw his ball forward.

"Go, Oddish!" Serena called.

"Go, Geodude!" Brock yelled.

"Go, Staryu!" Misty said.

"Go, Sparky!" Ritchie called as well.

"Sparky?" Ash asked in confusion once another Pikachu appeared.

"I give each of my Pokemon nicknames," Ritchie explained quickly. "We can talk more after we take care of these guys."

Ash nodded as he prepared. The other two grunts had sent out their other Pokemon which consisted of two Golbat.

"Raticate! Hyper Fang!" Cassidy ordered.

"Primape! Use Karate Chop!" Butch commanded as well.

Both Pokemon leaped forward, but the group wasn't going to give them that advantage.

"Bulbasaur! Use Razor Leaf on Raticate!" Ash called.

"Oddish! Use Stun Spore on Primeape!" Serena hollered as well.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks. Bulbsaur kept Raticate at bay with its Razor Leaf while the Oddish's Stun Spore was able to halt Primeape in its tracks.

Meanwhile, Misty and Brock were taking care of the Golbat.

Seeing how Team Rocket's Pokemon were losing, Ritchie decided to pitch in. "Alright, Sparky! Use Thundershock!"

"Pikachuuuu!" Sparky yelled as it began to shock all of Team Rocket's Pokemon

Ash's Pikachu decided to join in as well despite being unwell and let loose a Thundershock at the evil group.

The combined efforts were too much for Team Rocket's Pokemon to take as they fell to the ground, unconsicious.

"I can't believe this! This is insane!" Cassidy said in disbelief as she and the other Rocket's returned their Pokemon.

"Let's get back to the generator room quickly!" Butch urged as he and the others bolted from the room.

"You guys aren't getting away!" Ash yelled as the group, Magnemite, and Psyduck ran after them.

After chasing Team Rocket for a while, they were led to a large room with two large generators in the center. Between the two generators was a tapir-like Pokemon. The top part of its body yellow and the bottom part brown. It had tired-looking eyes. It was a Drowzee. It had several wires attached to its head while the other ends were attached to a machine of some sort.

Also in the room were many Magnemite and Magneton who were constantly using their electricity on the generator.

"So this is how you've been manipulating the electricity," Ash scowled. "You've been using Drowzee to control those Pokemon!"

"Exactly! Now it's time we taught you a lesson! Attack, Drowzee!" Cassidy ordered.

"We can handle this! Bulbasaur! Razor Leaf!" Ash ordered.

"Use Confusion, Drowzee," Butch countered.

The Drowzee stopped its strange movements and directed its hands at the Razor Leaf. The leaves were sent back to Bulbasaur which hit it instead.

"Come back, Bulbasaur!" Ash called as he returned it.

"Let's try our electricity! Sparky! Try Thundershocking Drowzee!" Ritchie suggested.

Sparky then went to Thundershock the sleepy Pokemon but Drowzee once again used Confusion to send Thundershock right back at it. Sparky jumped out of the way just in time, but that didn't change the fact that Drowzee wasn't affected.

"It's no use, you brats. No matter what attack you command, we will just have Drowzee send the attacks back at you," Butch said.

"I don't understand how one Drowzee can be that powerful," Brock commented.

"We knew how much strength our operation would take so we made this Drowzee extra powerful. We might have used a few illegal drugs to do it," Cassidy smirked.

"You did what?!" the group gasped in horror.

"You could actually be hurting that Drowzee if you have been giving it strength enhancing drugs! How could you do that?!" Misty exclaimed.

"Hush, little girl. Pokemon are nothing more than tools used to meet our ends. We don't care about the health of any Pokemon!" Cassidy retorted.

"That's terrible. That poor Drowzee," Serena said with tears in her eyes as she watched Drowzee continue to control the Magnemite and Magneton. She and the others couldn't help but feel sorry for it despite it being their enemy right now.

"Enough!" Cassidy yelled. "It's time we took care of you brats once and for all! Drowzee! Use the strongest Psychic attack you can muster on them!"

Drowzee then seemed to be concentrating very hard as it was building up incredible psychic energy. The group stood at a loss, not knowing what to do. Any attack they gave to Drowzee would just end up redirected back at them.

It was then to everyone's surprise that Psyduck stepped in front of everyone once again.

"Uh, this annoying thing again," Cassidy said in disgust. "Drowzee, attack that Psyduck instead! Get rid of that useless Pokemon!"

Drowzee then blasted a Psychic attack which hit Psyduck head on. The duck Pokemon was blasted off its feet and sent flying several yards back. The group cringed and stared worriedly as they watched. It was true that Psyduck was annoying, but they didn't wish harm upon it.

"Now use Confusion on it Drowzee!" Butch ordered.

Psyduck then was enveloped in a blue light as it began to struggle violently in an effort to get free, but Drowzee's Confusion was too strong.

"Psy aye aye aye!" Psyduck cried out in pain as it struggled and started holding its head in a death grip.

"Psyduck looks to be in a lot of pain right now," Misty said worriedly until she noticed something odd about it.

Psyduck closed its eyes for a second and opened them back up to reveal they were now glowing blue. It was also wearing a serious expression on its face.

"What's going on with Psyduck?" Ash asked as they watched.

Psyduck pointed its arms at Drowzee and unleashed a massive burst of psychic energy from its hands, completely catching Drowzee and everyone else off guard. The waves blasted into Drowzee which knocked it against the wall. Then Psyduck pointed its arms at the machine Drowzee was using to control the Pokemon. It let loose another blast of psychic energy which destroyed the machine and caused it to blow apart.

"Wh-wh-what the heck is going on?!" Butch cried out in anger as he and the other Rocket members saw what happened.

Ash and the rest of the group were quite impressed. They didn't know Psyduck ever had this kind of power. They were wondering what could have caused it.

Psyduck then pointed its arms at the Team Rocket members and enveloped them in a blue aura. It then slammed them into the wall which caused them to slump down, clearly knocked out.

"Woah," Ash muttered as he and the rest of the group turned to Psyduck to see its eyes return to normal as it held its head again.

"Psy," it said in a clueless manner as if nothing significant had just happened.

"Psyduck actually saved us a second time," Misty said in amazement.

The group then looked up and saw the Magnemite and Magneton were floating around aimlessly now that the machine had been destroyed.

"So what do we do now?" Serena asked. "We've got to find a way to get the electricity running back to Celedon City!"

The group noticed Ritchie had then run over the generators and opened one of the breakers. They went over to watch to see what he was doing.

"I'm a little savvy when it comes to electrical equipment," Ritchie told them. "I just need to find the correct switch and that may be able to get the power flow back to Celadon City."

After searching for a few more moments, he spoke up. "Oh, here it is! Sparky, can you jumpstart these wires for me while I flip the switch? Ash, you wouldn't mind if I used your Pikachu, either, would you."

"Oh, no I wouldn't," Ash said as Sparky and Pikachu walked over to where Ritchie was standing.

Ritchie then attached some wires from the generator to Sparky and Pikachu's cheeks. "Okay go ahead!' he said as he flipped one of the switches in the breaker as the Pokemon let loose their Thundershocks.

"That should do it!" Ritchie said, but we won't know for certain until we are back outside."

"We should get out of here and go get the police," Ash suggested as the group turned to leave, but something stopped them, a horrible smell.

"Uh, do you guys smell that?" Ash asked as he pinched his nose.

"It can't be what I think it is! They are supposed to be in the sewers!" Misty cried out as she held her nose, as well.

"They must have seeped their way into the Power Plant!" Brock exclaimed.

Sure enough, about five seconds later, the group's fears were confirmed as a horde of Grimer began piling into the room with Muk bringing up the rear. They could never seem to catch a break!

"Don't you Pokemon realize you are polluting the water here?!" Ash exclaimed. "It's making life very hard for the people here. Please, you have to leave!"

The Sludge Pokemon paid him no mind as they continued to stare angrily at the group.

"It doesn't look like they will listen to reason," Brock muttered.

"And they are blocking our exit!" Serena cried.

"Maybe Psyduck can help us again!" Misty suggested.

She then turned to the duck Pokemon. "Okay, Psyduck! Use those awesome psychic attacks we just saw you use!"

Psyduck nodded its head and turned to stare at the Grimer and Muk. It began concentrating really hard. It looked like it was going to unleash a really powerful psychic attack, but all that happened was…absolutely nothing.

Psyduck got a questioning look on its face as the group fell over in disbelief. So much for Psyduck being the hero again!

"This dimwit duck doesn't even remember how to use its own attacks!" Misty shouted.

"Psy aye aye," Psyduck said sheepishly while it blushed in embarrassment.

"We've got no choice but to fight our way through!" Ash said as he grit his teeth. "Charmander! I choose you!"

"Go, Charla!" Serena called.

As soon as the two fire lizards were released from their balls, Charla went over to Ash's Charmander and began to hug it while the other Pokemon blushed. Charla was such a romanticist.

"Charla! Focus on the battle!" Serena cried.

Charla released Charmander and looked intently at the group of Grimer in front of them.

"Use Flamethrower!" Serena and Ash called out to their respective fire-types.

Both Pokemon unleased a stream of fire from their mouths which hit the horde of Grimer head on, causing them to cry out in pain. Despite them doing a good amount of damage, there were simply too many for the two Pokemon to take on alone.

Realizing they needed help, Ritchie order his Sparky to unleash Thunderbolt. Ash's Pikachu joined in as well. Surprisingly, Magnemite appeared in front of the group and began shocking the Grimer also. Soon, all the Magnemite and Magneton in the room were helping out. It was soon a giant wave of electricity and fire that was all over the Grimer.

The Grimer screamed in pain and immediately fled the room as fast as they could. The group knew they couldn't celebrate too soon as there was still one left. Muk, their leader, was still there.

It gave Ash a menacing stare, and he understood what it wanted.

"I get it. You want a battle, don't you," Ash questioned, to which Muk nodded.

"Alright, let's do it!" Serena said, but was stopped by Ash putting a hand in front of her.

"Hold on, Serena. Muk wants to battle me and me alone. I can do this," he said.

Serena nodded her head in understanding and stepped back to allow Ash to handle it.

"You're up, Charmander!" Ash told it.

"Char! Char!" it said as it stepped in front of Muk.

Muk shot a Sludge attack at Charmander, but it jumped out of the way. Muk then began to shoot several more Sludge attacks at Charmander where it continued to dodge them. Due to Muk launching so many Sludges, the room was becoming polluted by the nasty goop so Ash knew he had to finish this quickly so the generators weren't affected.

"Charmander! Use Flamethrower," he yelled.

Charmander took a deep breath and shot red hot fire from its mouth which hit Muk dead in the center. Pikachu joined in once more by delivering another Thunderbolt while the love obsessed Magnemite shot out a Thunderbolt as well.

The combined attacks jetted straight back at Muk and struck it dead on. Muk was engulfed in the wave of attacks and yelled in pain. It then slumped to the ground in exhaustion. Ash knew exactly how he would handle the Muk leader. He was going to capture it.

Ash turned his hat backwards as he took out a spare pokeball. "Pokeball, go!" he yelled as he threw it forward.

The ball connected with the defeated Muk and sucked it inside the pokeball. It shook back and forth and until it dinged to show Muk was successfully caught.

"Alright! I caught a Muk!" Ash cheered as he picked up the ball and showed it to everyone.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it held two fingers above its head.

"Char!" Charmander smiled as it mimicked Pikachu's movements.

"Hey, Pikachu! You look much better!" Ash smiled down once he noticed his rodent friend didn't have a weak expression anymore.

"Chu!" It said happily.

"I bet all Pikachu needed to do was release some excess electricity," Brock said.

"That's great, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed. He then noticed Muk's pokeball disappear from his hands.

Ash knew that since his limit of six Pokemon had been reached. It was being transferred to Professor Oak's lab where it would be kept safe. He smiled a little bit as he thought of what kind of expression Professor Oak would have once he saw Ash captured a Muk of all things.

Pikachu then went over to Magnemite to thank it for his help, but Magnemite didn't appear interested and instead floated away from Pikachu.

"Chu?" Pikachu questioned.

"What's going on with Magnemite?" Serena asked. "Just a second ago it was infatuated with Pikachu."

"It's must be because Pikachu is no longer sparking its cheeks," Brock said. "While Pikachu had a cold, it was electrically charged, but now that isn't, Magnemite has no interest in Pikachu."

"Ah, I see," Ash said.

Pikachu then went over to Sparky to shake hands with it so they could be properly introduced. Ash and Ritchie smiled at the scene.

"Well it seems our Pikachu are hitting it off quite well," Ash said.

"Sure does," Ritchie agreed while nodding his head.

"Thanks a lot, Ritchie. We never could have gotten out of this mess without your help," Ash thanked.

"I should be thanking you guys. All of you are excellent trainers. There is no way I could take care of Team Rocket on my own!" Ritchie praised.

"Speaking of Team Rocket," Serena said as she turned towards Cassidy, Butch, and the rest of the knocked out grunts, "What about them?"

"Oh yeah! We need to hurry and go get the police and let them know about Team Rocket and the captured trainers and Power Plant workers!" Ash remembered.

"I say we tie up these Rocket members in case they wake up while we go get the police," Brock suggested.

Once they finished tying up Team Rocket, they ran out the door with Magnemite leading them to the exit. The other Magnemite and Magneton went back to their original assigned duties at the Power Plant since Drowzee could no longer control them. As they left, they saw other Rocket grunts sprawled out on the floor covered in sludge. It looked like the Grimer and Muk had taken care of any remaining Rocket members so at least they did some good while they were here.

* * *

><p>The Celadon police force was now swarming the Power Plant and capturing all of the Rocket members. All of the other workers and trainers who were captured were being taken to the hospital for recovery. Officer Jenny had urged Ritchie to do the same, but he politely refused and said he was fine.<p>

As Butch and Cassidy were being led out of the Power Plant in handcuffs, they gave an intense glare to the group.

"You have meddled in Team Rocket's affairs for too long! You little kids better hope you never see our faces again!" Cassidy growled as she and Butch passed them.

"Yeah! No kidding!" Misty retorted as she stuck her tongue out at them.

"I can't believe this kid with the Pikachu and his group thwarted our plans as well. We've sunk to the same level as Jessie, James, and Meowth! Can you believe this, Biff?!" Cassidy exclaimed.

"My name's not Biff! It's Butch!" Butch screamed as they were shoved into a police car.

The police officer then opened the door to the police car and began to drive away to take them to jail.

"Looks like we are carted off again!" they both cried as the police car drove away.

The group smiled as they watched them leave. "Looks like they are going to jail where they belong," Ash said.

"Yeah," Ritchie agreed as he and Ash smiled to each other and shook hands.

"Just to make it official, it's nice to meet you, Ritchie!" Ash said happily.

"You too, Ash," Ritchie replied as he continued the handshake.

Officer Jenny then approached the group and smiled down at them. "On behalf of the people of Celadon City, we would like to thank you for saving our city."

"It's no problem!" Ash smiled.

"You have rid the Power Plant of Team Rocket, and even the Grimer have fled the sewers of the city. With a little filtration, our waters will be clean again in no time! Also, after hearing your report of the Drowzee, we have taken it to the Pokemon Center to make sure no damage has been done by the illegal drugs it had. We will make sure it finds a loving trainer," Officer Jenny reported

"That's great!" Serena and Misty exclaimed as they clapped their hands in excitement.

"It must be because you captured the leader that made the Grimer leave," Brock informed Ash.

"Yeah," Ash smiled back.

"We can't thank you enough for everything!" Officer Jenny praised.

"I know of a way you can repay us!" Brock yelled as he took Officer Jenny's hand. "We can have a nice romantic dinner!"

"What?" Officer Jenny asked, clearly confused

Misty reached out and pulled Brock away by ear. "Officer Jenny just got done dealing with one problem in the city. She doesn't need another one so soon," she said irritably.

"Not the ear…," Brock muttered.

"Uh, well, anyway! The police force and I wish all of you the best of luck in all your endeavors," Officer Jenny said as she saluted.

"Thank you!" the group replied. With that, Officer Jenny left the scene.

"Hey guys. I hate to be the one to bring this up, but after not eating anything big for seven days, I'm pretty hungry. Why don't we get some supper? It's on me!" Ritchie suggested.

"Really?! That sounds great! Thanks a lot Ritchie!" Ash exclaimed, perking up at the mention of food.

Everyone laughed. If there was one way to grab Ash's attention, it was always food.

"Well, let's go! I know of great place!" Ritchie said as the group left the Power Plant.

Unbeknownst to them, Psyduck was watching them silently from behind. It then waddled after the group to follow them.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile at Professor Oak's lab, the elderly professor had just began making his supper of tofu when he heard one of the machines going off in the other room. Curious to what it was, Professor Oak went to investigate and saw that a pokeball was being transferred to his system. The machine indicated it had come from Ash Ketchum.<p>

"Oh, so Ash has sent me a pokeball I see. I can't wait to see what Pokemon is inside," Professor Oak said eagerly as the pokeball finished transferring.

Professor Oak grabbed the pokeball and opened it to reveal none other than Muk inside.

"Muuuuuuuk!" Muk said once it was released from the pokeball.

"Oh my!" Professor Oak exclaimed as he held his nose because of the horrible smell. "What would Ash be doing sending me a Muk?! Yuck!"

* * *

><p>A dark man was sitting in his big chair waiting impatiently for the report he was to receive earlier as he rubbed the head of his Persian. Cassidy and Butch were supposed to make another report to him about the status of the mission over two hours ago.<p>

"_Why on Earth have they not reported to me yet?" _the man thought._ "Last I heard, Celadon City had gone into a total blackout, and they were directing the electricity to our base!"_

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door to his office.

"Sir! I have a very urgent message!" the voice on the other end of the door cried.

"Come in," the dark man said as a Rocket grunt entered and bowed. This had better be good news, but judging by the grunt's expression, it didn't look like it.

"Sir. I hate to report that our plan to take over Celadon City has been ruined," the grunt reported nervously.

"WHAT!?" the Rocket boss exploded as he pounded his fist on the desk, which startled the Persian and caused it to hiss. "Tell me what happened immediately!"

The Rocket grunt shrank back from the Rocket boss's intimidating glare but found the courage to speak again. "Well, Cassidy, Hutch, and all the Rocket grunts have been arrested and taken to jail. They were beaten pretty badly by a group of trainers. They even caused the Grimer to leave the city!"

"Whom were these trainers who caused their failure!?" the boss shouted angrily.

"It was said to be this kid with a Pikachu named Ash Ketchum and his friends," the Rocket responded.

"A kid with a Pikachu again!? That's the same excuse those idiots Jessie, James, and Meowth said!" the boss yelled.

"B-b-but sir! It's the truth!" the grunt stuttered.

The dark man stared intently at the Rocket grunt who was sweating bullets and determined he was telling the truth. "You said this boy is named Ash Ketchum, correct?" he asked.

"That's right," the black clothed man confirmed.

"Thank you," the boss responded. "You may go."

The Rocket grunt saluted before leaving the room which left the Rocket boss alone again with his Persian.

"So this Ash Ketchum has bested even Cassidy and Butch. It will not do if this child keeps meddling in our affairs," the Rocket boss mused to himself as he folded his hands underneath his chin.

He then pressed a button on the intercom on his desk before speaking into it.

"Professor Namba!" the dark man barked.

"What is it, sir?" the scratchy, nasally voice of Professor Namba responded back.

"I want you to take some researchers, and find out everything you can about this boy named Ash Ketchum. I would like to know more about him," the Rocket boss ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Professor Namba immediately replied. "It will be done!"

The Rocket boss once more leaned back in his chair and resumed rubbing his Persian's head. There was an evil grin on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>The next chapter will be up next Tuesday as usual. Once again, please vote in the poll as it's very important! I need to know sooner rather than later! It will only be up for a few weeks before I take it down! <strong>

**See you all next chapter!**

**Chapter 23: The Scent-Sational Celadon Gym!**

_**Answering the Questions:**_

_Do you picture a scene showing Ash and Serena singing a song to each other?_

_**I don't have anything written like that at the moment, but they may later on.**_

_How are you going to handle trade evolution?_

_**That's a tricky question. In the anime, I never saw any suggestion that the Pokemon ever evolved by trading. (forgive me if I missed one) It will probably just be easier to have them evolve naturally.**_

_Is Ash going to get possessed by the King Of Pokelantis?_

_**At the moment, no.**_

_Is Serena still going to be known for baking sweet treats and desserts this early on to the point that there might be Pokémon treat bakeoffs, such as the Poké Puff Contest in Kalos?_

_**Later on she definitely will. She will ask Brock to teach her the basics of cooking and grow from there.**_

_Will Miete, the Pokepuff girl, make an appearance?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Brock keep Vulpix this time?_

_**Probably, but Suzy won't appear until a little later than in canon. She and Vulpix won't show up until Fuchsia City.**_

_Will Brock have a hard time coming up with the right words when he meets his idol Suzy?_

_**Sort of. He may do something drastic, though.**_

_Why don't you put gligar and aipom in johto, as they are original from there, instead of waiting till Sinnoh?_

_**That is definitely something I will strongly consider doing.**_

_When Ash meets the Aura Sphere Riolu, will he catch it, or will he get a different one that he will train into Lucario?_

_**Ash will definitely get a Riolu at some point in this series. However, I don't wish to reveal how or when he gets one. It's kind of a surprise.**_

_Can serena use her pokemon more often so we see more of Jigglypuff?_

_**It is something I am working on doing at the moment. I'm in the process of revising many chapters that I currently haven't posted yet in an effort to give more development to Serena's Pokemon. **_


	23. The Scent-sational Celadon Gym

**A/N: Hi again everyone and welcome to Chapter 23! If you haven't voted in the poll yet, please do so! Now on with the chapter! Ash's fourth gym challenge awaits!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. I still don't own Pokemon. Really. I don't.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 23: The Scent-sational Celadon Gym<p>

Once the group had their supper with Ritchie, they had learned a lot about him. It turned out that he and Ash had a lot in common. They both had a strong love for Pokemon and a desire to be a Pokemon Master. He was even traveling around Kanto at the moment collecting the gym badges to enter the Pokemon League. Unlike the other rivals the group had met so far on their journey, who were arrogant or just plain mean, they actually got along very well with Ritchie. It was a nice change of pace to have a possible friendly rivalry rather than a hateful one.

"Wow! That was the best food I've had in a while!" Ash said in delight as he patted his stomach as the group left the restaurant. "You sure do know how to pick your restaurants, Ritchie!"

"Yeah. Celadon City is known to have some of the best food around. I enjoy camping, but it is nice to eat out every now and then once I come to a city," Ritchie smiled.

"So Ritchie, since you are collecting badges like Ash, have you challenged the Celadon gym leader yet?" Serena asked him.

"Yes. I did right before the incident with the Power Plant and water happened," Ritchie replied. "I was on my way to leave the city when I heard about it. I felt I just couldn't leave when I knew the city was in a crisis so I went to investigate."

"Sounds like someone else I know. Ash can't seem to leave problems alone, either," Misty smirked as she gave a knowing look to Ash.

"Ha ha ha," Ash laughed sarcastically, even though he knew Misty meant it in a good way.

"So have you challenged the gym leader here yet, Ash?" Ritchie asked.

"We just arrived here this morning so I haven't had a chance to. I was planning to go tomorrow," Ash responded.

"Hey, Ash. If it's okay, would you mind if I watched your gym battle? I really enjoy watching how others battle and would like to see the bond you have with your Pokemon," Ritchie said.

"That would be great!" Ash said enthusiastically.

Serena smiled as she watched the two. She was very happy Ash had found a male rival that he could get along with. It was almost like he and Ritchie were twins in almost every category, with the exception of Ritchie having better table manners. Despite how nice Ritchie was, he still wasn't the boy who was kind enough to drop everything at summer camp to help her. She will always have her eyes on Ash no matter how many other nice boys she met.

"Well, we should probably head back to the Pokemon Center since it's nighttime. I could definitely use a good night's sleep after a day like today," Brock spoke up.

"Yeah. You coming with us, Ritchie?" Ash asked.

"You bet, Ash!" Ritchie replied as they began to head in the direction of the Pokemon Center.

Behind the group, a certain duck Pokemon was still following them from a distance.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day, and the group was on their way to Celadon gym to challenge Erika, the gym leader, for a Rainbow Badge. It turned out that Ash didn't get the rest he had hoped for when challenging a gym leader because he was too busy talking to Ritchie last night. They had talked about all sorts of things such as what their favorite Pokemon was, what their childhood was like, and so on. Ash could say Ritchie was the coolest guy he had met recently. They were almost just alike.<p>

Despite Ash was a little tired today, he didn't let that deter him from getting a badge. Ash was pumped for his battle against the Celadon gym leader. If he could win, he would be halfway to the Pokemon League. He would be completing a mile stone today in his journey so he had to win.

He had already heard that Erika used grass-type Pokemon so that gave him a slight advantage so he could decide which Pokemon he could use. Charmander and Pidgeotto would no doubt be the best choices as they had an advantage over grass-type Pokemon, but he also knew that both Pokemon liked a huge challenge. It was with this in mind he decided against using them in his upcoming battle. He could use Bulbasaur in this battle since there would be no advantage or disadvantage. Krabby had never had a gym battle before and was a water-type, but it had proved quite capable when it came to dealing with grass types, so it might not be a bad idea to use, either. Ash also knew Squirtle was a tough battle but had yet to see how it fared against types it had a weakness, too. Then of course, there was his best bud, Pikachu. It had won all three gym battles for him so far so doubt it could do well here despite the disadvantage against grass types, or he could call Professor Oak and use his newly captured Muk. Decisions, decisions.

"Well, here is the gym!" Ritchie announced once the group arrived.

The group took in the gym's appearance and thought it looked like a giant shop more than anything. There were all kinds of bottles of perfume adorning the windows.

As the group was about to enter the gym, they noticed an older man kept peeking into the different windows. They stopped and gave him a questioning look. The man noticed their gaze and gave a mischievous smile.

"Heheheh, this gym is great!" he said. "It's full of beautiful women!"

Serena and Misty rolled their eyes at this comment thinking this man was some kind of pervert. They then gave a sideways glance at Brock as he looked offended by the look they were giving him.

"Hey! I love beautiful women, but I'm no Peeping Tom!" Brock said defensively.

"Whatever," Misty replied as the group entered the gym.

As soon as they entered, they were met with the strong smell of various perfumes in the gym. There were even more types of perfumes in here.

"I guess I forgot to mention that the gym leader Erika makes perfume on the side. She really is amazing with the different kinds she makes," Ritchie told the group.

"I bet she is incredibly beautiful," Brock said as he turned red. "I can't wait to meet her. One peek is good enough for me!"

Serena and Misty gave Brock a weird look again causing Brock to turn red in embarrassment this time.

"I'm not a Peeping Tom!" Brock exclaimed again.

By now, Ash and Ritchie had gone up to the front desk where the receptionist was at. Ash had never been in a gym like this before so Ritchie needed to guide him on what to do. He told Ash he must formally request a match at the receptionist's desk.

"Hello, ma'am," Ash said. "My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm here to formally request a gym battle with Erika for a Rainbow Badge."

The receptionist gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but Erika is unable to have a gym battle at the moment. She was just about to start teaching one of her classes on perfume making. She will be available afterwards, though."

Ash gave a small sigh that he would have to wait, but Misty and Serena ran up to the desk upon hearing that bit of news from the receptionist.

"Did you say a perfume making class?" Misty asked.

"Why, yes. Erika has these types of classes daily where she shows everyone the joys to making perfume as well as making your own."

"Oh! That sounds so awesome!" Misty exclaimed.

"I know!" Serena agreed as she turned to clap hands with Misty.

She imagined all the different kinds of perfumes she could make. She could see it now. She would try one of the perfumes and would smell so nice! Ash would comment on how good she smelled and always want to be around her! Serena was just about to ask Ash what type of perfumes he likes until she heard his next statement.

"I'll pass. Perfumes seem kind of boring to me," Ash said.

Serena face-faulted once she heard him say that. So much for impressing Ash with any perfumes!

"It's your loss, Ash Ketchum," Misty told him. She then addressed the other members of the group. "What about you guys?"

"I suppose I will go, too," Serena said in a somewhat disappointed tone.

"Well, us guys can go do something while you girls have fun at the perfume class," Ash said as he turned to Brock and Ritchie.

"Actually, it might be fun to study the various types of secrets Erika uses in her perfumes," Ritchie commented.

"Uh, huh. Yeah. Perfumes from Erika," Brock mumbled with a dreamy expression on his face.

"Okay, well I guess it's just you and me, Pikachu," Ash said until he saw the rodent make its way over to the group going to the perfume class, as well.

"What?! You too, Pikachu?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pika pi," it responded as it gave Ash a sheepish expression.

"Now what I'm I supposed to do?!" Ash asked.

"You could always come with us, Ash. You might enjoy it," Misty responded with her hands on her hips.

"I guess I don't have a choice. Fine," Ash sighed.

It was then a young woman with short violet hair held back by a headband and green eyes came out into a lobby.

"Hello," the woman said in a kind voice as Brock immediately looked love-struck, "My name is Erika. The class on perfume making is ready to begin for those that are interested."

"_So this is Erika,"_ Ash thought.

Serena, Misty, Brock, Ritchie, Pikachu, and few other people followed Erika towards a room in the back while Ash brought up the rear. All he had to do was endure this class, and he would have a shot at the Rainbow Badge.

The group was led into a large room with different plants along the side. In the center of the room was a massive clearing. In addition to having classes here, Ash also assumed this is where gym battles took place as well, which upon asking Ritchie, was confirmed.

"Please have a seat everyone," Erika said pleasantly as everyone sat on the ground.

She then began to go over the various methods of making perfumes to everyone. Serena, Misty, Ritchie, Pikachu and the other people in the group eagerly listened to her lecture. Brock mainly had his eyes on Erika the whole time rather than her lecture while Ash tried his hardest to stay awake the whole time. Pikachu mainly had an indifferent expression on its face.

Erika's lecture consisted of various notes, demonstrations, and even showing the Pokemon she uses to help make her perfumes. Her main one that she used was Vileplume and explained it was her first Pokemon when it saved her from a Grimer when she was a little girl.

After her lecture, Erika let the group get some hands-on experience which Serena and Misty were eager to try. They were actually going to get to make their own perfumes and let their grass-type Pokemon help out. Misty, Brock, and Ritchie didn't have any, but Serena decided to use her Oddish while Ash used Bulbasaur. In front of them were various types of ingredients ranging from flowers to oils to things even labeled "Secret Ingredient".

Ash may have thought the lecture was boring but discovered that mixing perfumes was actually kind of fun. He enjoyed trying different things and occasionally let Bulbasaur and Pikachu share their input or have Bulbasaur sprinkle various powders from its bulb into the bowl containing the concoction. Serena was doing likewise with her Oddish and glad she was having time to bond with it since she hadn't really had a chance since it started traveling with her.

Once Serena thought she had made a good scent she smelled it and thought it smelled wonderful. She then called Erika over to ask for her input. Erika was impressed that Serena had made such a good scent on her first try. She then decided to ask for Ash's opinion.

"So Ash? What do think of the perfume scent I made?" Serena asked.

Ash shrugged as he took a quick sniff. "Woah! That actually smells pretty nice, Serena! Way to go!" he praised.

"You mean it, Ash?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Yeah! It's really good!" Ash said again.

Serena smiled and blushed. Maybe she could impress Ash with perfume, after all. The best part was that she made it. She was very happy and thanked Oddish for its help as well.

Once the class was over, Erika took the different mixtures everyone had made and told them they could be brought to the factory to be made into actual perfumes which delighted the ones who made good ones like Serena and Misty. Erika then explained that the perfumes would be ready that evening for them to pick up. With that, she dismissed the class.

"What did you think of the class, Ash?" Serena asked.

"Actually, it was a lot better than I thought it would be!" Ash answered truthfully. "The lecture was boring, but mixing different types of ingredients to make perfumes was fun!"

"See, Ash? It wasn't so bad, after all, was it?" Misty asked.

Ash nodded his head, but now that the class was over, he wanted to do what he came here to do in the first place. He wanted to challenge Erika for the Rainbow Badge. He saw that she was gathering her things that she had used for a lecture. Not knowing if he would get a chance later, he decided to go ahead and ask. He hoped he wasn't being rude.

"Um, excuse me, Erika?" Ash asked as he approached her.

"Oh, yes? How can I help you?" Erika asked, giving him a kind smile which caused Brock to heat up from a distance.

"My name is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town. I'm on a journey to be the best Pokemon Master and have come to challenge you for a Rainbow Badge," he said.

"Oh! Ash Ketchum! You must be one of the people who saved our city! As the gym leader, allow me to thank you personally!" Erika said with a smile and a bow.

"Thanks! I'm just glad I could help!" Ash responded as he brought his hand to the back of his head.

Very well, Ash. I will be pleased to have a match with you. Give me some time to prepare, and I will meet you back here in twenty minutes," Erika replied.

"Great! Thank you!" Ash smiled.

* * *

><p>It was now time for Ash to have his fourth gym battle. He had some time to think about which Pokemon he was going to use. After giving it some thought, Ash had decided to use Krabby, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu for this battle. He was now standing on the opposite side of Erika with a judge between the two of them. Serena, Misty, Brock, and Ritchie were watching from the sidelines.<p>

"This will be an official match between the gym leader, Erika, and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town with the Rainbow Badge at stake! It will be a three-on-three match with only the challenger allowed to make substitutions! There will no time limit! Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Go Tangela!" Erika shouted as she threw her ball to reveal a Pokemon completely covered in bluish-green vines. In short, it looked like a walking ball of noodles.

"A Tangela, huh?" Ash said as he scanned it with his pokedex.

"Tangela, the Vine Pokemon. Blue vines cloak this Pokemon's identity in a tangled mass. It ensnares anything that gets too close," the pokedex spoke.

"In that case, I will choose Krabby!" Ash said as he threw his pokeball forward.

"Ash is going to use Krabby in this gym? It's never had a real battle, and it's a water type!" Misty said in confusion.

"Hold on, Misty. We'll see what Ash is up to," Brock replied.

"I haven't known Ash long, but he cares a lot about Pokemon, and he wouldn't use Krabby unless he thought it could win," Ritchie commented.

"_Come on, Ash!" _Serena thought as she brought her hands to her face and blushed. Ash trained his Pokemon so hard and hoped that training would pay off.

"You are going to use a Water-type? That's very bold of you," Erika commented.

"Yeah! Krabby and I have a few tricks up our sleeve, don't we, Krabby?" Ash asked, receiving a confirmation from Krabby.

"Very well, but I shall not lose easily," Erika replied. "Tangela, use Vine Whip to grab Krabby!"

Tangela shot out a few of its many vines, but Ash was ready.

"Go, Krabby! Snap all of those vines with your pincers!" Ash shouted.

Just like it had against Bulbasaur, Krabby began snapping the vines with great precision which rendered the Vine Whip useless.

"That's impressive!" Erika smiled. "But try this! Use a Leech Seed, Tangela!"

Ash had seen this coming and remembered that catching it still activated the Leech Seed so he had been working with Krabby for a way to counter it. He had learned it could be knocked away if it was quick enough, and Ash knew the perfect move.

"Krabby! Use Crabhammer to knock the Leech Seed back towards Tangela!" Ash called.

Krabby charged up one its large pincers and swung it right at the small seed sailing towards. The Leech Seed was successfully reciprocated and sent right back towards Tangela. Tangela was deeply surprised, and therefore didn't' dodge the attack. Instead, the Leech Seed landed on Tangela which caused even more vines to wrap around the Vine Pokemon and suck its energy instead.

"That was great, Krabby! Now use Stomp!" Ash yelled.

Krabby leaped high into the air and prepared to land on Tangela, but Erika wasn't giving in that easily.

"Tangela! Use Stun Spore!" shouted Erika.

Despite its energy being depleted, Tangela began emitting brown powder from all over which hit Krabby in midair. Krabby immediately began to feel the effects of the attack and had to halt its Stomp because of the pain. It instead landed ungracefully onto the ground quite hard.

"Krabby! Are you okay?!" Ash asked frantically.

Krabby tried to respond but was unable to. It was struggling to even stand right now due to the Stun Spore.

"Ash made a bad decision by getting Krabby into the air," Brock said grimly. "He got overconfident and that left Krabby wide open for an attack."

"Now that Krabby is paralyzed, go in for a Slam attack, Tangela!" Erika told it.

Tangela obeyed as it ran forward despite the Leech Seed and collided with Krabby very hard. The river crab Pokemon was sent flying backwards onto the ground. It then struggled to try and get back up but was having a very difficult time.

_"There has got to be a way to get that Stun Spore off of it," _Ash thought.

He then thought back to his battle with Misty at Cerulean gym whenever Staryu had faced Butterfree. The Staryu was always able to wash off the powders in the pool. There were no pools in this gym, but Krabby was still a Water-type Pokemon. He knew what he could do

"Krabby! Use Water Pulse on yourself!" Ash hollered.

Krabby turned upward, and with some effort, managed to shoot several balls of water into the air. They then fell down and began to completely drenched Krabby. Once it was finished, Krabby shook itself several times and looked as good as new. The Stun Spore had been washed off.

"Ah, that was smart to have Krabby use Water Pulse on itself to wash off the powder," Brock acknowledged.

"I'm impressed, too. Ash is really good," Ritchie agreed.

"He learned that trick from me," Misty smirked.

Krabby looked and saw Tangela was charging in for another Slam attack, but Ash wasn't going to let that happen.

"Krabby! Use Vice Grip to grab Tangela!" Ash yelled.

Krabby got its pincers ready and grabbed Tangela as soon as it rammed into it. It then became a fierce battle of each Pokemon trying to push the other back in a game of strength. Each trainer was encouraging their Pokemon to not give up.

Erika gave a smile. "Your Krabby is using busy using its pincers, but Tangela still has several vines to use! Tangela! Use Vine Whip!"

"Not so fast!" Ash said back. "Krabby! Use Bubble Beam!"

Both Pokemon launched their attacks at the same time, but Krabby was slightly faster shooting out its bubbles than Tangela was its vines. The Bubble Beam made a direct hit right in Tangela's face. Even though the attack didn't do much damage, the very close proximity at which it hit left Tangela dazed just long enough for Ash to get another attack in.

"Now, lift Tangela above your head and send it flying!" Ash commanded.

Krabby lifted Tangela high into the air and flung it as hard as it could across the room. The vine Pokemon soared through the air and hit the ground a short distance in front of Erika. The Leech seed sucked energy from Tangela one last time, and it was down for the count.

"Tangela is unable to battle! The victor is Krabby!" the judge said, pointing in Krabby's direction.

"Alright! You did it, Krabby! I knew you could do it!" Ash praised.

"Kokee Kokee!" Krabby responded with a smile as it clicked its pincers. It looked quite pleased that it won its first real match.

"Wow. Krabby actually pulled it off," Misty said in surprise.

"Yeah. Ash wasn't lying when he said he and Krabby had a few tricks up their sleeves. Krabby did a really good job," Brock agreed.

Serena watched Ash congratulate Krabby as a blush appeared on her face. "_Ash is such a good battler, and he always finds a way to overcome the odds. He's so amazing!" _she thought.

Erika sadly returned Tangela to its pokeball and gave it a sad smile. "Thank you for your hard battling, Tangela. Take a good rest," She told it. Erika then smiled at Ash. "You overcame the type disadvantage with your Krabby and pulled off a victory. That was impressive."

"Thanks, Erika!" Ash smiled.

"Let's see if you can handle my next Pokemon!" Erika said as she pulled out another pokeball. "Go, Victreebel!"

A large, yellow Pokemon that resembled a flytrap with its mouth on top its head appeared from the pokeball and gave an ear splitting shriek.

"Now we have a Victreebel to deal with," Ash said as he scanned it with his pokedex.

"Victreebel, the Flycatcher Pokemon and the evolved form of Weepibell. It lures prey with an alluring aroma as a trap," the pokedex explained.

"Are you still up for battle Krabby?" Ash asked it.

"Kokee, Kokee," Krabby responded in the affirmative.

"Okay, Krabby!" Start things off with a Crabhammer!" Ash yelled.

Krabby ran forward as its pincer glowed, ready to deliver the attack.

"Use Razor Leaf, Victreebel!" Erika called.

Victreebel shot a flurry of leaves at Krabby, but it didn't let that stop it.

"You know what to do, Krabby!" Ash told it.

Krabby nodded and began to cut up many of the leaves with its pincers. It wasn't able to get all of them due to the amount, but still kept the damage done to a minimum. Krabby then leapt up and slammed its right pincer straight into Victreebel.

"Way to go, Ash!" Serena cheered.

"It seems like the physical grass-type attacks aren't working against your Krabby so I will have to try something else!" Erika said. "Victreebel! Use Energy Ball!"

Since the gym room was built like a greenhouse, Victreebel was able to get a lot of sun. It got a brief charge from sunlight and shot a glowing white orb at Krabby at an alarming speed, surprising it. It hit Krabby dead on for a super effective hit. Krabby was knocked backwards and gave a weak croak.

"Krabby! Are you okay?!" Ash asked when the river crab Pokemon didn't get back up.

"Krabby is unable to battle! The winner is Victreebel!" the judge shouted.

"It seems Erika had figured out Krabby's weakness to special attacks. I guess it was expected Ash couldn't keep that up forever," Brock said sadly.

"Krabby still battled really well," Serena added.

"Of course. I never said it didn't. It's just Ash should have changed his strategy while he had the chance or recalled Krabby," Brock replied.

Ash recalled Krabby to its pokeball and gave it a smile. "Thanks a lot, Krabby. You battled incredibly well. Take a good rest," he told it before he chose his next Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" he shouted as he released the bulb Pokemon.

Bulbasaur faced Victreebel and looked ready for battle.

"Okay, Bulbasaur! Leap into the air!" Ash told it.

Bulbasaur shot out its vines and slapped the ground which gave it a boost to leap high off the ground.

"Now use Vine Whip!" Ash shouted.

"Victreebel! Use your Vine Whip as well!" Erika said.

Both Pokemon launched their respective Vine whips and grabbed each other with them. Due to the momentum Bulbasaur was giving while it was in the air, it soared over Victreebel's head. It used the momentum to drag Victreebell as well and flung Victreebel in an arc motion with its vines. Victreebel soared over Bulbasaur and was slammed into the ground.

"Great, Bulbasaur!" Ash praised.

"You forgot Victreebel still has its vines wrapped around Bulbsaur!" Erika smiled. "Do it, Victreebel!"

Victreebel lifted Bulbasaur off of the ground and began to slam it as well. Bulbsaur did likewise with Victreebel, and soon both Pokemon were locked into a slamming contest with their respective Vine Whips.

Ash knew this wasn't going to get him anywhere so he had Bulbasaur fire a Razor Leaf at Victreebel in order to get it to let go. Despite the minimal damage, Victreebel was startled enough to release Bulbasaur from the Vine Whip, and Bulbasaur did likewise with Victreebel. Both Pokemon were panting heavily after being slammed into the ground so many times.

Ash didn't know how much more his Bulbasaur could take. It was then that Ash noticed Bulbasaur's bulb looked somewhat strange. It seemed to be taking in various amounts of energy into it. Ash looked around and it seemed to be absorbing the sunlight that was pouring into the Celadon Gym. Once it was finished it glowed white.

"Awesome, Bulbasaur! You learned Solarbeam!" Ash said happily. "Let it fly!"

"Oh no you don't! Victreebel use Energy Ball!" Erika shouted.

Bulbasaur let loose a massive amount of energy from its bulb while Victreebel unleased the same spherical ball of energy that defeated Krabby. Both attacks soared past each other and struck their targets dead on, causing a massive explosion.

"Bulbasaur!" Ash cried.

Everyone was waiting for the smoke to clear. Once it did, both Bulbasaur and Victreebel were crumpled in a heap. It was a double knock out.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Now Erika and Ash have one Pokemon left!" the judge announced.

"Oh, poor Bulbasaur," Serena said sadly. "It worked so hard to learn Solarbeam for Ash, but even that wasn't enough to beat Victreebel."

"It might have been Solarbeam that caused the draw," Brock reasoned. "Victreebel is an evolved Pokemon while Bulbasaur is in its first stage. Naturally, all of Victreebel's attacks should overpower Bulbasaur. If Bulbasaur hadn't learned Solarbeam, Victreebel might have beaten it due to being stronger."

Despite not being able to battle, Bulbasaur raised its head off the ground and looked at Victreebel in slight anger. It had been so strong when it was protecting Pokemon in the hidden village. Bulbasaur knew that Ash's training wasn't the problem. It was itself. Pokemon just seemed to have to evolve in order to get stronger, but Bulbasaur didn't want to be that way. It once had a dream to become a Venusaur, but after this loss, it didn't feel that way anymore. It didn't want to have to evolve in order to win battles for Ash. No matter what, Bulbasaur vowed to get a lot stronger and win just the way it is. Once it proved to itself that it was strong enough as a Bulbasaur, it would consider evolving. It certainly wouldn't be anytime soon, though.

Bulbasaur then felt the red beam of light go over it as it was returned to the pokeball. Ash looked sadly at the pokeball and let out a small smile. "You did your best, Bulbasaur and knocked out Victreebel. Thanks for battling so hard," he said.

Ash was now down to one last Pokemon, and so was Erika. Ash was strongly considering to use Charmander or Pidgeotto so he could have the type advantage. Erika had proven to be a very strong grass-type gym leader. She was a lot better than he first made her out to be when he saw she made perfumes on the side. Since grass-types were strong against electric types like Pikachu, Ash wasn't sure if he wanted to take that risk. Ash was just about to make his decision to use Pidgeotto when he felt a tug on his pant leg.

Ash looked down to see it was Pikachu. It nodded its head at Ash and got determined expression on its face to let Ash know it was ready to battle.

"You're saying you want to battle?" Ash asked.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it nodded.

"Even though you have a type disadvantage?" Ash asked again.

"Chu Chu Pikachu!" it nodded again.

"But I have a lot at stake with the Rainbow Badge," Ash protested.

"Pika Pika Pikachu!" it said.

"You're saying I have nothing to worry about because you'll win?" Ash guessed again.

"Pika!" Pikachu replied.

Ash thought about Pikachu's words and realized it was right. Pikachu had overcome the odds many times before. Some notable ones included Brock's Onix, Misty's Starmie, and Lt. Surge's Raichu. So what if Erika used Pokemon that had an advantage over electric types. Pikachu wasn't like any other electric-type out there. It could win. Ash knew he could trust Pikachu with anything and got a surge of confidence.

"You got it, Pikachu!" Ash said to it. "I choose you!"

Pikachu smiled at Ash and ran out onto the battlefield where it stood to wait for Erika's final Pokemon.

"I admire your Pikachu's determination, but it will take a lot more than that to beat my next Pokemon. It happens to be my very first Pokemon and the one that saved me a long time ago. Vileplume! I choose you!" Erika shouted as she threw the pokeball.

Vileplume was revealed to be a blue Pokemon with rudimentary hands and feet with a huge red flower on top of its head.

"Are you ready, Pikachu?!" Ash asked it.

"Pika Pi!" it responded.

"Go, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu unleashed the massive electric attack. Vileplume didn't even attempt to dodge the attack. It grimaced a little, but as expected the attack didn't appear to do too much damage.

"Those electric attacks aren't going to work on Vileplume, Ash!" Erika told him. "Vileplume, use Petal Dance!"

Vileplume began to move gracefully as if it were dancing. Pikachu stared curiously at Vileplume for a moment before Vileplume shot a flurry of beautiful but deadly flower petals from it. They slammed into Pikachu which knocked it off of its feet and onto the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Chuuu," Pikachu said as it gritted its teeth from the pain and stood to its feet.

"Vileplume! Use Stun Spore!" Erika called.

"Dodge it quick with Agility!" Ash countered.

Vileplume shot the brown powder from its flower at Pikachu, but Pikachu shot out of the way and began to move at a blinding speed towards Vileplume.

"Use Iron Tail!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu charged up its tail as it leaped into the air at Vileplume. It then swung its tail in a circular motion and into Vileplume. It then used the force of the collision to backflip away from Vileplume and land gracefully on the ground. Vileplume fell over from the impact but wasn't beaten yet.

"Alright, Vileplume. Use Acid!" Erika said.

Vileplume began to emit various amounts of light brown liquid at Pikachu. Pikachu then began to dart of the way as best as it could. Vileplume, however, was relentless as it continued to spray at Pikachu.

"Use Agility to dodge better!" Ash called.

Pikachu began to speed up until Vileplume could no longer keep up with Pikachu. The yellow rodent ran behind Vileplume and Ash figured it was a good time to attack.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu launched itself at Vileplume and slammed into it. However, Vileplume managed to turn around just before Pikachu collided with it. Vileplume reared back from Pikachu's Quick Attack, but then pointed its flower directly at Pikachu and shot an Acid attack at point blank range.

Pikachu screamed in pain as the burning liquid sprayed its body. It crumpled to a heap on the ground.

"Chaaaaaaa," it muttered weakly.

"Pikachu! Please tell me you're okay!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu managed to struggle back to its feet but was clearly getting tired.

"I think we need to finish this with Solarbeam," Erika said.

Vileplume began to absorb as much sunlight as it could through the greenhouse-like battlefield. Ash knew that if Pikachu was struck with Solarbeam, that would probably be the end of the match. He had to take advantage of Solarbeam's slow charge.

"Pikachu! Attack Vileplume with Iron Tail!" Ash said.

Pikachu charge up its tail and leaped into the air to use Iron Tail, but Erika was ready.

"We thought you might do that! Use Stun Spore, Vileplume!" Erika called, which took Ash and Pikachu completely by surprise.

Vileplume sprayed the Stun Spore all over Pikachu while it was in midair. Pikachu screamed as the paralyzing powder began to take effect. It wasn't going to let up, though. It kept its tail glowing white and slammed it on top of Vileplume despite the pain. However, Vileplume continued charging the Solarbeam.

"I don't understand. How can Vileplume still use Stun Spore while charging Solarbeam," Ash said in confusion.

"Most Pokemon are unable to, but I've had my Vileplume so long that we were able to undergo special training to make up for Solarbeam's slow charge up time," Erika answered.

Ash grimaced. His Pikachu was totally helpless now that it was paralyzed. It was a sitting duck just waiting for Solarbeam to finish charging. Once it hit, that would be the end of the match.

"Ash! Stop the match while you can to avoid hurting Pikachu more!" Misty called.

Ash clenched his fists and was just about to call the match when he saw Pikachu begin moving toward Vileplume despite the Stun Spore.

"Pikachu! Don't push yourself!" Ash called.

"Chuuuu!" Pikachu shook its head and gave a thumbs up signal to Ash to let it know it still wanted to fight until the end.

Ash then realized Pikachu would never just give up a match like that. That wasn't the kind of Pokemon that Pikachu was. He always told his friends to never give up until the end. Likewise, he had his friends tell him to never give up until the end. He even heard Serena just now.

"Ash! Never give up until the end!" Serena shouted.

Ash then saw Pikachu's expression on its face. If Pikachu could speak human language, it would be telling him to never give up until the end as well. They could do this, but they had to hurry because Solarbeam was almost finished charging.

"Alright, Pikachu! Attack with all you've got!" Ash hollered.

"Those two certainly do trust each other," Misty commented.

"Well, this is Ash and Pikachu we are talking about," Brock reminded.

Ritchie said nothing as he continued to watch. He really admired Ash and Pikachu's dedication.

Serena had her hands clasped as her eyes sparkled. She knew that those two could overcome any obstacle attempted.

Pikachu was relentlessy attacking Vileplume as hard as it could, whether it be from Iron Tails or Quick Attacks. Its attacks were pretty sloppy since it was feeling the effects of Stun Spore, but were still causing the damage they needed to.

Vileplume was starting to fatigue pretty fast from Pikachu's onslaught of attacks. Nonetheless, it finished charging Solarbeam and was ready to attack back.

"Use Solarbeam on Pikachu!" Erika said.

"Counter with Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash hollered.

Both attacks soared from each Pokemon and collided midway causing a huge explosion which blew back both Pokemon and causing a lot of smoke.

Ash, Erika, and everyone else in the gym were waiting anxiously for the smoke to clear. They had no clue who would be victorious because both Pokemon had been injured pretty badly.

The smoke finally cleared to reveal both Pokemon lying on their backs and not showing any signs of getting up.

"Pikachu!" Ash called worriedly. Even if the match ended in a draw, he still wouldn't get the Rainbow Badge.

"Both Pokemon are…..huh?" the judge began, but stopped.

Pikachu gave a yell as it pulled itself to its feet and stood there, panting but still on its feet showing it could still fight. Everyone then looked over to Vileplume to see if it would get back up also. It was still on its back and unmoving.

"Vileplume!" Erika called, but got no response.

"Only Vileplume is unable to battle! Pikachu can still fight! That means the winner of this match is Ash Ketchum!" the judge declared.

Ash stood in shock. This had been one of his closest battles yet. Despite incredible odds, his Pikachu had once again overcome them. Ash's face broke out into a wide grin.

"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash cheered as he ran forward to hug is Pokemon, but made sure to be gentle because it was still under the effects of Stun Spore.

"Pikachu," Pikachu smiled weakly back at Ash.

"Do I have the greatest Pokemon or what?" Ash smiled. "You were amazing buddy. I should know by now you will never let me down."

Pikachu gave a smile again before falling asleep in Ash's arms after the tough battle against Erika's Vileplume.

"_Ash's bond with his Pokemon is so incredible!" _Serena thought. She thought it would be a good idea to learn from Ash about what she could do to form stronger bonds with her Pokemon.

"Well, it looks like those two pulled it off again," Misty said as she, Brock, Serena, and Ritchie joined Ash and Pikachu.

"You have a really awesome bond with your Pokemon, Ash. You've proven to be a great trainer, and I have no doubt you will reach the Pokemon League," Ritchie told him.

"Thanks, Ritchie!" Ash replied as he and Ash shook hands.

Erika then approached him. "I am truly impressed with the strong bond you have with your Pokemon, Ash. You have taught me a few things as well. You definitely deserve this Rainbow badge," Erika praised as she handed Ash a flower shaped badge of many colors.

"Thanks, Erika!" Ash responded as he took the badge from Erika and held it out in front of him. "Alright! I got the Rainbow Badge!"

"You're now halfway to the Pokemon League, Ash!" Serena told him.

"Yep! Just four more to go!" Ash smiled.

"Also, here is a Paralyze Heal for Pikachu," Erika added as she handed Ash a small, clear bottle.

Ash gratefully accepted the bottle before spaying it on Pikachu. The rodent gave a slight squirm, but soon relaxed in Ash's arms again. It would be just fine.

* * *

><p>It was now late in the afternoon. The group had just been to the Pokemon Center to heal Ash's Pokemon and were now standing in front of Ritchie, who had Sparky next to him.<p>

"It sure was nice meeting all you," Ritchie smiled, "But I'm afraid this is where we part ways for now. I've been in Celadon City long enough and need to continue my journey."

"That's too bad," Ash said with a slightly disappointed look. "I was kind of hoping you would consider traveling with us."

"I really appreciate the offer, but I decided long before I started my journey that I wanted to travel alone," Ritchie responded.

"I gotcha," Ash said.

"It's not like this is good bye forever. We will definitely see each other at the Pokemon League, right" Ritchie asked.

"You got it, Ritchie! I'll see you there!" Ash said enthusiastically as he shook his new friend's hand.

Pikachu and Sparky went to each other and shook hands. Then, they shook each other's tails, as well.

"Hey, Serena! I wish you the best of luck in your Battle Chateau Challenge tomorrow," Ritchie called to her.

"Thanks a lot, Ritchie. Best of luck collecting the rest of your badges," Serena smiled back.

"Until then guys, I'll see you all later, and thanks for everything!" Ritchie said with a final wave as he and Sparky turned to leave.

The group waved back to him and Ash called out, "Hey Ritchie! Remember we promised to see each other at the Pokemon League! See you then!"

"See you there, Ash!" Ritchie called back as he continued to wave. He was soon out of sight.

"It sure was nice to find a rival you can actually be friends with," Brock said.

"Yeah," Ash agreed as he turned to Brock. "I can't wait to see him again! I just wish I could have seen his battle also at the Celadon Gym."

"Oh, that reminds me," Serena said as she reached into her backpack. "My perfume I made there was ready by the time your gym battle was done. What do you think of it, Ash?"

She then held the bottle up to Ash for him to take a quick sniff.

"Hey! That's really good, Serena! I bet you'll smell awesome with that perfume on!"

"Do you really think so?" Serena asked with a blush on her face.

"I know so!" Ash responded.

Serena giggled in response. She was happy she was able to find a perfume that Ash approved of. She couldn't wait to try it on and see what Ash thought of her then.

"Hey, don't forget my perfume!" Misty reminded as she got her bottle of perfume as well. "Go on. Take a sniff."

Ash was just about to take a sniff when the group heard certain duck Pokemon cry, "Psy aye aye!" behind them.

The group was startled so much that they yelped in surprise, and Misty dropped her perfume bottle on the ground. It shattered and the liquid spilled all over the ground.

"No! My perfume!" Misty cried as she slapped her hands against her cheeks in horror.

The group turned around and saw none other than Psyduck as the culprit who had scared the group half to death. It stood facing the group with a blank expression on its face with its hands on its head like it hadn't done anything wrong just now.

"Grrrr…YOU STUPID POKEMON! YOU JUST MADE ME BREAK MY BOTTLE OF PERFUME!" Misty screamed at it.

"Psy?" the duck Pokemon asked as it tilted its head to the side.

"Now Misty. Come on. Try to calm down. Remember. It did save our lives twice back at the Power Plant," Brock said soothingly.

Misty began taking several deep breaths as she tried to resist the urge to scream again.

"Fine. Let's just go," Misty declared with a huff as she quickly turned on her heel to hurry off.

Unfortunately in her haste, Misty tripped over a rock and fell to the ground which caused a few pokeballs to unclip from her belt. The balls then rolled forward in front of Psyduck.

Psyduck looked curiously at the pokeballs for a second before pressing the button on one of them with its beak and allowed itself to be sucked into the pokeball. The pokeball immediately dinged to signify the capture since Psyduck didn't struggle at all.

"Aaaaaahhhhhhh!" Misty screamed. "Now that thing is inside one of my pokeballs!"

"Well what do you know, Misty?" Ash asked in an amused tone. "It looks like you accidentally captured Psyduck!"

"Congratulations!" Brock said.

"Don't congratulate me!" Misty whined. "Now I have to be the trainer of this dimwit duck!"

"I'm sure it can't be that bad, Misty," Serena said as she pulled out her pokedex to get some more information of Psyduck.

"Psyduck constantly suffers from a headache," the pokedex's monotonous voice said.

"You mean to tell me this thing always has a headache?!" Misty yelled in disbelief as she looked at her pokeball containing Psyduck in anger.

"Hehehehe, that's pretty funny…errr, I mean bad!" Ash corrected once he saw the intense glare Misty gave him.

"Ugh! Now I'm the one with the headache!" Misty complained as she grabbed her head in frustration.

The group couldn't help but be amused at Misty's predicament. It was true Psyduck was pretty annoying, but it deserved the love of a good trainer just like any other Pokemon. They knew that even though Misty seemed extremely annoyed and angry right now that she was the right trainer for Psyduck. Maybe it was just how opposite they were that made them seem to click. The group had no doubt they would be annoyed by Psyduck's antics from now on, but it had saved their lives twice so far, and that was good enough for them. It would receive the same amount of love that all of their other Pokemon received.

"Welcome to the team, Psyduck!" Ash, Serena, and Brock said happily to the pokeball.

The pokeball wiggled a little in response.

"Gaaaahhhhh!" Misty screamed in annoyance one last time.

* * *

><p><strong>A few of you guys commented that I was leading you to believe Serena was getting Psyduck. Well…I wasn't. I've already taken enough things away from Misty so I wasn't going to take Psyduck, either. For those of you who think Misty treats Psyduck like crap and doesn't deserve it, she will bond with it later in the story and become much nicer to it and give it the love it deserves. For right now, though, she will just be annoyed with Psyduck like in canon. Psyduck will still always be the loveable and goofy Pokemon, though.<strong>

**For those of you who noticed Bulbasaur's behavior, that will be addressed next chapter. It will also be pretty amour heavy so that's always good.  
><strong>

**Serena's first official rival is introduced next chapter, as well! It will be up next Tuesday, as usual. See you all then!**

**Chapter 24: An Eevee-entful Day!**

_**Answering the Questions:**_

_Will we see more of Cassidy and Butch in your series?_

_**Yes. Definitely.**_

_Will the character Brendan (from (Omega) Ruby & (Alpha) Sapphire) appear in the Hoenn arc?_

_**Brendan will definitely be in the Hoenn arc. Whether he is Ash, Serena, or May's rival I haven't decided yet.**_

_Would you care to name the movies that you plan to use in your fanfic series?_

_**I will name the ones that are planned **__**at this moment.**__** It is subject to change as I go along whether it's adding or taking away movies. So far they are:**_

_**Mewtwo Strikes back**_

_**The Power of One**_

_**Latios and Latias**_

_**Jirachi Wish Maker**_

_**Destiny Deoxys**_

_**Lucario and the Mystery of Mew**_

_**Pokemon Ranger and the Temple of the Sea**_

_**Arceus and the Jewel of Life**_

_If it's possible, could you find a way to incorporate "Polkamon" by Weird Al into one of your chapters? I love Weird Al, hence my name._

_**I don't see it happening but you never know.**_

_Have you got any idea on how Croagunk will appear before the Sinnoh Arc?_

_**Not yet.**_

_Anyway, are you keeping the Gym battle formatting the same as was done in the anime, such as two/three on two/three, full six-on-six battling, double battling in the case of Liza and Tate, Gym Leader handicaps where the challenger is allowed to use full team, and so on?_

_**It will be mostly the same as in the anime but there may be slight differences on a few occasions.**_

_Don't forget to change your you-know-whats every day, honey.' Lol. Will that gag be featured more times in your stories?_

_**Probably. Or at least some other gag with his mom.**_

_Will Ash only use the Pokémon he catches in each respective region for his gym battles following the Johto arc?_

_**I will try to have Ash use all of his Pokemon in all of the regions, at least during the Pokemon League chapters.**_

_Will Ash's father be revealed?_

_**Yes. Ash's father will be revealed. You will know who it is by the eighth gym in Kanto (it isn't Giovanni, that's all I'm saying). Serena's father won't be revealed until much later.**_

_Are you going to include a Riolu any time before Sinnoh?_

_**Maybe. I don't wish to reveal when or how Ash gets a Riolu yet. **_

_Will Cassidy and Butch mess up Professor Namba's name, too? (Zamba, Bamba, etc...)_

_**No. That's just Butch's gag to my knowledge. Butch may purposely get other people's name wrong just to vent his frustration.**_

_Will Ash become more mature outside of fields of battling and maybe mature in other ways, like his eating habits, or maybe get some pointers from Brock with cooking for later on, or anything else like that?_

_**Oh yeah. Ash will definitely mature outside of battle. He will be almost completely different by the end of Sinnoh. **_

_With Giovanni being the big baddie for the Kanto region, will he go after Delia after he finds out about Ash as I've seen in other fics?_

_**There will be retaliation from Giovanni against Ash. I won't reveal how. **_

_Are Ash and Serena going to ever end up in an embarrassing situation that they won't talk to each other for a while due to embarrassment?_

_**There will be embarrassing or awkward situations between them occasionally, but nothing that they won't get over after a little bit.**_

_When at Pokémon tower is Serena going to make references to scary movies like in the haunted house episode in XY?_

_**I thought that was really funny in the show, but no she won't. The Pokemon Tower is much different than canon.**_

_Can Ash catch a Dunsparce?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash have a girl kiss him on the cheek to make Serena mad?_

_**Yes. I know exactly who, but it probably isn't anyone you guys are expecting (besides Melody).**_

_Will Psyduck or Vulpix evolve?_

_**Probably not, especially Psyduck. It's hard to imagine it as a Golduck.**_


	24. An Eevee-entful Day!

**A/N: Well, here is the latest chapter. I think it turned out quite well. If you guys think the rival introduced here is Miette, that's incorrect. She doesn't appear until later. This chapter will also set the stage for a big arc (which will be fairly obvious at the end). The poll will be taken down next week so make sure to vote. However, I think I came up with a solution that will satisfy both parties. I still prefer you guys to vote, nevertheless. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 24: An Eevee-ntful Day!<p>

It was late in the evening now at the Pokemon Center, and the group had just eaten their supper. Misty as in a sullen mood the entire time since Psyduck was now her Pokemon. Nurse Joy was rather amused when she found out the Psyduck she had taken care of for so long decided to join Misty. When Misty practically begged Nurse Joy to take Psyduck back, Nurse Joy politely told Misty that it was better off with a real trainer. Of course, Misty wasn't heartless enough to just release Psyduck back into the wild, either. In short, Misty was stuck with it.

"I still can't believe that thing entered my pokeball without my permission," Misty mumbled.

"Oh come on, Misty. You've been complaining all evening. Isn't it time to quit?" Ash asked, getting annoyed. He and the rest of the group were tired of listening to her.

"What would you have done if Psyduck had entered your pokeball, Ash Ketchum?" Misty asked heatedly.

"I would have been happy to make a new friend and welcomed Psyduck in like all of my other Pokemon!" Ash retorted as they entered the lobby of the Pokemon Center.

Misty sighed. "Fine. Whatever."

Then, without warning, Psyduck's pokeball opened up, and Psyduck popped out with a cry of "Psy aye aye!"

"Who said you could come out of your pokeball!?" Misty yelled out at it.

"Really, Misty? Haven't you been wanting Psyduck out of your pokeball all evening?" Serena joked, only to have Misty give her an intense glare.

Psyduck then ran over to Misty and hugged her leg affectionately. It was so happy to finally have a trainer. It found someone who could take care of it, someone to love and care for it, someone like….

"Just get back in your pokeball, you annoying duck!" Misty yelled.

"Psy?" Psyduck asked looking up at her with a heartbroken expression.

Upon seeing Psyduck's face, Misty sighed. She then massaged her temples to try to relieve the headache she was getting. The others were right. She could at least try to like Psyduck. It may be extremely goofy but in no way an unpleasant Pokemon.

"Okay Psyduck. I suppose we can try to be friends, but for now I need you to return," Misty told it kindly as she pulled out its pokeball and returned Psyduck to its pokeball.

"Despite what you're saying now, Misty, I bet you and Psyduck will end up becoming great friends, and it will become your favorite Pokemon," Brock told her.

The group sat down on one of the couches in the lobby in front of a large television set. They were ready to wind down for the night and would just stay up for another hour chatting or watching television before heading off to bed.

Pikachu hopped off of Ash's shoulders and onto his lap where it curled up and let out a yawn. Ash scratched it behind the ears and thanked it once again for a job well down at the Pokemon gym earlier.

"So moving away from the topic of Psyduck, how are you feeling about the Battle Chateau tomorrow, Serena?" Ash asked her.

"I feel great! I'm definitely going to win it!" Serena answered.

"You know, Serena. This is the last time you can face just anyone at the Battle Chateau," Brock informed her.

"What do you mean?" Serena asked.

"Once one becomes the rank of Countess in the Battle Chateau, they are put in a special division where they can only face trainers who have achieved that rank or higher, as well. You may be even facing gym leaders at that point and beyond," Brock explained.

"I didn't know that," Serena said as she looked down at the floor. That small dust bunny near the couch suddenly looked very interesting.

That must have been something Hennessy didn't tell her. She thought the Battle Chateau was a place where anyone could face everyone all the time. After some thought, she realized it made sense that higher ranking members of the Battle Chateau were only allowed face strong trainers, as well. Serena looked at the four pokeballs clipped to her belt. Ash had already captured enough Pokemon to where he would need to rotate while she only had four. If she were to continue rising in ranks at the Battle Chateau, she would have to capture more Pokemon and get a lot stronger like Ash.

"Hey, Serena. There is a commercial on TV for the Battle Chateau tournament tomorrow," Misty informed once she realized Serena seemed to be deep in thought.

"Really?" Serena asked as she snapped out of her thoughts and drew her attention to the television in front of them.

"The Battle Chateaus across the region will be giving out a very special prize at tomorrow's tournament to celebrate one full year of being open!" a disembodied voice announced. "To the winner of each tournament tomorrow, in addition to rising in rank, they will receive the rare Pokemon Eevee,a also!"

The television then showed a picture of the aforementioned Eevee posing in a very proud stance. Eevee was a Pokemon that vaguely resembled a fox. It had long pointed ears, brown fur with a cream-colored underbelly with brown eyes and a small black nose.

"Don't miss this opportunity to win the rare Pokemon Eevee as your very own Pokemon tomorrow! Sign up at the nearest Battle Chateau today!" the voice said before the commercial ended.

"Wow! An Eevee!" Ash said in excitement. He then looked over at Serena. "Wouldn't that be great if you won tomorrow and got Eevee? I've always wanted one myself!"

"Yeah. It would be great," Serena answered. An Eevee was an extremely diverse Pokemon and would know doubt add more variety to her team.

She then looked at her pokeballs and realized she need to get some training in before the Battle Chateau tomorrow. She knew she needed to get stronger if she were to rise in rank.

"I'll see you all later," Serena said as she stood up from the couch. "I'm going to be in the field outside the Pokemon Center if you need me."

"It's getting a little late to train, isn't it?" Brock asked.

"I'll be fine," Serena replied as she left.

* * *

><p>Serena stood out in the field and released all of her Pokemon. She then kneeled down to be more eye level with all of them.<p>

"Okay everyone. I know it's late, but that doesn't mean we can't get some practice in, right?" Serena asked, receiving a nod from her Pokemon.

Jigglypuff then began to sing but was quickly stopped by Serena. "No, Jigglypuff! Not singing practice! I meant battle practice!"

"Puuuufffff!" it said in annoyance as it puffed its cheeks in anger.

"We can listen to your singing later," Serena sighed as she rested her face in her palm in tiredness.

Jigglypuff decided that was acceptable and nodded its head.

Serena stared at each one of her Pokemon and thought about what areas they all could improve in. It was no doubt she had a diverse group of Pokemon, which was good. However, they all seemed to know very few types of attacks, which added no variety to them.

"_What can I do to make my Pokemon stronger? What can we work on?" _Serena thought to herself.

It was then Serena remembered the TMs Flint had given her way back in Pewter City. She believed he said the TMs contained Dig and Ice Beam. There was no doubt a few of her Pokemon could learn these attacks. After reaching into her backpack, Serena pulled out the machines and looked at them thoughtfully. Her Pokemon stared up at her expectantly.

"_Who do I want to teach these moves to? There is no doubt they will only help my Pokemon. Do they even want to learn these moves?_" Serena thought.

She then decided to ask for their opinion. "Okay, everyone. I have in my hands two TMs. One has Dig and the other has Ice Beam. Do any of you want to learn these moves?" Serena asked.

Charla, Oddish, and Nidoran nodded their heads while Jigglypuff looked away to the side. It only decided to use its natural strength and didn't want help from anything to be stronger. A star shall only rely on the power it is born with!

"So I guess that leaves you three," Serena said while gesturing to the others. She then realized something. "Oh, Oddish! I'm so sorry! You aren't compatible with any of these moves!"

Oddish looked down sadly once it realized it wouldn't get to learn any new moves at the moment.

It was then Serena heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw Ash and Pikachu approaching her.

"Hey, Ash," Serena smiled once she saw her crush. "You're still up?"

"Yeah," Ash replied. "Pikachu and I decided to come out here and see how you were doing. You seemed to have a lot on your mind."

"I do," Serena confirmed. "I've realized I need to love and train my Pokemon a lot harder than I have been doing. I see the incredible bond you have with your Pokemon, especially Pikachu, and wish I could have that bond with my Pokemon, as well. There is no doubt I love them and they love me, but our relationship doesn't seem to be on the same level as some other trainers."

"I think you have a great relationship with all of your Pokemon, Serena," Ash told her. "I've seen you bond with every single Pokemon you have so far. If you don't believe me, I'll tell you right now. Charla loves fashion and shopping just as much as you do. Nidoran shares your love of good food. Jigglypuff never would have overcome its singing problem if it wasn't for your help, and Oddish was a sad and sick Pokemon until it met you and decided you were the loving trainer it needed. All of your Pokemon came with you by choice. If you weren't a good Pokemon trainer, they would not have chosen you out of me, Brock, and Misty."

Serena looked at Ash in surprise. She did at least share something in common or have some sort of bond with each of her Pokemon. He was right. She then looked at her Pokemon and saw them nod their heads. Her Pokemon chose her as their trainer by choice.

"Thank you, Ash," Serena smiled as she blushed. "I really needed to hear that."

"Anything for you, Serena," Ash said as he and Pikachu gave her a thumbs up.

Ash then noticed the two TMs in Serena's hands. "So I see you have decided to use the TMs Flint gave you now?"

"Yes, I am," Serena replied. "Jigglypuff doesn't want one, but I feel terrible because Oddish isn't compatible with any of the TMs I have right now."

"In that case, you can use the one I got at the Celadon Gym," Ash said as he pulled a TM from his backpack. "Erika gave it to me right before we left the gym and said it contained Giga Drain."

"That's really nice of you, Ash, but that's your TM. You should use it on one of your Pokemon," Serena told him.

"I had offered it to Bulbasaur, but it refused to take it for some reason. Like Jigglypuff, it seemed to only want to win with moves it could learn naturally, but I think it goes deeper than that," Ash replied.

XXX

_"Hey, Bulbasaur! Guess what?! I just got this really new TM from Erika that contains the move Giga Drain! Isn't that great?!" Ash asked excitedly as he held up the TM for Bulbasaur to see._

_ "Saur," the Pokemon muttered as it turned to the side and looked away from its trainer. There was no way it was going to accept help from anything until it could get stronger on its own._

_ "Bulbasaur? You don't want to learn Giga Drain?" Ash questioned with a look of confusion. "Is everything okay?"_

_ Bulbasaur turned to Ash and gave a sigh. It began making various gestures and sounds to give Ash an idea of how it felt. Once it finished, Ash got a look of understanding on his face. He knelt down and rubbed Bulbasaur on the head._

_ "Don't say that about yourself, Bulbasaur. You are an outstanding Pokemon! There is no other Bulbasaur in the entire world, since the beginning until the end of time, that I would rather have than you. I'm proud to be the trainer of a Pokemon like you. I'll tell you what: once we leave Celadon City, we can focus on training with types of Pokemon who have an advantage over you. Charla and Charmander would be ideal, as well as Pidgeotto. Serena's Oddish can help as well so you can focus on getting an advantage on Pokemon of the same type as you," Ash offered._

_ "Bulbasaur!" the plant dinosaur said happily before leaping into Ash's lap._

_ "When we are done training, you will be the strongest Bulbasaur in existence!" Ash told it while Pikachu nodded as well._

_ It seemed Bulbsaur had made the right choice to come with Ash, after all. Everything Pikachu told it back at Melanie's cabin was true. It couldn't wait to start the special training Ash mentioned. It felt a lot better about itself after telling its problem to Ash. _

_XXX_

"I see. That is really sweet of you to train Bulbsaur like that," Serena replied while she placed her hands behind her back. "So it's really okay that you are giving me this TM to use on Oddish?" Serena asked.

"Definitely," Ash confirmed as he handed it to her.

Serena smiled as she took the TM from Ash. "Thank you, Ash," she said before turning to Oddish. "Isn't that great? You get to learn a new move, after all?"

"Oddish," the Pokemon replied happily.

"Have you thought about which Pokemon should get which moves?" Ash asked.

"I have," Serena answered. "I've decided to teach Charla the move Dig, Ice Beam to Nidoran, and Giga Drain to Oddish."

"Sounds good to me!" Ash approved while giving her his trademark smile that Serena loved so much.

Serena smiled back, and then knelt down and placed the devices on each of her Pokemons' heads and pressed the button. The devices shook slightly for about ten seconds until they stopped. Serena then took off the devices to see if they had worked.

Charla then began to dig a hole with its claws very quickly. It then went into the hole and appeared out of another one a moment later. Nidoran focused its power into the small horn on its head and soon shot a large stream of ice from it. Oddish seemed to focus its power as well and its eyes glowed green for a moment. The group could tell it was working just by looking.

"Awesome job, all of you!" Serena said happily. "Now let's get some real training in!"

Serena spent the next hour and a half training her Pokemon for various things. Ash threw in his input every now and then as well. Pikachu helped out by training with some of Serena's Pokemon. She let each Pokemon practice the new attacks they learned. As for Jigglypuff, Serena realized that Jigglypuff was fantastic at dodging attacks in the air, but needed to work on its dodging while fighting on the ground. Since Jigglypuff had a slow running speed, they both learned Jigglypuff traveled faster when it rolled rather than ran. Thus, Jigglypuff was able to perfect its rolling and learned the move Rollout in the process.

After the training was done, Serena gave all of her Pokemon a hug rather than patting their head and gave them some Rare Candies she bought at the Pokemart earlier for a treat. She then returned her Pokemon to their pokeballs and was ready to call it a night. She then turned to Ash.

"It's getting pretty late now. We should probably get to bed," she said to Ash.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "We don't want you to oversleep and miss your chance to get an Eevee tomorrow."

The two and Pikachu then began to head back to the Pokemon Center. There was a slight chill in the air since it was late at night. Serena wrapped her arms around herself to keep warmer. Then Ash did something that she wasn't expecting. He took off his sleeveless jacket and placed around her.

"I don't want you to catch a cold," he told her. "I'll be fine."

Serena blushed heavily at the gesture Ash made for her. "Thank you very much, Ash," she said gratefully.

Serena then pulled Ash a little closer to her so he could be warm as well. Ash didn't pull away, either, which also a pleasant surprise. Pikachu then got in the jacket between the two and snuggled up against both of them. Ash and Serena both smiled at each other as they continued to walk back to the Pokemon Center together.

"_Ash…" _Serena thought lovingly.

* * *

><p>It was the next day, and the group was standing in front of the Celadon City Battle Chateau. There was a huge crowd of people waiting in line to enter which surprised the group. It seems a lot of people were eager to win an Eevee more than anything. As they got in line, the group could see a lot of people leaving the Battle Chateau in a dejected manner. The most likely explanation was they were hobby trainers who didn't have a recommendation to enter. Despite many people being turned away, they still expected there to be a large turnout for the one year celebration. With the long line, it would certainly take a while to get in.<p>

"I'm going against all of these people?" Serena said in surprise.

"Don't sweat it, Serena. Remember all of that training we did last night? You will do fantastic! I know it," Ash reassured her with a thumbs-up.

Serena smiled at Ash before turning back to the line. Ash was right. Her Pokemon were armed with new moves and had perfected their use because of the training. They were ready. She was ready. She could do this.

Once they finally were able to enter the Battle Chateau, there was, of course, another Hennessy to greet them. Serena happily showed him her case to let him know she had already become a Viscountess, and he allowed the group to pass.

"I'm terribly sorry, madam. I must ask you to find your way to the dressing room yourself today rather than have an escort. We are very busy today and simply don't have enough staff, I'm afraid," Hennessy said apologetically.

"That's okay, Hennessy. Thank you!" Serena replied with a curtsey as she began to walk down the hallway with her friends.

Serena soon left the rest of the group so she could go change into her typical Battle Chateau outfit. To her dismay, there was even a long line to the dressing room. Serena let out a sigh. This may take a while.

* * *

><p>Once Serena had changed into her outfit and rejoined the group, they saw a huge crowd of people gathered around something that the group was unable to see. Deciding to see what all of the commotion was about, the group went over to the crowd of people.<p>

"What's going on?" Ash asked a person in the crowd.

"They are showing off the Eevee that they are giving away for a prize!" a boy exclaimed as he began to fight his way through the crowd to see it.

"Oh, I would like to see it to!" Serena said excitedly as she joined in on the crowd.

Serena finally got close enough in order to get a clear view of the Eevee. It was standing on the table and had a gentle expression on its face. People were being allowed to introduce themselves to their potential new Pokemon and pet it. Several staff workers and an Officer Jenny stood by to make sure the Eevee wasn't stolen.

Once it was Serena's turn to meet Eevee, she went over and smiled at it. "Hello, Eevee!" she said happily. "You're so cute!"

Eevee stared curiously for her at a second before its face broke into a wide grin. It then gave a huge Tackle attack to Serena which knocked her to the ground.

"Owww," Serena moaned as she rubbed the spot where Eevee hit her.

The group had seen what had taken place with Serena and Eevee so they went over to see if she was okay.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked as he helped Serena to her feet.

"Yeah. I think so," Serena muttered.

"I'm really sorry about that," Officer Jenny said apologetically. "This Eevee is very playful. I didn't expect to actually Tackle anyone, though. You are the first person it's done that to so far."

"Lucky me," Serena mumbled sarcastically.

She then decided to try again with the Eevee. "You are really playful, aren't you, Eevee?" she asked as she went to pet it. Before she was able to, Eevee grinned broadly again and did a Tackle attack once more. It again knocked Serena to the ground again. Everyone sweatdropped at the display.

"I think Eevee likes you, Serena," Brock said nervously, trying to ease the tension.

"Eheheheheh, yeah," Serena muttered as Ash helped her to her feet again.

She decided she better leave Eevee or else she would be too injured to do the tournament.

"It was nice meeting you, Eevee," Serena smiled despite her bruised behind and stomach.

"Vee Vee!" it replied back happily.

"Be safe, kids, and thanks again for helping our city the other day," Officer Jenny saluted, confirming it was the same one from the Power Plant.

"I can tell you exactly where I would feel safe, Officer Jenny. In your arms!" Brock cried as he suddenly ran up to her.

"Oh. Hello again?" Officer Jenny asked in confusion.

"Or better yet, you could be safe in my arms, then we can feel safe together and….YEOWW!" Brock yelled once Misty yanked his ear.

"I have a better idea, Brock. Your ear can be safe in my hand forever," Misty said in aggravation as she pulled Brock away.

"Ow. Ow. Ow," Brock muttered continuously.

As the group walked away from Eevee, Serena decided to get a bottle of water from the nearby vending machine to calm her down. She put some change in the machine and pressed the button for water, but nothing came out. She tried once more, but still nothing came out. Since she couldn't get her water, she pressed the button to get her change back, but that failed, too! Serena was beginning to get a little frustrated.

"Oh, why isn't this vending machine working?" she muttered in slight aggravation.

She was about to go ask Ash for help when another boy who looked her age appeared beside her. He was a thin boy with medium length black hair and bluish gray eyes. He gave her a warm smile.

"Hold on. I had some problems with this vending machine, too. I think I figured out the secret to get your drink, though," he said.

The boy then hit a very particular spot on the vending machine with his fist, and a water bottle fell down into the slot. He then gestured for her to get it.

"Oh, thank you very much," Serena smiled at the boy as she took it.

"No problem. So judging by your clothes, you must be competing in the Battle Chateau today," the boy guessed.

"I am. I'm trying rise to the rank of Countess today. I take it you are doing the same thing, too," she confirmed.

"I'm trying to rise to the rank of Earl. I guess that makes us rivals now, doesn't it? My name is Calem Xavier," the boy introduced as he extended his hand to Serena.

"I'm Serena Gabena," she smiled as she took the handshake.

"So if you don't mind me asking, where are you from, Serena?" Calem asked.

"I'm originally from Vaniville Town in Kalos, but I moved to Pallet Town when I was seven years old," Serena replied.

"No kidding! I used to be from the Vaniville Town in Kalos, also! My family and I just moved to Kanto a year ago. We moved to Vermilion City, but now I'm on a Pokemon journey to be the best at the Battle Chateau!" Calem exclaimed.

"You're originally from Kalos, also?! That's so cool I found someone else from there!" Serena said happily. "I'm trying to be the best at the Battle Chateau, also! I'm traveling with my friends right now. Do you have anyone you're traveling with?"

"Unfortunately, no. I'm just going at it by myself," Calem responded.

"I see," Serena said. "But I suppose that teaches one to be a lot more responsible by having to care for themselves. I have a few friends I grew up with who travel alone, also."

"Yep! That's the idea! Anyway, my match is about to begin. I'll catch you later, Serena. Good luck today," Calem waved.

"It was nice to meet you as well, Calem," Serena smiled as she watched him walk away.

As Serena turned to walk back to the group, she couldn't help but think about the person she just met.

_"Calem was a nice boy,"_ she thought. "_It was also pretty interesting that he is from Vaniville Town, as well."_

Serena was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice she had wandered back to the rest of the group with a dazed look on her face.

"Hey, Serena. What are you thinking about?" Ash asked her as she joined them.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I just met a really nice boy," Serena replied as she set her eyes on Ash again.

"Really?" Brock asked, interested.

"Yeah. His name is Calem, and he is from the Kalos region as well, even my hometown!" Serena answered with a smile.

"Wow. That's really cool," Misty commented.

"Mmm hmm!" Serena giggled.

"Uh, yeah. That's great," Ash muttered as he thought about what Serena had said.

As Ash was listening to Serena talk about Calem, he felt something really weird inside of his chest. There was some sort of tightness in his chest that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He had never felt this way before.

"Pika pi?" Ash's faithful rodent inquired once it sensed its trainer was acting a little off.

"Uh, it's nothing, buddy. I'm fine," Ash whispered to Pikachu as he included himself in the conversation as well about Calem.

"_What a weird feeling that was,"_ Ash thought to himself.

* * *

><p>"May the dame and beau please curtsey and bow to one another respectively!" the judge called.<p>

Serena smiled and curtseyed to a medium sized brown haired boy across the room. The boy bowed politely in response.

"This is an official battle for the Battle Chateau tournament! There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge yelled.

"Nidoran! I choose you!" Serena called as she threw the pokeball to release Nidoran.

"A Nidoran, huh? In that case, I'll choose Graveler!" the boy said as he threw the pokeball forward to release a gray, rock-looking Pokemon with many jagged edges.

"A Graveler," Serena muttered as she pulled out her pokedex.

"Graveler, the rock Pokemon and the evolved form of Geodude. This Pokemon moves around mostly by rolling. It rolls over any object in its path," it said.

"So it's a rock-type. Good thing I taught Nidoran Ice Beam," Serena said to herself.

"Graveler, let's do your Rock Throw!" the boy, who Serena heard was named Tyler, called.

Graveler summoned many rocks from seemingly nowhere and threw them at Nidoran.

"Dodge those rocks, Nidoran!" Serena called.

Nidoran watched as the rocks approached it and jumped over the rocks. It even began to jump on top of the rocks. Serena had learned that trick from watching Pikachu at the Pewter gym.

"Use Double Kick!" Serena commanded.

Nidoran then leaped off of the boulders towards Graveler. It then brought its legs back and delivered two solid kicks to Graveler's front. Graveler reeled back in pain from the super effective hit but soon recovered.

"Not bad. Let's see you stand up to our Rollout attack!" Tyler said as his Graveler curled into a ball and then began rolling at a high speed straight to Nidoran.

"Use Ice Beam!" Serena called.

Nidoran charged up power to its horn and unleashed the ice-type attack, but Graveler quickly rolled out of the way. It continued on and slammed into Nidoran, sending the poison pin Pokemon flying backwards. Graveler then turned away to build up more speed for its Rollout.

Nidoran got up and watched Graveler in defiance.

"Try Ice Beam again, Nidoran!" Serena told it.

Nidoran once again shot an Ice Beam at Graveler. Like last time, Graveler quickly rolled out of the way and crashed into Nidoran. This time it hit a lot harder due to Rollout's power increasing with each successive hit.

Nidoran gave a yelp of pain as it flew backwards once more and hit the ground hard.

"Your Ice Beam won't work! Graveler is too fast!" Tyler shouted at her in triumph.

Serena grimaced. That boy was right. As long as Graveler was using Rollout, she could lose so there had to be a way to stop it.

"Come on, Serena! You can do it!" she heard Ash call.

"_What would Ash do in this situation?"_ Serena thought. _"He would make sure Graveler stopped its Rollout attack, probably by throwing it off balance. That's it!"_

"Nidoran! Use Ice Beam on the floor!" Serena yelled.

Nidoran obeyed and began to shoot Ice Beam all of the floor. Pretty soon the floor was completely covered in ice and had become quite slippery. Graveler was having a really hard time staying balanced due to how slick the floor was. It was wobbling horribly and had slowed significantly. It soon had no choice but to stop once it fell over on the icy field.

"Now use Ice Beam on Graveler!" Serena called.

Nidoran shot its Ice Beam once more. Without Rollout, Graveler was too slow to dodge and was hit dead on by the freezing beam of ice. It roared in pain and the super effective attack.

"Finish it off with one more Double Kick," Serena told Nidoran.

Nidoran then gave a slight jump and began sliding across the ice towards Graveler, who was still trying to recover from the Ice Beam. Nidoran wound its legs, jumped at Graveler, and gave two more powerful kicks to it. Nidoran then back flipped and landed gracefully on the ice. Graveler roared in pain again and unlike Nidoran, fell ungracefully onto the ice in a crumpled heap. It didn't get up.

"Graveler is unable to battle! The winner is Nidoran!" the judge called.

Tyler sadly returned his Graveler to its pokeball and left the room.

"That was great, Serena!" Ash called as he ran towards her with the rest of the group. Unfortunately, he forgot the floor was ice now. He slipped and fell on his bottom. Pikachu fell as well since it had been on Ash's shoulder and gave Ash a glare.

Serena giggled at Ash's clumsiness as she went over and pulled Ash up. "Thank you, Ash!" she replied once she did so.

"Turning the field to ice to throw Graveler off balance was pretty smart," Brock praised.

The judge then came up to the group. "Yeah it's times like this why we prepare," he said as he pressed a button on a remote he got from his pocket. The icy floor of the room lowered under the ground. It was soon replaced with a brand new lush carpet.

"Hee hee, sorry," Serena said as she rubbed her neck.

"No problem! We've had worse messes to clean up, even today," the judge replied before leaving.

Nidoran then ran up to the group.

Serena smiled and knelt down to it. "You did wonderful, Nidoran! Thank you!" she said happily. "Expect some good food to come your way!"

"Nyahh! Nyahh!" Nidoran replied, equally as happy. Then something strange happened. It began to glow white.

"Nidoran?" Serena questioned once she saw what was happening.

"Your Nidoran is evolving!" Brock said excitedly to Serena.

The glowing Pokemon grew larger until the glow stopped. In place of Nidoran was a Pokemon that looked similar to it. The difference was this Pokeman was larger with spiny ears and claws on each of its feet, a Nidorina!

"Wow!" Serena exclaimed happily as he pulled out her pokedex to scan it.

"Nidorina, the poison pin Pokemon and the evolved form of the female Nidoran. It's horn develops slower than a Nidorino's. It prefers to use its teeth and claws to fight," the pokedexes said.

"That's really great, Serena! I'm really happy for you!" Ash said.

"Thanks, Ash!" Serena replied with glee

She then turned to her new Nidorina and gave it a big hug. "Congratulations, Nidorina!"

"Nidorina!" it replied.

* * *

><p>The next few battles with Serena had gone by, and she had won the both. She used her Oddish in the second round where it barely beat a Tentacool. She realized she would have to have some more practice battles with Oddish so it could get stronger. She then used Jigglypuff where it handily put the beating on a Machop, rather than the other way around. For all its cuteness and singing talent, Jigglypuff sure wasn't a pushover in battle. It still seemed to have obedience issues with Serena. She would have to work on that. Now she was prepared to for the final battle and decided to use Charla since her other Pokemon needed a rest<p>

Serena had her Charla outside of its pokeball at the moment and was having a pep talk with it.

"Alright, Charla! We've got this! You just learned a new attack last night, and we can take down any Pokemon or trainer! No matter who they are!" Serena told Charla with determination.

"Char! Char!" it replied with enthusiasm. It then looked at Ash and pointed at his Charmander's pokeball.

"Oh. Ahahaha! You want Charmander to wish you luck to, right?" Ash asked, receiving a nod from Charla.

He then released Charmander, and Charla immediately went over to it to see if it had anything to say. Ash's Charmander got a nervous expression on its face and muttered something to Charla. Charla immediately turned red and gushed.

"That's a pretty amorous Pokemon you have there, Serena" said an amused voice behind the group.

They spun around and saw Calem standing there with a smile on his face.

"Oh, Calem. It's nice to see you again," Serena said as she did a curtsey.

"The pleasure is mine," Calem replied as he bowed back.

Ash frowned at the exchange, but he didn't know why.

"Ah, so this is Calem," Brock realized. "Serena had just told us about you. I'm Brock."

"I'm Misty," Misty introduced.

"It's nice to meet you two," Calem said politely. He then turned to Ash, who had been oddly quiet since Calem came up. "Are you one of Serena's friends, too?"

"Yes. I am. My name is Ash Ketchum," he said.

"Calem," the black haired boy said as he brought his hand up for Ash to shake.

Ash stared at the open hand for a little longer than necessary before he realized he was being rude and shook it.

"Nice to meet you, too!" he replied with a forced smile.

As Ash was shaking Calem's hand, he felt that weird tension in his chest again. What was that strange feeling?

Once they released each other from the handshake, Calem turned to Serena again. "I heard that you won all your challenges so far and made it to the finals. Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Serena responded. "How have you done?"

"I've won all my battles as well. It looks like we will be competing in the final round," Calem told her.

"That's great!" Serena said happily. "I can't wait to battle you! We have Vaniville Town pride on the line, don't we?"

"We sure do!" Calem grinned. "I'll see you in the battle room!"

He then walked off.

"Well, he seems like a nice boy," Misty commented.

"He is. It was great to meet somebody else from Kalos," Serena agreed.

"Yeah," Ash said rather quietly. This feeling in his chest right now was beginning to bug him.

"Chuuu?" Pikachu asked Ash again.

"Really, buddy. I'm fine. I just feel strange right now," Ash replied.

Brock, however, noticed Ash's expression as a look of concern crossed his face.

"_I wonder," _he thought.

* * *

><p>Serena and Calem were now standing on opposite sides of the battle room. Both had looks of determination on their faces. Despite becoming fast friends, the two knew they weren't going to go easy on each other so they had to give it their all. Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Misty, and Charmander were on the sides watching the battle. Charla had requested that Ash's Charmander stay out of its pokeball and watch it battle for once.<p>

"The final battle for today's Battle Chateau challenge will now take place. The winner shall rise in rank and receive the Pokemon Eevee also as a special gift to celebrate our one year anniversary!" the judge yelled. "Please bow and curtsey to one another."

Serena smiled at Calem and curtseyed. Calem bowed back then waved at Serena using his tie which caused her to giggle. Ash frowned again once he saw that. There was that tightness in his chest again.

"You may choose your Pokemon!" the judge announced.

"Go Charla!" Serena yelled.

"Go Dodrio!" Calem yelled also.

Serena's pokeball opened to reveal Charla while Calem's pokeball opened and a large bird Pokemon with no wings and three heads appeared squawking loudly.

"Oh wow. A Dodrio!" Serena said in surprise as she scanned it. She had seen a lot of new Pokemon today!

"Dodrio, the triple bird Pokemon and the evolved form of Doduo. It uses its three brains to make complex plans. While two heads sleep, one stays awake," the monotonous pokedex voice said.

"I don't like the looks of this match," Brock said seriously. "Dodrio is a very powerful and fast Pokemon. I hate to say it, but I don't know if Charla can handle it."

"Come on, Serena! You can do it!" Ash hollered.

"Chaaaaaar!" Charmander called to Charla.

Serena knew she had her work cut out for her right now. Charla's newly learned move of Dig would be useless against Dodrio because it was a flying-type, even though it couldn't technically fly itself. She would have to rely on Charla's fire attacks to cause substantial damage, as well as a little bit of luck. She had no doubt Calem was a good trainer if he made it this far and already risen in rank once.

"You may now begin!" the judge yelled.

"Let's start this off with a Quick Attack, Dodrio!" Calem hollered.

Dodrio was already a fast Pokemon. This was only heightened by the move it was using. Dodrio burst forward with great speed. Before Charla could blink. Dodrio rammed into it and sent it flying.

"Now use Peck!" Calem said next.

Charla hadn't even hit the ground yet before it was struck by one of Dodrio's sharp beaks. Charla was knocked to the ground, and Dodrio's heads took turns ruthlessly pecking Charla with their beaks. Charla was getting pummeled pretty badly.

"Try to use Ember, Charla!" Serena cried.

Charla fought through the pain and managed to shoot out several Embers at Dodrio. They connected and Dodrio yelped in pain. However, Dodrio seemed to get more aggravated than anything. It began to ruthlessly peck Charla again. If Serena didn't know better and Calem wasn't a nice guy, it would have looked like a bully picking on a poor, small Pokemon.

Charla was huddled in a ball trying to protect itself from the onslaught of pecks. Dodrio seemed to tire of doing this and rammed Charla with one of its heads once more, sending it flying and onto the ground a short distance away.

"Chaaaaar," it muttered weakly before its tail flame began to shoot up because Blaze had been activated.

Serena knew Blaze would be her only chance unless a miracle occurred. "Charla use Flamethrower!" Serena yelled.

Charla shot its Flamethrower at Dodrio where it was engulfed by the flames. The Flamethrower seemed to do a good deal of damage this time, but Dodrio was still willing to fight.

"Use Tri Attack!" Calem yelled.

"Use Flamethrower once more Charla!" Serena countered.

Charla launched its Flamethrower while Dodrio shot out a spiral beam that had both electricity, fire, and ice flowing through it. The attacks collided midway which caused an explosion. Charla was knocked backwards by the blast while Dodrio was pushed back but held its ground.

Charla was now lying face down on the floor and not getting up.

"Charla! Are you okay!" Serena asked in worry.

Misty sighed sadly. "There is no doubt Charla is a great battler. It just couldn't keep up with Dodrio's speed and power.

"Looks like we did it, Dodrio. Well done!" Calem praised and gave a thumbs up to his Pokemon.

Dodrio squawked happily in return.

Charla began struggling to get up, but kept falling down again each time. Even its Blaze wasn't helping at the moment.

"Come on, Charla! You can do it!" Serena encouraged.

Charla was pushing itself up with its hands as it began to sweat. It wanted to stand up for its trainer, but it was too weak. This Dodrio had totally outmatched it. If only it was a little stronger. Charla then looked to the sides and saw all of Serena's friends cheering for it. It then saw Ash's Charmander doing the same thing. It could do this. It then searched for a hidden power within itself and found it. This power was something that Blaze couldn't give it.

"I hate to attack your Pokemon again, Serena, but it's the only way for the match to end since your Pokemon won't stay down. Use Peck one more time Dodrio!" Calem said.

As Dodrio began to run towards Charla to give the finishing attack, Charla gave a mighty push with its hands and sprung onto its feet, surprising everyone how fast it did so.

"Chaaaaaar!" Charla cried as it became engulfed in a bright white light, which caused Dodrio to stop in its tracks.

"It can't be. Charla is evolving, too," Serena mumbled in amazement as she and everyone else watched.

Soon Charla stopped glowing and had become an entirely new Pokemon. Like Charmander, the Pokemon was lizard-like only it was dark red in color with a cream belly. It had a horn on the back of its head. It also sported the same flaming tail Charmander had. Charla had now evolved into a Charmeleon.

"That's so cool, Serena!" Serena heard Ash shout. "That's your second Pokemon to evolve today!"

Serena smiled happily and scanned Charla's new form with her pokedex.

"Charmeleon, the flame Pokemon and the evolved form of Charmander. It has razor sharp claws, and its tail is exceptionally strong," said the pokedex.

"Congratulations on your Charmander evolving, but it isn't enough to beat Dodrio! Use Peck!" Calem ordered.

"Dodge it, Charla!" Serena called.

Charla gave a mighty leap into the air. Dodrio stopped to look in surprise for a moment until Charla landed on Dodrio's back. Dodrio then began to thrash around wildly trying to get Charla off. Serena couldn't help but be reminded of riding her mother's Rhyhorn as a little girl when she saw this.

"Come on, Dodrio! Get that Charmeleon off of you!" Calem yelled.

Dodrio then turned one of its heads around to use Tri Attack, but Serena was ready.

"Quick! Use Flamethrower, Charla!" Serena said.

Charla then shot the fire attack right in Dodrio's face before it use Tri Attack. Dodrio's three heads and necks were engulfed in the fire. Dodrio then stood, momentarily dazed from the close range fire attack. Its heads and neck were completely black.

"Now use Metal Claw!" Serena yelled.

Charla's claw glowed white as it slashed at Dodrio who cried out from the pain. Dodrio then gave a mighty jerk which threw Charla off. Charla landed on its back but quickly got up, ready for more. It then ran up to Dodrio, who was about to launch another Tri Attack, and gave it a hard slap with its fiery tail. Dodrio reeled back as Serena gave a final command.

"Use Flamethrower one more time, Charla!" Serena shouted.

"Use Tri Attack Dodrio," Calem yelled.

Both Pokemon charged their respective attacks, but Charla was just a little quicker after all the training it did with Serena to perfect it. Dodrio was once again engulfed in the Flamethower. All three heads then coughed a puff of smoke before falling over onto the ground.

"Can you stand, Dodrio?" Calem asked worriedly.

Dodrio tried to stand up but fell back down with swirly eyes which signaled it had been defeated.

"Dodrio is unable to battle! The winner of today's Battle Chateau tournament and Eevee is Serena Gabena of Pallet Town!" the judge announced.

"I won! Thank you, Charla! You were amazing!" Serena cried happily as she ran towards her newly evolved Charmeleon and gave it huge hug.

"Char!" Charla said happily.

Calem sighed as he returned Dodrio and thanked it for a good job. He then went over to Serena and smiled.

"That was a great match, Serena. Well done. Dodrio is one of my strongest Pokemon. You're a great Pokemon trainer," he said as he extended his hand for Serena to take.

"Thanks, Calem," Serena smiled as they shook hands.

"That was an awesome match, Serena!" Ash called as he and everyone else ran to join them.

Serena giggled. "Well, I couldn't have done it if it wasn't for Charla!"

She then mimicked a line she heard from Ash a few times. "Do I have the greatest Pokemon or what?"

Charla smiled at Serena. Then it noticed Ash's Charmander staring up at it in nervousness. Charla frowned. Having that Pokemon still be a Charmander will not do. It would need to evolve soon. Having a small boyfriend like that felt really weird.

* * *

><p>"Well done with today's tournament, madam! It pleases me greatly to award you with this certificate showing your new rank of Countess as well as this Eevee!" Hennessy said as he gave Serena a pokeball and certificate to put in her case.<p>

"Thank you very much, Hennessy!" Serena said gratefully.

"You're halfway there, Serena," Ash smiled while giving her a thumbs-up.

Serena then decided to get acquainted with her new Pokemon.

"Come on out, Eevee!" she called as she released it.

Eevee appeared from the Pokemon and looked around before setting its eyes on Serena.

Serena knelt down to be more eye level at it. "Guess what, Eevee? It turns out I'm your new trainer. I'm very happy to have you come along with me and know we'll make a great team!"

"Vee Vee!" Eevee said happily before it tackled Serena again.

"Well, those two are going to hit it off quickly!" Brock said while he and everyone else sweatdropped once more.

"Heheheh, yeah," Serena muttered a little dazedly.

* * *

><p>About ten minutes later, the group was outside the Battle Chateau with Calem with everyone back in their normal clothes. Calem seemed to like a red hat on his head when he wasn't competing at the Battle Chateau.<p>

"So I guess we are going different ways now," Serena said sadly.

"Yeah," Calem agreed. "I'm heading off to Fuchsia City while you guys are heading to Saffron City. I'd come with you, but I was just there. It was a really big city."

"That's too bad. We'll see each other again, right?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Who knows? We'll just have to see. I'll be rooting for you, though!"Calem said as he gave her a thumbs up.

_"That's MY signature gesture," _Ash thought to himself.

"I wish the best for you, too," Serena smiled.

"It was nice to meet all of you!" Calem said as he raised his hand in farewell.

"You too, Calem!" Brock and Misty replied with a smile. Ash merely nodded his head.

Calem then turned and walked the other direction to leave.

"Bye, Calem!" Serena waved happily. She continued to do this until he rounded a corner and was out of sight.

She then turned to the rest of the group. "We should start heading to Saffron City now. We don't want to fall behind from everyone, right?"

"Yeah," Ash agreed as he was reminded of Gary and Paul. He had no doubt they both had five badges by now because of how long the group spent in Celadon City.

"Well, why don't we stock up on supplies and head out? It's only four o'clock so there is still some time to get some traveling in," Brock suggested.

"Great! Saffron City! Here we come!" Ash said enthusiastically as they began to walk.

"You sure had an eventful day, Serena," Misty commented. "You rose in rank at the Battle Chateau. Charla and Nidroran evolved. You got a new Pokemon, and to top it off, you made a new friend in Calem.

"Yeah!" Serena agreed happily. "I had a great day!"

As they were leaving, Ash didn't know what compelled him to ask this, but he felt like he had to.

"Hey, Serena. Calem is just a friend, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. He is just a friend," Serena confirmed, being the oblivious one for a change.

It was strange. Ash felt a huge wave of relief come over him once he heard Serena say that Calem was just a friend. What were these feelings right now? Maybe he'll understand in the future.

Misty, Brock, and Pikachu caught on, however, and gave a knowing glance to each other. The three of them were thinking the same thing.

Ash was feeling jealousy.

* * *

><p>"I hate jail! This place is disgusting. We are too good for this place, Biff," Cassidy muttered in her jail cell that she shared with Butch. She was sitting on the hard wooden bed with her legs and arms crossed in an angry manner.<p>

"I told you before my name is…never mind," Butch trailed. He was too humiliated at being in jail to argue with Cassidy. He was sprawled out on the floor with his arms and legs far apart staring at the ceiling.

"I can't believe those brats outdid us, as well," Cassidy grumbled, ignoring Butch's comment.

"If we get out of here, they will definitely pay," Butch added as he clenched his fists.

It was then that a guard came up to the jail cell. "You two have three visitors here. Do you want to see them?"

"Why not?" Cassidy mumbled. "It's not like we can sink any lower."

The guard nodded and left the room. About a minute later, the visitors walked in, and Butch and Cassidy immediately glared. The trio may have been wearing casual clothes to hide their identities, but that didn't change the fact that Butch and Cassidy knew who it was.

"Well, well. You do look better in stripes than I do!" Jessie taunted.

"What are you clowns doing here?!" Cassidy growled she and Butch stood up to face them.

"Tut tut. Is that anyway to treat the people who are bailing you out?" Jessie smirked as she wagged her finger.

"Yeah. Orders from the boss," James confirmed.

"I can't believe it. The boss sent YOU THREE to bail us out?" Butch groaned.

"Yes. The boss is busy right now with our next plan so he sent us," Jessie replied.

"Grrr…fine. Just bail us out already," Cassidy muttered.

"We might if you say 'please'," Jessie said with an amused smile. She, James, and Meowth were enjoying this way too much.

"Never!" Cassidy shouted.

"Oh, what a shame," Jessie said in mock hurt as she rubbed her eyes. "If you can't be nicer, I guess we will just leave and tell the boss we couldn't afford your bail. He'll understand."

The three then turned to leave

"Wait!" Butch yelled as he grabbed the bars of the cell desperately.

"Yeees? James asked slowly as he, Jessie, and Meowth turned their heads around.

"Uh…let us out, please," Butch mumbled.

"Good, Biff. Now let's hear it from Cassidy," James smirked.

"Just do it, Cassidy. It's not like things can get any worse," Butch muttered, ignoring the fact that James called him by the wrong name.

"Fine. Please let us out," Cassidy growled through gritted teeth, swallowing every bit of her pride.

"Now say Jessie, James, and Meowth are the best!" Jessie taunted in triumph.

Cassidy let out another growl. "Don't push it," she warned.

"Fine," Jessie sighed. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

About ten minutes later, the guard came to the door and opened the jail cell for Butch and Cassidy.

"You two are free to go, and stay out of trouble," he said.

Cassidy and Butch then walked out of the Celadon Prison and saw Jessie, James, and Meowth were waiting for them next to a helicopter which a grunt was piloting.

The two didn't even spare Jessie, James, and Meowth a glance as they passed by them to get into the helicopter. They couldn't believe they were humiliated this badly in front of their greatest rivals.

Once everyone was in the helicopter, it lifted off the ground and took off.

Cassidy sighed as she sat down and rested her head on one of her hands. "So where are we heading?" she asked the trio.

"You two might want to change into more suitable clothes for this," Jessie said as she handed Cassidy and Butch each a Team Rocket Uniform.

"We are on our way to Saffron City to prepare for the boss's big plan. I'm feeling giddy!" James answered.

"Saffron City? Does that mean…?" Butch began in a surprised tone.

"Yep!" Meowth interrupted. "Team Rocket is taking over the Silph Company!"

* * *

><p><strong> I think I did the interactions between the Rockets fairly accurately. The Silph Company chapters are coming up very soon. They are important and will provide small hints for one big surprise towards the end of the Kanto arc. (I'm very excited for them) Kudos to anyone who picks up on the hints, as they are subtle. The last chapter of the Silph arc will be really…dark compared to the rest of the chapters so far. I will probably put up a warning before it to remind you guys. (nothing M rated though as I already promised I wouldn't put anything like that in the story, nor do I really WANT to put anything like that in the story).<strong>

** Calem will appear a few more times throughout Kanto and possibly the other regions, as well. Serena isn't going to fall for him, though.**

** The next chapter will be up next Tuesday and I will see you all then! :)**

**Chapter 25: The Strongest Primeape**

_**Answering the Questions:**_

_Wait Ash won't use Pikachu for each of his gym battles will he?_

_**No, but it's still his main Pokemon like in the anime.**_

_Will Serena ever confess her love for Ash at some point?_

_**Yes. She will confess sometime before Johto. She will give Ash a hint about her true feelings sometime soon.**_

_How will your episode of the Pokémon Tower play out; is it closer to the games and/or Pokémon Origins?_

_**It is a mixture of the anime, Origins, and my own ideas.**_

_Will Ash get an Abra and evolve it all the way to Alakazam?_

_**Maybe**_

_When will Serena catch another Pokemon?_

_**Does this chapter answer your question? After Eevee, she will get her next Pokemon in Saffron City.**_

_I read that you will give Ash some legendaries. Will one of them be Suicune?_

_**It might. I don't plan on Ash to get any legendaries until really late in the series. I'm now not even sure if he will actually catch them so much as he can call on them when needed. As I've said before though, he will never control the "super legendaries" as that's too unrealistic.**_

_Will we see Ash and Serena being something in the final arc akin to S-rank trainers?_

_**Something of that nature.**_

_Will Ash get a Scizor?_

_**Either Ash or Serena will get a Scizor. You will see who (spoiler alert) gets a Scyther in the Safari Zone chapter.**_

_When will Serena get her own Water-Type Pokemon?_

_**I'm leaning towards two different places at the moment and deciding between two Pokemon, but she will get one.**_

_By 'Misty will bond with it later in the story' do you mean much MUCH later in the story?_

_**I don't think it will be too much later. It will be within the next ten chapters. I already have that part written if that helps.**_

_When will Ash get Primeape?_

_**Next chapter, but that was probably obvious given its title.**_

_Will Ash get a big Pokemon like Onix or Gyarados?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Lyra make an appearance whether it's Johto or Sinnoh?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will you have Ash capture a Dratini or Dragonair in the story?_

_**Yes. He will get a Dratini sometime in Kanto.**_

_Are Ash and his friends going to the Saffron gym next since it's adjacent to Celadon or Fuchsia?_

_**Saffron Gym.**_

_With you now doing the Pokemon Heroes movie will Ash capture Latias or will she stay in Altomare?_

_**The plan is to have Latias appear a few more times after Altomare, but no I don't plan for Ash to capture it.**_

_Will Serena challenge a gym leader at least once like Dawn did?_

_**Yes, but probably not in the way you expect.**_

_If memory serves me right, there was an episode of the original anime where Ash got caught in a blizzard. Will that show up anytime in the future?_

_**It's a secret. **_


	25. The Strongest Primeape

**A/N: Hey, everyone! I know this chapter is up a couple of days earlier than usual. That's because last week I forgot I would be gone all of this coming week. I managed to squeeze out this chapter in time before I leave, though, so it all worked out. I give a shout out to Howard576 for helping give the idea of an alternative take on Primeape. Yes Ash will keep it in this fic as stated before. Enjoy the chapter!**

**One more thing: Please no more "When will Ash and Serena get together" questions. I have answered this question a hundred times in all ways, shapes, and forms. Look in past chapters or author notes. **

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Pokemon. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 25: The Strongest Primeape<p>

With Celadon City behind them, the group was now continuing on to Saffron City. To their great relief, they learned that Saffron City wasn't too far, and it would only take them about three days to get there. They were glad they wouldn't need to be camping for a whole month between these two cities like they had with others. At the moment, they were enjoying a nice lunch prepared by none other than Brock and in high spirits. The Pokemon were either eating, playing around, or introducing themselves to the new members of the team, Eevee and Psyduck. Eevee happily introduced itself and wanted to play with everyone while Psyduck just gave them all a blank stare with only a mumble to indicate it even heard them.

Serena noticed how well Eevee was getting along with everyone and smiled to herself. Eevee was a very playful and friendly Pokemon. It just liked to play a little too rough since it tackled Serena too many times. It had been two days since she caught it so she was beginning to get used to it. That didn't help ease the pain of falling on her behind very much, though.

Serena also noticed Charla's attitude towards Ash's Charmander had changed since it evolved into Charmeleon. Charmander would try to go over and converse with Charla, but Charla would just give a disappointed sigh before saying anything rather than gushing like it did before. This seemed to upset Charmander. Serena supposed with evolution came new personalities sometimes, or maybe Charla was waiting for Ash's Charmander to one day become Charmeleon, as well. In Charla's mind, it imagined Charmander evolving into a Charmeleon before it did. Then it would have strong, handsome Pokemon to sweep it off its feet, but instead, the opposite happened so Charla wouldn't be able to live out that fantasy now.

Serena then looked over at Ash, who was sitting next to her and slurping up his stew. She didn't know why, but Ash was being unusually close to her since they left Celadon City. There was no doubt she enjoyed being this close to Ash but still wondered what caused this sudden attachment. Maybe Ash was doing it unintentionally, but Serena didn't want to ask in case it would make Ash uncomfortable. She decided to just enjoy this closeness with Ash while it lasted.

Ash must have noticed her gaze as he looked at her and gave her a smile, which Serena returned. As a test to see what would happen, she scooted a little closer to Ash to see if he would widen the gap like he usually did or stay where he was. As she expected, he didn't pull away this time so maybe he was staying close to her on purpose, after all. Did he enjoy being this close to her like she did with him? Were Leaf and Misty correct about Ash's feelings towards her? He liked her as much as she liked him but just didn't realize it? Serena blushed at the thought that Ash might actually like her back.

While on her thoughts of Ash, she realized his birthday was only two weeks away. He would be turning eleven years old then. Her birthday was only two months after his. Where did the time go? It was hard to believe they have been on a journey that long. As Serena thought about Ash's birthday, she began to think about what she could get him. He would no doubt want something that was helpful on his Pokemon journey. Ash loved cake so he would also want one of those as well. She then realized what a nice gesture it would be if she actually made the cake herself rather than having someone buy it at the store like in the past. The only problem was she didn't know how to bake. Her mother was an excellent cook and was going to teach Serena at one point, but Serena left before her mother could get around to it. She then looked over at Brock. There was no doubt Brock could make anything. Maybe she could ask Brock to teach her how to cook, possibly even clean as well. That would know doubt lighten Brock's load if she took over the chores sometimes. It would also allow Ash to be impressed with how great a wife she might make one day. Of course, she wasn't going to do everything so Ash would need to learn some things, as well.

Serena then began to blush furiously. Did she actually just think about Ash and her getting married?!

"Hey, Serena. What are you doing?" Ash asked once he saw Serena's weird expression and red face.

"Eheheheheh! It's nothing!" Serena said quickly with a nervous laugh.

"Well guys, we better start packing up to leave so we can get to Saffron City as soon as possible," Brock told the group as he stood up from the ground.

"Good idea. I've had my share so I'm good to go!" Ash agreed.

"You had more than your fair share, Ash. You had four bowls of Brock's stew!" Misty teased.

"It's no more than I usually eat," Ash defended as he and the rest of the group began to return their Pokemon except Pikachu to their pokeballs.

"You can say that again," Misty muttered.

The group was then interrupted by a rustling in the bushes. They looked over towards them to see a Mankey poke its head out.

"Oh, cool! It's a wild Mankey!" Ash exclaimed.

The Mankey then came out of the bushes and walked over towards the group.

"Hey there, Mankey. I don't have any stew, but I have a doughnut. Would you like to try one?" Brock asked in a friendly tone.

"Mankey!" the pig monkey Pokemon responded happily before going over to Brock.

Brock then reached into his backpack before pulling out a box of doughnuts. He then pulled one out and handed it to Mankey. The Pokemon then sniffed the doughnut and began eating it happily.

"You know, guys. I could really use a fighting-type Pokemon since I haven't caught one yet. What better way to start than with a Mankey!? I should be able to get it while it's distracted," Ash said as he pulled out a spare pokeball.

"Shouldn't you at least let it finish the doughnut first?" Misty asked. "Mankey are known to have horrible tempers."

"Maybe you're right," Ash relented as he clipped his pokeball back to his belt. The last thing he wanted to do was anger the Mankey.

The Mankey finished eating the doughnut and looked at Brock with pleading eyes as if asking for more.

"Sorry about that, Mankey," Brock said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "All the doughnuts are already gone."

Mankey gave a sad look at first, but soon nodded its head. It then turned towards Ash and its eyes lit up with excitement.

"Hey what do you guys know? It looks like Mankey likes me," Ash smiled once he saw the Pokemon giving him a happy expression.

Mankey then leaped forward as if it were going to give Ash a hug. Ash opened his arms for the embrace but was in for a rude awakening. Instead of hugging Ash, Mankey reeled back its arms and punched Ash in the stomach, causing him to grunt and bend over in pain.

Mankey then reached out and grabbed Ash's hat and placed it on its head. It seemed Mankey only liked Ash's hat rather than Ash himself.

Serena, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu cringed when they saw the painful blow to Ash's stomach. They then saw the Mankey pointing and laughing at Ash.

"Hey, Mankey! Give me my hat!" Ash shouted once he recovered from the punch to his stomach.

Instead, Mankey turned its hat back and imitated throwing a pokeball, mimicking Ash's movements. Ash got an angry look that he was being mocked by this Pokemon.

"I'll show you!" Ash cried as he lunged forward at Mankey.

Mankey easily jumped out of the way which caused Ash to faceplant right on the ground. He lifted himself off the ground and glared at Mankey.

"Fine, Mankey! If that's the way you want it, I'll take it back by force!" Ash yelled. He then turned to his faithful rodent partner. "Go, Pikachu!"

Pikachu ran in front of Ash and glared at the Mankey. The Mankey glared back. They were in a staring contest.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

The yellow rodent ran forward to slam into Mankey, but the pig monkey Pokemon jumped over Pikachu before it could reach it. It then landed a short distance away. Mankey then left Ash and gave him a taunting look by mimicking him again. It then began to run away.

"Oh no you don't!" Ash yelled as he took off after the Mankey.

"Wait, Ash!" the group cried as the followed him.

* * *

><p>Ash was running after Mankey as fast as he could. That was his official Pokemon League hat that Mankey had. Ash couldn't let it get away. He had to send in a million post cards to win it. Unfortunately, it seemed Mankey was a lot faster than Ash. As Ash was chasing it, Mankey saw some thick trees at the entrance to a small forest. It then hopped into the clearing and disappeared into the sea of trees.<p>

Ash stopped running and began searching as hard as he could for any trace of where Mankey had gone to. By that time, the rest of the group had caught up to Ash and were panting heavily.

"Did you…get…your hat?" Serena asked while panting.

"No. I lost it," Ash muttered sadly. He couldn't believe his favorite hat was stolen just like that by some wild Pokemon.

"Oh, well. It was just a hat," Misty shrugged, which caused Ash to glare at her. Misty clearly didn't know the value Ash held to his hat.

"Hey! That is my official Pokemon League hat!" Ash argued.

"So? What's so special about it?" Misty scoffed.

Serena knew how much that Pokemon League hat meant to him. He wore it every day, and the only time he took it off is when he was sleeping or bathing. Ash and his hat were rarely seen apart. Serena could say she felt the same way about her favorite pink hat. However, it was special to her for a different reason than Ash had with his hat. Ash had given her this hat on her last birthday, and she would be crushed if it was ever stolen.

"It's okay, Ash. I'm sure we will find your hat. Remember, Pikachu can track the scents of other people and Pokemon," Serena assured as she gave him a smile.

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Ash remembered. He then turned to Pikachu. "Do you think you can track down that wild Mankey, buddy?"

"Are we seriously going to stop our traveling just to search for your hat?" Misty asked in disbelief.

"Come on, Misty. Try to understand how Ash feels. That's his favorite hat so he can't just get a new one," Brock told her.

"This is ridiculous," Misty muttered.

"Oh yeah?" Serena countered. "How would you like it if Mankey stole your Misty fishing lure?"

Misty froze. That fishing lure in her image was her favorite thing. She had made it herself. She would certainly be upset if it was ever taken despite being somewhat silly. Maybe she was being too hard on Ash.

Misty sighed, but then gave Ash a small smile. "Fine, Ash. Let's search for you hat."

Ash smiled at Serena for sticking up to him, and then he turned to Pikachu. "Have you come up with anything yet, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the rodent responded as it began to run down the pathway.

"It think Pikachu is on to it!" Ash said excitedly as the group followed it.

* * *

><p>It turns out Mankey had covered quite a bit of ground in such a short time. They had been on Mankey's scent for fifteen minutes and still hadn't caught up to it yet. Just when the group thought they might never catch up to the pig monkey Pokemon, they began to hear quite a bit of noise.<p>

Pikachu stopped in its tracks and perked its ears in the direction of the noise. It then motioned for the group to stop and put its finger to its lip. Pikachu then pointed one of its short fingers in the direction of a few bushes that were off the main pathway.

The group quietly made their way over to the bushes. As they were getting closer, the noise was turning out to be a lot of grunting and yelling. The group peaked over the bushes and stared in surprise at what they saw.

There was a small group of Mankey, about eight, that were formed in a circle, all cheering and making all kinds of noises. In the center of the group of Mankey, was another Mankey and a Primeape.

Ash gasped when he saw the Mankey that was in the center was the one who stole his hat. Sure enough, the Pokemon still had Ash's hat on top of its head. It appeared to be in some kind of fight with the Primeape.

"Maybe while it's distracted, I can get my hat back," Ash whispered.

"I don't think that is such a good idea. Do you really want to get in the middle of a group of Mankey who are fighting each other?" Serena whispered back.

Ash saw her point and shuddered at the thought that he would be beaten to a pulp if he attempted to take his hat back now. He and the rest of group decided to secretly watch from behind the bushes to see how this played out. Upon seeing how Mankey and Primeape were looking at each other with hatred, it was clear they were bitter rivals.

The Mankey and Primeape were glaring at each other for a while before the Mankey made its move. It jumped up into the air towards the Primeape to deliver a Karate Chop. The Primeape was ready, however. It reared its fist back and slammed it into the Mankey's face before it could connect with Karate Chop.

Mankey sailed towards the ground and landed painfully. The Primeape then approached Mankey and began to pummel it with its fist continuously. Mankey wasn't even getting a chance to retaliate. The group of Mankey surrounding the two continued to shout and cheer at the fight that was taking place. They didn't seem to care who was losing and who was winning.

Once the Primeape seemed satisfied with the amount of damage it did, it quit its barrage of punches and stood back to see if Mankey would get up. Mankey slowly got up to its feet and glared defiantly at the Primeape in front it. Surprisingly, Ash's hat had managed to stay on its head. The larger pig monkey stared back at Mankey for second before it began to laugh cruelly.

Upon seeing that it was being made fun of, Mankey charged at the Primeape with every ounce of strength it still had. Once again, Primeape wound its fist back and slammed it in Mankey's face. Mankey immediately dropped to the ground. The Primeape then went over to Mankey and began to kick it back and forth. Mankey was giving out grunts and cries of pain with each kick.

The group grimaced at the brutality of the Primeape. Those two must have a very strong dislike for each other.

The Primeape finished pummeling the Mankey and stood back to see if it would stand up again. It's mouth wasn't visible, but it was clear the Primeape was smirking right now. The Mankey raised its head off the ground and stared defiantly at the Primeape once more. It then couldn't take the pain anymore and fell face forward on the ground.

The Primeape went over and planted its foot on Mankey's backside. It then raised its right fist in triumph at its victory. The rest of Mankey cheered and grunted in approval at the fight that had just taken place. The Primeape gave one last disgusted look at the fallen Mankey before smirking and walking off, all the Mankey that formed a circle following suit.

Once the Primeape and Mankey were out of sight, the group saw how hurt Mankey was and decided it needed some help fast.

They went over to it and knelt down to see if it was okay. The Mankey raised its head off of the ground and looked at the group in confusion.

"Hey, Mankey. How are you feeling," Ash asked as he reached forward to take his hat from Mankey's head.

Upon seeing what Ash was doing, it got an angry look and slapped Ash's hand away with its own before grimacing at the pain it was in.

"Ash, maybe now isn't the best time to take your hat back. Wait until Mankey feels better, and then try it," Brock told him.

"Right," Ash nodded as he rubbed his stinging hand.

Brock quickly checked its condition and got a grim expression on his face. "Nothing appears to be broken, but it does have some pretty nasty bumps and bruises on it. I recommend we get it to a Pokemon Center as fast as we can," Brock reported.

"But there aren't any Pokemon Centers in the area," Serena said sadly.

The group thought for a moment before Brock spoke up again. "I know!" he said as he put his fist in his other palm. "We can gather some plants from around this area and turn them into medicine like Melanie taught us a while back!"

"Great idea, Brock!" Misty agreed. "Let's go!"

"You guys go on ahead. Pikachu and I will stay here with Mankey to make sure it's okay," Ash told the group.

Serena, Brock, and Misty nodded their heads and went off in different directions to find the proper plants to make medicine with.

Ash got his sleeping bag out from his backpack and lay it down on the ground. He then gently picked up Mankey. I weakly struggled in Ash's arms but soon relented because it was too weak. Ash then placed it on the sleeping bag for a more comfortable place to lie down than on the ground.

Ash gave Mankey a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Mankey. We are here to help you. I promise I won't try to take my hat back from you anymore."

Mankey raised its head off the sleeping bag and gave Ash a curious glance.

As if reading Mankey's mind, Ash went on. "Yeah. It's true that hat is incredibly important to me. I was pretty furious when you stole it, but right now the most important thing is making sure that you are okay," he said.

Mankey continued to stare at Ash in confusion. It had just stolen this kid's hat yet he was more worried about its well-being? Who did this kid think he was? Just because the kid was being nice to it now didn't mean it was going to give up the hat. Plus, Mankey thought the hat looked much better on it than it did on this kid, Ash, was it?

Mankey gave a huff before it placed its head back down on the sleeping bag.

"Don't push yourself," Ash warned gently.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu agreed

Mankey grunted and glared at the two. It didn't want to receive any help from this kid or his friends. It was too proud for that.

About twenty minutes later, the rest of the gang arrived with a few different plants. They then set them on the ground and pulled out some utensils from their backpacks.

"With these plants, we should be able to make some impromptu medicine. It won't be as good treatment at a Pokemon Center, but it should still make Mankey feel a lot better," Brock reasoned.

The group then began crushing the plants into fine powder with their various utensils and adding a few ingredients like Melanie had suggested. Then they got a glass of water from one of their water kegs and added the medicine to it for Mankey to drink.

"Here, Mankey. Drink this. It will make you feel better," Ash said gently as he held the glass up to Mankey's lips.

Mankey promptly turned away and grunted angrily.

"I know you are in a lot of pain right now, and you aren't going to get any better unless you drink this," Ash tried again.

Mankey turned around and saw the sincerity in Ash's eyes. It trusted the concoction in the boy's hands would make it feel better, but it was too stubborn. Its pride already took a massive hit by being crushed by that Primeape. It didn't need to be humiliated again by accepting help from humans.

"Please," Ash said sincerely.

Mankey finally decided the pain was too great and begrudgingly began to take small sips of the medicine. The medicine was pretty bitter, but it wasn't the worst thing Mankey had ever tasted before. It swallowed and rested its head back on the sleeping bag.

"Thanks, Mankey," Ash smiled happily. "Now you just need some nice rest. We will keep watch over you to make sure nothing bad happens while you are recovering."

Now wait just a minute here! Mankey appreciated the medicine the group gave it, but it refused to be babysat like some weakling. It shakily stood its feet, made sure Ash's hat was firmly on its head, and began to shuffle away from the group.

"You shouldn't try to walk right now, Mankey!" Ash warned.

Mankey turned around to glare at Ash. It then delivered another punch to Ash's gut and resumed walking.

"Ash!" Serena cried worriedly once she saw Ash double over in pain. She then ran over to help him back to his feet.

"Pika Pikachu!" the yellow rodent said angrily as it ran in front of Mankey and sparked its cheeks at it for the sucker punch it gave Ash.

"It's fine, buddy," Ash coughed as Serena helped him up.

Pikachu glared at Mankey one last time before allowing it to pass by it. Mankey continued to shuffle along the path until it collapsed once more. It clearly still wasn't feeling very well despite taking some medicine shortly before.

Ash went over to it. "Mankey, I know you don't want really want our help, but if you don't get enough rest, you could injure yourself more than you already are. At least stay long enough to feel better, and then you can leave." he said.

As stubborn as Mankey was, it knew Ash was right. If it wanted to recover anytime soon, it would need to receive help from these humans. It finally stopped staring defiantly at Ash and allowed him to pick it up. Ash did so and carried it back to the sleeping bag to rest Mankey on it. Deciding to give Ash a break for a change, Mankey took Ash's hat off its head and handed it back to Ash. The raven-haired boy was rather surprised at this gesture from the previously hostile Pokemon.

"Wow. Thanks, Mankey," Ash said gratefully as he took the hat.

Mankey said nothing as it lay its head back on the sleeping bag. It then closed its eyes to try to get as much rest as it could.

* * *

><p>It was now almost eleven o'clock at night, yet Ash was still up watching Mankey. Pikachu was curled up next to Ash, fast asleep. Brock had volunteered a few times to watch Mankey to give Ash a break, but Ash refused each time. He didn't know why, but he felt a connection with this Mankey. Was it because it had stolen his hat? Was it because it had punched him in the stomach twice already? He wasn't sure.<p>

"Ash, it's getting pretty late. Shouldn't you be getting to sleep?" Serena wondered as she went over to where Ash and Mankey were.

"I will in a little bit," Ash promised. I just want to give one last dose of the medicine to Mankey before I do, but that isn't for another thirty minutes.

"In that case, it's getting a little chilly out here at nights now. Brock heated some hot chocolate for you over the fire. Would you like some?" Serena asked as she held the cup in front of Ash.

"Thanks. I would," Ash smiled as he took the cup from her hands. He turned around to face Brock who was getting ready for bed and gave a slight wave to show his appreciation. Brock smiled back and nodded his before he got into his sleeping bag. Misty had just gone to sleep a few minutes ago. Ash then took a small sip of the piping hot liquid and smiled at how good it was. Brock was phenomenal when it came to fixing food and drinks.

"Hey, Ash. Would you mind if I stayed up with you to watch Mankey?" Serena asked somewhat shyly.

"Not at all. Go right ahead," Ash replied while giving her a warm smile and patting the spot on the ground next to him.

Serena smiled back and sat down next to Ash and took a sip of her own hot chocolate. A few minutes went by without them saying anything to each other before Serena decided to break the silence.

"So Ash? What have you thought of your Pokemon journey so far?" she asked him.

"What do you mean?" Ash replied while giving her a curious glance.

"I mean, is it what you thought it would be? I have to admit, when we first began this journey, I didn't think it would be this hard. I thought we were going to stay safe as long as we had our Pokemon, sleeping soundly under the beautiful stars every night, and seeing and catching new Pokemon every other day. It was pretty naïve of me to think that, though," Serena answered.

"I know," Ash agreed. "When we first started out, I never would have pictured some of the things we would face. We were getting into all sorts of danger almost every day: the Spearow attack, the Beedrills, our unfortunate run ins with Team Rocket, and meeting people like Paul and Damian."

Serena frowned at the things Ash was telling her but nodded her head in understanding nonetheless before Ash continued.

"But then I think of all the great things so far of being on this journey, and they definitely outweigh the bad. I have had a lot of fun on this journey so far. I've met great friends in Misty, Brock, and Ritchie. I have the best Pokemon a guy could ever ask for. I get a chance to grow up and become independent now that I am away from home. If I could do it over again, I would choose to come on the journey every time just so I could have even one of the good things so far," Ash said.

"I think of our journey the same way," Serena agreed. "It may not be as easy as we first thought, but we are having a lot of fun."

"Yeah, and…it helps that you are traveling with me, also," Ash finished the last part somewhat nervously.

Serena blushed at Ash's words but went unnoticed by the raven haired boy because of the only source of light being the dimness from the fire. She then held her hand over her heart.

"I'm really glad I'm traveling with you also, Ash," Serena said sincerely. "There isn't anyone else I would rather travel with."

The two trainers sat in silence for a few more minutes before Serena decided to take a chance with something she hadn't done yet, lay her head on Ash's shoulder. She never would have tried this at the start of their journey, but felt they had grown much closer since then with all the things they had been through together. It also helped that Ash seemed to be more receptive of her closeness to him than he had been previously if his behavior since they left Celadon was any indication.

Serena slowly began to lean her head in Ash's direction. She gave a quick glance to see if he was giving any kind of reaction. He wasn't. He was too busy staring straight ahead at Mankey. Serena kept leaning a closer towards Ash. She was almost there! She began to blush furiously and then…..

"Oh, I better give Mankey its medicine," Ash said as he got off the ground to go to Mankey, completely oblivious to what Serena was trying to do at the moment.

Unfortunately for Serena, she had leaned over too far by the time Ash got up. She missed his shoulder and fell over sideways onto the ground.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked in worry as he turned around to face her once he heard the thud.

"Hahaha! Yeah, I'm fine, Ash! You should go ahead and get Mankey its medicine!" Serena replied nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. This time she was blushing from pure embarrassment.

"_Same old Ash, after all,"_ she thought to herself. Maybe it wasn't quite the time to try that, after all.

* * *

><p>The group was awoken to the sound of grunting and screaming. They looked around frantically at the rude awakening but didn't see anything. The sound appeared to carry so it was some distance away, but the group still was wondering what was causing that noise. It did sound familiar, though.<p>

"Woah!" Mankey's gone!" Ash cried in alarm once he saw his sleeping bag was vacant.

"Where do you think it could have gone?" Misty asked.

"I bet we'll find our answer if we follow this noise," Brock suggested.

The group quickly shook of their grogginess and ran to the source of the noise. They entered a small clearing in the forest and saw Mankey and most likely the same Primeape facing each other with glares on their faces. There was also a crowd of Mankey formed in a circle around the two like before.

"Mankey isn't actually going to battle that Primeape again so soon, is it?" Serena asked worriedly.

"I think it's because of Mankey's pride," Brock explained. "It is sort of similar to when Pikachu faced Lt. Surge's Raichu. Those two are apparently big rivals so Mankey has to beat it to prove itself."

"It still shouldn't be battling right now," Ash said firmly as he went out into clearing. "Hey, Mankey. You still haven't fully recovered yet! You need to save your energy!"

Upon hearing Ash's voice, Mankey turned around and faced Ash angrily. It grunted and began to ferociously stomp the ground with its feet.

Ash took this as a sign to back off before he made Mankey go on a rampage which would have been a very bad thing. There was nothing Ash could do to help it anymore.

"Ash….," Serena trailed as she watched Ash come back to the group.

"I just don't want to see Mankey end up being hurt again," Ash muttered as be grit his teeth.

"We did our best to help, Ash, especially you. If it doesn't want to listen, it isn't your fault," Brock said reassuringly.

Ash nodded but still had a worried look on his face as he watched the fight was just about to take place.

The two pig monkey Pokemon continued to stare at each other angrily before Mankey decided to make the first move once more. It gave what sounded like a battle cry and charged for the Primeape. Mankey leaped into the air for a Karate Chop once more. Having been through this before, Primeape once again reared its fist back and punched Mankey as hard as it could. Mankey went flying backwards and landed painfully on the ground. Primeape went over to Mankey and began to pummel it back and forth with its fists once more.

The group could see this fight was playing out just like the last one. They wanted to intervene but knew they would have the whole group of angry Pokemon after them if they did. They could only watch helplessly.

Once Primeape was finished, it lifted Mankey off of the ground, and began to swing it around and around.

"I think Primeape is getting ready for a Seismic Toss," Brock stated in a grim tone. "Mankey might be down for the count again after this."

Ash looked on worriedly at Mankey. He didn't care if he got a black eye or another punch in the gut for this. He wasn't going to just sit by and let this Mankey keep hurting itself.

Once Primeape had swung Mankey around to a suitable speed, it let go and Mankey went sailing through the air towards a tree.

Ash took off running as fast as he could in attempt to stop Mankey's path. Mankey continued to fly towards the tree.

"Mankey!" Ash cried as he leaped towards the Pokemon and caught it at the last second. Unfortunately, the force of the impact knocked Ash backwards and he ended up hitting the tree instead.

"Ash! Pika Pi!" the group and Pikachu cried worriedly once they saw Ash crumple to the ground.

Ash groaned in pain at the impact. Mankey looked up at Ash worriedly. It couldn't believe that Ash had just saved it like that. This kid really cared about it.

"Hey, Mankey. Are you okay?" Ash asked between the pain.

Mankey grunted in response to show it was fine. It then brushed the dirt off Ash and looked up in concern.

"I'm fine. Thanks for your concern," Ash responded appreciatively. He then got off the ground with Mankey holding Ash's hand to help him up.

Mankey continued to look at Ash curiously. What a strange human this was! It had done all sorts of mean things yet this boy proved time and time again he really cared. After being saved multiple times, maybe this kid was pretty cool, after all.

"Hey, Mankey. You still have a battle to win. What do say we beat this Primeape together?" Ash suggested.

Mankey grunted in approval and turned back to face the Primeape. It then began to glow a bright white in color.

"Wow! You're evolving, Mankey!" Ash said happily as he watched the Pokemon grow larger. The rest of the group watched in awe as well.

Once it stopped glowing, a Primeape stood in place of where Mankey was.

"Priiiiiime!" It shouted.

The other Primeape looked in surprise that Mankey had evolved and was even going to fight alongside a human, but soon returned to its angry glare.

Ash and Primeape stood next to each other. They were ready to battle.

"Okay, Primeape! Use your Low Kick!" Ash yelled.

Primeape charged at the other Primeape once again. It reeled its fist back ready to punch the daylights out of the former Mankey again, but was in for a surprise. Primeape instead ducked under the wild Primeape's incoming fist. It then delivered a clean sweep which knocked the opposing Primape right off its feet. It then hit the ground with a thud.

"That was awesome, Primeape!" Ash said as he gave it thumbs up. Primeape nodded in return. "Now let's try your Karate Chop while it's on the ground!"

Primeape then brought an outstretched hand towards the downed one. The wild Primeape caught the chop in its own hands, but Ash's still had a free hand.

"Use Mega Punch!" Ash called.

Primeape then delivered a punch to the opposing Primaeape's face for a change. It felt good for a little payback with as many time as it was punched in the face by this thing.

The enemy Primeape yelled out in pain before jumping to its feet and began thrashing about. It began to attack Primeape mercilessly now that it was on a rampage. It pummeled Primeape to the ground and saw Ash. Who said this human could join this battle? He should mind his own business! It then began to charge towards Ash, ready to punish him as much as it could for helping its rival. Primeape looked on worriedly as the enemy Primeape charged at Ash. This boy had saved it. Now it was its turn to return the favor!

Ash braced himself for what seemed like a lot of pain coming, but it never came. Primeape had jumped in between its enemy and Ash and delivered another Mega Punch to the enemy Primeape, smashing its fist into its face.

The enemy Primeape was knocked to the ground and struggled to get back up. It glared hatefully at the other Primeape before the other one raised its fists protectively in front of Ash. Knowing, its defeat the opposing Primeape took off in another part of the woods, the group of Mankey following it.

Primeape then raised both its fists into the air and grunted happily at finally beating its rival.

"You protected me from that other Primeape. Thank you," Ash said gratefully.

Primeape turned around and nodded at Ash.

"That was really great, Ash! You two did awesome!" Serena exclaimed as she and the rest of the group went over to join the two.

"You two work really well together!" Misty agreed.

"We do make a great team, don't we, Primeape?" Ash asked the pig monkey Pokemon.

"Priiiiime!" it agreed. Primeape had to admit, it didn't think it would have won against its rival if it wasn't for Ash.

"If it's okay with you, Primeape, what do you say we continue fighting as a team and grow stronger together?" Ash suggested.

Primeape seemed to think it over for a moment. It never would have guessed it would ever become a trainer's Pokemon. It had wanted to be independent its whole life. On the other hand, if it wanted to reach its maximum potential, Ash definitely seemed to be the way to go. Primeape then nodded its head and held out its hand for Ash to shake.

"That's great, Primeape. Welcome to the team!" Ash smiled as he shook Primeape's hand.

Then without warning, Primeape punched Ash in the stomach and took his hat before placing it on its head, which caused everyone to sweatdrop. It still seemed to have not gotten over that habit. Just because it and Ash were friends now didn't mean Primeape was going to stop taking Ash's hat every chance it got!

"Well, it seems you and Primeape are a team now. Just make sure to hold onto your hat from now on," Misty said in amusement.

"I will," Ash mumbled as he held his stomach in pain. He then took his hat back from Primeape and took out a spare pokeball. "Alright, Primeape! Return!"

The pokeball shot out its read beam towards Primeape where it willingly allowed itself to enter the pokeball. The pokeball immediately dinged to signify Primeape's capture. Then Ash watched sadly as the pokeball was teleported to Professor Oak's lab since he had more than six Pokemon with him at the moment.

"_We will battle together real soon again, Primeape. I promise,"_ Ash thought.

"You know, Ash. You have become a really great trainer since I've known you," Brock praised.

"How do you figure?" Ash asked him curiously.

"Think about just now when you and Primeape were battling that other one. At the time, Primeape was an evolved, wild Pokemon, and it still listened to your commands. It takes a great trainer for any wild Pokemon to listen to you, especially an evolved one. If you weren't any good, Primeape would not have battled with you whether you gained its trust or not," Brock explained.

"That was really impressive Ash!" Serena agreed.

"Chu!" Pikachu said happily as it hopped onto Ash's shoulder and gave him a thumbs up.

"Wow. You're right. Thanks guys. I may have what it takes to become a Pokemon Master, after all!" Ash smiled.

"Just don't let it go to your head," Misty warned.

"I won't," Ash promised. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Saffron City is calling our name! Let's go!"

Then just like always, Ash began running as fast as he could towards Saffron City with Pikachu on his shoulder and the rest of the group close behind them. They couldn't wait to see what awaited them in Saffron City.

* * *

><p>The President of Silph Co. was very busy at the moment. He had been working on a special type of pokeball for many months now. It was supposed to have the power to capture any Pokemon in the world without fail. He had asked his employees not to disturb him the rest of the day until he gave the word. After much hard work, he was ready to announce the finishing touches needed to get the Master Ball, as he would call it, ready for testing. If the prototype worked, they would be able to have these types of pokeballs in mass production within the next couple of years. This was very exciting and would be Silph Co.'s biggest achievement yet.<p>

He went over to the intercom to make the announcement, but he heard a loud crash downstairs and a whole bunch of shouting and screaming going on in the floors below. The president knew something was wrong and immediately pressed the button on the intercom for the guards but received no response. He then pressed the button for his secretary but received no response from her either. This was a very bad sign.

The President then heard footsteps approaching the door hurriedly. The footsteps soon stopped and frantic knocks were heard on the other side. Sincerely hoping it was one of the guards or his secretary to explain the situation, the President timidly called out, "Hello? Who is it?"

For a moment, there was no response. The President was about to call the police before there was a scream and gunfire rang on the other side of the door. The door was then kicked open, and four people, two in black, two in white, and a Meowth shuffled into the room with evil smirks on their faces, each one holding a gun. All four people had a big red "R" on their uniform The President looked in the doorway and gasped in horror when he saw his personal guard sprawled on the floor.

"Relax. He's just knocked out. There was no sense in killing him unless he tries to defy us," a blonde haired woman of the group muttered when she saw the President's horrified expression.

"Wh-who are you people?" the president asked fearfully.

"Have you really never heard of the infamous Team Rocket?" the red haired woman of the bunch asked arrogantly.

"T-T-Team Rocket?! How did you crooks get in here?! What about the security and our guards?!" the president cried in alarm.

"Oh, your guards? You must mean OUR guards. We've had disguised Rocket members among your employees and guards for weeks now, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. We are sad to say your real guards are no longer with us, if you know what I mean," the blonde haired woman smirked evilly.

The President got a panicked expression on his face. Team Rocket had infiltrated the Silph Co's security so easily. As the president of the company, he felt responsible for everything. How could he have let this happen?!

"What do you crooks want with Silph Co.?" the president asked.

"You will know soon enough. The boss is on his way up right now," a raspy voiced, green haired man replied.

Sure enough, the President heard more footsteps coming down the hallway to his office. Soon the footsteps were revealed to belong to a very tall, intimidating man. He had short, neatly combed brown hair and wore an orange suit. A Persian was by his side.

Once the man entered the room, he turned to the four people and Meowth who were giving him their full attention. "Jessie, James, Cassidy, Butch, Meowth! You have each done a fine job. Now leave us and keep guard. Make sure no one who isn't a Team Rocket member enter this floor."

"Yes sir!" they saluted before leaving the room.

The Rocket Boss turned back to the president and smirked before gesturing to his chair. "Good afternoon, Mr. President. You seem tense. Please sit back down."

The president noticed the dark man's Persian hissing threateningly at him so he decided it was best to do what the evil man said. He slowly sat back down into his office chair behind the desk while the orange suited man went over and sat down on the nearby couch and crossed his legs like he owned the Silph Co. rather than the President.

The dark man than gave an evil smile at the President. "How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Giovanni. I am the leader of Team Rocket. You and I have much to discuss, Mr. President."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. The chapters a lot of you have been waiting for are up next. I really hope I made them live up to the hype. I put a lot of thought into how I wanted them to play out, and admittedly, spent quite a bit of time writing them. The first part mainly sets the stage, but the second part is VERY intense.<strong>

**I didn't have time to take down the poll since I am in a hurry so it will stay up another week before I take it down. Silph Co. will be up next Tuesday. Here's for more "The Road to Become a Pokemon Master" to come. See you guys week! Thanks for all the reviews and support!**

**Chapter 26: The Silph Company: Part One**

_**Answering the Questions:**_

_Will someone steal Serena's privilege of being Ash's first kiss?_

_**I don't think so. That would be a cruel thing to do to Serena.**_

_Will there be a girl that Ash would quickly fall for by looks like he did with Giselle since he's now starting to understand a bit of romance?_

_**Possibly, but Serena is starting to notice Ash's slight change in attitude towards her so she would be extremely upset if he fell for another girl.**_

_Will Ash's Charmander reach the Charizard stage before Charla since it was only a Charmeleon for about 3 episodes before evolving into Charizard against the battle against Aerodactyl?_

_**Charmander will be in the Charmeleon stage a little longer than it was in the anime. It and Charla will evolve at the same time into Charizards.**_

_Will Charla be referred to as Charza when it becomes a Charizard?_

_**No, it will still be Charla.**_

_When serena battles a gym leader will it be with ash against liz and tate?_

_**Serena will battle a gym leader soon.**_

_Will ash have his battle with max that he promised?_

_**Something like that is waaaaaaaaay to far off for me to even think about right now. I'm not even in Johto yet and Max hasn't even made an appearance and won't for a while. Ask me a question like that when I'm in the Hoenn arc.**_

_Will there be a chapter that focuses on brock's crush on a girl?_

_**Sort of. It will be the secondary focus of the chapter and will co star Brock. Misty will have a chapter as well.**_

_Please remove Misty after Indigo league._

_**I've already done a poll to see what readers wanted me to do with Misty. More people wanted her to stay through Johto than leave after Kanto. Sorry.**_

_Will you have Ash pretend to be "oblivious" as a way to cope about his growing feelings for Serena?_

_**He will sometimes act oblivious and other times he won't. He will continue to show his feelings more and more as the story goes on and Serena will catch on. The last half of this story will be full of amourshipping moments after a very particular chapter. (Spoiler) The moment was actually hinted at in this chapter.**_

_Will Serena ever fall for another guy?_

_**No.**_

_What if serena could get a lapras at silph co. like in the game?_

_**Sorry. The Pokemon that Serena gets in Saffron City isn't Lapras.**_

_Is anyone from the group going to get new Pokémon from the Silph Co. arc, like Lapras? Will Porygon be in it and be caught by Ash or Serena?_

_**Serena will get a Pokemon in Saffron City and Ash will get his first noncanon Pokemon there, also. Whether it is at the Silph Co or some other way will be shown soon enough. A Porygon will make an appearance in this story but not at Silph Co. You will just have to see if a group member catches it.**_

_How long will Calem be a recurring rival character?_

_**I know he will appear a couple of more times in Kanto, and I have him set for at least one appearance in Johto. Any time after that I haven't planned yet.**_

_Is Charla now going to randomly attack Charmander in order to get him to evolve quicker?_

_**Lol no.**_

_After Ash faces Paul and Gary before the Indigo League, will have a drama scene set up where Ash questions himself if traveling with a group is holding him back?_

_**Something of that nature, but it may not be those exact questions.**_

_Is it possible that Squirtle will learn Hydro Pump earlier?_

_**That is certainly possible.**_

_Will Serena ever get a Fennekin? And will Unova and Kalos pokemon be in the story even though your not doing those regions?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Will Clemont and Bonnie appear in this story?_

_**Even though Ash isn't going to Kalos, I do want them to appear in this story in some way (same with Iris and Cilan). If they do make an appearance, it probably won't be until Sinnoh or the last story, and they won't be Ash's traveling companions.**_

_Will Calem try to embarrass Ash to get in with Serena?_

_**No. I didn't make Calem out to be that sort of person. I wanted Serena to have at least one pleasant rival.**_

_Since Serena has an Eevee now, can you wait until the Johto or Hoenn Arc for Eevee to evolve?_

_**Yes. That was my intention.**_

_Will serena's eevee evolve into sylveon?_

_**No. It won't be a Sylveon. I already planned which Eeveelution it will get.**_

_Will you have Ash and Serena keep in contact more with their parents?_

_**One can assume they talk to their parents on the video phone. The scenes just aren't shown in the story. I will have some inclusions of talks between them in the future, same with Professor Oak.**_

_Will you be making the connection with Ash and Sir Aaron?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Serena ever kiss Ash?_

_**Of course.**_

_What are the qualities of a Pokemon Master so we can know what Ash needs to aim for in this fanfic?_

_**A good question. My definition of a Pokemon Master is as follows. **_

_**. filled up their pokedex (not necessarily captured all Pokemon for reasons stated before)**_

_**. divine knowledge and skills of Pokemon battling and every Pokemon's type, abilities, and available moves**_

_**. knows everything there is to know about Pokemon**_

_**. love and accept all Pokemon the way they are.**_

_**. has Pokemon of every type**_

_**. has every badge there is to earn (so far)**_

_**. at least a region Champion**_

_**. Beaten all of the Elite Four**_

_**That's all what comes to mind at the moment.**_

_Will Ash catch his own Eevee?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Since you said that Calem was from Kalos, will he be using any Kalos Pokémon in the future?_

_**I'm not sure.**_

_When will Ash's Charmander evolve?_

_**Soon.**_

_When Ash's Charmander evolves, will it be disobedient like in the anime?_

_**Charmeleon will still listen to Ash. Charizard will be mostly obedient but Ash will still have to learn to understand Charizard's needs.**_

_Will Ash catch any other pseudo-lengendaries besides Dratini and Gible? Will Serena catch any?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will any other characters from the games(Brendan, Lucas, Hilbert, Hilda, etc.) appear at some point in the story?_

_**Yes.**_

_Can you write at the beginning of each chapter what pokemon each character has on them?_

_**Sure. I can do that every few chapters so no one gets confused. It will especially be needed when they start rotating their Pokemon. I'll start that next week.**_

_Since Serena got the Eevee, will you put up a poll in the future to determine which evolution Eevee will become?_

_**Sorry. There won't be a poll for that. I already know what Pokemon I want Eevee to become.**_

_In the Johto arc will Ash keep the Larviatr he hatched from the egg_

_**It's possible.**_

_Will Brock be replaced by Tracey like in the anime?_

_**Yes, but only during Orange Islands.**_


	26. The Silph Company Part One

**A/N: Hi everyone! It is now finally time for the Silph Co. arc! They are pretty important to the plot of the story and Ash's maturity as will be revealed in future chapters. The first part isn't that spectacular and just sets the stage for everything that happens in the second part. Overall, I think they turned out quite well and I hope you all enjoy them! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon (Haven't I said this enough yet?)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 26: The Silph Company Part One<p>

The group had just arrived in Saffron City, the largest city in the Kanto region. It had only taken them a few days to get here from Celadon. That isn't to say the route between the two places had been uneventful. Ash had acquired a new Pokemon and friend in Primeape, who was just as strong as it was mischievous. Ash and Serena had also made sure to train their Pokemon this time. Serena in particular had wanted to train her new Eevee. The only problem was Eevee seemed more interested in playing and tackling Serena than battling. It seemed Serena now had a second Pokemon that was a handful after Jigglypuff.

"Hey, Brock, Misty. Would any of you guys happen to know the kind of things Saffron City has to offer? I mean, it is a really large city," Ash asked as the group entered into the busy streets.

"Well, aside from a Pokemon Gym and a Battle Chateau, this place also has a fighting dojo and many companies known across the world. The most famous is the Silph Company," Brock answered.

"Don't forgot all of the various department stores and malls," Misty added.

"The Silph Company and fighting dojo," Ash mused to himself. "What are they?"

"This city used to have two gyms, the psychic-type gym led by Sabrina, and the fighting-type gym led by Kiyo. The fighting-type gym lost its gym status when they were completely destroyed by the trainers at Sabrina's gym. Now it is just a fighting dojo where trainers can help their Pokemon get stronger through tournaments. The winner gets to choose between two rare fighting-type Pokemon, a Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan," Brock explained.

"What about the Silph Company?" Ash asked again.

"You've never heard of the Silph Company, Ash?" Misty asked in surprise.

"No," Ash replied, clearly not knowing how famous it was.

"The Silph Company is the very reason people are able to become Pokemon trainers. You have them to thank for making pokeballs, Pokemon medicine, and all other kinds of Pokemon merchandise," Misty said.

"I see. It might be a good idea to check that place out while we are here," Ash decided.

"Can we stop by the Pokemon Center first?" Serena asked, speaking for the first time since the group arrived in Saffron.

"Yeah, good idea. I just hope we can find it in this maze of roads and buildings," Ash replied.

"That's what my map is for!" Brock grinned as he pulled it out of his backpack.

* * *

><p>As soon as the group entered the Pokemon Center, they saw a very familiar face sitting on the sofa with a crowd of cheerleaders around him.<p>

"Gary?! You're still in Saffron City?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yo, everyone. It looks like you all made it to Saffron City, after all," Gary smirked in an arrogant tone.

"Of course we did! I got the Rainbow Badge while I was in Celadon City, too!" Ash declared as he showed Gary his Rainbow Badge.

"Big deal. I got that badge a while back. Only great trainers can win the Marsh Badge," Gary scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Sabrina is the gym leader here and trains psychic-type Pokemon. She was by far the most difficult gym leader I've faced. Defeat her, and then I might call you a worthy Pokemon trainer," Gary answered in a cocky tone.

That comment really made Ash's blood boil. What would it take for Gary to recognize Ash as a competent trainer?!

"Don't forget, Gary. You promised me a Pokemon battle when we last saw each other," Ash reminded hotly.

"I only said that to get you off my back. I don't have any interest in battling you, Ash," Gary replied.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed in anger.

Their conversation was interrupted when Nurse Joy and Chansey came out of the back with six pokeballs on a table.

"Here you are, Gary. Your Pokemon are as good as new," Nurse Joy said kindly.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Gary replied as he took the pokeballs and clipped them to his belt. He then turned to the group. "Well, I've been in this city long enough. It's time for me to head for Fuchsia City. See you guys later."

"You really aren't going to battle me?" Ash muttered, somewhat hurt that Gary was blowing him off like this.

"I think you are a better trainer than I first made you out to be, Ash. You aren't terrible, but it's just I have yet to see firsthand any proof. Once you can show me you are a great trainer, I will be more than happy to have a battle with you," Gary replied as he headed for the door, the cheerleaders starting to chant his name as they followed him.

"Now you wait right there, Gary!" Serena shouted angrily. She was not just going to sit by and have Gary act like this to Ash.

Gary stopped in his tracks and turned to give Serena an inquisitive glance. "Serena?" he asked, somewhat surprised she had shouted at him like that.

"Ash has challenged you to a Pokemon battle twice now, and you have refused him both times! As a fellow Pokemon trainer, you should be more than happy to accept it whenever Ash challenges you! You are acting like a big jerk!" Serena continued, not letting up on her glare.

"That's right!" Brock and Misty agreed.

"PikaPi Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

"Guys…" Ash trailed. He was touched his friends were sticking up for him.

Seeing the intense glares that everyone was giving him, Gary finally let out a sigh. "Okay Ash. I'll give you a one-on-one Pokemon battle because I'm in a hurry. Take it or leave it," he said.

"You're on!" Ash yelled with a renewed sense of determination. He was finally going to battle Gary Oak!

"I'll meet you in the field at the back of the Pokemon Center. You can come whenever you are ready," Gary muttered as he and his cheerleaders passed the group.

"I can't wait to show that Gary," Ash seethed.

"Just remember to relax and focus on the battle. Don't let your feelings towards Gary get in the way of your battle like what happened with Paul," Brock told him.

"Right," Ash nodded.

* * *

><p>Ash and Gary were now standing on opposite sides of the battle field facing each other with determined expressions on their face, particularly Ash. Misty, Serena, and Gary's cheerleaders were off to the side acting as spectators while Brock was in the center acting as a judge.<p>

"This will be a one-on-one Pokemon battle. There will be no time limit and the trainers will continue to battle until their Pokemon are unable to. Begin!" Brock declared.

"Go Squirtle!" Ash shouted as he threw his pokeball to release the turtle Pokemon.

"Heh, I see you caught your own Squirtle, Ashy-boy," Gary smirked. "Since you chose Squirtle, I'll choose this Pokemon. Growlithe, go!"

Gary's pokeball opened to reveal an orange colored dog-like Pokemon with black stripes and a cream-colored stomach.

"A Growlithe, huh?" Ash said as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes.

"Growlithe, the puppy Pokemon. A very loyal Pokemon who will bite and bark to repel intruders," the pokedexes informed.

"Gary is going to choose a fire-type against a water-type?" Serena asked in confusion.

"You should know by now that just because Squirtle has the advantage doesn't mean anything. There have been several instances where Pokemon have overcome the odds if their Pokemon are strong enough," Misty reminded.

"Okay, Squirtle! Let's start things off with Water Gun!" Ash called.

"Counter it with your Flamethrower, Growlithe!" Gary yelled.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks. They collided in midair. Ash thought the water would be able to push throught the fire, but he was proven wrong as the attacks appeared to be evenly matched. Once the attacks were finished, all that was left was a bunch of steam. Gary must have a very powerful Growlithe.

"Use Dig, Growlithe!" Gary tried.

Growlithe quickly dug a hole in the ground and jumped inside it. Squirtle remained on the lookout and tried to see if it could feel any movement underneath it. Growlithe could come up anywhere. Soon Squirtle could feel movement coming up just beneath its feet. Squirtle prepared to jump out of the way, but soon the movement stopped and shifted to just behind it. Squirtle had been tricked. About a second later, Growlithe burst out of the ground and rammed into Squirtle which sent it flying, but that wouldn't stop it.

"Quick, Squirtle! Turn around and use Water Gun!" Ash called.

Squirtle twisted its body in midair so it was facing Growlithe once more. It then launched out the stream of water straight at Growlithe. The puppy Pokemon and its trainer were both surprised at how quickly Squirtle was able to recover. The attack struck Growlithe and pushed it back, causing it to howl in pain from the super effective attack.

"That was awesome Squirtle! Now use a flying Rapid Spin!" Ash commanded.

Squirtle then hid in its shell and started spinning very fast while it was in midair. It soared towards Growlithe who was still trying to recover from Water Gun.

"Heads up, Growlithe!" Gary warned, but it was no use as the shell struck Growlithe in the side which knocked it onto the ground.

Squirtle stopped spinning and landed on the ground to give a thumbs-up at Ash and Pikachu, who returned it.

"Let's finish this off with one more Rapid Spin!" Ash yelled happily. He was actually winning against Gary!

Squirtle got a running start and leaped into the air, and once more it began spiraling towards the tired Growlithe. Gary wasn't going to let that happen again.

"Use Bite, Growlithe!" Gary yelled.

Growlithe opened its big jaws and actually caught Squirtle in its mouth while it was in Rapid Spin. Growlithe's head jerked back slightly from the impact but it held on tight. It then began to viscously swing its head back and forth.

"Squirtle!" the turtle Pokemon cried in agony as it was caught between Growlithe's sharp teeth.

"Try to break loose, Squirtle!" Ash cried, but it was in vain as Growlithe had too tight of a grip.

Growlithe then threw Squirtle out its mouth as hard as it could. Squirtle hit the ground rather hard and let out a groan of pain.

"Now finish this with Take Down!" Gary ordered.

Growlithe then charged forward and slammed into Squirtle which sent it airborne once more. Squirtle landed on the ground and moaned in pain once more. It didn't get back up.

"Squirtle is unable to battle! The winner is Growlithe!" Brock declared.

Ash sank to his knees. He couldn't believe it. He wanted to beat Gary as much as he wanted to beat Paul, but he just lost the only battle Gary had accepted from him so far. He returned Squirtle to its pokeball and smiled sadly. "You battled really well, Squirtle. Thank you," he told it.

"Oh, Ash," Serena mumbled sadly as the cheerleaders cheered. She knew how much winning this battle would mean to Ash.

Gary returned his Growlithe and thanked it for a job well done. He then walked over to Ash. The raven haired boy continued to stare at the ground, unable to look Gary in the eye. What Gary said next to Ash surprised him, however.

"You did a good job, Ash. That was much better battle than I thought it would be," Gary said as he spun Growlithe's pokeball on his finger.

"Really? I lost, though," Ash asked in amazement as he looked up at Gary.

"That's true, but it was really close. One more attack and my Growlithe probably would have been knocked out. I really did enjoy our battle," Gary replied.

Ash searched Gary's eyes to see if there was any hint of sarcasm or arrogance, but there wasn't. Ash could only see sincerity.

"Wow. Thanks, Gary," Ash muttered in shock.

"I'm sure if you keep training your Pokemon as well as you have, you will be able to reach the Pokemon League," Gary continued as he held out a hand for Ash.

Ash accepted the hand and Gary pulled him to his feet. "Now that I've had the battle with you, I have to get going. I'll see you some other time," Gary said. He then turned to Serena. "Take care, Serena. Good luck with your Battle Chateau challenges."

Gary then turned to walk away with his cheerleaders, but something stopped him and drew his attention as well as everyone else's. There was a woman screaming for help as she was running through the field. She was being chased by two men in a black uniform. They were Team Rocket grunts!

"Team Rocket!" Ash cried in alarm. He then turned to his faithful partner. "Use Thundershock on those two Team Rocket members to help that lady!"

Pikachu nodded and leaped off Ash's shoulder. It unleashed its electricity with perfect accuracy. The grunts were so focused on capturing the woman that they didn't notice the group or the electricity flying towards them. They were shocked by the electricity before falling to the ground, knocked out.

"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash praised as he and everyone else ran over to check on the woman who was panting heavily.

"You-You saved me. Thank-Thank you so much," the woman said between breaths.

"There now. Take it slow and easy. You're alright now, miss," Brock said gently as he put a comforting hand on the woman's back.

The woman soon stopped panting and calmed down. Ash then decided now was a good time to see what was going on. He had to know what Team Rocket was up to this time. What was with his and Team Rocket's paths always entwining?

"Excuse me, ma'am. Why were those Team Rocket members chasing you?" Ash asked curiously.

"I come from the Silph Company. I'm the secretary for the president," the woman answered.

"Wow! You're actually the secretary?!" Serena exclaimed.

"I am," the woman confirmed. "Something terrible has happened. Team Rocket has taken over the Silph Company!"

"They what!?" the group exclaimed in horror. Even Gary Oak looked alarmed at this bit of news. He had never had any run-ins with Team Rocket but still knew they were a dangerous criminal organization.

"It's true. They broke through our security and had members posing as guards and workers for weeks now to fool everyone," the secretary continued. "They just took over a couple of days ago."

"When did you escape?" Ash asked.

"I barely managed to escape just now. Team Rocket learned of my escape and chased after me while I was trying to seek help. That's where you found me," said the secretary.

"Why doesn't the police or gym leader do anything?" Misty asked.

"That's the problem. Team Rocket has such a hold on the Silph Company right now. All phone calls are tracked and monitored by members of Team Rocket. Our workers are locked in rooms day and night forced to work on our latest project. To make matters worse, our president is locked in his office with the boss of Team Rocket. There is no way to get any word out about our company's predicament," the woman explained sadly.

"That's terrible!" Serena gasped.

"I don't get it. Why would Team Rocket want to take over Silph Company," Gary spoke up for the first time.

"They want our Master Ball as well as control of all of our other merchandise," the secretary replied.

"A Master Ball? What's that?" Ash asked curiously.

"It's a special pokeball that our company has been working on for a while now. It is supposed to be able to capture any Pokemon without fail, no matter what it is. We were nearing its completion at the company, and Team Rocket must have found out through their infiltrators. I can only imagine the terrible things they could accomplish if they were able to capture any Pokemon with the Master Ball," the secretary said worriedly.

"We can't let that happen. Team Rocket has to be stopped," Ash muttered with determination as he and Pikachu nodded their heads at each other.

"What are you saying, Ash?" Serena asked.

"We're going to Silph Company to stop Team Rocket!" Ash declared.

"Were you hit in the head, Ash?! That's crazy to take on that organization!" Gary yelled.

"This isn't just a few Rockets we are dealing with like in the past," Brock warned. "There are bound to be far more there than even the Power Plant in Celadon City."

"It's true. The whole building is full of Team Rocket members," the secretary confirmed.

"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Ash cried.

"We need to go with the secretary to the police station and inform them of the situation as fast as we can!" Brock advised.

"This can't wait!" Ash argued. "Saffron is a giant city! There is no telling how long it will take us to get the police and back to the building on foot!"

"How is storming the building any better, Ash?" Misty fired back. "That's so dangerous and reckless!"

"Oh yeah?!" Ash retorted, turning to glare at her. "What if Team Rocket finds out we got the police?! What's stopping them from kidnapping or killing all the workers and the president as revenge before the police arrive?!"

Nobody had an answer to that. They certainly weren't going to put a horrifying action like that past Team Rocket.

"I say we split up," Ash finally decided. "Half of us help the secretary and go with her to the police station, and the other half of us stop Team Rocket at Silph Company."

The rest of the group thought about what Ash had suggested. It didn't seem like there were any better options at the moment.

"Okay, but who is going to do what? Count me in," Gary said.

"You're going to help, Gary?" Ash asked in surprise.

"Of course, Ash! This is a serious matter! I hate criminals just as much as the next person!" Gary informed.

"Then how about you, Pikachu, and I go to Silph Company while Serena, Misty, and Brock go with secretary?" Ash suggested.

"No. I'm going with you, Ash," Serena said firmly.

"I don't agree with that, Serena," Ash replied. "I'm beginning to think going to Silph Co. really is too dangerous, and I don't want to put you in that sort of danger."

"I don't care!" Serena cried as she shook her head. "Don't you know that I'm just as worried for you as you are for me?!"

"That's exactly why I don't want you to come!" Ash argued. "At least I'll know one of us will be safe if you don't go with Gary and me!"

"That isn't going to work! I'm tired of standing by on the sidelines while you rush into danger! I still remember the time you were almost killed by a flock of Spearow on our first day as trainers! I'm not letting you do something like that again while I'm around! We are in this together until the end, remember!?" Serena shouted.

Everyone stared at Serena in surprise. They hadn't seen her get this upset in a very long time.

"We should take her with us, Ash," Gary finally said. "The more people that are with us in Silph Co., the better."

Ash stared into Serena's beautiful blue eyes and saw nothing but a rare fiery determination in them as she stared back into his brown ones. Serena had proven to be a strong trainer if her past battles were any indication. She has also encountered Team Rocket just as much as Ash had so there is no doubt she would be of help against them. Ash gave a deep sigh.

"Alright," he relented. "Come with us to Silph Co. but please stay safe."

"Thank you, Ash," Serena said sincerely. "Just know that I can't keep that promise if you can't."

"I know," Ash replied. "That's what worries me."

"Be careful. The two guards outside Silph Co. may look like regular guards, but they are really Team Rocket members in disguise," the secretary warned.

"Right," Ash nodded.

Gary then turned to the cheerleaders. "You girls wait here at the Pokemon Center. The great Gary Oak and his accomplices will return!"

"Gary is so brave!" the cheerleaders cried as tears ran down their faces, causing everyone else to roll their eyes.

"Okay, Ash. Misty and I will go ahead and tie up these two Rockets and then head to the police station. We'll hurry as fast as we can!" Brock said.

"Thanks, Brock," Ash replied as he and Brock clapped hands together.

"You three better still be in one piece when we come back or else!" Misty threatened, but they could tell that she was only saying that because she was worried, too.

"Heheheheh. We will, Misty," Ash responded. At least, he hoped so.

* * *

><p>Once the three trainers and Pokemon reached the Silph Company, the stared up in awe at how big it was. It seemed to be about eleven stories tall. They could see two guards at the entrance to the building with stern expressions on their faces just as the secretary said. For Team Rocket grunts, they really did look convincing. Despite the very busy streets of Saffron City, nobody was paying them any mind as they all believed it to be nothing new.<p>

"How are we supposed to get in with those guards there?" Serena asked.

"I'm not sure," Ash replied. "If we attack those two guards, we will only draw unwanted attention to ourselves. It would make it look like we are the bad guys since everyone thinks they are real."

"There has to be a back door. There is no way a building this large could only have one entrance," Gary realized.

"There is a small alleyway off to the side. Maybe we can find another way in over there," Ash pointed out.

The group made their way over to the side of the Silph Co. building and looked around. For such a grand building that Silph Co. was, it sure had a creepy alley. The group continued all the way to the back of the building and peered around the corner. As expected there were a couple of guards at this entrance, too. The group figured they were also Team Rocket members in disguise. The difference here was there wasn't anyone around to see what the group was about to do.

"Pikachu, you know what to do," Ash whispered.

The rodent silently nodded to Ash and went over to the guards and gave them an innocent expression. It then smiled and waved at them.

"What the heck? What is a Pikachu doing here?" one of the disguised Rockets muttered in confusion.

"Who cares? Beat it, you little rat!" the other guard yelled.

Seeing how Pikachu wasn't moving, the guards got angry. "Heh! Since you aren't listening, we are going to have to hurt you," the second one growled.

They pulled out some pokeballs that were hidden from view, but Pikachu was faster.

"Pikachuuuuuuuu!" the yellow rodent yelled as it gave them the shock of their life.

The Rocket guards were so startled, they didn't have time to cry out in pain before they were knocked out from the electric shocks.

"Great job, Pikachu," Ash praised as he and the other humans came out of hiding. "Now let's get in there."

He went to turn the door knob but found it was locked. It wasn't that big of a surprise, however. They then felt around the knocked out grunts uniforms to see if they could find any keys but found none.

"That isn't any problem," Gary said. "We can have our Pokemon help us knock down the door. I'm sure the workers at Silph Co. will forgive us since we have good intentions."

"Right," Ash agreed.

They then released their Pokemon that could help break down the door. Ash released his Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. Serena released Charla and Nidorina. Gary released his Wortortle (his evolved Squirtle), Growlithe, and Nidorino. Diverting his attention from the other types of Pokemon Gary had, Ash ordered everyone to charge at the door at the same time.

The people and Pokemon ran forward and rammed into the door with all their might. The good thing was the door was knocked loose, but the bad thing was that it also caused a loud crash as the door hit the ground. The group lost their balance and spilled into the room one by one, causing quite a commotion.

The group groaned in pain as they got up from the floor. Once they recovered, they hastily returned their Pokemon and jumped to their feet. They quickly looked around or listened to see if anyone had heard or seen the loud crash. To their fortune, it seemed like the room was vacant at the moment. The room they were in was a small room with a few tables, chairs, and a small fountain in the middle. There were a few doors off to the side as well and a staircase and elevator that would lead upstairs.

"I think it would make sense for us to take the elevator to the top floor," Gary suggested. "That is probably where the Team Rocket boss is at. There is no reason to take the stairs and face all of the Rockets that are here."

"Good idea," Ash agreed.

The group was just about to head for the elevator when they heard footsteps running down the stairs. It seemed like they had been heard after all when they broke in!

They hurriedly ran through one of the nearby doors and discovered it was a janitor's closet. They all managed to get in the room and close the door just as the footsteps made it to the room.

"What the heck?! What was that awful crashing noise down here!? I could have sworn I heard something!" one of the voices, a man, spoke.

"Look at that!" another voice exclaimed. "The door has been busted down! Someone unwanted must be in here! We have an intruder!"

The group gave nervous glances at each other once the supposed Rocket member said that. It seems things just got a whole lot worse now that they've been found out. They would have to be extra careful now that Team Rocket knew the Silph Company had been infiltrated. They couldn't believe they forgot to put the door back in place!

"We need to inform the boss as fast as we can! Let's take the elevator! Send word to everyone to secure every single elevator in this building! Our little rat will be found. If they want to play around in this building, they are going to have to go through all of us first!" one of the voices said to the other.

"Roger!" the other one agreed.

The group then listened for them to leave the room. They heard the elevator ding and the footsteps enter. The elevator closed, and then there was silence.

The group quietly opened the door to the janitor's closet and entered back into the lobby, panting heavily.

"Great," Gary muttered. "Now we can't even take the elevator. We really screwed up."

"Do you think it would be better if we left and came back in a little bit?" Serena suggested.

"It's too late to turn back now," Ash said seriously. "Team Rocket will no doubt be stepping up on security now. It would just be harder to come in if we came back later. We have to press on. We also have our Pokemon with us to protect us from danger."

"Right," Serena agreed.

"We'll just need to be extra careful from now on. It will take more than a few Rocket grunts to stop us," Gary said as they made their way to their staircase.

After stopping to listen, they heard no noises or voices nearby and decided it was now safe to go up the staircase. They crept up the staircase as quietly as they could but still prepared for the worst. It would be naïve to think their trek up to the eleventh floor would go undetected since the Rockets were now aware of their arrival.

They entered the second floor from the staircase which led into a very long hallway with many doors off to the side. They sighed when they realized that their journey to the top floor would be made even harder now. Silph Co. was a regular maze.

"While there is nobody here, we need to figure our best course of action from here on out," Gary suggested.

"What did you have in mind?" Ash asked quietly.

"I remember the secretary saying that the workers were all being forced to perfect the Master Ball and are under strict watch. I say we rescue the workers first before heading up to the top floor," Gary explained.

"We don't have any clues on where the workers are being kept, though," Serena pointed out.

"That's true. We are going to have to look for clues while we are here. My guess would be most of them are in the lab part of the building. I've heard that it was on the eighth floor," Gary recalled.

"Then I say we get there as quick as possible. Let's just be careful," Ash suggested.

The group nodded to each other as they crept as quietly as they could down the hallway. Unbeknownst to them, there was a tiny security camera in the corner watching their every move.

* * *

><p>The group passed through the second floor without any incident. They eventually found another staircase and moved up to the third floor. They couldn't help but think there was something up with their trek up the Silph Co. going uninterrupted. They were starting to feel a little nervous.<p>

"Ash, I'm starting to get a little scared. There is no way we should still be able to continue on without incident so far," Serena said nervously.

"I say we count our blessings," Ash mumbled as they continued along the third floor hallway. Pikachu nodded its head in agreement.

"I wouldn't be so sure, Ash," Gary said seriously. "They may be doing this on purpose. We have to expect the worst."

"Like what?" Ash asked curiously.

"An ambush," Gary replied. "Just keep your pokeballs within arm's reach because things could turn south quickly."

As they rounded the corner, they saw three Rocket grunts, two males and one female, guarding the fourth floor staircase.

"Our first obstruction," Ash muttered. "I think we can take them."

The Rocket grunts noticed the children and immediately reached for their pokeballs. They sent out a Golbat, a Grimer, and a Raticate while Gary sent out his Wortortle, Serena used Charla, and Ash used Pikachu.

The Pokemon went back and forth trading blows with each other, but Team Rocket's Pokemon were no match for Ash's, Serena's, and Gary's Pokemon. Ash then ordered Pikachu to use Thundershock to knock the grunts out before they could get away.

"That was a little too easy," Gary said as the group looked at the unconscious grunts. "I'm still uneasy about all of this. There has to be a better way to get around this place."

Serena studied the Rocket grunts carefully and noticed there was the same number of males and females as there were with their group. A thought, albeit a little unpleasant, came to her.

"Hey guys. I have an idea," Serena spoke up.

* * *

><p>About ten minutes later, Ash, Serena, and Gary came out of a nearby closet wearing the uniforms of the Team Rocket members they just defeated. The real Rockets were kept in the closet so they wouldn't be discovered. Ash had Pikachu hidden in his backpack.<p>

"These disguises are perfect. Aside from our age, we look just like Team Rocket members," Ash said.

"Yep! Now going to the top floor should be much easier from now on," Serena agreed.

Once the group made it to the fourth floor, they noticed a drastic change in the layout of the Silph Co. building. Instead of a maze of hallways and doors, they were now met with a very large room with various machines around. There were also quite few Rocket members who were standing over what were presumably Silph employees while they tirelessly worked.

The group was about to continue on when they heard a voice shout out to them. "Hey! You three! What the heck do you think you are doing over there!?"

The group froze and looked in the direction of the voice and saw a Rocket member approaching them from across the room. Unlike any Rocket grunt they've seen so far, the man coming towards them seemed to hold an air of authority around him. He was a tall man with slanted eyes and green hair with a bit of blue to it. It was rather hard to see the style of it because it was mostly covered by his hat.

"What is it?" Ash asked stupidly before he was elbowed by Gary.

"Excuse me?! Is that how you speak to an executive?!" the man asked angrily once he reached them.

"I mean…what is it, sir?" Ash corrected.

"What is it, Sir _Proton!_" the man emphasized the last word.

"Sorry. What is it, Sir Proton?" Ash asked again as he began to sweat bullets.

"That's a little better," the Rocket known as Proton answered with a scowl. "As I was saying, what are you three doing slacking off?! Didn't the boss give all you grunts strict orders to either be watching out for our intruders or overseeing production of the Master Ball?!"

"Yes, sir Proton," Gary answered. "You see, we've just received orders from….another executive…to give a very important message to the boss."

"Is that so?" Proton asked as he crossed his arms and glared.

"Yes, sir Proton!" Gary answered, hoping the Rocket executive would believe them.

Proton studied the four for a moment as if trying to determine if they were telling the truth. Ash, Serena, and Gary tried keep their expressions as neutral as possible despite how nervous they were. After what seemed like an eternity, Proton gave his response.

"Fine," he said as he nodded. "Just make sure to hurry back to your posts." He then added, "I swear the boss must have been high on something when he allowed you kids to join Team Rocket. We are supposed to be a world class criminal organization, not a daycare."

"Thank you, Sir Proton," Serena replied as they left his presence and continued on, but were stopped by Proton calling out to them again.

"Don't you dare tell the boss I said that or else! You know how scary and cruel I can be when I'm angry!" he yelled.

The group nodded as they hurried off, eager to get away from this Proton guy. He was already scary enough as it was without being angry.

As Proton watched the three go with a scowl on his face, it soon turned into an evil grin once they were out of sight. He turned to the other grunts in the room who were now also staring back at him with equally evil grins on their faces. Proton then pressed a button on a communicator that was attached to his wrist and spoke into it.

"Archer, our little rats have just left the fourth floor. Are our preparations complete for the ambush on the eighth floor?" he asked.

"Yes," came a deep voice from the other end. "Everyone is in place."

"Good," Proton answered. He then added, "You know, as I was studying their appearances, one of them fit the description of that Ash Ketchum boy we've heard about lately. There was also a blonde-haired girl with him who has been reported as one of his companions. I didn't see a Pikachu with him, but I'd wager it was hiding in that backpack of his."

"Really? The same Ash Ketchum the boss has taken an interest in?" Archer asked.

"The very same," Proton nodded in the affirmative. "Oh, this is just too perfect! They won't know what hit them! We are going to eliminate those brats once and for all!"

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter confirms that Archer, Proton, Ariana, and Petrel do appear in this story since a few of you were wondering. However, their roles are relatively minor right now. They are just under Giovanni in authority. Followed by Jessie, James, Meowth, Cassidy, and Butch, and then grunts.<strong>

**Aaaaaaaand part one is finished. Please stay tuned for part 2 which is going to come out next Tuesday. I will put a proper warning before the chapter as it's pretty dark. Enjoy your week everyone! **

**Nearly forgot! The poll results. It seems that a fraction more of people want me to take more time between updates for more filler and development. That being said, I think I have found a healthy balance in my most recent chapters that I completed that give more spotlight to Brock and Misty without shifting too far away from Ash and Serena. Hopefully, it pleases everyone so updates won't be hindered.**

**Chapter 27: The Silph Company Part Two**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ash find different ways to use his Pokémon's Steel-type moves?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Brock's Geodude ever evolve in this story?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Will Serena or Ash make a reference to the fossil Aerodactly when they encounter a living one?_

_**Yes.**_

_When Hoenn is over, will May travel to Sinnoh and be a rival/teacher to Dawn?_

_**It's something to consider, but I only have the very basics of Hoenn and Sinnoh outlined right now so I'm not sure.**_

_Will may still get a Squirtle and Bulbasaur in the Hoenn/ Kanto Battle Frontier arcs?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will any of the main characters catch a Pokemon of different color on Orange Islands?_

_**Perhaps.**_

_Are you going to write on why Brock keeps getting depress over Dr. Ivy? _

_**If I can think of something believable yet interesting, then yes.**_

_How are you going to include other shippings since Ash and Serena will be dating?(Advanceshipping or Pearlshipping)_

_**When did I ever say there would be Pearlshipping or Advancedshipping in this fic? Yes. I am supporter of both of those ships. Yet, when I said there would be hints at other ships, I didn't mean specifically "Ash" ships. I meant ships for any character with anyone. As far as Pearlshipping and Advancedshipping is concerned, however, (I think I mentioned this before), May and Dawn may have a **__**BRIEF **__**crush on Ash at first, but it will fade away and they will ultimately just be his close friends whom he trusts greatly. If those two are ever obstacles for Serena, it won't be for long as Ash and Serena will already be dating by that time.**_

_When Ash's Charmander evolves, it will be mad at Charla since she ignored him for being a little un-evolved Pokemon?_

_**No. It will be extremely proud and want to show off its strength to Charla.**_

When will Misty's Magikarp evolve into a Gyarados?

_**Late in the Kanto Arc, but before the Pokemon League. **_

_Will Misty get the Lapras in the story?_

_**No. It will still be Ash.**_

_Will Primeape have some kinship with Ash's future Aipom as they're both notable mischievous hat thieves and are basically monkeys?_

_**Possibly. It's something to think about.**_

_Will Ash or Serena encounter Malamar anytime in other regions besides Kalos?_

_**As of right now, the answer is no because I don't know the purpose of it being in the anime is yet. It has only appeared once. My guess it has something to do with Team Flare.**_

_Since you said Ash and Serena will be 18 in the final story, does that mean Ash will pop the question if you know what I mean?_

_**That's an EXTREMELY big spoiler that I will remain tightlipped about the entire series.**_

_Are you going to do a chapter featuring the fighting-type tournament where Ash enters Primeape and wins?_

_**Yes, but it will much different from canon.**_

_When you get to the Charicific Valley, are you going to have Charizard be left there for training like in canon, or not? What about Charla?_

_**I'm leaning both ways about if I even want the Charicific Valley to appear. If it does, I don't imagine Charizard will stay there as it would want to get stronger with Ash. Same with Charla.**_

_Will someone ask Serena out?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Serena get her own Johto starter?_

_**I'm considering to give her one but I'm not sure yet.**_

_Will primeage stop stealing ash's hat or will he always go for it?_

_**I'll probably turn it into a running gag but I'm not sure yet.**_

_Will you pair Brock with Lucy from the Battle Chateau?_

_**I am a supporter of Luckshipping so it is entirely possible. I will promise that Brock will have a girl by the end of the series.**_


	27. The Silph Company Part Two

**A/N: WARNING! This chapter contains torture and sequences of violence and cruelty, nothing is M-rated, but it's still pretty intense and why this is a **_**T-rated story**_**. If things like this offend you, don't read it and flame me. Instead, just skip to the second half of the chapter and I will provide a brief recap of what happened at the bottom in an author's note. You have been warned.**

**On a different note, please enjoy the conclusion of the Silph Co. arc. It's one of my longest chapters yet, and I put much thought into it. I hope you guys find it acceptable.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or anything at all about it. That being said, don't sue me.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 27: The Silph Company Part Two<p>

Brock, Misty, and the secretary were running through Saffron City as fast as they could. Despite the speed at which they were running, the police station was still on the other side of the city so it would still take them a while to get there. They just hoped they weren't too late and Ash, Serena, and Gary were okay. Were they even able to get inside the Silph Co. building?

As they were running to the police station, they happened to pass by the Saffron City gym. They came to a stop for a brief moment as a thought occurred to Brock.

"Hey guys. Do you think it would be a good idea to let the gym leader know of the situation?" Brock asked.

"I'm not sure that is such a good idea," the secretary warned. "The gym leader, Sabrina, is no doubt a very strong trainer, but she is also a very cold girl. It would be hard to get her to listen to reason."

"Even though the whole city is in danger?!" Misty exclaimed.

"It has nothing to do with her not wanting to care. The fact is she is emotionally unable to care," the secretary replied.

"What do you mean?" Brock asked.

"Sabrina is...I'll explain later. We have to continue to hurry to the police station," the secretary reminded.

The three then continued to run. As they left, Brock and Misty kept taking several glances back towards the gym, both wondering the same thing.

How could a gym leader be so cold and emotionless to not care about a major problem in her own city?

* * *

><p>"Everything seems to be going okay so far. Everybody seems to be fooled by our disguises," Ash said as they continued through the large building that was Silph Co.<p>

"Chu," Pikachu muttered as it poked its head a few inches out of Ash's backpack.

"You need to stay in the backpack, buddy. We don't need to draw unwanted attention to ourselves," Ash whispered.

"We are already halfway up the building. The Rockets have been surprisingly helpful in directing us to the upper floors when we need help," Gary mused.

"Is that too strange for you?" Serena asked.

"Yes. It is, in fact," Gary answered. "With the exception of that Proton guy, nobody is suspicious of us at all."

"We've learned from them that the experiments for the Master Ball are still being conducted on the eighth floor. Once we reach there, we should be able to obtain some valuable information about exactly what Team Rocket is trying to do with the Master Ball," Ash said.

"Well, we are on the seventh floor right now so it won't be too much longer. Hopefully, we will be able to surprise the Rockets and rescue the workers before heading to the top floor to rescue the president," Serena commented.

The group of three then headed up the stairs to the eighth floor. With exception of the fourth floor, all the floors had just been a maze of hallways and doors to the side. If what the Rockets had said were true, most of the workers were on the floor just above them. As they went of the stairs, the security camera was still watching everything they did.

Once the group entered the eighth floor, they were very surprised. It was certainly a large lab area like they had expected, and there were many workers tied up all over the big room with tape over their mouths. The strange part was there wasn't a single Rocket member in sight.

"I don't get it. Where is everyone?" Serena asked in confusion as they looked around the room.

"This definitely looks suspicious," Gary muttered. "We should be careful and…Ash! What are you doing?!"

"I'm freeing these workers! What else?!" Ash responded as he left Serena and Gary and ran over to the workers.

"We should think about this more logically!" Gary called.

"Let's free these Silph workers first!" Ash argued before he pulled the tape off the mouths of one of the workers.

As soon as the employee's tape was removed from his mouth, he shouted. "Get of here! Hurry! It's a trap!"

"What?" Ash asked in confusion.

"Ash! Behind you!" Serena yelled.

Ash spun around just in time to see a club coming towards his head. The club connected, and Ash immediately began to feel dizzy. He saw it was a Rocket member who had a devious smirk on his face had been the culprit. He looked familiar, but Ash was too tired to remember who it was. As his eyelids began to droop, he noticed at least thirty Rocket grunts surrounding Serena and Gary while three other Rockets, two men and one woman, appeared to be giving orders. That was the last thing Ash saw before he collapsed, and everything turned to darkness.

* * *

><p>"Uhhn…" Ash groaned as he groggily opened his eyes.<p>

His eyesight was very blurry still and he couldn't really see a thing. How long had he been knocked out? The back of his head still hurt a lot. Ash went to feel his head to see if there was a bump there, but found he was unable to move his arms. Now awake, he realized that his was tied up. He then noticed Serena and Gary next to him, also tied up. They both appeared to be unconscious. With growing panic, Ash realized they had fallen right into Team Rocket's trap, and it was his fault. If only he hadn't been so reckless!

It was then Ash decided to look around and assess the situation they were in. They were in a seated position with their arms tied up just like they were at the Power Plant a while back. They certainly couldn't break free themselves. He then looked around the room they were in, taking in its features. It was fairly small and appeared to be pretty bare aside from a table and a few chairs. This must be just an extra room that served no real purpose for Silph Co.

Now that he had fully gotten his senses back, Ash immediately grew alarmed as he wondered what could have happened to his Pokemon. He could move his fingers just enough to be able to feel his pokeballs weren't on his belt. He frantically looked around the room and noticed their backpacks and pokeballs against the wall on the opposite side of the room. What really got his attention was his best buddy,Pikachu, tied up and in a cage so it couldn't use its electric attacks.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, but got no response from the rodent so it must be unconscious as well.

Ash sighed when he realized he must be the only one awake at the moment. A thought then suddenly came to Ash that made him extremely uneasy. Why would Team Rocket leave their backpacks and Pokemon in the same room they were in? Why not relocate them? Ash may have been reckless so far, but he wasn't naïve enough to think Team Rocket simply left their Pokemon in the same room out of carelessness. Something was up.

Ash was snapped out his thoughts as he heard footsteps approaching the door. He heard the sound of keys jingling and the lock soon turned. The door then opened to reveal three Rocket grunts coming into the room carrying buckets of ice water. Two appeared unfamiliar to Ash, but he immediately got a glare on his face when he saw that the third one was one of his least favorite people on the face of the planet. Now that he had his senses back, Ash could see it was this person who had knocked him out.

"Well, well. Long time no see. How's Charmander?" Damian sneered.

"You…" Ash uttered in a low tone.

"Yes. It's me. The one and only Damian. Allow me to say hello after such a long time," Damian said with a smirk. He then went over and kicked Ash in the face as hard as he could.

Blood splattered from Ash's nose once Damian's foot came in contact with his face. Ash yelled in pain from the kick before he glared up again at Damian. His nose felt like it was on fire as blood continued to stream from it.

"That was payback for when you punched me, you little punk!" Damian yelled angrily with his fists clenched.

"I hate you," Ash growled.

"The feeling's mutual, but I have the upper hand right now so you might want to choose your words carefully around me," Damian smirked. His gaze then turned to Gary and Serena who were still knocked out. "I guess we better go ahead and wake these two up."

The two other Rocket members threw their ice water all over Gary and Serena while Damian dumped his on Ash just to spite him. Gary and Serena instantly snapped awake once the water was flung on them and began shivering violently.

"Wh-where are we?" Serena stuttered before she noticed they were all tied up.

"We were captured thanks to Ash's recklessness. If he would have listened to me, we might have been able to avoid the ambush," Gary muttered, but he was also shaking from the cold.

Ash heard those words and grimaced. Those words really stung, but Gary was right. Despite all the times of danger Ash had been through, his recklessness was the one thing Ash had not gotten any better at. Now they were captured by Team Rocket who held a massive grudge against them so who knows what could happen.

Serena then looked to see who the culprits were who had thrown the ice water on them and gasped when she saw Damian, who gave a vicious smile in return.

"Hey, sweet cakes. How have you been?" Damian asked arrogantly.

"Sweet cakes?" Serena questioned with disgust.

"All of you look much better when you are cowering before us. You know we are going to torture all of you, don't you?" Damian reminded.

"What do you mean?" Gary asked.

"I've never met you so you may not know this, but these two are proclaimed enemies of Team Rocket. There isn't a single member in the organization who doesn't know about them," Damian answered.

"What? Why those two?" Gary asked in confusion with his eyebrows raised.

"They are always ruining Team Rocket's plans! Even before I joined, they always got in Jessie, James, and Meowth's way!" Damian hollered before turning to Ash and Serena. "By the way, those three, Cassidy, and Biff will be over here later to give you a little payback of their own!"

Ash and Serena grimaced when they heard that.

"You two have been getting mixed up with Team Rocket since you started your journey!? These guys are a criminal organization! What are you thinking?!" Gary exclaimed in surprise as he glared at the two.

"We aren't doing it on purpose!" Ash defended. "It isn't like we go searching for these guys! We always just happen to be in the same place they are! This is the first time we have deliberately tried to stop them!"

"Whether you're seeking us out or not doesn't matter. You still will get what's coming for you, starting with the girl," Damian said as he went to stand over her. He leered evilly at her which caused Serena to cower in fear.

"Don't you dare touch Serena, you creep!" Ash exploded. "I swear if you harm her, I'll…"

"You'll what?" Damian smirked as he reared back his fist to strike Serena, but stopped.

He then turned to their backpacks and Pikachu who was still slumped against the wall. "Actually, I'm thinking we torture your Pokemon a little first. There is no doubt you want front row seats to that!"

"You're as low as they come!" Gary spat. "First you try to hit a girl, and now you want to torture our Pokemon?!"

"Don't touch our Pokemon!" Ash yelled.

"Or else what?!" Damian glared as he and the other two Rockets went over to their backpacks. He then began shuffling through Ash's backpack until he found the one he wanted. He then picked it up and held it out in front of him.

"Charmander's pokeball…"Ash trailed

"It sure is! I'll be taking back what is rightfully mine! Thank you!" Damian said arrogantly. "But first I think I will teach it a lesson for defying me."

He then pressed the center button and released Charmander from its pokeballs. Charmander looked up, expecting to see Ash, but its eyes grew wide with horror when it saw it was its former trainer.

"Hello, Charmander," Damian smirked as she put his hands on his hips.

Charmander looked over to where Ash, Serena, and Gary were tied up. It went over to try to help to them, but Damian gave it hard kick before it could even get two steps in. Charmander was sent flying across the room and hit the wall painfully. It slowly stood up and prepared to use Flamethrower on Damian and the other Rockets, but Damian already had his other Pokemon out: a Machoke, an Exeggutor, and a Cloyster. All three Pokemon loomed over Charmander and stared down menacingly at it.

"I told you that you would regret going against me, didn't I?" Damian growled. "I'll be teaching you a lesson you will never forget! Then let's see if you will disobey me again! I'm going to hurt you so terribly, you won't be battling for months!"

"Don't you dare hurt Charmander!" Ash shouted.

"Shut up!" Damian hollered back. "You'll get your turn after Charmander and the rest of your Pokemon." He then turned back to Chamander and gave it an evil smile. "I'm going to enjoy this."

Charmander continued to stare fearfully at the Pokemon in front of it before Damian ordered his Pokemon to attack.

Machoke was first as it rushed forward and pinned Charmander to the wall by its throat so it couldn't move. Charmander tried to bite Machoke's arm but couldn't reach it. It was unable to use its fire attacks also since Machoke was almost choking it with its unforgiving arm. It then reeled back and delivered a hard punch to Charmander's stomach, causing the poor Pokemon to gasp in pain as the wind was knocked from it.

"Charmander! No!" Ash screamed as Serena and Gary gasped at the brutality of the attack.

Pikachu had been awoken by the noise. It looked around and saw that it was in a cage. It tried to use Thundershock, but it was no good. It then saw the predicament all of its friends were in, especially Charmander. It gasped and began to cry out in worry as it continued to release Thundershocks in a vain effort to try to break free from the cage.

"Hey! Pipe down, you little rat!" one of the Rocket members snarled as he went over and rattled the cage violently. Pikachu was thrown around, knocking against the bars many times. Once the Rocket grunt was finished, he threw the cage against the wall where Pikachu was slammed into it due to the force. The cage fell to the ground and Pikachu was covered with various bumps and bruises.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried before glaring in hatred at the Rocket member who did that to it.

Pikachu shakily stood to its feet and nodded at Ash to let him know that it would be okay for now.

By then, Machoke had delivered another punch to Charmander's gut as the fire lizard gasped in pain once again.

"Stop doing that! You don't deserve to call yourself a Pokemon trainer or even a human being!" Gary yelled.

"I can do whatever I very well feel like! In fact, I think I will give a little torture to your Pokemon as well!" Damian said with an evil grin.

"Don't you even think about it!" Gary yelled.

It was than Machoke stood to the side to give its comrades a chance to attack Charmander. It still had Charmander pinned with its arms.

Exeggutor was next as it began to sprinkle an excess amount of Stun Spore all over Charmander. The Pokemon grit its teeth at the torturing powder and began to sweat profusely. Exeggutor then began to ram Charmander's lower body quite brutally with its coconut heads.

"Knock it off!" Ash screamed, but Damian ignored him.

Exeggutor then stood back as Cloyster began to shoot continuous streams of water at the Pokemon causing it to scream in pain at the super effective attack. Cloyster then began to clamp down continuously on Charmander with its spiky shell.

"Chaaaaaaaar!" Charmander screamed in agony.

Ash felt tears burn his eyes as he watched the sadistic teenager torture Charmander right in front of him, and he was powerless to stop it. Serena and Gary had forced their eyes shut and turned away from the scene. They couldn't bear to watch anymore.

By the time the savage Pokemon were finished, Charmander was in horrible shape. Its tail flame was very low and it was bleeding and hurting everywhere. It closed its eyes so might be able to rest, but Damian wasn't going to let that happen.

"Hey! Stay awake! You listen when I'm talking to you!" Damian snarled as Machoke punched Charmander across the face to keep it awake.

Charmander cast a weak glance over to its current trainer, Ash. He had tears streaming down his eyes as he saw how it was being tortured. Ash had definitely been the best trainer Charmander could ask for. He was as kind and understanding as they come. Ash always treated it with love and kindness. It had even grown to befriend all of Ash's other Pokemon, as well. One wrong move had cost it to be back in Damian's hands, but Charmander would be darned if it stayed with Damian. There was no way on Earth it was being taken from Ash to go back to him.

"I say you all give it a pain Charmander will never forget by attacking it together," Damian uttered to his Pokemon, who nodded in response.

"Don't do it!" Ash cried, but Damian didn't listen. Cloyster and Exeggutor charged forward while Machoke reared back its fist again. All three Pokemon slammed their attacks into the poor Pokemon at the same time.

Charmander felt unimaginable pain as the larger Pokemon rammed into it with their attacks. Unable to bear the pain anymore, it slumped over completely. Its tail flame was almost out.

Machoke then let go of Charmander who fell like a dead weight to the ground. It wasn't moving.

"No. Charmander," Ash began to cry. He couldn't understand how anyone on the planet could be this cruel.

Serena began to cry as well as she saw Charmander's critical state. Even the arrogant Gary Oak felt tears well up in his eyes as he saw Charmander lying there almost lifelessly.

"I say we get him back just as hard," Damian muttered as he pointed at Ash. His Pokemon then loomed over Ash and gave him the same sinister look they had given Charmander.

"PikaPi Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled once it saw the danger its trainer was in.

Serena began tear up again, but this time because of Ash. She couldn't bear the thought of Ash being tortured. She would take the place of her crush any day. She began to struggle against her ropes in a vain attempt to break free.

Charmander continued to lie there motionlessly. It was in unbelievable pain right now. It cracked one its eyes open and saw Ash, Serena, and Gary completely helpless as Damian's Pokemon prepared to attack. It saw Pikachu yelling frantically in desperation for its trainer. Charmander may have taken a beating from its former trainer, but it wasn't going to let him harm Ash. It will not! It then felt a power grow inside of it that it hadn't felt before. It was a desire to protect its trainer, a desire to not let Damian get away with doing the things he does any longer. Nobody seemed to notice that its tail flame began to get larger and its eyes began to possess a look that Charmander never had before.

"Well, what are you three Pokemon waiting for? Attack that punk!" Damian ordered.

His Pokemon were about to lunge at Ash but were distracted by a powerful flame that completely engulfed them, greatly surprising everyone in the room. Once the attack was finished, Damian's Pokemon, as well as everyone else, turned in shock at where the flame had come from.

Charmander was on its feet as it glared at Damian for trying to harm Ash. Its flame was burning larger than it had ever burned before. It was even larger than it was when Blaze was activated. It then began to glow a shiny white.

"What is this!?" Damian exclaimed as he watched what was taking place.

"Charmander's evolving," Ash muttered as he, Serena, and Gary looked in awe.

Like Charla had before it, Charmander began to grow larger and grew a horn in the back of its head and was now red in color. The glowing stopped as Charmander had now evolved into a Charmeleon. It gave an intense glare at the three Rockets, in particular to Damian. Its tail flame was still burning unbelievably intense.

"Chaaaar," it growled deeply.

"Heh, you think I'm afraid of you just because you evolved. It seems you need another lesson in pain. Machocke, Cloyster, Exeggutor! Attack that Pokemon even harder than last time!"

The three Pokemon lunged at Charmeleon, but it didn't seem worried in the least. In fact, if it was possible, its tail flame would have become larger. Charmeleon gave a mighty roar and let out the largest Flamethrower attack anyone in the room had ever seen. The Pokemon dropped to the ground like flies in utter defeat.

"That's amazing," Ash said in awe. "I didn't even know a Charmeleon could have that kind of power."

"It's using Rage. That's Charmeleon's most powerful attack," Gary told him, in equal shock of Charmeleon's strength.

Once Damian and the other Rockets saw how easily Charmeleon had defeated their Pokemon, their smirks immediately changed to a look of horror.

"Eheheheheh. Nice Charmeleon. We were just playing," Damian said nervously as he and the other Rockets began to back up.

Charmeleon continued to intensely glare at him. Seeing as Charmeleon didn't look so forgiving, Damian and the Rockets turned around and began to try to make a run for it, but Charmeleon was quicker.

It let loose another monstrous Flamethrower at the Rockets, making sure to scorch Damian the most. All three humans screamed in pain as Charmeleon continued to burn them. The attack finally ended, and the larger fire lizard had a look of satisfaction on its face.

Damian and the other two Rockets were charred completely black and fell over onto the ground, unmoving.

"Holy cow," Ash muttered at the situation that had just taken place.

Charmeleon then ran over to Ash, Serena, and Gary and cut their ropes loose with its sharp claws. It then went over to unlock Pikachu from its cage. As soon as the yellow rodent was free, it ran over to Ash and jumped in his arms.

"Buddy!" Ash cried in delight as he gave it a hug. He then looked at Charmeleon. "I'm so sorry I wasn't able to protect you from Damian, Charmeleon. Do forgive me?"

Charmeleon nodded its head and gave a thumbs up at Ash as its tail flame returned to normal.

The raven hair boy then went over to the fire lizard and gave it a hug as well. "Congratulations on evolving, Charmeleon. I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared of what might have happened to you when I saw Damian attacking you like that."

"Char," it said reassuringly.

"I just want to let you know that we will always be together, Charmeleon. I will never let you go to a trainer like Damian ever again," Ash said.

"Thank you for everything, Charmeleon," Serena said as she hugged the Pokemon, too.

Ash then decided to switch topics as he looked over at the three scorched bodies. Gary was checking their pulses.

"Well, they are definitely still alive, but I don't see them recovering anytime soon, especially Damian. If he does recover, I don't think it will be completely. He will probably be disfigured for the rest of his life because of how burned he is," Gary reported.

"We should probably continue on and worry about them later. We still have to rescue the president," Ash reminded.

"Remember to be careful this time. This building is still full of Team Rocket members, and I don't wish to be captured again," Gary said.

"Right," Ash agreed as he and everyone else left the room. Before he left, he looked over at the scorched body of Damian, the cruel boy who had tortured Charmander, called it worthless, and called Serena a horrible name. With the horrible shape Damian appeared to be in, Ash almost felt sorry for him despite how terrible a person Damian was. Seeing Damian lying there like that, completely motionless, and because it had been Charmander…no, Charmeleon who did, Ash felt closure with Damian. He didn't feel like he would run into Damian for a very long time after this, if ever. He sighed and followed Gary, Serena, Pikachu, and Charmeleon out of the room.

Once again, the group had a security camera that was monitoring their every move.

* * *

><p>To say that the Team Rocket executives were surprised at the events they had seen on the camera was an understatement. Those kids had escaped from their bondages again. They gave Damian and those two other grunts the simple task to watch over those brats, and they would deal with them later. Yet they still managed to break free! This was an outrage!<p>

"How is it those little kids are so strong? This is very unsettling," a woman with red hair and a haughty expression muttered as she saw the group leave the room via the control room on the tenth floor.

"Indeed it is, Ariana," a tall man with short green hair in a white uniform agreed. "We should have dealt with these children while we had the chance. We should inform the boss of this and ask about the next course of action."

"He certainly isn't going to be pleased, Archer," a hunched man with purple hair that stuck up in the middle said.

"There isn't anything else we can do, Petrel," Archer replied. He then turned on his wrist communicator and spoke into it. "Sir, this is Archer."

"What is it this time, Archer? I hope this is good news," spoke Giovanni.

Archer was visibly nervous upon hearing that. "Unfortunately sir, it is more bad news. The rats that we captured have escaped their bondages and are free again. They overpowered the grunts we sent to keep watch on them."

"WHAT?! AGAIN?!" Giovanni shouted. "How is it those idiots can't take care of a couple of children?!"

"With all due respect, sir, these children are much stronger than they seem. They have been able to take down everyone in their path so far," Archer replied.

"It doesn't matter whether they make it up to me or not anymore," Giovanni said darkly. "We have gotten the information we needed about the Master Ball to make one of our own. Those children still need to be taught a lesson, however, for meddling in our affairs."

"Please, sir. Let us executives take care of the brats. They may be able to defeat grunts but will be no match for us," Archer suggested.

"I have a better idea," the Rocket boss said. "Bring them to me. I would like to speak with them personally, particularly this Ash Ketchum I hear so much about."

"Yes, sir," Archer replied before turning off the communicator.

* * *

><p>Luckily, the group hadn't run into anymore ambushes since the one of the eighth floor. They have only had minor skirmishes with a few Rockets. They weren't going to be so easily fooled now, however. They were taking no chances.<p>

"We are almost back up to the eighth floor guys," Ash reported. "Do you think they know of our escape and have something else planned?

"Without a doubt. I bet they are watching our every move right now, somehow," Gary responded.

"Why aren't they sending out any ambushes again?" Serena asked.

"Who knows, but I bet you they are planning something," Gary said as they reached the eighth floor.

Once again, the group saw many workers who were tied up with tape over their mouths. It looked just like the last time the group was up here.

"Surely they wouldn't try the same thing twice in a row," Ash commented.

"Of course not," Gary agreed. "I say we free the workers but do it very slowly and keep our eyes peeled.

"Right," Ash responded.

The group was about to step forward to free the workers but were stopped by a voice. "You will do no such thing!"

The group turned to see four Team Rocket members walking towards them, three men and one woman. Ash immediately recognized one of them as the executive they encountered on the fourth floor, Proton. It took him a moment to place the other three, but he then remember they were the Rockets giving the grunts orders just before he was knocked out on this floor. The group learned it had been the woman who had called out to them just now.

The three immediately reached for their pokeballs, but Archer stopped them by holding out his hand. "Hold on. We aren't going to fight you."

"What?" Ash asked in confusion.

"We have been given orders to take you straight to our boss," Archer explained as he and the other executives reached them.

"Yeah. I'm a nice guy. That's why we are doing this," Petrel said.

"You're taking us straight to your leader with no opposition? Why?" Serena asked suspiciously.

"You brats have awoken an anger that can't be quenched within us. I would like nothing more than to unleash the full power of a Team Rocket executive's wrath on you, but the boss is forbidding it," Proton said as he clenched his fists.

"Settle down, Proton," Ariana told him. She then turned back to the trio. "Are you coming or not?"

"Why on Earth should we trust you?" Gary asked. "You've tried to have us killed. How do we know you aren't leading us to a trap?"

"Our boss said he just wants to talk with you. On the other hand, if you refuse, we can simply crush you here," Archer said.

The group then looked around and noticed several more Team Rocket members coming out of hiding places and surrounding the group.

"I knew it," Gary muttered. "It was another ambush."

"This isn't an ambush because we are giving you a choice," Ariana said. "You want to get to the top floor, correct? We are offering to take you there without any opposition."

Ash sighed. "Guys. I hate to say it, but it doesn't look like we have any better options. I say we let them take us to the top floor."

"Are you serious, Ash?! Surely you can't trust their word!" Gary exclaimed.

"Do you see any other options, Gary?" Ash asked sternly as he gestured at the several Rockets surrounding them. "Do you think we can take all of these guys on our own?"

Gary didn't have a response for that.

"If you say so, I trust your judgment, Ash," Serena said.

Seeing as no one was arguing with him anymore, Ash nodded to the four Rocket executives. "Okay. Please take us to your leader," he said.

Archer nodded back once. "Very well. Let's go."

The group then began to follow the executives through eighth floor, exchanging nervous glances with each other and wondering what the Team Rocket boss had in store for them.

They continued through the other upper floors with no trouble whatsoever. Any Rockets they passed merely saluted the executives or looked on in confusion. It seemed like the Rocket executives were keeping their word. They soon arrived at the entrance to the eleventh floor and were met by some very familiar faces.

"You guys!?" Ash said in surprise.

"Chuuuuu!" Pikachu growled.

"Meowth! What are you twerps doing here!? You were supposed to be captured?!" Meowth exclaimed.

"Such dreadful twerps! We'll show you how wrong it is to keep meddling in our affairs!" James shouted as he, Jessie, Butch, and Cassidy reached for their pokeballs.

"Stand down! They are with us," Ariana told them.

"You're actually taking them to the boss?" Butch asked in confusion. "Why?"

"Don't ask questions! Just do as we say! The boss wants to speak with them personally!" Proton growled.

"Yes, sir Proton!" all five of them saluted as they hastily moved out of the way, not wanting to anger any of their executives.

As the group passed them, Jessie reached out her foot to trip Serena on her way by. Serena stumbled and almost lost her balance, but Ash caught her just in time. He and Serena glared at Jessie while she and her comrades glared back, but the executives stepped in.

"Don't try our patience anymore. We are angry enough as it is," Archer threatened.

The four Rockets and Meowth continued to glare at their twerps before finally averting their gazes and looking ahead again to keep watch. The four executives and the group then went up the stairs that lead to the very top floor where the president was being held captive.

"Ugh! I can't believe we had to just let those brats walk by us like that! Can you believe this, Biff?!" Cassidy scowled once they were out of sight.

"My name is Butch, not Biff," Butch muttered.

* * *

><p>Once the group made it on to the top floor, they were met with a long hallway with a few doors to the side and one at the end, which was presumably the president's office. They passed by the secretary's office on their way through the hallway and thought of where Brock and Misty could be. Surely they almost had to be here. This situation was a lot scarier than they thought it would be. They hoped their friends and police would arrive soon. Reaching the top floor had been their goal the entire time since they entered the building. However, now that they were here, the group was very apprehensive.<p>

"Ash, I'm a little scared," Serena whispered as she grabbed on to his arm for support.

"It will be okay," Ash assured as he reached over with his opposite hand to rub Serena's arm in a comforting manner.

Once they arrived at the door to the president's office, Archer walked over and knocked lightly three times to wait for a response.

"Who is it?" came the dark voice of Giovanni from the other end.

"It's us, sir. We've brought the intruders as you requested," Archer answered.

"Very well. Send them in," Giovanni responded.

Archer opened the door and allowed the group to enter. Ash, Serena, and Gary walked past him and took in their surroundings. The first thing they noticed was an older man with a terrified and worried look behind his desk. That was who they presumed to be the president. Then their eyes met with a tall man in an orange suit who was sitting on the couch cross-legged and stroking a Persian by his side. He had to be the Rocket leader. This man seemed to be a lot more sophisticated than they thought a leader of a criminal gang should be.

"Thank you, Archer," Giovanni said to his executive. Then he addressed the others, "Petrel, go get the helicopter ready. The rest of you may wait outside the door. I will call you when needed."

Ash, Serena, and Gary thought it was very bold of Giovanni to talk to them alone. He must not be afraid of them at all, not that he had a reason to be.

The executives nodded before leaving the room and closing the door behind them. The group knew they had no choice but to talk to the boss now that their exit had been blocked.

"Oh, this is awful. I can't believe the people I heard who attempted to rescue Silph Co. were children. I'm so ashamed," the president moaned sadly

Giovanni's Persian hissed at the man which immediately drove him into silence.

Giovanni then looked at Ash appraisingly. "Would your name happen to Ash Ketchum, young man, and the young lady next to you Serena Gabena?" he asked.

"Yes. How did you know our names?" Ash asked uneasily.

"How could I not? You all have been a thorn in Team Rocket's side for a very long time now," Giovanni responded calmly before solely addressing Gary. "There is no need to ask who you are. You are Gary Oak, son of Blue Oak, and grandson of Professor Samuel Oak."

Gary wished for once that his family wasn't so famous. His father was the champion of the Kanto region and his grandfather was the authority on Pokemon. Everybody knew of him as a result by just looking at his face. He was the spitting image of his father.

Giovanni then added a slight venom in his voice directed at Ash. "Your name…I get so angry every time I hear it. It reminds me of a time in my past that I don't have happy memories of."

"My name? Have I met you before?" Ash inquired in confusion.

"No, not personally, but I do know all about you," Giovanni responded. "Team Rocket has spies all across the region. We've been keeping tabs on you and your friends ever since Celadon City. I thought your last name was just a coincidence when I first heard it. However, once I learned about you, I knew for sure exactly who you were. It's almost fitting how you would be the one to get in my way."

"I don't get it. What do you know about me? I've never heard of you or Team Rocket until I started my journey!" Ash argued.

"I would like to ask you, why do you keep interfering in our business? You certainly are a meddlesome child." Giovanni asked instead, choosing not to answer Ash's question.

"Because what you guys do is wrong!" Ash shouted. "I don't care if I'm just a kid! I can't allow you guys to commit the crimes you do using Pokemon!"

"Heheheh. Pokemon are nothing more than tools used to meet ends," Giovanni responded which made Pikachu growl. The Persian didn't seem to mind Giovanni's words.

"Pokemon are our friends and partners! That's a very twisted way of thinking!" Ash shouted.

"Ash…" Serena trailed as she placed her hand on his right shoulder to calm him down. Giovanni was an exceptionally intimidating man.

"My, my. What a brave one you are, just like your father," Giovanni smirked.

"My…my father?" Ash asked in total surprise. That was a person whom he hadn't heard about in a long time.

"Hmm hmm. You really don't know anything, do you?" Giovanni chuckled. "Tell me, young man. Are you aiming to enter the Pokemon League?"

"Uh, yes. Why are you asking me a question like that," Ash answered uneasily.

"Heh. It will certainly be interesting to battle you in due time," Giovanni smiled darkly.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"You will know soon enough," Giovanni responded.

"Why did you want to take over Silph Co. in the first place?" Gary asked, wanting to change the subject away from Ash.

"You children sure are full of questions, aren't you?" Giovanni remarked as he crossed his arms. "If you must know, we need the Master Ball."

"So you can capture any Pokemon you please, right?" Ash scowled.

"No. We would not go through all of this trouble to get our hands on the ultimate pokeball for just any Pokemon," Giovanni replied.

"Then why?" Serena asked.

"Have you three ever heard of Mewtwo?" Giovanni inquired.

Both Ash and Serena remained silent, never having heard of it before, but Gary had.

"I have. My gramps has mentioned it to me. I've heard rumors that it has been an experiment researchers have worked on by cloning the Pokemon Mew's DNA," he responded.

"What?! Cloning the legendary Pokemon, Mew?!" Ash and Serena exclaimed.

Giovanni got up from the couch and walked over to the window with his hands behind his back and looked out towards the city his back to the group. "It's not just a rumor. It's very true. We plan to use the Master Ball to capture that Pokemon and bring it under our control. With such a powerful Pokemon at our disposal, it won't be long until Team Rocket controls the world!" Giovanni proclaimed with an evil grin, his look reflecting in the glass towards the group.

"We aren't going to let you get away with that! We will stop you!" Ash yelled.

Giovanni let out an evil chuckle and turned back to the group. "Children like you stop me? You clearly don't know whom you are dealing with."

The Persian hissed threateningly at Ash, but he didn't care.

"You seem to be a very powerful trainer, Ash," Giovanni commented. "If you are interested, I could offer you a place on Team Rocket. Your friends as well."

"We'll never join the likes of you!" Ash shouted.

"I thought you might say that, but don't say I was never generous enough to offer. Bad things happen to people who keep getting in Team Rocket's way," Giovanni said dangerously.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Ash shouted again.

"You should be. It would be most unfortunate to hear something bad happened to your mother, Delia, if you don't stay out of our way," Giovanni threatened.

"Don't threaten my mother," Ash uttered in a low tone, ignoring the fact that Giovanni knew of his mom, also. His fists were clenched and his teeth were gritted. He felt what was like a small spark deep in his soul, but he ignored it.

"Did I hit a nerve, Ash Ketchum?" Giovanni mocked.

"Leave my family out of this," Ash growled. "They have nothing to do with this."

"Oh, they have much more to do with this than you think," Giovanni said with a knowing smirk.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked in complete confusion. What did his parents have to do with Team Rocket?

"Yeah. Gary and I have known Ash for years! His family never had anything to do with Team Rocket!" Serena yelled.

"This goes farther back than the just the so called years you have known Ash," Giovanni responded.

Giovanni's Persian got up from its sitting position and began to take slow steps towards the group while hissing dangerously.

"Team Rocket can't have children who keep getting in our way, particularly you three," Giovanni said as he narrowed his eyes. "I think it's time we taught you all a lesson for meddling with us far too long."

Giovanni then reached for one his pokeballs. Ash, Serena, and Gary did the same. Proton, Ariana, and Archer burst into the room and also had their pokeballs drawn. The three looked around at all the Rocket members surrounding them while the President watched helplessly. They didn't want to admit it, but the odds looked pretty bad.

"Pikachu, are you ready?" Ash asked to which the Pikachu nodded in response and sparked its cheeks.

"Ash…." Serena trailed worriedly.

"Just stay by me, Serena. I won't let them harm you," Ash reassured.

It looked like a major fight was going to breakout between the heroes and Rocket executives, but they were interrupted by Jessie, James, Meowth, Butch, and Cassidy running into the room panting heavily.

"What are you doing here?! I gave you strict orders to stand guard for this floor!" Giovanni yelled, the executives also glaring at them.

"The police are here, boss!" James exclaimed. "They are about to break into the building right now!"

"Those twerps must have had accomplices getting the police or something while they were here! We've gotta split!" Meowth yelled urgently.

It was then the group heard the sound of a large helicopter right outside the building.

Giovanni glared at Ash who glared right back. "Ash Ketchum, should we meet again, I will introduce to you a world of pain when we do! Consider this your final warning to stay out of Team Rocket's way, or else something WILL be done about it!" He then turned to address his subordinates in the room. "We retreat for now! Get to the helicopter!"

The helicopter appeared outside the large window. Jessie, James, Cassidy, and Butch released their Pokemon: An Arbok, Weezing, Raticate, and Hitmonchan respectively and ordered them to break the windows. The president had to jump out of the way of the incoming attacks to avoid them. The attacks connected with the window and completely shattered it. They then made a mad dash towards the awaiting helicopter. The Pokemon got in between the Rocket members to form a wall between them and Ash, Serena, and Gary.

"You guys aren't getting away! Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

The yellow rodent gave a yell and shocked all of Team Rocket's Pokemon while the humans were getting in the helicopter.

"Arbok! Poison Sting attack!" Jessie yelled as she jumped onto the helicopter right after the executives.

"Launch a Sludge attack, Weezing!" James yelled.

The Pokemon launched their respective attacks which knocked Pikachu onto the ground in pain. The Rockets then returned all of their Pokemon to continue on to the helicopter.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as he ran over to it and scooped it into his arms.

"Hey! Get a move on, Butch!" Cassidy yelled to her partner as she got on the helicopter.

"It's Butch, you got it!? Oh, wait. That's what you said," Butch corrected himself before he was yanked on by Cassidy.

"Eeeek! Wait for me!" James cried as he went on next.

The only Rocket left was Giovanni himself. The group could hear a bunch of commotion on the floors below them. They knew the police must have stormed the building now. Upon hearing this, Giovanni went to get on the helicopter but was stopped by Ash.

"You aren't getting away! Charmeleon, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto! I choose you!" Ash shouted as he released his Pokemon.

"You still want to fight, boy?!" Giovanni growled threateningly.

"There's no way I'm letting you escape!" Ash yelled again.

"I was going to let this matter go, but you leave me no choice. I am very angry!" Giovanni said dangerously.

"Forget about that twerp, boss! We need to leave!" James called desperately.

"No! These children need to be taught a lesson right now! Rhydon, go!" the Rocket boss yelled.

A massive, terrifying, gray Pokemon that looked like a cross between a dragon and a rhinoceros appeared. It loomed over the smaller Pokemon threateningly.

Ash didn't back down, though. He called all of his Pokemon to use their most powerful attacks, but Giovanni didn't even appear fazed.

"Use Horn Drill, Rhydon," he said.

The large Pokemon began spinning its horn very quickly as it lunged forward and actually pushed through all of the attacks, despite being weak to some of them! Then, one-by-one, it struck Ash's Pokemon with its drill, instantly knocking them all out. Everyone was completely amazed at the Rhydon's strength.

Rhydon then charged forward and crashed into Ash, sending him flying backwards and hitting the wall hard, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Ash felt if he hit the wall any harder, it would have broken his back.

"Ash!" Serena screamed in horror as she and Gary went over to help him.

Giovanni returned Rhydon and gave Ash an intimidating look. "You are very foolish to challenge me, boy, just like your father," he muttered.

"Wh-why? I don't understand y-you," Ash choked out in pain as he was slumped against the wall.

"There is no use to explain it to you. A child like you will never understand what I hope to achieve," Giovanni said as he turned around and got onto the helicopter. It then began to pull away.

"I won't let you get away!" Ash yelled as he actually got up and ran to the open window after the helicopter despite the intense pain he was in.

"Ash, don't!" Serena cried as she held him back.

"It's too late! They're already gone!" Gary added.

Ash struggled against Serena for little bit before he finally slumped over in her arms. He was in too much pain to fight against her right now. Ash looked at his injured Pokemon scattered across the room, the Team Rocket helicopter getting away, the terrified president in the corner of the room, and finally the upset looks of Gary and Serena. Unable to control his emotions anymore, Ash did the only thing he could in this situation.

He began to cry.

Tears began to spill from his eyes as Serena turned him around and gave him a reassuring embrace.

"I couldn't do a thing to stop them, Serena. They still got away," he said in between tears. "They even have the Master Ball blueprints. Who knows what they will do now."

"I know. It isn't your fault, Ash. It's okay," Serena said soothingly as she continued to hug Ash.

"My Pokemon were not even close to a match for him," Ash continued to cry.

Everyone then heard footsteps running into the room. Officer Jenny appeared at the doorway with her gun out, followed by a few other police officers, the secretary, and finally, Misty and Brock.

"Is everybody okay?" Officer Jenny asked.

"We're shaken up, but we're okay," Gary responded as he breathed a sigh of relief.

Brock and Misty looked around the half-destroyed room in horror and at the state their friends and Pokemon were in. They could only imagine the chaos that must have happened here a moment ago.

* * *

><p>It was now about an hour after the police had arrived at Silph Co. Various police cars were surrounding the building as the police were leading any remaining Team Rocket members out in handcuffs. The group happened to spot Damian and the other two Team Rocket members who were with him being carried out on stretchers to an ambulance with a police guard. The group figured they would be treated at the local hospital and sent to jail afterward.<p>

Ash was currently sitting down on the ground against the Silph Co. building drinking a bottle of water to calm him down. Pikachu was by his side. It was treated with a Super Potion to heal it of his injuries so it would be fine. His other Pokemon were at the Saffron City Pokemon Center. Misty and Brock were talking with Serena and Gary to learn of the events that had taken place while they were in the Silph Co. building.

Officer Jenny came over to Serena, Brock, Misty, and Gary. She then motioned for Ash to come over, as well. Ash got up from the ground and walked over to the group with Pikachu following him. Once he reached them, Officer Jenny spoke up.

"I just want to let you all know how lucky you are to be okay. That was pretty reckless of you to break into Silph Co. after knowing that it was swarming with Team Rocket members," she said.

"We know. We just didn't think we had any other choice," Ash replied quietly.

"It's no place for kids such as yourselves to be involved with a criminal organization like Team Rocket," Officer Jenny continued. "You should leave matters such as these to adults."

"We know," Ash muttered.

"Still, the information you provided for us has been very helpful in leading us to what it is exactly Team Rocket is trying to do, so our police force has you to thank for that. We will be investigating this thoroughly," Officer Jenny finished as she saluted before going off her own way.

"Are you feeling better, Ash?" Serena asked him.

"Yeah. Thanks, Serena," he replied.

"It's been quite a day. What do say we head back to the Pokemon Center to rest," Brock suggested.

The group agreed to that plan as they began to head in that direction, but Ash was stopped by Gary.

"Just a second Ash. I want to say a couple of things to you," he said.

"Uh, okay," Ash said. He then motioned for the rest of his friends to go on and that he would catch up in a little bit. Pikachu stayed behind as well.

"What is it, Gary?" Ash asked curiously.

"Heh, you're still them same reckless Ash I've always known. Out of you, Leaf, and Serena, you've always been the least rational out of all of us," Gary said.

"Oh," Ash deadpanned.

"Heheheheh, yeah," Gary laughed arrogantly. "When Leaf hears about how we raided Silph Co., she will eat you alive for doing something so crazy, but I suppose she will do the same to me for coming with you!"

"Thanks, Gary. I really needed that boost right now," Ash muttered sarcastically as he imagined his mother fainting from worry or Leaf kicking his butt when they find out.

"But that isn't what I wanted to tell you," Gary said as he changed his tone.

"Then what?" Ash wondered

"I wanted to say that despite all of that, you are still a great Pokemon trainer," Gary stated.

"What?! Really?!" Ash asked in amazement.

"Definitely. The way you handled your Pokemon in Silph Co was well done. It doesn't matter that you lost to their boss. Your Pokemon clearly care a lot about you, and you care a lot for them, as well. That's a mark of any good Pokemon trainer in my book," Gary continued.

"You really think so?!" Ash asked hopefully.

"Yep! Just watch out because the next time we meet, I might be the one challenging you!" Gary said as he placed his hands on his hips and grinned.

"Thanks, Gary!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.

"You bet! Now let's head back to the Pokemon Center, pal!" Gary smiled as he clapped a hand on Ash's back.

"Sounds good!" Ash replied back as he and Pikachu followed Gary.

Ash was extremely happy right now. After years of a heated rivalry with Gary, it seemed Gary finally recognized Ash as a worthy rival. Ash couldn't be happier at the moment at the words Gary had said to him. His greatest rival called him a good Pokemon trainer and even wanted to battle the next time they met! It had been a crazy, stressful day, where many things happened, but the most important thing was that everyone was safe in the end. Needless to say, Ash and his friends would have a lot talk about tonight at the Pokemon Center.

Still, as he, Gary, and Pikachu walked along the streets of Saffron City, Giovanni's words rang throughout Ash's ears. What was Giovanni's connection with his family? Despite the Rocket leader's words to stay away from Team Rocket, Ash had a bad feeling that today wouldn't be the last time he saw Giovanni, whether he wanted to or not.

* * *

><p><strong>Brief recap for the first half of the chapter:<br>1. Ash and friends are captured by the ambush on the eighth floor.**

**2. Damian and two other Rockets appear and taunt the group before proceeding to torture Charmander.**

**3. Charmander evolves into Charmeleon before Damian can harm Ash.**

**4. Charmeleon burns Damian and the other Rockets within an inch of their life and frees the group.**

**I pretty much have the entire Kanto arc planned by now and know exactly when and what will happen in every chapter. Hopefully, because of that, I will be able to write my chapters a little easier from now on. I've spent a lot of time on the most recent chapter I've been writing (which is 35)and struggling a lot to finish it because it's so long (over 10,000 words). **

**I think Damian will be out of the picture for quite a while now. I don't have him set for any more appearances in this story since he is pretty much taken care of. I probably won't have him appear again either unless I really need him for something.**

**Sorry, I won't reveal anything about Giovanni and Ash or how Giovanni knows Ash's parents yet. Everything will be answered in future chapters. The identity of Ash's father will still be revealed before Ash's eighth gym battle, possibly even before his seventh, but it isn't the time yet. I really hoped you guys enjoyed these chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them. Please stay tuned for more of this fanfic next Tuesday! Thanks for all of the reviews, advice, and support for this story and see you all then!**

**Chapter 28: Saffron City Fighting Dojo**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Would you consider a spin-off with Ash and Serena's kids? _

_**When did I say Ash and Serena would have kids and get married, lol. Seriously, though, I know what you meant when you asked that. If I still have fresh ideas in my head after this series is over, then I will consider doing some type of sequel or spiritual successor to the series. Like you mentioned though, this project is at least going to take a few years to complete so I don't know what the future holds. I'm not sure yet if I am going to continue fanfiction either once this series is over. I would like to do a Pokemon Special Manga story at some point, though.**_

_Will Serena or May catch a Swablu?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Serena have another goal once she is finished with the Battle Chateau or will it stay the same?_

_**I'm not sure. I think I have found something else I believe she could do during the Johto arc but the Orange Islands arc is a complete loss to me right now because it is so short. She certainly won't be doing Battle Chateaus during the Orange Islands for sure so she may just spend that arc exploring her options.**_

_Will Serena catch a Feebas and evolve it to a Milotic or catch a female Snorunt and evolve it to a Froslass in the Sinnoh arc?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash's battle with Sabrina be like it is in the anime?_

_**Sort of. There will be similarities yet differences. Ash will actually have to defeat Sabrina to get a badge, though.**_

_Will Ash catch any non canon Pokemon during the Orange Island's arc?_

_**Probably. **_

_Since Serena now has a Nidorina, will she be using that moonstone she got from Mount Moon to evolve it into Nidoqueen anytime soon?_

_**Nidorina will become a Nidoqueen eventually. I know Serena won't use her Moon Stone on Jigglypuff. I have no plans to ever evolve Jigglypuff in this series as it will ruin its image.**_

_Have you already considered the Pokémon Ash will have in order to have at least one representation of each type, including Fairy?_

_**Yes. I have all of what Pokemon (both canon and noncanon) I want Ash and Serena to have all the way up to Hoenn. They will each own at least one of every type eventually, but probably not by the end of Kanto**_

_Will Ash defeat Gary in any kind of battle prior to the Silver Conference? _

_**Maybe. The Silver Conference will still be their first 6 on 6 battle, though.**_

_Will Ash be getting Phanpy the same way he did in canon?_

_**I'm not sure yet. I'm leaning towards a different way right now.**_

_Will they meet mewtwo and mew and have that big battle like in the first movie?_

_**Yes. That segment will still be part of the chapters when I do the first movie.**_

_Can we expect an appearance from the Pokemon Master Red?_

_**Yes. Red is in this story.**_

_Will Ash still catch a Beedrill in Johto? And will he keep it instead of giving it to Casey?_

_**I don't plan for Ash to ever catch a Beedrill**__._

_Will ash get a pokemon from the game corner?_

_**No. The Game Corner won't make an appearance in this fic.**_

_Will Ash get a Ralts that evolves into Gallade and a Sharpedo?_

_**Maybe.**_


	28. Saffron City Fighting Dojo!

**A/N: At first I didn't think I would get this chapter out on time because of the horrible internet service I've had all week. I'm glad most of you enjoyed the Silph Co. arc. Before I start, I want to address something some of you had pointed out. A lot of you described Ash as exceedingly weak last chapter when his Pokemon were pulverized by Giovanni. That scene was not supposed to describe Ash as weak. Rather, it was supposed to show how strong Giovanni is compared to Ash and the other Rockets and how Ash will need to force himself to get stronger so he can stand up to the Rocket boss.**

**Oh, well. Here is Chapter 28. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. All rights belong to Nintendo, Game Freak, etc.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 28: Saffron City Fighting Dojo<p>

"Mom! I'm home!" Ash called excitedly as opened the door and entered the living room of his house in Pallet Town. He was carrying a large trophy in his hands.

"Ash!" his mother, Delia, cried with delight as she came running from the kitchen, still in her apron.

Ash then quickly went towards his mother to give her the biggest hug he was able to. It felt so good to be back to his home in Pallet Town. He hadn't seen his mother in person since he left for the Pokemon League about a year ago.

"Mom! Guess what!? I won first place at the Pokemon League!" Ash informed his mother with joy as he looked up at her and grinned.

Delia immediately put an overjoyed look on her face. "Oh, Ash! I'm so proud of you! I knew my little baby could do it!" Delia cried as she hugged her son tighter.

"Come on, Mom. Cut it out," Ash said sheepishly, but he was still excited.

The two remain in each other's arms for quite a while. It was just the two of them. There was nothing any of them were worried about at the moment. Ash had just gotten one step closer to becoming a Pokemon Master by winning the league. He was now back at home where his mother had been anxiously awaiting him. Ash felt real peace right now. Life was good.

Suddenly, there was a loud rapping at his door. The pounds were much louder than necessary for a visit. The two residents of the house turned to look at the door with curiosity.

"Hmm…I wonder who that could be," Delia wondered aloud as she walked towards the door to open it.

Ash had a sneaking suspicion of dread as his mother went to open the door. He didn't know why, but something was telling him that whoever had knocked on the other side of the door wasn't there for a friendly visit. Ash was just about to yell for his mom to stop when she turned the knob to open it, but he was too late.

As soon as Delia opened the door, there was a loud bang from the other side.

"Mom!" Ash screamed in horror once he heard the gunfire and saw the look of shock on his mother's face.

Delia began to fall backwards quickly towards the floor, but to Ash, it felt like an eternity. Time seemed to slow down as she was falling. She finally hit the floor with a loud thud. As Ash ran towards his mother, his eyes grew wide with terror as he saw a fresh bullet hole engraved deeply in the center of her chest, fresh blood flowing through it.

"Mom!" Ash cried again once he reached her. There was no response. Delia's eyes were still open with shock from the bullet that had penetrated her. Ash knelt down and began to frantically shake her, tears coming from his eyes. This couldn't be happening. He still wasn't getting a response. It was then with growing dread that Ash realized his mother was dead, her life instantly gone by a single bullet.

Ash then looked up from the body of Delia to see who it was that committed the terrible deed, tears still stinging his eyes. He gasped when he saw they were two men dressed in black. There was a huge red R in the middle of the uniform.

"Team Rocket!" Ash gasped. He reached for his pokeballs but realized there weren't any there. Come to think of it, Pikachu wasn't with him either, neither were Serena, Brock, or Misty. Nobody was here! He was all alone.

"Heh! You should have stayed out of our way, brat," one of the Rocket grunts smirked evilly as he brought the gun back up and pointed it at Ash's face. "This is what you get for messing with Team Rocket!"

Ash then looked past the Rocket grunts and gasped in horror when he saw a familiar girl in a pink hat sprawled out on the ground behind them. Her eyes were wide in shock as blood continued to pour from her, as well. A yellow rodent was by her side, also in the same predicament.

"NO! Serena! Pikachu!" Ash, yelled. He couldn't believe it. His mom and friends were dead, and it was all his fault. He had been powerless to save them. He was weak. If only he was stronger…

"And now it's your turn," the Rocket member said as he pulled the trigger of his gun on Ash, and there was nothing but black…..

XXX

"No!" Ash cried again as sat up quickly in his bed, drenched with sweat.

"Ash! Are you okay?!" a girl asked frantically from beside him.

"Chuuu!?" another voice cried.

Ash turned towards the girl's voice and his eyes widened when he saw Serena was by his bedside. He then looked at the foot of his bed and saw his beloved partner, Pikachu, in a curled up position with its head raised. It was looking at Ash in alarm.

"Serena? You're alive?" Ash breathed.

"Of course I'm alive, Ash," Serena replied, suddenly a little scared.

It was then Ash looked around and saw he was in his room at the Pokemon Center in Saffron City. He wasn't at his house. He didn't just win the Pokemon League. Everyone was still alive. As his senses begin to return, Ash realized it had all been a horrible dream. He let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Ash?" Serena tried again.

"I'll be fine, Serena," Ash replied. "I just had a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Serena asked with worry as she sat down on the bed next to Ash.

"I'll be fine," Ash repeated. He wasn't going to tell her he had a dream where she was killed by Team Rocket. Ash had a rough night sleeping. He was up most of the night in his bed thinking about what Giovanni had said: about how he knew Ash's parents and the threats he made if Ash didn't stay out of their way. Was his dream a dark premonition of what would happen if he saw Team Rocket again?

"Ash? Are you sure you're okay?" Serena repeated. Pikachu was also watching Ash in concern.

"Yeah. What time is it?" Ash finally said after taking another deep breath.

"It's almost noon," Serena answered. "Everyone else is already up. We all decided to get an extra few hours of sleep because of the events that happened yesterday. I had just come in here and was about to wake you up when you screamed and sat up in your bed."

It was then Ash began to recall the events of last night. It had been pretty hectic. They had all called their parents, Leaf, and Professor Oak last night to tell them about the Silph Co. takeover and their involvement with it. Naturally, Delia and Grace were less than approving of their children doing something so dangerous. Ash and Serena got a good scolding from their parents while Blue, Gary's father, muttered something about being too much like Red. Leaf was extremely worried for them all, but soon admitted that she probably would have done the same thing had she been in Saffron City. Despite the four Pallet Town natives being separated, they could still count on each other for support in the face of danger. They were all friends for life, for sure.

"It was then Serena spoke to Ash again. "Gary is almost ready to leave. I'm sure you would like to say goodbye to him."

"He is?!" Ash exclaimed, now fully awake.

He immediately jumped out of the bed which sent Pikachu flying off the sheets and onto the floor. It leaped onto its feet and glared at Ash.

"Pikachu!" it said angrily.

"Sorry, buddy! I need to hurry up and get dressed!" Ash apologized hurriedly.

He then turned towards Serena and saw her blushing very deeply. He was about to ask what was wrong but soon knew what it was. Ash looked himself over and saw he was only wearing his boxers at the moment. He was soon as red as Serena.

"I'm just going to…wait outside while you get changed," Serena muttered nervously.

"Heheheheh. Sounds good. I'll see you in a little bit," Ash chuckled with equal embarrassment.

Serena quickly went out the door and closed it behind her leaving Ash and Pikachu alone in the room. Ash took a deep breath as his heartbeat returned to normal. He didn't know why, but having Serena see him like that made him more embarrassed than if any other girl would see him like that. He was sure he wouldn't have reacted that way if it had been Misty or Leaf. He would have been embarrassed, of course, but his heart rate wouldn't have sped up like that. He turned to see Pikachu snickering at him. It felt like good payback for the rude awakening it had.

"No ketchup for you this morning, Pikachu," Ash told it in annoyance.

"Pi Pi Pikachu!" it said in alarm.

"I'm just teasing you, buddy," Ash smiled as he went to get his normal clothes for the day. Ash figured he could joke with the rodent to lighten the mood considering how he felt just moments before. He would probably give his mom another call before heading out for the day.

* * *

><p><em>"Oh my goodness!" <em>Serena thought in embarrassment as she stood outside the door. "_I can't believe I saw Ash almost undressed!_"

She was extremely red and didn't quite know what to make of the situation.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door to Ash's room opening. Ash stepped out, clothed in his normal attire. He smiled warmly upon seeing her, but there was still a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks

"Hey there. Ready to go?" Serena asked.

"You bet!" Ash replied as the two and Pikachu began to walk towards the lobby together. They didn't really say anything to each other on the way there, each lost in their own thoughts about the incident.

Once Ash and Serena entered the Pokemon Center main room, they saw everyone else already waiting for them. Gary had his things ready as his crowd of cheerleaders waited beside him.

"It's about time you got up, Ashy-boy. What were you two doing in there?" Gary asked.

"Nothing!" Ash and Serena answered at the same time.

Their embarrassed tone didn't go unnoticed by anyone, but that wasn't their concern at the moment.

"Don't want to talk about it, eh? Well, it's not like it's my business," Gary said while shrugging his shoulders.

"So you're leaving already, Gary?" Ash inquired, wanting to change the subject.

"Yeah. I've been in this city much longer than I would have like to. I need to get going to Fuchsia City. Otherwise, you might catch up with me," Gary smirked.

"Hahaha. Very funny," Ash mumbled. It still seems Gary couldn't resist teasing him. Still, Ash knew it was all in good fun now that Gary accepted him.

"I'm meeting Leaf in Lavender Town before I go to Fuchsia City. We are going to explore the Pokemon Tower while we are there and see the ghost Pokemon," Gary informed the group.

"Ghost Pokemon?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Since when did you and Leaf start wanting to hang out together?" Ash asked curiously.

"Since a while. Leaf and I are friends, too, you know. She won't have anything to fear as long as the great Gary Oak is here!" Gary laughed.

"Yeah, sure," Ash replied rolling his eyes.

"Well, anyway, catch you later, Ash. You better be prepared for a battle next time we meet," Gary said as he outstretched a hand for Ash to take.

"See you later, Gary," Ash responded, taking the handshake.

"You too, Serena. Good luck with the Battle Chateau in this city," Gary added as he shook her hand, too.

"Thanks, Gary," Serena smiled. When Gary wasn't acting like an ego, he could be pretty nice.

Gary then gave a wave to Brock and Misty, who smiled and nodded their heads in response, before heading out of the Pokemon Center with his cheerleaders. Before he left, he turned back around to face Ash.

"Yo, Ash. While you are in the city, you should try out the fighting dojo they have here. The leader is supposed to give you a special fighting Pokemon if you win," he said.

"That sounds cool! Thanks for the information, Gary!" Ash replied.

Gary nodded before leaving. The group heard the car start up and speed off down the street.

"Well guys! I say we take Gary's advice and take on the fighting dojo! What do you say?!" Ash asked enthusiastically.

"I could really use a fighting-type Pokemon on my team so I'm going to compete as well," Serena added.

"Sounds good!" Ash said as he gave her a thumbs-up. "I know exactly who I'm going to use for this!"

"Who?" Misty asked curiously as Ash went over to the video phone with Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Primeape, of course!" Ash replied as he began to punch in the number for Professor Oak's lab, but stopped. He figured he would give his mom another call first. After having a dream like that last night, Ash realized he didn't call his mom nearly enough.

"He soon heard the phone ringing and heard his mother's voice on the other end. "Good morning. Ketchum residence," she said.

"Hey, mom. It's me again," Ash spoke.

"Oh, Ash?!" Delia exclaimed before her image popped up on the screen. "You are calling back so soon from last night. Is everything okay? Are you in trouble again?!"

"No, Mom. I'm fine. I was just calling to check on you. Is everything going okay? Is there anything strange going on?" Ash inquired.

"That's so sweet of you to make sure I'm okay, Ash, but know that I'm the adult and the one at home. You are on a trip, and I should be the one worried about you, especially after last night," Delia told Ash.

"I know. I'll try to be less reckless from now on," Ash said, at least he hoped so. "Just promise me that you will stay safe as long as I'm gone. If you ever sense something is not right, just go to Professor Oak's lab or Serena's house."

"Ash, is something wrong?" Delia asked, her tone changing to concern. "Do I have a reason to be worried about anything?"

Ash wanted to kick himself for being too obvious. Now his mother would know something was up.

"Everything is fine, Mom," Ash lied, despite hating to. "I just want to make sure you stay safe since there isn't a man in the house right now."

"Hahahaha! Well, that's true. You really are the man in our house right now. I'm so proud of the person you're becoming," Delia smiled sweetly.

Ash was glad she took the cover up. "Thanks, Mom. I'll call you again soon."

"Okay. I love you, Ash. Take care," Delia waved.

"I love you, too, Mom," Ash said, but felt tears come to his eyes. He hoped his mother or friends didn't notice.

The screen then turned off, and Ash breathed a sigh of relief. At least his mother was still safe for the moment. Now that Team Rocket had specifically said they would target Ash's family and friends if he ever got in their way again, Ash didn't want to take that chance. He would definitely call his mom more often.

"Ash, what was that about?" Brock asked strangely from behind him.

Ash sighed. It turned out his friends had noticed something off about his behavior. He supposed he couldn't blame them. They had all been traveling together for a while now and could always sense if something was wrong.

"Trust me, I'll be fine," Ash said again before beginning to dial Professor Oak's number.

Serena watched Ash with much concern. She knew it was fairly obvious that Ash had been acting strange all morning. First, it was with the bad dream he had, and now it was a strange call to his mother telling her to be safe. Serena had a suspicion that all of this must have something to do with Ash's encounter with Giovanni yesterday. She then recalled Ash's words about being relieved that she and Pikachu were still alive, and then it hit her. Ash must have had a horrible nightmare about his friends and family being killed by Team Rocket. Now, the dream must have affected him enough to where he would be worried for his mother's safety every day.

"_Oh, Ash," _Serena thought with pity for her crush. She really hoped he could make it past this.

After Ash dialed Professor Oak's number, he soon heard the phone dialing and Professor Oak soon appeared on the screen. He looked rather worn out.

"Oh, hello there, Ash. Calling back so soon?" Professor Oak asked tiredly.

"Yeah. Are you okay Professor Oak? Did you have a rough night or something," Ash asked.

"I guess you could say that," the Pokemon professor responded. "Your Muk has taken quite a liking to this place."

"My Muk? That's a good thing, isn't it?" Ash asked.

"Well…," Professor Oak began, but was cut off by a huge purple blob smothering him in an affectionate hug.

"Muuuuuuk!" the sludge Pokemon exclaimed happily.

"Yes! It's good to see you, too, Muk!" Professor Oak laughed from underneath the Pokemon.

The group sweatdropped upon seeing the scene. They could only imagine what Professor Oak must be going through after being smothered by such a Pokemon.

"As you can see, I have my hands full!" the professor said.

"Hey Muk! How have you been?" Ash asked. He realized he hadn't seen the Pokemon since he caught it in Celadon City.

"Muuuuuk!" the Pokemon responded as it waved a sloppy hand at Ash.

"So anyway, what can I do for you Ash?" Professor Oak asked.

"I was wondering if I could make a rotation to some of my Pokemon please," Ash answered.

"Certainly, but which Pokemon are you going to send to me?" Professor Oak asked.

"Hmmm," Ash muttered as he appeared to be deep in thought. He figured Krabby could use a break from all the hard battling it had done recently.

"I'm going to switch out Krabby for Primeape, Professor," Ash finally said.

"Very well. Your Primeape sure is an energetic one. I had a hard time controlling it when it first came to the lab," Professor Oak commented.

"Heheheheh. Sorry about that," Ash apologized as he set Krabby's pokeball on the video phone's transporter.

Professor Oak likewise set Primeape's pokeball on the transporter as well. Krabby's pokeball soon disappeared in a white energy to be replaced with Primeape's a moment later.

"Primeape has been received, Professor!" Ash said enthusiastically.

"Same here. I'll take good care of Krabby while it is here," Professor Oak said. He then added, "Was there anything else I could do for you?"

"Nope! That's it!" Ash smiled.

"In that case, I have something to tell both you and Serena," Profesor Oak said.

"Oh? What is it?" Ash asked curiously as Serena leaned in a little closer to the video phone to hear him better.

"I'm sure my grandson, Gary, didn't tell you this, but he has already captured twenty five Pokemon, and Leaf has already captured over forty Pokemon," Professor Oak told them.

"Really?!" Ash and Serena asked at the same time.

"Indeed. So why haven't you two been capturing as many Pokemon? You don't want to fall behind, do you?" Professor Oak inquired.

"Well…" Serena trailed. She and Ash were unable to come up with a good response.

"Remember. If you two want to be good Pokemon trainers, you both need to capture more Pokemon!" Professor Oak said a little sternly.

"Yes, Professor. We will," they both said a little sullenly.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu said while patting them both on the back.

Seeing their expressions, Professor Oak decided to lighten the mood. "Cheer up. I know you both have what it takes to be great Pokemon trainers. I wouldn't have chosen to give both of you pokedexes if I didn't believe in you."

"Right. Thanks, Professor," they said.

"Well, I've got to go now. Ta ta!" Professor Oak smiled as he and Muk waved goodbye. Then the video phone shut off.

Ash turned to Serena. "It looks like we are going to need to pick up the pace with our Pokemon catching so we can keep up with Gary and Leaf."

"Yeah. I guess we can start by trying to win a Pokemon at the fighting dojo," Serena agreed.

"That reminds me," Mist spoke up. "You don't have a fighting Pokemon Serena. So who are you going to use in it?"

"The rules don't' require you to have a fighting Pokemon, Misty," Brock intervened. "You only need to have Pokemon with a lot of physical strength to do well. You can even use up to two different Pokmon if you wish."

Serena then went over her options of who she could use for the fighting dojo. Nidorina and Oddish were both strong, but she believed they would seem out of place in a fighting dojo. She wasn't quite sure of her Eevee's battling strength yet so she didn't feel it was ready to try something like a fighting dojo. That left Jigglypuff and Charla. Both of them had a lot of physical strength and could withstand a lot of attacks. It looked like those would be the two Pokemon she used.

"I'm going to use Charla and Jigglypuff in the fighting dojo!" Serena declared.

"I'm definitely going to be using Primeape for this, but I'm not sure who my other Pokemon should be," Ash contemplated. He then crossed his arms and looked deep in thought.

Pikachu heard Ash's comment and got a tough expression on its face. It began making punching and kicking motions with its hands and feet, knocking out imaginary enemies. It could take on these fighting Pokemon! It would give them the old one-two!

"I've got it! I'll use Charmeleon!" Ash decided.

Pikachu fell forward on its face.

* * *

><p>As the group stepped into the fighting dojo, they realized it was a little smaller than they expected. It consisted of only one large room with a wooden floor. There were about six men in karate uniforms training with their different types of fighting Pokemon. One of the men, who was presumed to be the Karate Master, was sitting in the back part of the room in a meditative stance.<p>

"Wow. These guys sure do a lot of physical training with their Pokemon," Brock commented.

"I could probably learn a thing or two from these guys about sparring with my Pokemon," Ash mused to himself.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Misty asked.

"My Pokemon and I are a team! It might be good for us!" Ash stated.

Not knowing how exactly to get their attention, Ash called out, "Um, excuse me?"

All the black belts immediately stopped what they were doing and stared at Ash and the rest of the group. The Karate Master opened his eyes from his meditation and gave the group an intense gaze. Ash suddenly felt really awkward at having all of these intimidating men and their Pokemon staring at him and his friends.

"Uh, we have come to challenge the Karate Master," Ash stated somewhat timidly.

Serena, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu facepalmed. His tone wasn't going to impress these guys.

"We do not accept cowardice at the fighting dojo!" the Karate Master responded harshly. "If you want to challenge us, we need to see courage and determination just like Master Bruno has taught us!"

Serena then decided to step up. "My name is Serena Gabena, and this is Ash Ketchum. We have come to challenge the Karate Master!" she declared with confidence.

"Yes! This young lass has shown the traits we look for. Now we need to hear it from the young man!" the Karate Master exclaimed.

Ash cleared his throat and spoke up louder this time. "My name is Ash Ketchum, and I am here to challenge the Karate Master!" he shouted confidently.

"Challenge accepted!" the Karate Master cried as he got off the ground and walked towards the group. "My name is Kiyo, and this is my fighting dojo! I learned from Master Bruno himself!"

The group was impressed with that bit of information. Bruno was one of the Kanto Elite Four. The Karate Master clearly wasn't going to be an easy opponent.

"So what are the rules?" Ash asked.

"First of all, special based moves are not allowed in the fighting dojo!" Kiyo stated. "Your Pokemon are not required to be of the fighting-type, but they must only use physical based moves or brute strength to win!"

The group nodded, figuring that made sense.

"You are required to face off against each of us in a Pokemon Battle! If you are able to defeat my black belts in-training, you shall face me. Defeat me to win a prized fighting Pokemon!" Kiyo continued.

"We accept!" Serena and Ash yelled.

"Since there are two of you challenging us today, you will each face three of my black belts before facing me!" Kiyo stated.

"Yes sir!" they declared confidently.

"Who shall go first?" the Karate Master asked.

"I will!" Serena said.

"Very well! You will face Hideki first! Step up to the center of the dojo!" Kiyo commanded.

Serena did so as well as Hideki. They stood in front of each other and bowed.

"I should have you know that I have trained with the master a long time! I won't be beaten easily!" Hideki said.

"Fine with me!" Serena smiled confidently. "Go, Jigglypuff!"

The pink puffball appeared and struck a pose before waving to the audience as usual.

"You are using a Jigglypuff against me?! Are you mocking me?! You're blunder will cost you!" Hideki said angrily as he sent out a Machoke.

The Machoke loomed over Jigglypuff menacingly while the puffball smirked back. So this trainer thought it was weak, did it? Well, it would show him!

"You may begin!" the judge, also a black belt, shouted.

Jigglypuff immediately charged up a Rollout attack. It began spinning faster and faster until it was just a blur.

"Get ready to catch that Jigglypuff!" Hideki ordered.

Machoke held its ground as it outstretched its hands, ready to stop Jigglypuff. It wasn't expecting Jigglypuff to shoot forward like a bullet, though. It sailed between Machoke's hands and straight into its chest. Machoke was sent flying backwards and into the wall in pain.

"Now use Pound, Jigglypuff," Serena giggled. Jigglypuff had been listening a little more lately, but it still wasn't to be taken lightly and still did what it wanted to most of the time. She couldn't help but feel Jigglypuff's overconfidence will be its downfall one day, however.

Jigglypuff inflated itself before flying forward. Machoke was still reeling from the attack and standing up slowly. Before it had a chance to react, Jigglypuff's arm smashed into its face, which sent it back onto the ground again.

Deciding to go ahead and finish this fight, it flew forward to use Double Slap, but it wasn't expecting Machoke to get a glint in its eye and grab Jigglypuff with both of its strong hands. Jigglypuff began struggling to break out of the superpower Pokemon's hands. This time it was Machoke who gave a smirk to Jigglypuff. For the first time in a while, Jigglypuff had a scared look on its face.

"Try to break free, Jigglypuff!" Serena cried, but it was no use.

"Jigglypuff got too confident and was lured close to Machoke. That's what it must have wanted all along," Brock said grimly.

"Use Seismic Toss, and send that Jigglypuff flying!" Hideki yelled.

Machoke then began to swing Jigglypuff around and around to build momentum. With as hard as Machoke could throw, Jigglypuff would probably be knocked out once the attack was finished. Serena was trying hard to think of what to do. Since status changes and special moves weren't allowed in the dojo, she would have to rely on Jigglypuff's will to outdo Machoke's. Even though Jigglypuff always seemed to do what it wanted, it was Serena's job to help out her Pokemon anytime they needed it!

"Try using Rollout, Jigglypuff!" Serena called.

Jigglypuff then began to spin quickly inside of Machoke's strong grip. This was making it difficult for the superpower Pokemon to hold on to it. Its grip was slipping, and it soon had to stop swinging Jigglypuff just to hold onto it. Finally, Jigglypuff was able to build enough momentum to shoot out of Machoke's hands and right into its face. Machoke got a dazed look before falling backwards onto the wooden floor where it didn't get back up.

"Unbelievable! How was that Jigglypuff able to beat Machoke!?" Hideki cried.

"It's because Jigglypuff and I were a team that time, weren't we Jigglypuff?" Serena smiled.

Jigglypuff turned around and nodded at its trainer. Maybe listening to Serena in battle wouldn't hurt, after all. She did get it out of a bad situation.

"Hopefully that means Jigglypuff won't be so stubborn from now on," Misty commented.

Brock, on the other hand, had his doubts. He figured it would still take a lot more for Serena to completely gain Jigglypuff's respect.

"You may now take a rest if you wish to let the young man challenge one of us!" the Karate Master offered.

"That sounds good! I'm really eager to watch Ash battle!" Serena said as she returned to Jigglypuff to give it a good rest.

"Alright! I'm ready!" Ash declared as he stepped to the center of the dojo.

"Very well! Your opponent will be Hitoshi!" Kiyo determined.

Hitoshi stepped up to the center of the fighting dojo, as well. He and Ash both bowed to one another before pulling out a respective pokeball.

"I'm going to use a dual-type against you to give me an advantage!" Hitoshi stated. "Go Poilwrath!"

A large tadpole-like Pokemon that looked like a buffed up version of Poliwhirl appeared from the pokeball. It was a Poliwrath. It flexed its arms and looked very prepared for battle.

"A Poliwrath, huh?" Ash mumbled as he pulled out his pokedex.

"Poliwrath, the tadpole Pokemon and the evolved form of Poliwhirl._

"I'm going to choose Primeape! Come on out!" Ash called as he threw his pokeball to release the pig monkey Pokemon.

"Priiiiiiime!" it shouted once it was released. It then turned to Ash and nodded its head to signify it was ready to fight for him.

"You may now begin!" the judge shouted.

"Let's start things off with Karate Chop!" Ash called.

"Use Brick Break to counter it, Poliwrath!" Hitoshi yelled.

Both Pokemon ran forward to do their respective attacks. They reeled their arms back and brought them down on the other. Their attacks slammed painfully onto each other's forearms. The Pokemon were then in an arm lock, trying to get the upper hand over the other.

Deciding to take advantage of Primeape's free hand, Ash called out, "Primeape! Use Mega Punch!"

"Use your Mega Punch as well, Poliwrath!" the black belt ordered.

While still in an arm lock, Both Pokemon gave each other a powerful punch to the face. The attack was enough for them to break their arms free from each other. They grimaced in pain but didn't want to give the other an advantage.

"Use Cross Chop, Primeape!" Ash yelled.

"Use Submission, Poliwrath!" Hitoshi countered.

Primeape charged up its arms to prepare a devastating chop to Poliwrath, but the tadpole Pokemon was ready. As Primeape got close enough to attack, Poliwrath reached out and grabbed Primeape before it could complete the Cross Chop. It then put into a submission hold which caused Primeape to yell in pain.

"Primeape!" Ash called worriedly.

"Use Seismic Toss!" Hitoshi ordered.

Poliwrath then picked up Primeape and began swinging it around like Machoke did to Jigglypuff before it. Unfortunately, Primeape didn't have the ability to spin into a ball and escape.

Ash stared worriedly as Machoke spun Primeape around. It soon let go and the pig monkey Pokemon went sailing towards the wall at a high speed.

"Primeape!" Ash cried as he jumped in front of it to protect it from hitting the wall. Primeape collided with Ash which sent him toppling backwards.

"Are you okay, Ash?!" Serena asked as she and Pikachu went over to him.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Ash grimaced. "How about you, Primeape?"

"Priiii…," Primeape replied, getting teary-eyed. That was the second time Ash saved it from a devastating attack. They really were a good team.

"Don't worry, Primeape. I promise I'm alright," Ash told it. "You ready to get back in the fight?"

"Pruh! Pruh!" it responded by huffing.

"That is a very courageous thing you did for your Pokemon! I approve!" the Karate Master noted.

"Of course! I would do anything for my Pokemon!" Ash agreed as he a Primeape got back to its original spot in the dojo.

"Indeed, but you still can't beat Poliwrath! Now, use Brick Break again!" Hitoshi commanded.

"Charge towards it, Primeape," Ash told it.

Primeape did so and ran towards Poliwrath as fast as it could. It didn't know why Ash was telling it to go headfirst into a strong attack, but it trusted his judgment.

As Primeape approached the Poliwrath, the tadpole Pokemon began to bring down its arm to strike Primeape, but Ash was ready.

"Duck underneath it!" he called at the last second.

Primeape ducked down and rolled into a somersault right by Poliwrath, causing it to miss completely. The momentum kept Poliwrath's fist moving downwards, and Ash decided to take advantage of it.

"Stand up, and grab Poliwrath by the arm!" Ash said.

Primeape quickly got off the floor. It then reached and grabbed Poliwrath's arm as it was still in a downward arc. Poliwrath gave a questioning look at the Primeape.

"Now flip it, Primeape!" Ash told it confidently.

Primeape nodded and flung Poliwrath over its head and crashed it onto the wooden floor.

"Wraaaaath!" the tadpole Pokemon yelled in pain.

"Oh, no!" Hitoshi cried.

"Now Mega Punch it!" Ash commanded.

Primeape wound up its fist and delivered a mighty punch right in the middle of Poliwrath's swirls while it was still on the ground. Poliwrath was down for the count. Primeape then stood over the Poliwrath and made a victory pose.

"Poliwrath is unable to battle! The winner is Primeape!" the judge said.

"Awesome job, Primeape!" Ash congratulated his Pokemon as he ran up to hug it.

"Priiime," it said happily as it returned the hug. It then stealthily lifted its hand and took Ash's hat from his head. It still thought the hat looked better on it then Ash. It then gave a mischievous laugh.

"Hahaha, very funny, Primeape!" Ash mock glared as he took it back.

"You have both defeated your first opponents. Well done! However, you have a while to go before you face me!" Kiyo told them.

"That was an awesome victory, you two," Brock told Ash and Serena as well.

"Thanks! Are you and Misty sure to you don't want to give it a try?" Serena asked.

"No thanks!" Misty said. Then she added, "A lot of my Pokemon only know special-based move so they wouldn't do well here."

"I'm a breeder, not a fighter," Brock answered.

After an intense struggle against the other black belts they had to face, Ash and Serena had managed to overcome them. The only one they had left to challenge was the Karate Master, Kiyo, himself. It didn't appear they were going to be challenging him by what he said next.

"Well done to both of you! You have bested the black belts of this dojo and only have me to face. I don't think I would be any match for you despite training under Master Bruno," Kiyo told them.

"Thanks, but I wouldn't feel like I truly conquered the dojo unless I faced you in battle," Ash said.

"Me, too," Serena agreed.

"I know. That is why I have arranged for you to face each other!" Kiyo declared.

"What?!" Ash and Serena exclaimed.

"You will be facing each other rather than me to determine the final victory," Kiyo repeated.

Serena and Ash glanced at each other. They had never really faced each other in a real Pokemon battle before and couldn't figure out why. Sure, they had a few training sessions with each other but no an actual test of battle skill. It might be interesting to see who comes out on top.

"That sounds like an interesting idea. I think you two should go for it," Brock added in.

After a moment's pause of staring at each other, Ash and Serena got a determined expression on their face.

"Alright! You're on, Serena!" Ash stated.

"Let's do it!" Serena agreed.

"I've used Primeape in my last three battles so I'm going to give it a break. I'll be using Charmeleon in this battle," Ash told her.

"The same goes with Jigglypuff. It overcame three battles where it had a type disadvantage. I'll be using Charla," Serena said.

"Very well! This battle will decide the champion of the fighting dojo! You may now bow to one another!" Kiyo yelled.

Ash and Serena did so before standing at opposite ends of the dojo and sending out their Pokemon.

Both Charla and Charmeleon appeared before each other. The second that Charla saw Ash's newly evolved Charmeleon, it returned to its amorous state. The Pokemon was just right for it once again. The same held true for Charmeleon now that it had evolved and didn't feel awkward anymore. It showed off its strength to the female Charmeleon by flexing its arms and striking tough poses, which Charla loved.

"You guys can't just stand there impressing each other all day. You're going to face each other in battle!" Ash told them embarrassedly.

The two Charmeleon looked at their trainers in surprise before turning back to one another and staring. Like their trainers before them, they soon got a determined glint in their eyes. It would be interesting to see which of them were stronger.

"A battle between two strong Charmeleon. This should be interesting," Brock noted.

Both trainers and Pokemon stood facing each other. They were just waiting for the judge to signal the start of the battle. Pretty soon, it happened.

"Begin!" the judge yelled.

"Use Metal Claw!" both trainers called out.

Both Charmeleon charged at each other while their claws glowed white. They soon swung at each other. Their claws connected with each other midway, causing a bright flash. When the flash ended, the spectators saw that the two Pokemon were both grappling each other. They both had the other by their hands trying to push each other back to get an advantage. They seemed to be equally matched in that regard.

Ash's Charmeleon then got a smirk on its face as it suddenly dropped to the floor which startled Charla enough to make it lose its balance for a second as they still had each other by the hands. That was all Charmeleon needed to fling Charla over its head and onto the ground. Charla wouldn't be beaten so easily, however. It used the momentum of its fall to throw Charmeleon. It went sailing through the air and onto the ground. Both Pokemon got up slowly and smiled at each other.

Once again, the two Pokemon rushed at each other and found themselves grappling again.

"Use Metal Claw, Charmeleon!" Ash yelled.

"Use Fire Fang, Charla!" Serena also yelled.

Charla leaned over and bit down on Charmeleon's shoulder. Ash's Charmeleon grimaced at the pain of the fiery bite, but still managed to get its claws to glow white. It swung its right arm in upward motion which struck Charla right underneath the chin, sending it up into the air.

"Get after it, Charmeleon!" Ash called.

Charmeleon leaped into the air after Charla. It then spun around and swung its fiery tail at the opposing Pokemon. The tail connected with a hard slap which sent Charla sailing back down. It then hit the wooden floor in pain.

"Are you okay, Charla!?" Serena asked worriedly.

Charla saw that Charmeleon was coming back down from the air with the intention of landing on top it. Charla wasn't about to let that happen, however. Right before Charmeleon landed, Charla lifted its legs to the air and reached to catch it. Charla then used the strength of its legs to kick Charmeleon over its head. Charmeleon was once again sailing through the air. It then hit the all of the dojo and crumpled to the ground.

Both Pokemon then stood up. It was clear they were getting pretty tired.

"Use your Fire Punch, Charmeleon!" Ash called.

"Use your Fire Punch, as well, Charla!" Serena countered.

Both Pokemon ran towards each other with their right fists enveloped with flames. The two Charmeleon swung their arms forward and struck the opposing one across the face. Not wanting to give in, both of them charged up another Fire Punch. They once again swung their arms forward, but their fists collided with the other, creating a small explosion.

Both trainers looked on with worry until to both of their surprise, their respective Pokemon leaped out of the smoke and into the air. There tail flames were burning much higher than usual which signaled Blaze had activated. I was then Charmeleon and Charla decided to have a final face off. They both swung their fiery tail at each other. Each one was struck across the face by the other's tail, where it did quite a significant amount of damage due to how large their tail flames were, sending them back towards the ground. Both Pokemon crashed onto the wooden floor.

"Can you stand up, Charmeleon?" Ash asked.

"Are you okay, Charla?" Serena asked of her Pokemon.

Both Pokemon shakily stood up and began panting heavily at each other.

"Use Fire Punch!" both trainers called.

The two Charmeleon took in a deep breath and before charging at each other with fists of flames. The two Pokemons' fist connected with each other. Then there was a large explosion once more as both Pokemon were blasted backwards off of their feet. They once again landed on the floor and groaned in pain. They shakily stood to their feet, still panting.

For a second, it looked like they still might be able to fight. However, they both suddenly collapsed onto the floor, too exhausted to continue further. Their tail flames went back to their normal size.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! They are equally matched! This match is a draw!" the judge declared.

Ash and Serena looked on at their two fallen Pokemon, wondering what was going to happen now.

"A truly spectacular of display strength from each of your Charmeleon!" the Karate Master cried. "Both you and your Pokemon are very worthy competitors for our fighting dojo!"

"Oh, thank you," Ash said, somewhat surprised.

"Now please! You may both choose to have one of these fighting Pokemon in the pokeballs that I hold in my hand. One contains a Hitmonlee, the kicking fiend. The other contains Hitmonchan, the Pokemon whose punches cannot be rivaled!" said Kiyo as he took out two pokeballs from his robe and presented them.

"We both get one even though we didn't technically win?" Serena asked in confusion as she and Ash's Charmeleon got up from the floor to join their trainers.

"Indeed! You two are both worthy!" Kiyo told them.

"In that case, thank you!" Ash smiled. He then turned to Serena. "I'll let you go first Serena since I already have a fighting-type Pokemon.

Serena looked over the two choices as she thought about which one to choose. She finally settled on choosing Hitmonlee.

"A fine choice, Miss!" the karate master approved.

Serena looked at the pokeball containing her new Pokemon and smiled. "_I bet you and I will make a great team, Hitmonlee,"_ she thought.

"Then I guess that I'll choose Hitmonchan!" Ash smiled as he took the other pokeball before watching it be enveloped in a white light to be taken to Professor Oak's lab. "It looks like we got a new friend, huh, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the yellow rodent agreed.

"_I can't wait to meet Hitmonchan and battle with it," _Ash thought.

"You guys did a really great job. It seems your Charmeleon are equally strong," Misty smiled.

"You should both be proud of yourselves," Brock said as he nodded his head at them.

Charla went over to Charmeleon and gave it a hug for a great battle. Charmeleon blushed and gave Charla a thumbs-up in return, too proud and embarrassed to hug Charla back. They now had a new found respect for each other. They were able to experience the other's battle strengths firsthand which caused them to be closer.

The same held true for Ash and Serena. That was the first real battle against each other and ended in a draw, but that was fine. It meant they almost equal in battle as trainers. They had started off making a lot of mistakes but had grown a lot. Ash already had four badges. Serena was a Countess at the Battle Chateau and only two away from getting the "Duchess" rank. They each also acquired a new fighting Pokemon today which would surely help them in battle. Gary and Leaf may have more Pokemon than them at the moment, but they were confident they would catch up. Nothing was going to stop them from becoming the greatest Pokemon trainers ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Ash finally got his first non canon Pokemon: A Hitmonchan. And Serena got a Hitmonlee. There will be a few more non canon Pokemon Ash will catch later on. Sabrina's gym is up next. There is also a surprise next chapter! See you all next Tuesday!<strong>

**Chapter 29: The Psychic Surprise**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will the Pokedex holders make and appearance in this story?_

_**Yes. They are all adults in this story. Blue is Gary's father and Rose(Green) is Leaf's mother. I just couldn't use Green because it's Leaf's last name. Red, Yellow, Gold, Crystal, and Silver will also definitely appear in this story. As for any after that, I'm not sure yet.**_

_Can pokemon still be taught any moves they are capable of learning without TMs by their trainers?_

_**Yes.**_

_Is Anabel going to have a brief crush on ash like May & Dawn?_

_**Yes.**_

_I was wondering/hoping if you are planning on doing a chapter or chapters in which ash and serena have an argument and they only get back together "as friends" near the end of the chapter(s)?_

_**It's possible they will have a big fight, but nothing serious enough to where they break up yet.**_

_How long does it usually take you to make these?_

_**Make these what?**_

_Will Ash and friends ever send team rocket blasting off again like in the anime?_

_**Maybe, but he needs to be more careful around them now.**_

_Will you introduce Todd Snap anytime soon? _

_**After much thought, I decided not to put Todd in this story. I just couldn't find a good place for him to fit in the story without it being too random. If he does make an appearance, it won't be in the near future.**_

_Will Ash get his ghost Pokémon soon?_

_**Yes. He still gets Haunter in Lavender Town. That is the next place after Saffron City.**_

_Will Charizard still retain its legendary like powers?_

_**It will still be one of Ash's stronger Pokemon, but I will also still try to be realistic with the Pokemon it wins and loses against.**_

_Will the mirror versions of Team Rocket (who are heroes of justice in that universe) end up showing up and confusing the heck out of the cast?_

_**I have no clue. Probably not.**_

_Will Ash and Serena battle against each other officially in any tournaments? At least once in a while._

_**Yes, if this chapter was any indication.**_

_Can ash get a shiny pseudo legend?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash and his friends use their experiences with Team Rocket to grow stronger?_

_**Yes.**_

_The next time Ash's group encounters a situation like with Silph Co., will they be able to handle a situation better?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will the Marowak story from the games and Origins take place in Lavender Town?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash catch Mewtwo and Mew?_

_**No, but he will befriend them.**_

_Can Ash catch an eevee?_

_**Serena already has an Eevee and May will still be getting one also. I don't think there is enough room for another Eevee in this story right now, but you never know.**_

_Because Ash knows that his family is somewhat has a connection to team rocket will he be trying to find out what that might be?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash or Serena get a sylveon?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Also will you do a spinoff for Serena and Ash's childhood years and remakes for Holy Matrimony plus Pikachu's Goodbye?_

_**At this point, no, but I may change my mind, particularly about Pikachu's Goodbye and Serena and Ash's childhood years. There will probably at least be more flashbacks of them as kids.**_

_Will Serena and Gary have a battle in the future?_

_**Yes.**_

_Are you a boy or a girl?_

_**A guy.**_


	29. The Psychic Surprise

**A/N: Okay, everyone. I took a huge risk in this chapter and the next with a surprise. You are all either going to like it or not, hopefully the former. With that, please enjoy Chapter 29!**

**Edit: Nearly forgot! Because a few of you have requested this, this is the party's team so far.**

**Ash (on hand): Pikachu, Charmeleon, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, Primeape**

**Ash (at lab): Krabby, Muk, Hitmonchan**

**Serena (on hand): Charmeleon (Charla), Nidorina, Jigglypuff, Oddish, Hitmonlee, Eevee**

**Brock (on hand): Onix, Geodude, Zubat**

**Misty (on hand): Staryu, Starmie, Psyduck, Magikarp, Goldeen**

**Disclaimer: I don't own….you know what? Let's just skip it this time. I've said it all the previous chapters.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 29: The Psychic Surprise<p>

It was now the next day since Ash and Serena had taken on the fighting dojo. Knowing that their gym battle and Battle Chateau challenge were coming up next, they figured it would be best to rest for the remainder of the day. Because Ash learned that Sabrina uses psychic-type Pokemon, it wouldn't be good to keep a fighting-type like Primeape with him for the time being. Unfortunately, despite his eagerness to battle with his new Pokemon, Muk and Hitmonchan were weak to psychic-types, as well. Despite them not going to participate in this gym battle, Ash still wanted to make sure all of his Pokemon got their fair share of battles.

Ash was seated on one of the chairs at the moment and taking deep breaths to prepare him for the battle against Sabrina. Pikachu was mimicking his motions.

"Okay, Ash. Deep breaths. You can do this," Brock encouraged his friend.

"Right. I can do this. If what Gary said is true, this is going to be my toughest gym battle yet," Ash said.

"It shouldn't matter if you don't have any types of Pokemon that are strong against psychic-types. You have overcome the odds at all the other gyms," Serena told him.

"I don't know. Sabrina isn't like any other gym leader Ash has faced so far," Misty said.

"What do mean?" Ash asked her.

"While Brock and I were going to the police station with the secretary, she happened to mention Sabrina on our way there. She told us that Sabrina never laughs or smiles or cries or shows any type of emotion. She only spends her time training her Pokemon or battling challengers," Misty explained.

"That shouldn't matter. If Gary can beat her, then I can!" Ash said with determination as he pumped his fist into the air.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed, copying its trainer's movements.

"Are you ready to get that fifth badge, buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Chu!" the yellow rodent answered as it nodded its head.

* * *

><p>The group was now standing in front of the Saffron City gym. It seemed to look normal enough, but if there was one thing the group had learned so far, it was that looks can be deceiving. They were just about to walk in when a voice stopped them.<p>

"So do happen to be a challenger for the Saffron City gym?" it asked.

The group spun around to see a middle aged man standing there, running in place. He seemed to be out for a daily jog.

"Yes. I am," Ash replied. "Do you happen to have any advice for Sabrina?"

"I do, as a matter-of-fact," the man answered. "You have to be an extremely strong trainer to win against her. Your best bet would be using a ghost Pokemon. Do you happen to have one?"

"No," Ash replied.

"Then you might as well give up now. Even trainers who do manage to capture ghost Pokemon lose against her," the man stated.

Ash thought back to where Gary said he got the badge here. He didn't recall Gary saying he captured a ghost-type to beat Sabrina. It also sounded like that was his first time going to Lavender Town when he was leaving. If Gary can beat Sabrina without using a ghost-type, then so can he!

"Thank you for the advice, sir," Ash told the man, "But nothing is going to stop my dream of becoming a Pokemon Master. I have very strong Pokemon with me that have overcome all odds before. I am confident I can beat Sabrina even without a ghost Pokemon."

"Suit yourself. Just know what you're up against," the man sighed as he resumed his jogging.

"That man seemed a little on the strange side," Serena commented.

"Yeah, but it isn't like he's the first one we've encountered," Ash replied as they entered the gym.

As the group was going in, they didn't notice the middle aged man watching them from on top of a tree.

"I sense that boy is unlike any trainer I've talked to before, and I've talked to many" the man mused to himself. "I wonder if he could be the one to save Sabrina."

* * *

><p>Once the group was inside, they looked around and were surprised at the layout of the place. There wasn't a reception area or a battle room anywhere in sight. The room they entered was only a very long hallway with many rooms off to the side.<p>

"Uh, what do you guys suppose all of these rooms are for?" Ash wondered.

"I don't know. This place gives me the creeps. It's so dark in here," Misty replied in a nervous tone.

"Well, maybe there is someone in one of those rooms who can direct us to Sabrina," Brock suggested as they began to walk down the long hallway.

As the group looked in each of the rooms, they were surprised to see each of them were rather bare. There were people in each of the rooms, but they didn't appear to be doing any real activity. They seemed to be either in a deep meditation or staring intently at…spoons?

"What are they doing?" Ash asked the group in confusion.

"It looks like telekinesis," Brock guessed.

"Well, this is a psychic Pokemon gym. Do you think Sabrina teaches these people how to use psychic powers?" Serena asked.

"That is correct," a new voice answered behind them causing the group to gasp and turn around in surprise. The voice belong to a young man with long jet black hair in a ponytail.

"Who are you?" Ash asked. He didn't mean to sound that rude. It just sort of came out like that.

"My name doesn't concern you," the man replied. "Why are you here?"

"I've come to challenge the gym leader, Sabrina, to a battle to win the Marsh Badge," Ash declared.

"Humph. You are foolish to challenge Sabrina. You don't have the strength to defeat her," the man smirked.

"How do you know?!" Ash asked angrily. "I'll have you know I've already won four badges!"

"I could care less even if you had seven badges," the man responded. "If you don't have psychic powers or a telepathic link with your Pokemon, you have no chance to win. Observe."

The man then lifted a spoon to his face and appeared to concentrate hard. He began grunting as he began concentrating harder. He seemed almost strained and began sweating. After what seemed like an eternity, the spoon finally bent slightly. He sighed with relief and showed the group his efforts.

"Okay. So you bent the spoon. What does that have to do with me battling Sabrina?" Ash asked.

"My powers do not even hold a candle to Sabrina's powers. It is a waste of time to challenge her so you should leave now!" the man said.

The group was becoming quite annoyed with this guy. Who was he to judge whom Sabrina should and shouldn't battle? If other trainers battled her, Ash can, also.

It doesn't matter if Sabrina's psychic powers are a million times better than yours! I came here to challenge Sabrina, and I'm not leaving until I do!" Ash yelled with determination.

The people in the various rooms began to become annoyed with the commotion and being broken from their concentration. They glared at the group, but Ash didn't care.

The man was about to argue again, but something stopped him. He leaned in closer to Ash and gave him a hard stare. Ash got a confused frown on his face as the man stared him over. The rest of the group also was wondering what was going on. As the ponytailed man continued to appraise Ash, he didn't quite know what he was sensing inside of the boy. It wasn't psychic power. It was something else. It felt very faint, but it was definitely there. Could it be…

"I apologize for treating you like you were unworthy to challenge our gym leader," the man said as he gave a bow. "I shall take you to her immediately. Follow me."

"Uh, sure. Thanks," Ash replied unsurely, wondering what prompted the man's sudden change in attitude.

"I still must warn you that Sabrina isn't one to be taken lightly. You must battle harder than you have ever battle before," the man said.

"So why aren't you arguing with Ash anymore?" Serena asked curiously.

"Do not worry about it, miss. He is worthy. That is all," The man replied.

The group finally reached the end of the very long hallway where a set of double doors were at the end.

"Sabrina awaits in there," the man said before leaving the group.

"I know we seem to run into strange people a lot, but that was enough for today," Misty commented.

"I have a feeling the day is fixing to get stranger," Ash muttered as he opened the doors and stepped inside, the rest following suit.

It was pitch black as the group entered the battle room. There was no doubt this place was creepy. Once they finished filing in, the whole room was illuminated in bright lights, causing them to squint at the sudden change in brightness.

The group looked around the gym but saw no one there. Besides themselves, it appeared to be empty.

"Where is Sabrina? That guy said she was in here," Ash asked in confusion.

"Maybe she took a lunch break?" Serena guessed.

Just then, the back of the battle room was lit up. It revealed a large chair against the wall. Seated in the large chair was an older teenager with long green hair that went almost all the way down her back. Her eyes and facial expression showed no emotion whatsoever.

"Um, are you Sabrina?" Ash asked the girl.

"I am," Sabrina answered, her voice very monotone.

"I've come to challenge you to a battle to win the Marsh Badge!" Ash declared.

"Pikachu!" his Pokemon agreed.

Sabrina stayed seated for a few moments, not saying anything. The group was beginning to wonder if she heard Ash's proposal at all. It was a little unnerving to have a supposedly psychic girl with no emotion staring at you.

After what seemed like hours, Sabrina actually levitated off the chair and floated closer towards the group until she was in the center of battle field! The group was very startled.

"Oh my goodness! She can actually float!" Misty cried.

Ash didn't let that deter him, however. He didn't care how powerful Sabrina's psychic powers were! He came here to win a Marsh badge, and that's exactly what he was going to do!

"So what are the rules?" Ash asked.

"A one on one battle. No time limit. Is that acceptable?" Sabrina asked with no emotion.

"It is! I choose Pikachu!" Ash stated as his faithful partner ran forward and stood in front of him.

"Pika!" it shouted with determination.

"Come out, Abra," Sabrina mumbled as she brought out a pokeball. It floated off of her hands and levitated close to where Pikachu was before opening up to reveal Abra.

Abra was a yellow bipedal Pokemon that resembled some type of fox with squinty eyes. It had a long, thin tail with a purple ring at the end. It also had bits of brown armor over its shoulders, torso, and legs. There was only one thing that the group noticed that seemed wrong. It looked like it was asleep!

"Um, Sabrina. It looks like your Pokemon is asleep. Shouldn't you wake it up?" Ash asked.

Sabrina said nothing in return.

"Abra are able to battle even while asleep by using powerful telekinesis, Ash. Don't let your guard down," Brock warned.

Ash and Serena pulled out their pokedexes to see if they could shed more light on the psychic Pokemon.

"Abra, the psi Pokemon. This Pokemon sleeps up to eighteen hours a day. It can still battle, however, and teleport to safety if it senses danger," their pokedexes confirmed.

"You heard those pokedexes, Pikachu. We still need to be on the lookout for Abra. We can still win this, though," Ash told it.

"Pi!" Pikachu nodded.

"The battle will begin now," Sabrina said.

"Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu shot forward towards Abra with the intent of ramming into it. Both Abra, and Sabrina for that matter, did nothing to dodge the oncoming attack.

"_Isn't she going to give Abra a command?"_ Ash thought.

Ash Pikachu came closer and closer to Abra, the group noticed Sabrina's eyes glow blue for a moment. About a second later, Abra opened its eyes and they glowed blue as well. It then teleported right before Pikachu slammed into it.

"Woah!" Ash cried. "She didn't even give Abra a command verbally!"

"She must be joined telepathically to her Pokemon. She can give commands through her psychic powers," Brock figured.

"That means Ash is going to be at a huge disadvantage!" Serena said worriedly.

Pikachu looked around in confusion, wondering where Abra could have gone.

"Pikachu! Behind you!" it heard Ash cry.

Pikachu turned around just in time before it was blasted back by powerful psychic waves. It hit the ground hard. It didn't even hear Abra appear behind it! It would really need to keep is guard up.

"You okay, Pikachu!" Ash asked.

Pikachu immediately jumped to its feet and nodded. It wouldn't go down so easily. It beat a Raichu, its evolved form, for crying out loud!

"Use Agility, Pikachu!" Ash yelled again.

"Chu!" Pikachu cried as it began to dash around the room.

Sabrina's eyes glowed blue again. Abra held out its hands and stopped Pikachu dead in its tracks. It was using a Confusion attack. Pikachu was now under Abra's complete control. Then to it and everyone else's surprise, Pikachu began to dance around the room. Combined with the panicked expression on its face, the dance looked really awkward.

"That isn't funny to make Pikachu make a fool of itself!" Ash shouted angrily.

Sabrina didn't reply as Abra didn't let up making Pikachu look completely silly.

"Come on, Pikachu!" Serena cried.

"_There has to be something Pikachu can do,"_ Ash thought to himself.

Sabrina must have decided she had her fun with Pikachu because her eyes glowed blue again, and Pikachu stopped its ridiculous dancing. That didn't mean Abra was finished with its Confusion attack, however. It pointed its fingers up towards the ceiling, and Pikachu went flying upwards and crashed into ceiling. Abra then pointed its fingers downward, and Pikachu then fell onto the ground. Ash and the rest of the group cringed at Pikachu's predicament.

"Try to resist Abra's control, Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried in as it was constantly slammed into walls by Abra's powers.

Ash was beginning to wonder how Gary and other trainers were able to beat Sabrina. Gary certainly wasn't lying when he said Sabrina was a challenging gym leader.

Ash thought back to their encounter with the psychic man from earlier. That man was so adamant about keeping him from facing Serena in battle because he didn't consider Ash "worthy". After they had argued with him a little while, he finally relented and said Ash could challenge Sabrina. What had prompted the man's sudden change in attitude? Ash knew he certainly didn't have any psychic powers so what else could stand up to Sabrina that the man saw? Ash then looked deep inside of himself and discovered something he never felt before. What IS that? It has to be the weirdest feeling he's ever felt before. It felt like he was feeling Pikachu's pain as it was being slammed against the walls. Ash didn't think it was telekinesis or anything like that, so what was it? He could actually hear Pikachu's voice inside of his head right now, crying out in pain. He wasn't going to let his buddy suffer like this!

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

To his complete surprise, he heard a small voice inside of its head. It could have been his imagination, but it still sounded a lot like Pikachu!

"_I feel your strength, Ash,"_ the voice said.

Then, to everyone's extreme amazement (except Sabrina's), Pikachu let out a mighty cry and broke free from Abra's control! The blue energy surrounding Pikachu completely disappeared, and it appeared to be fully energized despite taking so much damage. Abra reeled back a little from the sudden loss of control. Once Pikachu broke free, the weird connection feeling Ash felt was gone like it never happened.

"_What was that?"_ Ash thought to himself.

"Ash! Quick! Give Pikachu a command!" he heard Serena cry.

Ash immediately snapped out of his thoughts and yelled, "Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu once again tore across the room and slammed right into Abra which knocked it backwards across the floor. They had scored a hit.

"Excellent, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

"Pikachuuuuuuu!" Pikachu screamed as it let out massive lightning bolts from its cheeks

Sabrina, being the emotionless girl she is, didn't let this turn of events bother her. Her eyes glowed blue once more. Abra held out its arms again, and the electricity passed harmlessly over it. It then made the electricity form together into one massive electrical ball of energy. It then sent the attack back at Pikachu.

"It's can even use Confusion to take control of Pikachu's electricity!" Misty commented.

Ash wasn't going to let that stop him, however! "Pikachu! Counter with Thunderbolt again!" he yelled.

Pikachu once more unleashed a huge amount of electricity form its cheeks. The two forces of electrical energy collided in midair causing an explosion which covered the area where Pikachu was. Abra was redirecting the smoke away from it so it could still see.

Ash thought Sabrina and Abra were making a big mistake by keeping the smoke away from Abra. Pikachu had been in these types of situations enough to be used to them by now. Once Pikachu was out of the smoke, Abra would be in clear view for another attack. It would have been cleverer to use the smoke for cover like Pikachu was doing.

"Pikachu! Agility!" Ash called.

Pikachu leaped out of the smoke it was hiding in and sprinted across the floor as fast as it could. Abra must have seen this coming as it teleported again right before Pikachu reached it. Ash and Pikachu weren't as surprised this time so they would be ready wherever Abra showed up.

Abra appeared on the opposite side of the room from Pikachu and once again blasted Psychic waves at it.

"Use Agility and run straight towards those waves, Pikachu!" Ash hollered.

"Pika!" the mouse yelled as quickly sped at Abra and the Psychic waves.

"Ash is going to have Pikachu run straight into Abra's Psychic attack?" Misty asked in confusion.

"Remember, this Ash we are talking about. He must have something planned," Brock replied.

"Yeah. Ash can do it," Serena agreed.

Pikachu continued speeding along, and just before it and the psychic waves met, Ash yelled, "Leap into the air, Pikachu!"

Pikachu complied and jumped as high as it could, going completely over the waves.

"Use Thunderbolt again, Pikachu!" Ash ordered.

While still in the air, Pikachu quickly blasted the electricity out of its cheeks straight towards the psi Pokemon. Just as Ash expected, Abra once again took control of the electricity and directed it back at Pikachu.

"Let it chase you this time, Pikachu!" Ash called to it.

Pikachu landed on the floor of the gym and immediately broke into a run with the bolt of electricity right behind it. As Serena, Brock, and Misty were watching the electricity chase Pikachu around the gym, they couldn't help but wonder what Ash was up to.

Noticing that the electricity was gaining on Pikachu, Ash called out, "Use Agility and go straight for Abra!"

Pikachu then picked up the pace and began making a beeline to Abra, the electricity still right on its tail.

As Pikachu drew closer to Abra, the psi Pokemon seemed to be getting prepared for Pikachu to attack it. It got in a defensive stance and glared at Pikachu through its squinty eyes, but Ash and Pikachu had different plans.

"Don't attack Abra, Pikachu! Just ran right past it!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu continued running towards Abra, and at the last second made a sharp zigzag right past it. The Psi Pokemon turned around in surprise that Pikachu didn't attack it, which is what the raven haired trainer wanted.

"Gotcha!" Ash shouted. "Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!"

Pikachu made a sharp turn and sped towards Abra again. Abra was too distracted by controlling the electricity and the surprise of Pikachu's psych out to teleport. Pikachu rammed straight into Abra's midsection which knocked it to the floor. It then sped away.

Because Abra was hit by Pikachu, it lost control of the electricity for just a moment. As a result, the electricity kept moving towards Abra. Before it could redirect the electricity, the lightning bolts slammed into Abra, completely engulfing it in electricity.

"Abraaaaaa!" it cried out in its raspy voice.

"Way to go, Ash!" Serena cheered happily.

"That was an awesome strategy to fool Abra and distract it like that to take its mind off the electricity it was controlling," Brock praised.

"Now finish this with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu once more sped towards Abra as fast as it could. Abra was charred completely black with bits of electrical energy sparking from it occasionally. It was unable to teleport due to it trying to recover from the super Thunderbolt. Pikachu leaped towards Abra as its tail began to glow white. Once it reached Abra, it swung its glowing tail around and scored a direct hit right in Abra's face which sent the Psychic type Pokemon flying backwards. It hit the gym wall and fell to the ground on its face where it didn't move.

"Awesome! That was incredible, Pikachu!" Ash praised.

"Pikachu!" it replied turning to give Ash a V-shape with its fingers.

"_Ash really did it! He beat Sabrina! Those two are so amazing!"_ Serena thought as she blushed.

"It looks like those two really pulled this off," Brock smiled.

The group then looked towards Sabrina who hadn't changed expression one bit during the battle and was still in the same spot she was before. Why wasn't she coming over to congratulate Ash or at least admit defeat?

"You haven't won yet," Sabrina muttered in monotone.

"What do you mean? Pikachu and I beat Abra, didn't we?" Ash asked in confusion as he turned towards the fallen Pokemon, or so he thought.

Ash, Pikachu, and rest of the group let out a surprised gasp at what they saw when they looked at Abra. It was back on its feet and still looked ready to fight.

"I don't understand? How could it have withstood all of those attacks?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"Use Recover, Abra," Sabrina mumbled.

Once she said her command, all the wounds that were on Abra completely faded, and its blackened body from being hit by the electricity returned to its normal color. It looked like it was never damaged at all!

"What?!" the whole group exclaimed in complete astonishment. Was that move even legal?!

"Childish fools," Sabrina muttered as her eyes glowed blue again.

Abra then began glowing white in color and started to get larger. When it was done glowing, another Pokemon stood in its place. It resembled Abra, only its eyes were no longer squinty, its tail was a lot bigger, and it now had a very long mustache.

"It can't be! Abra evolved into Kadabra!" Ash cried in disbelief.

Serena took out her pokedex to scan the new Pokemon. "Kadabra, the psi Pokemon and the evolved form of Abra. It can emit special alpha waves from its body that induce headaches just by being close by,"said the pokedex.

"This is bad," Brock mumbled as the group watched how the situation had turned completely against them in a span of only about thirty seconds.

Ash knew Pikachu must be getting pretty tired because of how much energy it put forth into trying to take out Abra, but now it had to deal with its evolved form! Ash didn't know what to do since he had used most of his tricks already. He would have to think of a new strategy fast, but he didn't have to.

Before Ash could issue a command, the newly evolved Kadabra's eyes glowed blue as it once again took hold of Pikachu in its Confusion attack. It then lifted Pikachu high into the air as the blue energy around Pikachu seemed to intensify. Pikachu began to writhe in agony and cry out in pain. Its body was being bent into all kinds of awkward positions. Kadabra was close to torturing poor Pikachu inside of its blue field of psychic energy.

"Pikachu! Try to break free like last time!" Ash cried with worry even though he knew it was no use. Kadabra's Confusion was no doubt much harder to break free from than Abra's. Furthermore, the only reason Pikachu seemed to be able to break out in the first place was because of that strange connection he had with Pikachu for a brief second. The sad thing was the feeling didn't look like it was coming back anytime soon despite how bad Ash needed it. He didn't know what it was, but it sure helped him out in a time of need.

Once Kadabra finished torturing Pikachu it pointed its fingers to the ceiling, and Pikachu flew up and hit it just like before. It then dropped to the ground as the process repeated itself.

"Chaaaa! Chaaa!" Pikachu screamed in pain as it was continuously crashed into the ceiling and floor.

Serena and Misty covered their eyes and turned away from what was taking place. They couldn't watch Pikachu be in so much pain. Brock shielded his eyes as well at the cruelness that was taking place. Ash clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he felt tears burn his eyes. He was almost reminded of how Charmeleon was tortured by Damian back at the Silph Co. Now he was watching his best buddy almost go through the same thing! How could Sabrina be so cold to any Pokemon's feelings?!

"Try a Thunderbolt!" Ash cried desperately.

Pikachu did indeed manage to shoot a stream of electricity at Kadabra. Like before, however, Kadabra immediately took hold of the electricity and sent it back towards Pikachu while still controlling the rodent. It appeared Kadabra could control more things at once now due to its evolution.

The electricity struck Pikachu at double the power it had unleashed. The Kadabra then resumed slamming Pikachu into the floor and ceiling.

Ash continued to watch in horror at what was taking place. He turned towards Sabrina who looked as stoic as ever. He didn't know what to do.

"Ash. Please. Make it stop," Serena whimpered from behind him.

Ash turned to look at Serena to find tears coming from her eyes. The sight of her crying made Ash's heart break as well. He turned to Brock and Misty and saw them nod their heads at him. Ash knew what he had to do. There was no reason this battle needed to go on any longer. He wasn't going to allow Pikachu to get hurt anymore, or he may lose his partner permanently.

"Stop it! That's enough! I quit!" Ash hollered at the top of his lungs.

Once Ash shouted that, Kadabra relented its Confusion attack and gently set Pikachu on the ground where the poor rodent was gasping in pain. Ash immediately ran over to it and cradled it in his arms. He then glared at the Psychic Pokemon trainer.

"No badge is worth losing Pikachu," he said through gritted teeth.

"A wise decision," Sabrina murmured before returning Kadabra. "You may now leave."

Not wanting to stay there any longer, Ash turned around and ran out of the gym room as fast as he could, the tears still threatening to spill from his eyes.

"Ash!" Serena called as she ran after him, Misty and Brock following suit.

Ash ran through the hallway, not sparing a glance at anyone in any of the rooms as he passed. The only thing he wanted right now was to get out. He couldn't believe how cold and powerful Sabrina was. How was he supposed to beat someone like that?! The worst part was Pikachu was critically injured because of it.

As Ash left the gym towards the Pokemon Center with his friends right behind him, the same man whom they met before they entered the gym was watching them run by from the top the same tree from earlier. The man could tell the boy had lost. Despite that, he still believed the boy might have what it takes to save Sabrina from herself. He was unlike anyone he had met before, even the trainers who managed to beat Sabrina in battle. He figured he would go have a talk with this boy.

"_I sensed his level of aura is incredible. There is no doubt Sabrina felt it, too," _the man thought.

With that, he teleported away.

* * *

><p>A van was currently driving up to the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town. To any normal person, this didn't seem the least bit out of the ordinary. It might have just looked like tourists who had come to visit the Pokemon Tower to get a good scare from the ghost-type Pokemon said to haunt the place. Maybe they were just there to pay their respects to the departed Pokemon as most people do, as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. The people inside the van had a much more sinister reason for coming to the Pokemon Tower.<p>

The van parked just outside the building as the people got out of the car. They were wearing casual clothes to hide their true identities and consisted of a woman with long red hair, a woman with blonde hair in pigtails, a man with blue hair who had driven the van, a man with short green hair, and a Meowth who could apparently speak human language.

"Ugh! I still can't believe the boss still has us doing these missions together with you three," Cassidy grumbled as she massaged her temples in aggravation, referring to Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"Oh, hush! It isn't like we enjoy working with you and Hutch, either," Jessie shot back.

"My name isn't Hutch!" Butch screamed, but they ignored him.

"Whatever. Let's just go ahead and get this mission over with so we can get away from each other," Cassidy muttered.

"Right," Butch agreed as they entered the building. "The boss wants us to capture as many ghost Pokemon as we can in case we need to use force against Mewtwo when we go after it."

The five approached the receptionist, who was a young woman, as Jessie and Cassidy decided to do the talking.

"Hello!" Jessie greeted in a sweet-as-honey voice. "My friends and I have come here to get a good scare with some ghost Pokemon. We are such fanatics for anything scary! You wouldn't happen to know where they start appearing, would you?"

"That's right!" Cassidy agreed as she began to cry fake tears. "Not to mention, my poor, poor Growlithe passed away, and I figured this would be the perfect time to visit it and tell it how much I love it!"

James, Butch, and Meowth rolled their eyes. Could these two be any less convincing actresses?

"I understand completely," the receptionist replied as James, Butch and Meowth fell over in disbelief. "You can find the ghosts above the second floor, and I'm very sorry to hear about your Growlithe, ma'am. Please enjoy your time here."

"Thank you, dear!" Jessie fake-smiled with a wave before they turned to go towards the upper floors.

"Heh, that was too easy," Cassidy whispered.

"Eeeeek! Wait for us!" James called as he, Butch, and Meowth got off the ground and followed the two other Rockets.

"Wait a second. How does the boss even plan for us to capture all of these ghost Pokemon?" Butch asked as the five reached the stairs.

"Easy. Our Pokemon are certainly strong enough to capture a few. Then we just use those ghost Pokemon to capture more and more until we have a whole army," Cassidy replied.

"But that could take days!" Butch complained.

"Quit whining, Biff! We have enough supplies to last us a while," Cassidy scolded.

"My name is Butch, not Biff!" Butch yelled.

"Quiet! Somebody's coming! Act natural!" Jessie whispered harshly as she put her index finger over her mouth.

The four Rockets leaned against the walls and whistled innocently while Meowth acted like a normal Meowth. As they watched the two people pass by, they recognized one as the kid with brown, spiky hair that broke into Silph Co with that Pikachu boy. He was with a young girl who had long brown hair and was wearing a white hat. The two smiled at the supposed strangers as they passed them while the Rockets smiled back, but inwardly they were seething. They wanted to teach these two, especially that boy, a lesson so badly right now but kept their emotions in check. They had more important things to do.

Team Rocket waited until Leaf and Gary were out of sight until they continued to ascend to the upper floors where few people ever went. Once they got to the third floor, they released their Pokemon and prepared for their plan. Well, they had to wait until James' newly caught Victreebel stopped trying to eat him.

As they began to search for ghost Pokemon, they were surprised to find a Marowak and a baby Cubone wandering around the tower. As soon as the Marowak noticed Team Rocket, it immediately took on a defensive stance and held up its bone threateningly.

"That's strange. What are a Marowak and Cubone doing here?" James asked as he tilted his head.

"I've heard that for some reason these bone collector Pokemon like coming here because they like to see gravesites of Pokemon, probably for their bones," Jessie responded.

"Who cares why it's here? Scram, you pest! We have important business to take care of!" Cassidy shouted at the Pokemon.

"Marowak Maro," the Marowak responded in a low tone.

"It's saying we better be the ones to get out of here so it can protect its baby," Meowth translated.

"Humph! Well if you won't get out of here on your own, we will have to chase you out!" Cassidy growled as their Pokemon, an Arbok, Weezing, Lickitung, Victreebel, Raticate, and Hitmonchan loomed over the two smaller Pokemon.

Marowak wasn't intimidated at all, however. It skillfully threw its bone at all the other Pokemon over it. The Bonemerang clonked each Pokemon on the head as it passed by. The six Pokemon fell on the ground in a dazed state as Marowak went over and began attacking them with a Bone Club. It wasn't too long until all the Pokemon were knocked out. A mother could be very powerful when it comes to protecting her children. It helped that it was carrying an especially thick club at the moment.

"What the-? That thing just defeated our Pokemon!" Butch exclaimed as he clenched his fists in anger.

"That's it! Now I'm furious! This Pokemon needs to be taught a lesson for getting in the way of Team Rocket!" Cassidy said angrily as she pulled out a gun that was hidden from view and pointed it at the Marowak. "Move now, or else!"

"Cassidy is scary when she is angry. You better do what she says," Butch warned.

The Marowak stubbornly held its ground and glared at the crooks.

"Maybe you didn't hear what we said. Get out of our way, or we will make you do it!" Jessie threatened.

The Marowak didn't budge, though. It would do what it had to do to protect its baby from these bad people. It told Cubone to run away as a fast as it could while it dealt with them.

The Cubone reluctantly began to run as the Marowak turned to glare at Team Rocket again. It wanted to make sure its baby was safe.

"This is your final warning! Get out of our way!" Cassidy growled as the other Team Rocket members glared threateningly at it. They refused to be humiliated by this Marowak, and they had an important mission to do that couldn't be interrupted by anything.

Marowak still held its ground, however, it looked like it was going to attack again, but Cassidy beat the Marowak to it.

The baby Cubone turned its head while running to see what was going on. Its eyes widened at what was about to happen. "Cubooooone!" it wailed.

Cassidy narrowed her eyes at the Marowak. "Suit yourself," she said as she pulled the trigger.

A loud bang was heard throughout the Pokemon Tower. The people on the floors below looked around in confusion and alarm, wondering what could have taken place. If only they knew.

The baby Cubone was now an orphan.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay. This is the first time Ash's aura powers have awoken. I know what you guys must be thinking: (But you said aura wouldn't appear until the last story.) You are right. I did say that, but I meant more it won't feature prominently until the last story when Ash can control it. He has no idea what it is or how to use it right now. It just appeared to him once and was gone just as quickly which is why he couldn't get out of a second jam with Pikachu. This actually isn't the first mention of Ash's aura in the story, either. For those of you that can read between the lines, I've actually placed several subtle hints in past chapters of Ash's aura showing up previously, so this isn't completely out of left field. I don't have any more plans for his aura to awaken in the Kanto arc, except maybe once if I decide it's necessary for one part.<strong>

**Another thing I want to say: a lot of you are probably ticked off because Ash was winning until Sabrina's Abra evolved and completely turned the game around. I wanted to show that it was entirely possible to beat Sabrina which is how Gary and others can get the Marsh badge. Ash just had bad timing and has to get stronger to face her again. Just bear with me. This chapter and the next were pretty hard to write.**

**A good thing is that next chapter will mark the beginning of Ash starting to mature a little bit. He has been extremely reckless so far which has gotten all of his friends and Pokemon in trouble. He is going to finally be motivated enough to force himself to get stronger and mature which is where the smarter and more mature Ash I promised finally starts coming into play.**

**The next chapter will be up on Tuesday! Thanks for your support, and I hope my story still holds after all that happened. This can only happen because of you guys: The readers!**

**Chapter 30: Two Resolves**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Is Duplica still going to appear like she did in the Anime or not? _

_**No.**_

_Is Jigglypuff considered a fairy type in this arc?_

_**Yes.**_

_I would like to see Misty and Brock train some more, well maybe Misty and have her catch a few non canon pokemon._

_**They will have their time to shine in future chapters.**_

_Will Ash's and Serena's Pokémon be training at Oaks while they are not with them?_

_**Of course.**_

_Will some other Pokemon try to get Charla's attention?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Are both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee opposite genders?_

_**Both Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are male but are complete opposites in personality as you will see later on.**_

_Will ash still come up with out of the box ideas to turn battles around and still retain his unpredictable battle style to keep us on our toes?_

_**Yes. That is my intention anyway.**_

_Will Ash get to the Cinnabar like in the game or will it be like the anime with the hot springs._

_**I think the ideas I have for Cinnabar Island are pretty original. As far as more like the games or anime, it's a bit of both.**_

_When you get to Sinnoh, will the League battle between Ash and Paul still be the only time Ash wins against Paul, or will you have Ash win more of their battles?_

_**I'm sorry. I won't spoil that question.**_

_How about you create a bit of a rivalry between Primeape and Hitmonchan?_

_**They will have a small rivalry but will mostly be training buddies, along with Hitmonlee.**_

_Because of Ash having nightmares of his mother being killed will he be taking his training more seriously? _

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash catch Dratini at the Safari Zone?_

_**Yes.**_


	30. Two Resolves

**A/N: I'm glad most of you like the fact that I put aura in this story, but as stated earlier, it won't feature prominently until the final arc. Serena gets another rival in this chapter (one you guys have been waiting for). Anyway, please enjoy chapter 30.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 30: Two Resolves<p>

The group was at the Pokemon Center in Saffron City. They were still reeling from what kind of person Sabrina was. They didn't quite understand her. Had she been like that her whole life? Was there an incident that turned her into the way she is now?

Brock currently had his arms folded as he leaned against a wall. He was looking down at the floor and had a very grim expression on his face. Misty was standing as well with her head bowed down in a worried and upset expression.

Ash, on the other hand, was currently sitting in front of the emergency room at the Pokemon Center with an unreadable expression. He had been in that state ever since Nurse Joy had taken Pikachu to the emergency room. When he saw Nurse Joy's horrified expression at Pikachu's state, that was all Ash needed to become like a zombie. He hadn't moved or changed expression since.

Serena was sitting next to Ash with her hand on his back trying to console him.

"Ash, please talk to me," Serena pleaded, but Ash barely noticed.

He had too many thoughts going through his head at the moment. Why did he allow the match to go on for so long? He should have ended it the moment Sabrina's Abra had evolved and used Recover, but he didn't. What was wrong with him? He knew Pikachu was getting tired after using so much strength against Abra. Pikachu was the best friend Ash could ever ask for, and he repays it by making it continue to fight a losing battle. After witnessing the amount of pain it was in, Ash refused to let Pikachu be hurt like that again. It reminded him too much of the dream he had with Team Rocket coming after his friends and family.

Just because Ash refused to let Pikachu go through something like that again didn't solve the dilemma Ash was currently facing. Ash knew he had to defeat Sabrina in battle in order to win a Marsh badge and qualify for the Pokemon League, but he wasn't looking forward to going back anytime soon. He was strongly considering to tell the group to go ahead with the Battle Chateau, and then leave Saffron City. They could come back once he received more badges and he was a little bit stronger.

The light for emergency room came off, and Nurse Joy came through the double doors with Chansey. The group immediately ran over to Nurse Joy to hear the news.

"Please tell me Pikachu will be okay," Ash pleaded, showing emotion for the first time in a while.

Nurse Joy sighed. "I was able to treat most of its injuries with many Super Potions and medicine, but I hate to say that it has received a bone fracture in its left front arm. It had to put a cast on it so it would stop moving its arm despite the pain. I would advise against Pikachu battling during the time while its arm is healing."

"What?!" Ash cried in alarm as tears came to his eyes once more. Pikachu had a broken arm?!

Nurse Joy wanted to scold Ash a little for allowing Pikachu to get so injured, but decided to give him a break as she could see the pure distress on his face right now.

Serena, Brock, and Misty were quite upset at the news as well. They still couldn't imagine how Ash must feel at the moment.

"Pikachu is stable now. You may see it if you like," Nurse Joy told Ash.

Ash nodded and walked past Nurse Joy and Chansey with his friends following him into emergency room. As soon as Ash saw Pikachu unconscious on the operating table with a cast around its arm, tears began to fall freely from his face.

"I'm so sorry, Pikachu," Ash muttered between tears.

"Oh, Pikachu," Serena said as tears began to come to her eyes as well at seeing Pikachu like that as well as Ash in complete devastation.

"Ash," Brock said seriously. "I think this reinforces what I told you about being reckless and knowing when to stop. You keep saying you are going to stop doing it, but you keep on anyway. Most of the time, it has put you and us in extreme danger."

Ash thought back to his first day as a Pokemon trainer with Serena, how he had stupidly tried to capture a Pidgey with a blanket. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they ended up being chased by a flock of Spearow and were hurt in the process. Granted, he and Serena also saw a legendary Pokemon that day, but it was beside the point. Then the very next day, he mindlessly charged into the Battle Chateau only to be utterly destroyed by the trainers there. Very recently he rushed into Silph Co which scared his mom and friends half to death when they learned of it. Ash was now constantly worried for his family as a result. Now this happened. He really needed to stop doing things like this for good, otherwise, he and his friends will just be put in more life threatening situations, and they may not make it out of every one of them.

"You're right," Ash muttered as he looked at his friends. "My actions have done nothing but hurt us. Sometimes, things turn out okay in the end, but it happens just by luck. I promise to try and take more logical steps to things from now on, and only rush into things as a last resort."

"Pikaaaa?" a voice suddenly spoke.

The sudden weak cry of Pikachu made everybody turn their attention back to it. The yellow rodent had opened its eyes and was looking around the room.

"Pikachu, please forgive me," Ash pleaded as he went up to the operating table knelt down a little.

"Chuuuuuu," the rodent smiled and nodded its head.

Ash was happy to know Pikachu said it was okay, but he still couldn't tear his eyes away from the cast around Pikachu's left arm. That was a result of him not ending the match when he should have, and he didn't know what would happen next time if he continued on like this. It had been his motto to never give up until the end, but sometimes that rule didn't apply when the situation was actually hopeless like when Pikachu was caught in Kadabra's Confusion attack.

Ash picked up Pikachu as gingerly as he could and brought it into a gentle hug, which the mouse Pokemon returned.

"Pikachu, from now on, things will be different. I promise. I'm never going to let something like that happen to you again," Ash told it before turning to his other friends. "That goes for you guys, as well. I'm not going to let you guys be hurt as a result of my actions, either."

"Chuuuuu," the rodent replied as everybody else watched the heartwarming scene.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys," Ash called to the group a few hours later since Pikachu was resting. "I think it would be best if I didn't challenge Sabrina to a rematch so soon. It doesn't matter if Gary has already won. I know I'm not ready yet. We should let Serena go ahead and do her Battle Chateau Challenge and come back to Saffron City another time."<p>

"I think that is a good decision, Ash," Brock agreed with a nod. "The Saffron Gym will be waiting for us no matter when we come back. In the meantime, there are other gyms for you to challenge and grow stronger."

"Live to fight another day," Misty smiled.

Serena smiled sadly to herself at Ash's words. She inwardly thought Ash might have been slightly hard on himself by putting the sole blame of his recklessness on him. The truth was she could be reckless a few times as well. She had rushed into the Silph Co. also despite knowing how dangerous it would be. It seemed that no matter what Ash decided, Serena always supported him no matter what. It was true she cared about Ash with all of her heart, but maybe blindly following Ash and supporting him in every decision had been slightly childish. It could go to say she could try to lose some of her recklessness as well and keep her emotions in check. She still hadn't forgotten about how she almost hurt her friendship with Ash and Leaf in Ceruelean City because she couldn't control her emotions.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a man came up to Ash and sat down next to him. Ash turned in surprise to see it was the man whom they had spoken to before going into the Saffron Gym. What was he doing here?

"Are you alright, son?" the man asked.

"Um, yes. I think I will be," Ash said in slight confusion, wondering why this man was speaking to him.

"How is your Pokemon?" he asked.

Ash's face darkened. "It was really injured in my fight with Serena and now has a broken arm. It will be unable to battle while it's healing. You were right. I shouldn't have challenged Sabrina. I wasn't ready to. I just shocks me how Sabrina could be that emotionless and uncaring."

"She wasn't always like that," the man replied. "She used to be such a happy and fun-loving girl. That was until she learned of her psychic powers." He then pulled a picture out his wallet and showed it to Ash and the rest. It showed a younger Sabrina with a very bright and cheerful smile on her face. It could almost be mistaken for a different person.

"What happened?" Ash asked curiously as the rest of the group listened as well.

"Once she discovered her powers, she spent every moment wanting to develop them further. She soon stopped playing and having fun so she could focus on them. Once she learned how to control her powers, that still wasn't enough. She didn't even want to make friends and became obsessed with getting stronger. As a result, she got rid of all of her emotions as she believed they made her weak and could take away from her training," the man explained.

"What about her parents?" Serena asked.

"Her parents did everything they could to help Sabrina, but she rejected anything they tried and drove them away," the man replied with a sigh.

"That's so sad. I actually feel sorry for Sabrina," Misty commented.

"I believe that deep down, Sabrina is still the same happy, loving girl she once was. She just needs to rediscover who she truly is once more," the man said sadly.

"I don't get how I'm supposed to stand up to a gym leader like her," Ash spoke up.

"You may not know this young man, but the reason why I'm telling you all of these things is because I believe you have what it takes to save Sabrina," the man told him.

"I don't get it. Why me? I was just totally destroyed by Sabrina," Ash argued.

"You don't need to face her again so soon, but you have something that Sabrina doesn't that is very special. In fact, it is just as rare a gift as psychic powers," said the man.

"Ash has special powers?! What?!" Misty exclaimed in shock

"I do? What is it?" Ash asked, equally amazed.

"It is not my place to tell you what it is. It is best if you figure it out yourself or have someone who also shares your gift tell you. You will know in due time. Something like that won't remain hidden forever. You might not even need to use it to save Sabrina, but you will come to know it one day," the man responded.

"Do you know of anyone who shares the same gift as me?" Ash asked curiously.

"I do, as a matter of fact," the man answered. "I have a good friend named Riley Gen. He travels around the world and seems to be on the move often. However, the last time I heard from him, he was taking residence on Cinnabar Island for a while. You may be able to speak to him there."

"Riley Gen?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yes," the man answered. "Do you already know him?"

"Know him!? He's my uncle!" Ash revealed.

Brock, Misty, and Serena each gave Ash a surprised look.

"Hahahaha! Well I guess that would make sense that he is related to you! That kind of power only runs in families, after all!" the man said in an amused tone.

"I see," Ash replied. He had always thought his uncle had been a little on the strange side, but to know that he had this kind of power that Ash shared made him really curious what it was. Ash had only met Riley a few times in his life, but the man had always left an impression on him. Ash briefly wondered if Riley had already known about this power Ash had.

He really wanted to know what is was but decided not to press the issue. If this strange man felt he wasn't ready to be told, it was probably for the best. He briefly wondered if it had something to do when he felt that strange connection with Pikachu at the gym, though.

"As you are now, your best bet on beating Sabrina is to capture a ghost Pokemon at the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town," the man told Ash, switching topics.

"Right. A ghost Pokemon. I remember you telling me that earlier that ghost Pokemon are strong against psychic-types," Ash remembered

"They are," the adult confirmed. "If you capture one, I am almost certain you can help Sabrina with your abilities."

"You sure seem to know a lot about Sabrina and care for her well-being. You also seemed to know her when she was a kid and have her picture," Ash said suspiciously.

"_Does he know?" _the man thought. _"Well I guess I can't blame him. He must have figured out that I'm Sabrina's father._"

"You must be related to her," Ash guessed.

"I am," the man confirmed. "_At least he didn't think I was a photographer or something like that."_

"You're her father, aren't you?" Ash asked.

The man smiled. "I am, young man."

He then got up to leave but turned one final time, "I believe in you, son. I'm telling you this not only as Sabrina's father, but someone who really believes in you potential as a Pokemon trainer. Good luck."

As Sabrina's father passed by Brock, Misty, and Serena, he felt a power so faint he almost didn't sense it. It could've very well been his imagination. Whatever it was, he thought it came from the honey-blonde haired girl.

Deciding not to dwell on it, Sabrina's father exited the Pokemon Center, leaving a very stunned Ash and friends.

* * *

><p>"The Saffron City Battle Chateau! The largest Battle Chateau in Kanto!" Serena stated with her hands clasped together as her eyes sparkled at how big it was.<p>

It was now the next day since the group had learned about the incident with Pikachu and Ash was told about his hidden gift. The group was now refreshed and ready to continue on their journey. Unfortunately, not everyone was healed up. Pikachu still had to wear a cast on its arm for a while and had to ride along in Ash's backpack instead of his shoulder to avoid straining it. It would serve as a constant reminder to Ash about what his lack of rational decisions had done to his partner.

"I'll say, and I thought the other Battle Chateaus were big," Ash commented as he looked in awe at the extremely large castle-like building.

"Have you thought about which Pokemon you are going to use in this Battle Chateau, Serena?" Brock asked.

"Yes, I have," Serena responded. "I've had the chance to train with Eevee a little bit and want it to see what battling is like in the Battle Chateau, but I will still only use it in the first round since it's a little inexperienced compared to some of my other Pokemon. I just got Hitmonlee so I may not use it right away. The others I will use will probably be Jigglypuff and Oddish, and then either Charla or Nidorina in the final round."

"I see. Those seem like good decisions," Brock agreed as he nodded his head.

"Just remember. Now that you are a Countess, you have to face some much tougher trainers now who have at least reached that rank. It will be much tougher from now on," Misty reminded.

"I know," Serena responded.

Once the group entered the Battle Chateau, Serena let both Hitmonlee and Eevee out of their pokeballs since this would be their first time seeing the Battle Chateau, aside from the time Eevee was offered as a prize. The two Pokemon stared in wonder at the Battle Chateau. Hitmonlee went over to inspect the different decorations around the room before sitting down and meditating. Eevee spun around in circles like a hyperactive pet and began running around eagerly to look at everything.

"It seems you like to meditate and strengthen your mind, right Hitmonlee?" Serena asked as she went over to it. She decided to get more acquainted with her new Pokemon.

"Lee," the Pokemon responded quietly as it nodded its head.

"I just wanted to let you know that I look forward to battling with you from now on. I hope a fancy battling place won't be strange to you," Serena said.

"Monlee," the Pokemon breathed as it shook its head calmly.

"I'm glad," Serena smiled before she was tackled from behind by Eevee which knocked her to the ground.

"Vee Vee!" Eevee exclaimed as it climbed on Serena's back and laughed playfully.

"Owwww," Serena muttered before turning around to Eevee and chuckling. "Heh heh. It's good to see you also Eevee, but try to stay calm while we are in here so you don't accidentally break something."

"It seems like your Eevee is very playful, but it could still use some training," a voice said behind the group.

They spun around to see another girl standing there who looked the same age as Ash and Serena. She had short blue hair the ended just above her shoulders and brown eyes. She seemed to already be in her Battle Chateau outfit. Serena normally wouldn't be bothered by a comment like that from someone, but there was something about the girl's tone that made it sound very snarky.

"I guess so," Serena responded as she got up off the ground and picking up her Eevee to hold it, trying to ignore the girl's tone. "My Eevee is one of my newest Pokemon so it's still fairly young."

"I see," the girl said before introducing herself. "My name's Miette, and I'm aiming to be the top trainer at the Battle Chateau."

"I'm Serena Gabena, and this is Ash, Misty, and Brock," Serena introduced her friends one-by-one.

"Nice to meet all you!" Miette smiled before bringing a basket into view. "I happened to make some cupcakes before I came here if you guys would like to try some."

"Sounds good! Thank you!" Ash thanked before reaching into the basket and taking one, Misty and Brock following suit.

"These are delicious!" Ash exclaimed as he took a bite. "Would you mind if Pikachu had one as well?"

Serena instantly frowned upon hearing that. Surely Ash must have had better cupcakes in the past, like then ones she helped his mom bake that one time.

"Not at all," Miette smiled before Ash reached in to hand one to Pikachu who was still in his backpack. It took a bite and put on a happy expression.

"Pika!" it said enthusiastically.

"They are really good. Well done!" Brock praised.

"Thank you!" Miette replied while smiling.

Miette then held the basket of cupcakes up to Serena for her to try as well. Serena decided to take one out of politeness. She then took a bite as her eyes lit up. "Oh wow! These are really good!" she said.

"Of course they are," Miette whispered snootily so only Serena could hear before putting on a smile again.

Serena narrowed her eyes at the blue-haired girl. She had decided to brush off Miette's first comment, but it seemed she really wanted to get a rise from Serena judging from that last comment. What was her deal?

"Ah, if you are competing in the Battle Chateau, you and Serena might face each other," Misty told Miette.

"We might," Miette smiled. "That would be fun, wouldn't it, Serena?"

"It would," Serena fake-smiled back before thinking. "_I'll get rid of that snooty attitude for you!_"

"You better go ahead and get changed so you aren't let for the tournament, Serena," Brock advised.

"That's right! Don't be late, Serena!" Miette called after her as Serena quickly returned Eevee and Hitmonlee and hurried off to find Hennessy or one of the maids.

_"Okay. This girl is clearly out to get me for some reason, but I promised to keep a cool head from now on. I can ignore her,"_ Serena thought.

* * *

><p>"You look great as always, Serena!" Ash smiled while giving Serena a thumbs up once she came out of the changing room.<p>

"Thank you, Ash," Serena smiled while she blushed and did a curtsey for him with Ash bowing back even though he wasn't in Battle Chateau attire.

"You are quite the gentleman, Ash," Miette told him as she giggled. "You would make a great husband for a girl one day."

"Eheheheh, I would?" Ash muttered embarrassedly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Serena blushed and glared at Miette. _"Oh no she didn't!" _she thought.

Miette happened to pick up on Serena's expression and grinned cattily at her. Serena quickly turned away. It looked like Miette had found a weak spot, and she knew it. Great.

"Well, I have thought about what it would like to be married one day," Ash continued as he looked to be in thought. "But I don't know who it would be with."

Brock and Misty hung their heads. Ash and Serena seemed to be getting closer, but it still seems Ash doesn't realize how Serena feels about him yet. Only time will tell. He is still definitely a ten year old, despite his birthday approaching.

Miette giggled at Ash's response and gave a sly look to Serena to see her reaction. She just blushed again and turned away. The nerve of that girl! She was not going to let this girl ruin her experience at the Battle Chateau. Unlike last time with Ash and Leaf when she wasn't sure, Serena knew for a fact this girl was deliberately flirting with Ash. Did she think he was really a suitable husband or just trying to get a rise out of Serena? Either way, Serena knew she had to stay calm.

Brock and Misty happened to notice the silent exchange going on between Miette and Serena and frowned. It seemed things might get ugly if they aren't careful.

"Excuse me, madam, but your first Battle Chateau challenge is up," Hennessy politely cut in, addressing Miette.

"Well, looks like I'm up! See you guys in a minute!" Miette waved before heading off to her battle room.

"She seems like a nice girl," Ash commented as they watched her go.

"Yeah. She's a real angel," Serena mumbled sarcastically as her fists clenched.

"Are you okay, Serena?" Ash asked her.

"Oh yes. I'll be fine, Ash. Really," Serena smiled at him before taking a deep breath.

"Well, if you want to talk, I'm here for you," Ash said as he gave her a thumbs-up again.

Serena blushed. "Hee hee! Thank you, Ash."

"Hey guys. Miette's battle is on the TV right here," Brock said as he pointed to one of the huge TVs in the lobby.

The rest of the group went over to the TV to watch the battle. Miette already had her pokeball out and seemed to be facing against another boy. They curtseyed and bowed to one another, respectively before releasing their Pokemon.

Miette sent out a Pokemon that resembled a Jigglypuff but was a lot taller and not as round. It had a white stomach with long ears and a tuff of on its head. It was a Wigglytuff. It got a tough expression on its face and looked ready to fight.

"Oh, a Wigglytuff," Serena said as she and Ash pulled out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Wigglytuff, the balloon Pokemon and the evolved form of Jigglypuff. Its body is soft and rubbery to where it can inflate itself to an enormous size," said the pokedexes.

The other trainer sent out a Ninetales. This seemed like it would be a good battle.

As Serena watched the battle go on, she was silently hoping for Miette to lose as bad as that sounded. She watched the two trade blows back and forth to each other. Despite her wishes though, Miette emerged from the first battle victorious and would be moving on to the next round.

"_I hate to admit it, but Miette's really good at battling,_" Serena thought as she watched the girl congratulate her Wigglytuff on the big screen.

"That Wigglytuff actually reminded me a lot of your Jigglypuff, Serena," Brock commented, but Serena didn't really hear him. She was too busy thinking about how she can deal with Miette if that girl is going to act like this the whole time she is here.

You are now up for your first challenge of the day, madam," Hennessy told her as he approached the group. "Please follow me."

As they followed the head butler, they passed Miette who was coming out her own battle room. She gave a friendly wave to the group before approaching them. "I just wanted to wish Serena luck really quick before she battles," she said.

"Well, okay, we'll meet you in the room," Ash said as he, Misty, Brock, and Hennessy continued on the Battle room.

Once they were out of earshot, Serena glared at Miette. "Alright, Miette. What did you really want to tell me?"

"Just what I said," Miette replied before smirking. "I wanted to wish you luck. Goodness knows how much you need it with how wild your Pokemon are."

"Excuse me, but you can't judge how my Pokemon are by only seeing Eevee! It is a very playful and young Pokemon," Serena said defensively.

"I'm not judging by that one meeting," Miette told her. "You may not know this, but some Battle Chateau challenges are televised. I happened to see you on it when you used your Jigglypuff at the Cerulean City Battle Chateau."

Serena blushed in embarrassment. Why did Miette of all people have to see that display?

"Your Jigglypuff barely listened to your orders at all, not like my Wigglypuff, whom I'm sure you saw just now," Miette said arrogantly. "It was completely out of control and did whatever it wanted to."

"Jigglypuff and I have come a long way since then!" Serena declared. "I have also become a much better trainer!"

"Whatever you say," Miette smirked before walking off.

Serena glared as she watched her go. She really didn't like this girl. She had no idea what her problem with her was, but it was getting her pretty aggravated. Then she remembered she needed to keep her emotions in check. She shook her head and realized that she had to hurry to her battle. She wasn't going to let this girl get to her.

As she entered the battle room, she saw her opponent was already waiting for her. Ash, Brock, and Misty were off to the side to watch the match already. She smiled apologetically at the boy who would be her opponent for being late. He just nodded his head in return.

"May the dame and beau curtsey and bow to each other respectively," the judge said, Serena and the boy doing so.

"You may now choose your Pokemon!" the judge told them.

"Electrode! I choose you!" the boy called as he released a Pokemon that looked like an upside down pokeball with a face.

"Electrode. I haven't seen that Pokemon yet," Serena mumbled as she and Ash took out thier pokedexes to scan it.

"Electrode, the ball Pokemon and the evolved form of Voltorb. It stores electricity under very high pressure and can often explode with no warning," said the robotic encyclopedias.

"Okay! Here we go! Eevee! I choose you!" Serena declared as she released the evolution Pokemon.

Eevee came out of its Pokemon with a delightful cry before turning to Serena to use Tackle on her. Serena caught Eevee just in time and sighed in relief. At least that would have saved her some embarrassment.

"Eevee, now isn't the time for playing. I need you to help me right here by participating in this battle. Will you do it for me?" she asked nicely.

"Vee Vee!" it responded happily before leaping out of her arms and running to the center of the battle room.

"Your Eevee is cute, but that won't beat Electrode," the boy told Serena.

"We'll see about that!" Serena smiled back with determination.

"Do you think that Eevee has enough power to take out that Electrode since this is its first Battle Chateau challenge?" Misty asked the others.

"I don't know. Serena definitely has to use it at some point. She can't start it off with the easier challenges now that she is a Countess. It would be better to use it the first round rather than later on when there is more at stake," Brock reasoned.

"I've seen Serena train hard with Eevee. I think she can pull off a win," Ash said.

"This is an official Battle Chateau challenge between Serena and Hayden. There will be no time limit! Begin!" the judge hollered.

"Eevee! Use Charm!" Serena immediately called out.

"Dodge it, Electrode!" Hayden called.

The Electrode quickly rolled out of the way and began moving around the room at a fast pace.

"Change that rolling into a Rollout!" Hayden yelled.

The Electrode changed tactics and immediately began charging for Eevee. It was faster than any Pokemon Serena had encountered so far. The Electrode kept going and was too fast for Eevee to dodge. It crashed right into the evolution Pokemon which sent it flying. Eevee soared through the air but was able to twist itself at the right angle to land on its feet gracefully.

"Not bad, but Electrode just gets faster and more powerful with each Rollout!" Hayden called as his Electrode built up speed and continued to roll around the room.

"Try Swift this time, Eevee!" Serena shouted.

Once again, Eevee shot several star-shaped forms of energy at Electrode. The attack connected, but Electrode was moving too quickly for it to do much damage since it was far away. With the exception of Swift, it was too quick to attack from far away, but also too quick to where Eevee couldn't get in close to attack. What could she do?

"Use Thunderbolt while rolling, Electrode!" Hayden called out.

The ball Pokemon charged up and shot several streams of lightning around the room. Because it was rolling at the same time, the electricity was going all over the place.

"Try and dodge, Eevee!" Serena cried.

Eevee did its best to dodge the electricity going all of over the place, but was eventually hit by one and sent to the ground on its stomach.

"Finish this with one more Rollout, Electrode!" Hayden called as his Electrode once more began steamrolling towards Eevee.

As Electrode was coming toward Eevee, Serena was wondering what was up with the evolution Pokemon. It would do so well when she was training with it, but a quick look at Eevee's eyes told her that it looked like it didn't really want to battle right now. That's when it hit her. Eevee was a very playful Pokemon and loved to have a good time. When she trained with it, there would always be toys or games involved which is why it did so well. It's because it was having fun. Serena realized that for Eevee to do well in battle, she would have to cater to its love of having a good time. It was still rather young, after all, but how could it have fun in this battle? She saw Electrode's rolling, and an idea hit her.

"Eevee, wait until Electrode gets close, and jump on top of it at the last second!" Serena called.

Eevee turned back to its trainer and nodded its head. As Electrode came closer, Eevee was getting prepared. Just before Electrode got close enough, Eevee made its move. It leaped high into the air and landed on top of the ball Pokemon. It then began to ride Electrode as it was rolling around the room. Eevee smiled at being able to ride the ball Pokemon.

"Nice job, Eevee! Are you having fun?" Serena asked with a smile.

"Vee!" it responded happily as it continued to ride the ball Pokemon.

"You think so, huh? Electrode! Thunderbolt!" Hayden yelled.

"Use Swift, Eevee!" Serena yelled.

Before Electrode could launch Thunderbolt, Eevee looked down and sprayed Electrode with several star-shaped energy balls. The ball Pokemon was struck by the attack and yelled in pain. It then started to get wobbly as it was getting thrown off balance.

"While it is stunned, push Electrode with all you have, Eevee!" Serena shouted.

While it was running on Electrode, Eevee gave a mighty push with its feet and gracefully hopped off Electrode. Electrode continued rolling in a straight line due to the force and crashed into a wall quite hard due to the speed at which it was going.

"Trode…." the ball Pokemon said dazedly.

"Snap out of it, Electrode!" Hayden yelled.

"Now use Take Down!" Serena commanded.

Eevee charged towards the dazed Electrode with all of its might and crashed into it, knocking it several feet back and into another wall, where it fell in defeat.

"Electrode is unable to battle! The winner is Eevee!" the judge decided as he waved a flag in Eevee's direction.

"That was great, Eevee!" Serena smiled as she ran forward to hug her Pokemon.

The evolution Pokemon turned to Serena and gave a huge grin before running forward and tackling her. Serena decided to let it this time since it scored a victory for her. She was knocked to the ground as Eevee climbed on top of her stomach. They both began to laugh together as the others approached her.

"That was well done, Serena!" Misty smiled.

"It was. Using Eevee's playful nature to win the match was very clever. Each Pokemon has their own needs in battle, and you definitely found Eevee's," Brock praised.

"You were awesome, Serena! You and Eevee make a great team!" Ash said while he gave Serena a thumbs-up. Pikachu did as well with its good arm.

"Thank you!" Serena replied as she hugged her Pokemon. "Here's to many more fun and exciting battles, right Eevee?"

"Vee Vee!" it responded enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Both Serena and Miette had made it to the final round in the Battle Chateau tournament and were about to face each other. All of them were standing out in the lobby, and needless to say, they were glaring at each other.<p>

"You might have done okay with your Eevee, but there is no way you can beat my Wigglytuff with how wild your other Pokemon are," Miette said to Serena arrogantly.

"Oh yeah!? How about I prove to you that Jigglypuff and I are a great team!" Serena fired back.

"Hold on, Serena. Jigglypuff is a good battler, but you might want to give it some more training before using it in another Battle Chateau challenge," Brock advised.

Serena thought about the words Brock said. If she had learned one thing in Saffron City so far. It wasn't to be so rash. She was letting Miette exploit her weaknesses such as Ash's attention and her pride in her relationship with her Pokemon. She had to keep a cool head. Then again, she felt that choosing Jigglypuff was the way to go. She sensed something good might happen if she were to use it.

"Thanks for the advice, Brock, but Jigglypuff and I can do it!" Serena smiled.

"Pardon me, it is time for both your matches. Please follow me," Hennessy informed them before leading them to the battle room.

As they were walking along, Miette gave a sideways glance at Serena to make sure she was looking before pretending to trip. As she fell forward, Ash reached out and grabbed her just before she fell. Serena frowned at this. Why did Ash have to be so nice and not just let her fall? Serena would have liked nothing more than to see Miette fall flat on her face after an obvious fake attempt at tripping, but Ash's kindness had to kick in. It was one of the few times Serena wasn't pleased by his gentlemanly attitude

"Thank you, Ash. You're such a gentleman," Miette said.

"You're welcome. Just try to be careful, okay?" Ash smiled back.

Miette returned Ash's smile before stealing a quick, catty glance at Serena to see her reaction. Serena glared before blushing and turning away once more.

_ "Stay calm. You know that Miette is just trying to distract you. Be mature and stay focused,_" Serena thought to herself.

Once the group was inside the battle room, Ash, Misty, and Brock went over to the side of the room to watch while Miette walked to the far side of the room, but not before giving a smirk to the honey-blonde-haired girl. Serena really hated that smirk. She couldn't wait to beat Miette to show her how wrong she was, and she was going to do it with Jigglypuff.

"Is everyone set?" the judge asked, receiving a nod from Serena and Miete.

"Very well. This is an official Battle Chateau match between Serena and Miette! This is the final battle, and the winner shall advance in rank! May the two dames please curtsey to one another!" the judge said.

Both Serena and Miette curtseyed to one another, but their motions seemed very forced. Ash took notice of this and turned to Brock and Misty in confusion.

"What do you suppose is up with those two?" Ash asked.

"Have you really not noticed the tension between those two today?" Misty answered with a question of her own.

"No. Why?" Ash wondered.

"Those two clearly have a strong dislike for each other. As to why is anyone's guess, but they haven't been getting along the whole day. Both Brock and I have seen them give each other glares throughout the entire day. If I'm not mistaken, I'm thinking Miette is almost trying to get under Serena's skin on purpose," Misty replied.

"Miette seems like a really nice girl. Why would she do that?" Ash questioned.

"Of course she would seem like a nice girl to you. Miette is using your kind nature to annoy Serena. That fake trip on the way to this room is a perfect example of that," Misty revealed.

"But why would me being nice and helping Miette upset Serena?" Ash asked, clearly missing the point.

Both Brock and Misty sighed at that remark and chose not to say anything.

"Both dames may now choose their Pokemon!" the judge declared.

"I'm going to be nice and choose my Pokemon first. Go Wigglytuff" Miette said as she released the bigger balloon Pokemon.

"I'll show you just how far I've come along since Cerulean City! Go Jigglypuff!" Serena yelled as she released it.

Jigglypuff came out of its pokeball and gave a bow and a wave to an invisible audience like it usually did

"Well, it certainly is an attention hog," Miette snorted.

"Now that the dames have chosen their Pokemon, there will be no time limit. The match starts now!" announced the judge.

"Go and use Double Slap, Jigglypuff!" Serena called.

"Use Charm, Wigglytuff!" Miette countered.

As Jigglypuff inflated itself and flew forward to attack, the Wigglytuff got a cute look on its face and winked which caused several hearts to come from it towards Jigglypuff. The smaller balloon Pokemon let out a smirk as it watched the hearts come closer. There was no way it was going to go easier on an opponent just because it tried to be cute. Nothing was as cute as it was! JIgglypuff closed its eyes to the incoming hearts so it wouldn't be affected. It then opened them once the last one hit, and it then began to slap Wigglytuff back and forth.

"Great job, Jigglypuff!" Serena praised.

"Oh, really?" Miette smiled arrogantly. "Counter with Mega Punch, Wigglytuff!"

Amidst all the slapping, Wigglytuff gave a sly smile to Jigglypuff before rearing its arm back and slamming it straight into Jigglypuff's stomach. Jigglypuff let out a surprised gasp and was sent sailing backwards through the air.

"Use your own Double Slap now, Wigglytuff!" Miette yelled.

"Wigglytuff inflated itself and like Jigglypuff before it, and began to fly through the air. It came upon Jigglypuff in the air and began to ruthlessly slap Jigglypuff across the face. Jigglypuff REALLY couldn't stand having its face messed with. It was losing its temper fast. It was about to smash its evolved form's face in for ruining its look, but Wigglytuff and Miette saw it was coming.

"Use Mega Punch again, Wigglytuff!" Miette ordered.

Wigglytuff quit assaulting Jigglypuff with slaps and once again gave a mighty blow to Jigglypuff's stomach, effectively deflating it. The smaller balloon Pokemon was sent sailing towards the ground and landed hard. Wigglytuff floated downward and descended upon Jigglypuff. The pink puffball got up off of the ground and had rage in its eyes as it went to attack Wigglytuff, but it once again gave a counterattack by punching Jigglypuff again and sending it backwards.

"Jigglypuff! Please stop! You have to control your temper and listen to me!" Serena cried, but it only fell on deaf ears.

"Hahaha! I thought you said you have come a long way! That Pokemon is no more obedient to you now than it was then!" Miette laughed.

"This isn't good," Brock muttered from the side. "If Jigglypuff can't get its feelings under control, Serena may lose. That's always been JIgglypuff's greatest weakness. It needs to stop acting on its own and listen to Serena."

Jigglypuff continued to scream in anger as it constantly charged forward in blind rage at Wigglytuff, but the opposing balloon Pokemon would simply deliver another Mega Punch, and the process would repeat itself.

After the fifth attempt, Jigglpuff was beginning to get tired. Its eyes watered in frustration because it couldn't land a hit anymore. Why wasn't it able to? It had never had this problem before. The fact that Wigglytuff was its evolved form shouldn't have mattered at all. It had heard how that Pikachu had beaten Raichu at the Vermilion Gym so why couldn't it get the upper hand, as well? Jigglypuff was very fond of Serena which is why it chose to travel with her in the first place. It may never have overcome its singing problem if it wasn't for her. Jigglypuff had always been an extremely prideful Pokemon and was always confident in its battle skills. Up until now, Jiglgypuff felt it had never needed Serena to win a battle for her. Its brute strength was enough for that. It took out a Machoke at the fighting dojo for crying out loud! If there was one thing this battle was teaching it, it's that having a bad temper and pride wasn't causing it to win like in the past. Jigglypuff was so caught up in its thoughts that it didn't notice it had been standing completely still this entire time despite Serena's desperate attempts to call out to it. It was wide open for an attack.

Taking advantage of this, Miette called out another attack. "Alright Wigglytuff! Finish with Mega Kick!"

Wigglytuff came upon Jigglypuff, and the smaller Pokemon noticed too late. Wigglytuff drew its rubbery foot back and gave a mighty kick to Jigglypuff which sent it soaring backwards towards the wall. As it flew through the air, Jigglypuff realized this would probably be the first battle it would lose since joining Serena's team. It closed its eyes for what looked like a nasty impact to the wall, but didn't notice Serena had jumped in the way and caught Jigglypuff just before it hit, surprising everyone, even Miette! Serena let out a gasp as Jigglypuff crashed into her. Jigglypuff wasn't a heavy Pokemon, but the speed at which the Pokemon was traveling still made it hurt.

"Serena!" Ash cried with worry.

"I'm fine," Serena replied as she looked down at Jigglypuff, who still had its eyes shut tight.

Ash sighed with relief when he saw Serena and JIgglypuff were fine before Misty spoke up next to him. "It seems Serena is mimicking a few things you have done in the past."

"Yeah. We would do anything for our Pokemon," Ash replied as he stared at Serena admirably.

Jigglypuff opened its large round eyes and glanced up at Serena. She had saved it from possibly being injured even further by hitting the wall. That was the second time Serena had saved it! It knew Serena cared for it but wasn't expecting her to save it.

"Are you okay, Jigglypuff?" Serena asked with a smile.

"Jiggly," the balloon Pokemon responded as a look of shame crossed its face. Serena had always wanted what's best for the balloon Pokemon, and it always repaid her by only wanting to be a star or pounding the mess out of anything that disagreed. It was so selfish and seemed to always be hurting others around it with its bad attitude. Its eyes began to water at how terrible it has acted so far.

"Don't worry, Jigglypuff. Everything is fine," Serena reassured it with a hug. She then gave it another smile. "What do you say we win this battle together?"

Jigglypuff smiled back. There was no other trainer it would rather have than Serena, and it was about time it showed it. "Jigglypuff!" it responded with determination and leaping out of Serena's arms back to the battlefield.

"What do you know? It looks like Jigglypuff might want to listen, after all," Miette said with a small smile. "But that won't help, now! Use Mega Punch once more, Wigglytuff!"

Wigglytuff flew forward and prepared to deliver the attack, but Jigglypuff was going to see what Serena wanted to do this time. Sure enough, it heard a command soon after.

"Stand your ground, Jigglypuff!" Serena called, causing the balloon Pokemon to look at her in confusion.

"Just trust me," Serena replied gently once she saw Jigglypuff's expression. The puffball nodded and watched the incoming larger balloon Pokemon.

It descended upon Jigglypuff and brought its fist down, prepared to strike. That's when Serena made her move. "Roll underneath the Mega Punch, then inflate yourself!"

Jigglypuff complied and rolled underneath Wigglytuff's outstretched arm at the last second, surprising it. The balloon Pokemon then inflated itself and was now in the air along with Wigglytuff.

"Now Pound!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff reached reared its arm back and slammed it down hard on Wigglytuff's back, which sent it face-first into the floor. Wigglytuff shook itself and glared at Jigglypuff.

"Try Mega Punch again! It can't dodge like that in the air!" Miette tried.

Wigglytuff quickly inflated itself and made a beeline towards Jigglypuff, but Serena and Jigglypuff were ready.

"Use Sing! Play us that concert, Jigglypuff!" Serena called

Jigglypuff smiled and directed its voice only at Wigglytuff so no one else would fall asleep. This would be easy since Wigglytuff was coming in close for an attack. Jigglypuff closed its eyes and began to sing its soothing lullaby. As Wigglytuff aggressively flew towards Jigglypuff, its eyes started to get droopy, and its speed slowed down.

"Fight it, Wigglytuff!" Miette called out, but to no avail.

Soon, Wigglytuff had its eyes closed and a bubble coming from its mouth to show it was now asleep. It was hovering in the air like a sitting duck.

"Now use Wake Up Slap!" Serena called.

Jigglypuff smirked. It would teach this Pokemon for falling asleep while it was singing, even though it did it on purpose. It swung its arm back and gave Wigglytuff an extra hard slap across the face, startling the Pokemon awake.

"Use Hyper Voice!" Serena shouted before Miette could give an order to the now awake Wigglytuff.

Jigglypuff gave a loud yell as sound waves burst from its mouth and struck Wigglytuff, who was trying to cover its ears from the loud noise.

"Give them a taste of their own medicine, and use your own Sing!" Miette called.

Wigglytuff began to sing, but Serena had other plans.

"Counter with Double Slap!" she yelled.

Jigglypuff felt only it could be the best singer and didn't want to be outdone. It quickly flew forward and continuously slapped Wigglytuff on the face before it could get more than a few notes out. It then gave an extra hard slap at the end, which knocked Wigglytuff out of the sky and onto the ground.

"Finish with Rollout!" Serena commanded.

Jigglypuff began to spin extremely fast in the air while Wigglytuff was dazed on the ground. It then shot towards it at breakneck speed.

"Dodge it!" Miette called, but Jigglypuff was too quick and Wigglytuff too slow.

Jigglypuff slammed into Wigglytuff, which sent the bigger balloon Pokemon shooting through the air. It then hit the ground and skidded a few yards before stopping right in front of Miette, knocked out.

"I can't believe it," Miette muttered in shock.

"Wigglytuff is unable to battle. The winner of today's tournament, who will advance to the rank of Marchioness, is Serena Gabena!" the judge announced.

"We did it, Jigglypuff!" Serena cried in happiness as she ran forward to the puffball Pokemon.

"Jiggly!" it exclaimed with equal happiness as it deflated itself and ran towards Serena. It then leaped into her awaiting arms and snuggled into her chest.

"Thank you, Jigglypuff. You were wonderful. We make a great team, don't we?" Serena smiled as tears came to her eyes while she hugged her Pokemon.

"Jiggly!" Jigglypuff responded as it hugged Serena back.

"It looks like Jigglypuff has decided to let go of its stubbornness and listen to Serena," Brock noted.

"I can't wait to see the things they accomplish now that they are fighting together like trainer and Pokemon should," Ash said as he watched the two.

"PikaPi!" Pikachu said from Ash's backpack.

"You got that right, buddy!" Ash agreed while giving his partner a smile. "We will be battling as one from now on, as well!"

* * *

><p>"So 'Marchioness' Serena? How does it feel to be only one rank away from becoming a Duchess?" Ash asked once Serena had been given her new title card and symbol.<p>

"It feels like I can really do this. When I first started out, I couldn't imagine getting this far in the Battle Chateau, but now that I'm here, I think it can become a reality!" Serena replied.

"There you go!" Brock approved.

"Yep. I may not be only one badge away from all eight, and I may not be strong enough to go against Sabrina again yet, but I will one day. Nothing's going to stand in my way of becoming a Pokemon Master!" Ash declared.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered while thrusting its good arm into the air.

"On that note, I think it's time we said goodbye to Saffron City for now. We've had quite a time here with driving Team Rocket out of Silph Co., Sabrina, Serena getting another rank, the Fighting Dojo, and now all this weird talk about Ash having a hidden gift," Misty said.

"I wonder what Sabrina's dad meant when he said that," Ash wondered as they began walking.

"If what he said was true, you will find out soon enough. Lavender Town is our next stop, and it isn't far at all," Brock said.

The group was just about to head out but were stopped by a voice calling out to them.

"Wait up!" Miette called as she ran to catch up to the group. She was carrying a basket.

They all turned in surprise to see what she needed.

"Miette?" Serena questioned as she an eyebrow at the blue-haired girl.

"I just wanted to tell you something alone really quickly," Miette replied as she caught her breath.

The group frowned upon hearing that. They figured it couldn't be anything good.

"No! It's nothing insulting or bad! I promise!" Miette defended.

They all nodded as Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu walked a short distance away.

"What is it, Miette?" Serena asked once they were out of earshot.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry for the way I treated you earlier. I was wrong. You are definitely a good Pokemon trainer. Here. I made some more cupcakes for you and your friends as a peace offering," Miette offered as she handed Serena the basket of goods.

"Oh. Thank you, Miette," Serena said in surprise at the girl's sudden change in heart.

"One more thing," Miette spoke up, which caused Serena to look back to her. She then leaned forward with a sly look on her face. "Ash is quite the gentleman. If you keep your head in the clouds for too long and don't take action, another girl could steal him from you, even me."

Serena blushed heavily at that remark, but then smiled. "You're right. I'll see you later."

"You all take care of yourselves! Good bye!" Miete called as Serena joined the others, and they began to walk away. They waved back until Miette was out of sight.

As the group began to exit Saffron City, Serena looked at the cupcakes Miette had made. Ash really seemed to like the sweets. It was then Serena realized that she didn't know much about cooking herself. Ash's birthday was also coming up pretty soon, and he would no doubt want a cake. It was then Serena had a strong urge to make the cake herself. She was becoming older as well, and would certainly need to learn how to cook sooner or later. She then knew the perfect person to ask.

"Hey, Brock," Serena whispered as she leaned over, grabbing his attention.

"What's up?" Brock asked quietly as he turned to her.

"Will you teach me how to cook?" she asked.

Brock smiled. "Sure. No problem."

* * *

><p><strong>Well, it looks like Serena and Jigglypuff are finally going to fight as a team now the Jigglypuff had a helping of humble pie. Pikachu's broken arm is going to put it out of battles for a small portion of the story, but I believed it needed to be done to show Ash a constant reminder to make more rational decisions from now on. He will still act like Ash, though if that makes any sense. He will of course continue to mature as he gets older. This chapter also reveals that Riley Gen is Ash's uncle (dad's brother) in this fic. Ash will meet with Riley on Cinnabar Island once they get there to discuss his aura abilities as well as what happened to Ash's father, which is how I will reveal his father's identity in the story.<strong>

**One quick reminder: In case it wasn't clear, I'm diverging quite a bit from gym leader order right now. Ash knows he isn't strong enough for a rematch with Sabrina yet. He will go on to Fuchsia City and Cinnabar Island to challenge the gyms there and challenge Sabrina again for his seventh badge. Viridian gym will still be last.**

**The next chapter will be up next Tuesday, and I will see you guys then! Please continue to show your support (through praise or constructive criticism) as encouragement to keep writing. I make sure to read every single review I get!  
><strong>

**Chapter 31: The Ghosts of Lavender Town**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Can Jessie and James not release Arbok and Weezing respectively?_

_**I won't reveal anything about Team Rocket's involvement with the story after Kanto. That includes anything about their Pokemon, as well. Sorry.**_

_Will you be bringing mega evolutions when you get to the Hoenn arc?_

_**I already revealed it won't happen until the Sinnoh arc. It will be mentioned in Hoenn, however.**_

_Just how do you plan to bring Unova and Kalos Pokémon into your series if you don't plan to have Ash and Serena explore those regions?_

_**I'm not sure if I want to feature Unova or Kalos Pokemon yet. If I were, I will mention Ash and Serena traveled the Unova and Kalos regions in the time skip between Sinnoh and the final story, or I may just put a few in earlier regions. Ash and Serena will have all of the Unova and Kalos Pokemon by the last story should I go with any of these ideas.**_

_When will another Pokemon will evolve?_

_**For Ash: Cinnabar Island (2 of his Pokemon will evolve here)**_

_**For Serena: Fuchsia City**_

_**For Brock: Fuchsia City (2 will evolve for him, as well)**_

_**For Misty: The "Mewtwo Strikes Back" arc**_

_When will the Kanto arc be done?_

_**At this point in time, it is the halfway mark. The Kanto arc will have about 60 chapters. I originally planned for only 50, but the arc ended up longer than I thought it would.**_

_Will Duplica appear at all in your story?_

_**I don't plan for her to, but she might pop up at some point.**_

_When will Victreebel show up?_

_**If you mean James' Victreebel, it made its first appearance at the end of the last chapter when Team Rocket was at the Pokemon Tower.**_

_Will the baby Cubone play a role in this story? Will it join Ash and the gang?_

_**You will just have to wait and see! **_

_Will Haunter stay with Ash or stay at Sabrina's gym?_

_**Stay with Ash.**_

_Will Don George of the Unova Region make appearances? Like in Hoenn or Sinnoh?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Will you do the Battle Frontier for Kanto and Sinnoh?_

_**I already revealed a while back I will still do the Kanto Battle Frontier. As for the Sinnoh Battle Frontier, not at this moment.**_

_Could Virgil make an appearance in this?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will a rival from Unova or Kalos appear in another region?_

_**That is a strong possibility. I already did that with Paul, after all.**_

_Will there be a final tournament in the last story?_

_**Yes, that is one of my original plans. It will comprise roughly half of the last story.**_

_Can Serena get an Articuno?_

_**No. Nobody in this story will capture any legendary Pokemon. I changed my mind about them capturing a few as it just seems too unrealistic to me. They will still befriend all of the legendary Pokemon.**_

_Will Gary and Leaf be couple?_

_**Possibly. I'm not a supporter of oldrivalshipping, but that could be my final pairing for those two.**_

_Will a human character ever die in your story (aside from maybe Hunter J)?_

_**Oh boy. I have plans for at least one character to die in this series and I know who it is, and there will possibly be two depending on what route I decide to go with a dilemma I'm currently facing somewhere. As to who, what, when, where, why, and what region, I will be extremely tightlipped about. **_

_Will Mr. Fuji appear in Lavender Town?_

_**Yes.**_

_If you make a chapter involving the Seafoam Islands, will Ash's group get to see Articuno?_

_**Most likely.**_

_Are you going to make a chapter involving a Snorlax blocking the road?_

_**No, but Ash will still get Snorlax in the Orange Islands.**_

_Can Serena get an Arbok?_

_**I don't have any plans for that to happen at the moment.**_

_Aside from Dratini, Hitmonchan, and Aerodactyl from the old amber fossil, what other fanon Pokemon will Ash catch?_

_**Time will tell. I don't want to reveal all of Ash's noncanon Pokemon otherwise that will take away from the surprise.**_

_Will you do the Lucario Movie?_

_**Yes.**_

_Is Ash a descendant of Sir Aaron?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash and Serena accidentally kiss to make for a good amourshipping moment?_

_**Hahahaha! Yeah they might.**_


	31. The Ghosts of Lavender Town

**A/N: I don't really have a lot to say here. I will make up for it in the author's note at the end, and for good reason. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 31: The Ghosts of Lavender Town<p>

The group was almost upon Lavender Town now. It was only a two day's walk from Saffron City so there wasn't a massive need to stock up on supplies before they left there. The trade off, however, was it was going to be a very long walk to Fuchsia City from Lavender Town. It will definitely take over a month so hopefully there were going to be a few small villages along the way, but they would cross that bridge once they get there. While they were in Lavender Town, Ash had a mission: to capture a ghost Pokemon.

"Ugh, this fog is really thick. Why does Lavender Town have to be so creepy," Misty muttered as they came into the town limits.

"Well, Lavender Town is known for the Pokemon Tower, the final resting place of Pokemon so naturally, it has a lot of urban legends surrounding this city," Brock responded.

"Really? Like what?" Ash asked curiously.

"They say that at the Pokemon Tower, there is really creepy, high-pitched music that plays in the upper floors that seemingly comes from nowhere. Only children can hear it. It can make the victims who hear it go completely insane or have suicidal thoughts," Brock said grimly.

"Th-That's really scary, Brock. Please don't say that. In case you forgot, we are children!" Misty shouted while she shivered from fear.

"Come on, Misty. You don't actually believe that, do you?" Ash asked dully.

"How do you know that it isn't true?" Misty retorted.

"That just sounds completely ridiculous. There is nothing scary waiting to kill us in Pokemon Tower," Ash said matter-of-factly.

"Pokemon Tower is just creepy in general. I've heard a rumors there are thieves in there, too" Serena muttered fearfully.

"Not you, too, Serena!" exclaimed Ash.

"Well, I mean…" Serena blushed while trying to find the words to say.

"Pikachu PikaPi Pikachu!" Pikachu suggested from Ash's backpack and wanting to change the subject.

"You said it buddy!" Ash smiled. "Let's stop at the Pokemon Center first before going to the Pokemon Tower."

* * *

><p>"Welcome to our Pokemon Center!" Nurse Joy greeted warmly once the group entered.<p>

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried as he ran up to her and took her hands. "There have been rumors of ghosts and thieves in Pokemon Tower recently, but you are the best thief of all because you have captured my heart!"

"I…what?" Nurse Joy asked in complete confusion.

"I just wanted to let you know that…YEOWW!" Brock yelled out in pain as Misty grabbed him by the ear.

"I'm actually the best thief of all because I captured your ear and am taking it with me," she muttered in annoyance as she dragged Brock away.

"Not the ear again…please," Brock mumbled.

"Hey, Nurse Joy. What do think of all the rumors that surround Pokemon Tower? Are they really true?" Ash asked as he and Serena gave Nurse Joy their pokeballs and Pikachu.

"I didn't use think they were until recently," Nurse Joy replied.

"What happened that made you change your mind?" Ash inquired.

"Aside from ghost Pokemon, there is said to be a real, genuine ghost that haunts Pokemon Tower. There have been many people who have claimed to see it before running from the tower screaming in fear," Nurse Joy told them. "It just started about three days ago."

"Three days? What do you suppose the ghost is?" Serena asked.

"Nobody knows, but a lot of people could have sworn they heard a gunshot in the upper floors of Pokemon Tower on the same day the ghost started appearing," Nurse Joy responded before taking their pokeballs and Pikachu to the back room.

"A real ghost? Gunshots? Now I really don't want to go in there!" Misty cried as she began to shiver again once she dealt with Brock.

"As always, you have the option to stay here while the rest of us go," Ash reminded her.

"No way! I'm not staying here by myself!" Misty argued.

"Then it looks like you're going to Pokemon Tower with us!" Ash said triumphantly.

"Ohhh…Darn it," Misty mumbled.

"So you kids want to explore Pokemon Tower?" a voice asked while coming up to the group.

They turned to find a man and a woman standing there. That's weird. They didn't recall seeing them there before.

"Uh, yeah. That's right," Ash replied as they turned to face them.

"You kids don't want to go in there. There are scary ghosts in there," the woman said.

"You see, Ash. We don't have to go in there," Misty told him.

"I don't believe in ghosts. They aren't real. My friends and I can also handle a few ghost Pokemon so we will be fine," Ash told the two adults.

"The woman let out a chuckle. "Right. Since you don't believe in ghosts, I suppose that white hand on your shoulder right now isn't real."

The group let out a gasp and immediately turned to look at Ash's shoulder. The only thing was, they found nothing there.

"Heheheh. It looks like they were just pulling your leg," Serena laughed nervously.

"Eheheheheh. Yeah," Ash agreed. "Except my shoulder did feel unusually cold just a second ago."

They turned back to the man and woman and gasped again when they saw they were no longer there. They looked around to see if they went to a different part of the center but never saw anything.

"Okay. That was really strange," Serena muttered in confusion.

The busy signal on the Pokemon Center then turned off, and Nurse Joy and Chansey emerged from the room.

"Here you all are. Your Pokemon are all doing great. I would also like to let you know that Pikachu's arm is healing just fine. Just continue to be careful and don't push it, and it will have the cast off in no time," she said warmly.

"That's a relief," Ash said as he took his pokeballs and Pikachu before telling the rodent, "You hear that buddy? You'll be back in the Pokemon battles before you know it!"

"Chu!" Pikachu agreed happily.

"You said you and your friends were going to visit Pokemon Tower, right?" Nurse Joy asked.

"That's right," Ash confirmed.

"I suggest you go to visit a man named Mr. Fuji first," Nurse Joy told them.

"Ah, I've heard of Mr. Fuji before," Brock jumped in. "He is a caretaker of abandoned Pokemon."

"That's right. He will no doubt have some interesting things to tell you all for your journey," Nurse Joy smiled.

"Alright! We will! Thank you!" Ash said as the group turned to leave the Pokemon Center.

"So Mr. Fuji is a caretaker of abandoned Pokemon? That sort of reminds me of Melanie back in the hidden village," Serena commented.

"Melanie…," Brock trailed sadly.

"Get over it, Brock. That was a while back," Misty muttered.

* * *

><p>"So this is the Pokemon Volunteer House," Ash said in thought. "It's a little smaller than I expected. It's no larger than a regular house."<p>

"This house is open to everybody so we can go ahead and go in," Brock said as they opened the door to enter.

Once they entered the house into the hallway, it looked just like a normal house with the exception of a very large play area in the room across from them. To the side were a few bedrooms, and there was kitchen on the other side where someone was cooking. They could see a few people, mostly kids who were no older than them and a few adults. They must be the volunteers here.

As the group entered the play area, they could see many playpens and lots of small and young Pokemon ranging from Bellsprout to Nidoran to Oddish.

"Oh, hello! Welcome!" a young girl around the same age as Ash and Serena smiled as she came up to them. She had auburn hair tied into two pigtails on the sides of her head.

"Hello," Ash replied back warmly. "We were told that this is the Pokemon Volunteer House that is run by Mr. Fuji.

"It is, and I'm one of the workers here. My name is Reina," the girl introduced.

"Well I'm Ash. This is my best buddy, Pikachu. That's Serena, Misty, and Brock," Ash said while pointing to each of his friends.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Reina replied with another smile.

"So the whole purpose of this place is to give abandoned Pokemon a home?" Serena asked.

"Yes. Mr. Fuji has always loved Pokemon very much which is why he always wants to make sure one has a home. That is why he remodeled this place. It actually used to be his own home," Reina told them.

"Anyone who loves Pokemon as much as Mr. Fuji is a friend to me! Would you mind telling me where he is right now so I can meet him?" Ash asked politely.

Reina's face darkened. "Unfortunately, I don't know where he is right now. None of the workers do. He's been missing for three days."

"Three days? That's when the ghost that haunts Lavender Town was said to start appearing," Brock realized.

Reina nodded. "It is," she confirmed. "Whether there is a connection or not, I'm not for certain."

The group let their thoughts about Mr. Fuji trail before Serena's eyes wandered over to notice a Cubone a corner. It wasn't playing with other Pokemon and seemed to want nothing more than to be left alone. The Cubone seemed to notice Serena was staring at it because it gave her a glare and turned away.

"Hey Reina. Why isn't that Cubone playing right now?" she asked.

"We don't know the full story, but we think that Cubone lost its mother recently," Reina replied.

"That's terrible!" Misty exclaimed.

"It is. Cubone don't normally leave their mothers until a much later age, but that one is still a baby. Mr. Fuji saw it running through Lavender Town crying its poor eyes out. Mr. Fuji figured that it must have been through a very traumatic experience. He brought it to live here since it seemed to have nowhere to go. Cubone was just beginning to warm up to Mr. Fuji when he disappeared. Now, Cubone really does have no one to rely on since it doesn't trust me or the other workers," Reina explained sadly.

"That's so sad," Serena muttered. Her heart really reached out to the lonely Pokemon. She went over in an attempt to talk to it, but as soon as Cubone saw her coming towards it, it immediately took on a defensive stance.

Serena looked upset, but Ash came from behind her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't look like Cubone wants anything to do with other people right now. Don't take it personally," he said gently.

Serena nodded as she looked sadly at the baby Cubone. She could see nothing but pain in its eyes. She felt her heart form knots at the complete distrust on its face.

"Hey guys. Do you want to go ahead and head to the Pokemon Tower to see what's there?" Ash asked the group.

"Yeah. Let's go ahead and go," Brock agreed.

"Thank you very much for coming to visit," Reina smiled.

"We're glad we came, Reina. See you later," Ash waved as he and the rest of the group turned to leave the building.

Before they left, Serena took one more glance at the baby Cubone. She hoped it would find happiness someday.

* * *

><p>The group had just entered Pokemon Tower. It seemed just as spooky on the inside as they had heard. The looked around and could see a few people wandering around while a young woman stood behind a receptionist desk. She smiled to them while they smiled back.<p>

"Well, I guess we might as well begin searching for a ghost Pokemon now," Ash said as they began to walk through the building.

"I heard the ghost Pokemon don't start appearing until the upper floors so we might as well go up," Brock suggested.

"Great. Where all the creepy music plays," Misty muttered.

"Misty, there isn't any scary music up there that wants to make us go crazy," Ash told her.

"Says you," Misty mumbled.

"Come to think of it, you must have heard that music a long time ago since you always act crazy to begin with," Ash commented.

"Excuse me?!" Misty exclaimed angrily.

"Okay, don't start fighting, you two," Brock said as he stepped in between them to stop the impending quarrel while Serena and Pikachu sighed.

"Whatever," Misty muttered as they began to trek up the stairs to the second floor.

She gave a funny face at Ash in which he returned it.

As they went up the stairs, they didn't know that a certain ghost Pokemon was watching them from the corner. It thought they seemed like funny and interesting people to play with after seeing the exchange between Ash and Misty. It came out of its invisibility, completely startling a few people, and followed the group up the stairs.

"Haaaaaunter," it muttered.

* * *

><p>"Boy, Jessie! We sure hit the jackpot with these ghost Pokemon!" James smiled as he and the other Rockets looked at the pile of pokeballs in front of them. They were currently on the top floor of the Pokemon Tower.<p>

"Yes. All we need to do now is catch a few more, and we will have a whole army to take on Mewtwo!" Jessie laughed.

"That's good. I'm ready to blow this popsicle stand. This place is starting to give Meowth the creeps, especially since that real ghost started appearing," Meowth commented.

"Relax, Meowth. The boss just transported us this pair of Silph Scope goggles that is supposed to be able to identify real ghosts. It was a little souvenir he picked up when we raided the Silph Co. We'll know what it is soon enough," Jessie replied as she held up the weird goggles for Meowth to see.

"Those are some snazzy goggles. Think we can fetch a good price for them when we are done using them?" Meowth asked.

"I wouldn't do that without permission from the boss. He would be really mad if he figured out we sold them if he didn't want us to," James said.

"Think of all the money, Jimmy," Meowth reminded

"Ugh. Will you clowns shut up? You're giving me a headache," Cassidy muttered from across the room where she and Butch were in front of an elderly man who was tied up.

"Yeah," Butch agreed.

"How is the old geezer holding up, anyway?" Jessie asked as she came over to them, ignoring the comment about them being 'clowns'.

"He is still just as defiant as ever," Butch replied as they turned to look at him.

"I still can't believe you actually stooped so low as to kill that mother Marowak," the old man stated. "Team Rocket truly is the most despicable of criminals."

"We did what we had to do. That Pokemon wouldn't get out of our way, and we had a mission to complete. It was its own fault that we killed it," Cassidy said coldly.

"It was just trying to protect its baby," the old man argued.

"We don't care if it was protecting a hundred babies. It wouldn't move, so we made it move and disposed of the body," Butch said.

"Right, and if you know what's good for you, you will shut up right now unless you want to end up like that Marowak, old man," Cassidy growled as she took out a gun and pointed it at him.

The old man grimaced. His heart really ached for the Marowak they shot and its poor baby he found running through the Lavender Town streets in pure anguish.

"Anyway, I say we head back downstairs to capture another batch of ghost Pokemon, then we can leave this place," Jessie suggested.

"Right, but what about Mr. Fuji?" James asked, referring to the old man.

"We can just leave him up here. It isn't like he's going anywhere. Once we are done, we can take him back to headquarters with us. I'm sure the boss would be interested to meet the so-called generous caretaker of Pokemon," Cassidy shrugged.

"Just stay quiet up here while we're gone unless you want us to pay a visit to the Volunteer House after we leave here," Butch said menacingly as they headed down the stairs.

"Please. You can do what you want with me. Just don't hurt the Pokemon there," Mr. Fuji pleaded.

"Then do as we say because we don't give a Raticate's hat about the Pokemon there," Cassidy replied as they went down the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'm pretty freaked out at the moment. It's way too quiet up here," Misty said as the group made their way across the third floor.<p>

"Personally, I'd rather have it quiet than have that supposedly creep music that plays. At least that isn't true," Serena commented.

"You guys probably don't want to talk too loud, or you may scare away the ghost Pokemon," Ash told them quietly.

"Sure, Ash. Like it would be really us scaring the ghost rather than other way around," Misty said sarcastically.

Ash frowned but decided not to comment. He didn't feel like arguing with Misty again so soon. It was then the group heard a thud and what sounded like a creepy laugh come from one side of the room. They froze.

"Uh, di-di-did you guys hear that?" Ash stuttered.

"Yeah. You don't th-think it's the ghost, do you?" Serena stammered as she grabbed Ash's arm for support.

It was then that a large white sheet rose from behind one of tombstones in the room and floated towards them. The group gave a deadpan expression once they saw the sheet. Was someone really trying to scare them by pretending to be a ghost under a white sheet? The sheet wasn't even hovering in the air. It was touching the floor for crying out loud! They weren't that gullible.

"Hahahaha, very funny," Ash muttered. "We would have to be pretty stupid to fall for the oldest ghost trick in the book. "You might as well just take the sheet off, whoever you are."

Seeing as the being inside the sheet wasn't listening but still waving its arms around in a spooky fashion, Ash decided to deal with it himself. He went over to the sheet and pulled it off to reveal the culprit, only to find there was nothing underneath the sheet!

"Uhhhh….oh," Ash mumbled. He suddenly had the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.

"Chuuuuuuu," Pikachu muttered fearfully from Ash's backpack as its eyes widened.

"Please tell me that it was my imagination that there was nothing underneath that sheet," Misty said in fear.

"I would say so, but I would be lying," Brock said as his teeth began to chatter.

The group continued to stare at the empty space in shock until a purple ghost Pokemon appeared right in front of their faces.

"Blaahhh!" it yelled as it stuck its tongue out, and its eyes popped out of its head.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH! PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" the group and Pikachu screamed in fear.

The purple ghost Pokemon then began to laugh hysterically. It had gotten them good!

"Relax, everyone. It's just a Haunter. One of the ghost Pokemon," Brock stated as he sighed with relief as their heart rates returned to normal.

"Wow! A Haunter!" Ash said enthusiastically as he and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Haunter, the gas Pokemon and the evolved form of Gastly. This Pokemon likes to play pranks on people and is said to be from another dimension," the helpful Pokemon encyclopedia explained.

"That thing almost gave me a heart attack!" Misty cried.

Haunter then floated over to Pikachu who had its head poking out of Ash's backpack. It stared at Pikachu with a smile as the rodent stared back curiously.

"Pi?" the rodent questioned.

"Haunt!" the ghost Pokemon exclaimed as it made a scary face at Pikachu.

"Pikachuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried in fear as launched a Thundershock at Haunter. The ghost Pokemon disappeared to avoid the attack so only Ash ended up getting shocked.

As Ash fell onto the ground in a daze, the Haunter reappeared and once again burst into laughter.

"It seems this Haunter likes to play pranks," Brock commented.

"Y-Y-Yeah," Ash mumbled dizzily as he stood up from the ground while Pikachu rubbed the back of its neck with its good arm in embarrassment.

Haunter then made a hammer appear in its hand and began banging itself over the head with it. It then looked at the group to see their reaction. To its surprise, none of them laughed.

"I don't get it. You're weird," Ash frowned.

"Haunt?" the Pokemon asked in confusion.

Well, if that didn't work, it would try something else. It then began to make funny expressions at the group to see if that would make them laugh. They still didn't show any reaction.

"Sorry, Haunter. Your humor leaves me cold," Ash said.

Haunter then got a crestfallen expression on its face. It began to sadly float away from the group with its head down. It thought it was the funniest Pokemon around, but these humans didn't even seem to want it here. Maybe they weren't as interesting as it originally thought.

"Hey! Wait a second! Don't go!" Ash cried as he ran after the ghost Pokemon.

Haunter didn't listen, however. It kept floating away from the group and soon disappeared through a wall.

Ash sighed that the Haunter had gotten away. He was fixing to challenge it to a battle, but he insulted its jokes which must have upset the pranking Pokemon.

"Well, I guess we will just have to search for a different ghost Pokemon, or maybe Haunter will come back," Serena said, trying to cheer Ash up.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Come on. Let's continue on through the tower."

It was then they heard a strange noise which caused them to freeze again.

"Is that you again, Haunter?" Ash asked hopefully.

Soon after he said that, a creepy figure with a scary face and arms protruding from it appeared.

"Get…out…of…here…," the voice rasped.

"It's the real ghost!" Misty screamed.

The whole group ran through the room and shot up the stairs to the next floor as fast as they could. They didn't care if that might have been Haunter or not. That thing scared the blazes out of them.

The ghost continued to hover in the air for a moment before disappearing.

* * *

><p>"Reina! We think we know where Mr. Fuji is at!" one of the adult volunteers called as he burst through the door to the Volunteer House.<p>

"You do?!" she asked as she ran up the man, the other Pokemon looking on curiously.

"Yes. We have reason to believe he is in Pokemon Tower!" the man confirmed.

"Why would Mr. Fuji be in Pokemon Tower?" Reina asked in confusion.

Before her question was answered, she saw Cubone run past her as fast as it could out the door. It then began to head in the direction of Pokemon Tower. It didn't know why, but it felt drawn to that place. It felt like it had to. Not to mention, it heard the single person it trusted was there.

"Wait!" Reina called after it, but it was too late. Cubone was far gone.

* * *

><p>"Please be safe," she said sadly to herself.<p>

It had been about twenty minutes since the group had encountered Haunter. Ever since they had seen that Pokemon, they hadn't run into anymore except the real ghost. Were ghost Pokemon really that scarce in Pokemon Tower? They heard that the upper floors were swamped with them. Why were they having such a hard time finding any? The group didn't find it likely that they were all just hiding. Something definitely had to be up.

"Man, this is harder than I thought," Ash sighed as he sat next to a row of really tall tombstones.

"Yeah, even I'm starting to wish we would find some more ghost Pokemon so we can leave," Misty agreed as she sat down as well, with Serena and Brock following suit.

"I wonder where that Haunter left, anyway. It definitely seemed like a cool Pokemon I could have on my team. I only said its jokes weren't funny to see if it would get into a more serious mood and want to battle. I didn't think I would upset it," Ash mused.

"I guess we will never know now. I say we just take a break for a second and look again in a minute," Serena suggested.

The group then heard footsteps on the other side of the tombstone. Someone was on this floor with them.

"I think we just about cleaned this place out of all the ghost Pokemon here. We've been here almost four days," one male voice said.

"Yeah. I'd prefer to get out of here before that ghost shows up again!" another male voice said.

"Is someone there?" Misty asked.

They heard the owners of the voices gasp on the other side of the tombstones.

"Yikes! Someone knows we are here! I say we scram before it's too late!" a strange male voice said.

The group stood up to look over the tombstones, the other group doing the same. Everyone gasped in surprise when they saw who it was. The opposing groups jumped back several feet away from each other and glared.

"It's you kids again!" Jessie exclaimed.

"It's Jessie, James, and Meowth!" Ash stated.

"And Cassidy and Biff!" Serena added.

"My name is Butch! Not Biff!" Butch shouted angrily while gritting his teeth.

"Are you brats stalking us or something?! How is it you always show up no matter where we go?! We thought we told you to stay out of our way! Are you deaf or just stupid?!" Cassidy yelled in disbelief and anger.

"We could be asking you the same thing! What kind of trouble are you up to now?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Did you hear that, everyone? The twerp said the word 'trouble'," Jessie pointed it out.

"Then they better make it double!" James agreed.

The five Rockets then struck their pose.

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie began before she was interrupted by Cassidy.

"To _infect _the world with devastation!" Cassidy argued as she glared at Jessie, emphasizing 'infect'.

After glaring at each other for a few seconds, they figured the best way to go about doing this was just to take turns saying their lines.

"To unite all people within our nation!" James yelled.

"To blight all people in every nation!" Butch countered.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"Cassidy!"

"James!"

"Butch!"

"Meowth! The best name of all!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"We're Team Rocket circling the earth every day and night!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

"Meowth that's right!"

"What are you guys up to this time?!" Ash repeated, ignoring their motto.

"We are here to capture ghost Pokemon. What else?!" Jessie replied snootily.

"That's right. We've been capturing a whole army of them because we might need them in the future." James added.

"What would you crooks need a whole army of ghost Pokemon for?! Brock exclaimed.

"Right. As if we would actually tell you," Cassidy said as she rolled her eyes.

"We won't let you get away with this!" Serena yelled as she and the others pulled out their pokeballs.

"You brats have stood in our way for the last time! It's convenient that this is a gravesite because this will be your final resting place!" Cassidy yelled as she pulled out her gun.

However, she never got to aim it as a purple ghost Pokemon materialized right in front of her and popped its eyes out of its head.

"Haunt!" it yelled.

"Aaaaah!" Cassidy cried as she shot at Haunter in surprise. The bullet passed right through Haunter and missed the group by long shot. She was about to aim again, but a small bone seemingly came from nowhere. The group gasped as the bone spiraled past them and struck Cassidy in the hand. She cried out in pain as the gun flew from her hand behind one of the tombstones.

The group turned in surprise to see it was the baby Cubone who had thrown the bone. It was giving a very hard glare at Team Rocket.

"Is that the Cubone from Mr. Fuji's house?!" Ash exclaimed.

"You shouldn't be here Cubone! It's too dangerous!" Serena told it worriedly.

Cubone paid them no mind, however. It stepped in front of the group and continued to stare angrily at Team Rocket. The evil group, however, were busy arguing with each other over the dropped gun to notice.

"Oh great! Nice going, Cassidy!" Jessie yelled.

"It's not my fault! That stupid thing got in my way!" Cassidy argued.

"It doesn't matter. That's just one more Pokemon we can capture!" Butch said.

"Booooone," Cubone growled. These were the same bad people who killed its mommy.

Once the Rockets saw the Cubone, they let out an evil smirk.

"Heh, you should have gotten away while you had the chance," Butch said.

"It's too bad you didn't stay away. It looks like we will have to finish what we started with your mother," Jessie uttered darkly.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"This Marowak was interfering with our plans to capture all the ghost Pokemon. We told it to get out of our way, but it wouldn't move. Then I made it move for us by shooting it," Cassidy told them.

"You what?!" the group exclaimed. This Cubone at Mr. Fuji's house was an orphan because Team Rocket killed its mother?! This had to be the most disgusting thing they had ever done!

"That's right! That thing is so stupid it didn't realize danger when it was smacking it in the face. At least that thing will never get in our way again," Jessie said carelessly.

Ash clenched his fists. He couldn't believe these guys! How could they be so cruel!?

"How could you do this horrible thing!?" Ash yelled angrily at them. "You aren't even sorry for what you did!"

"Ash…," Serena muttered. She had never seen him so angry before. It was beginning to frighten her.

"I swear I'm going to make you pay for this," Ash growled though gritted teeth. "Go Pidgetto!"

The other Rockets smirked as the sent out their Pokemon: A Lickitung, a Weezing, a Raticate, and a Hitmonchan. They loomed over the Cubone who stared back defiantly. It would be brave like its mother before it.

"Let's help Cubone and Ash to get rid of these creeps!" Serena shouted. "Go Hitmonlee"

"Go, Geodude!" Brock yelled

"Go, Staryu!" Misty yelled also before another pokeball opened up to reveal Psyduck.

"Psyduck!" the duck Pokemon cried happily before striking a pose

"Psyduck! I didn't call you!" Misty yelled at it before returning it and sending out Staryu.

"You twerps aren't going to get us this time," Jessie smiled darkly. "Lickitung! Attack Cubone and get it out of our way!"

"No you don't! Hitmonlee! Use Jump Kick!" Serena yelled.

Lickitung shot out its long tongue at Cubone. The kicking fiend sensed it coming and broke out of its meditating stance before jumping into the air and kicking Lickitung right in the face, sending it flying backwards, its tongue completely missing Cubone.

Cubone turned in surprise at Serena that she had actually saved it. It gave a short nod of thanks to her before returning to the battle.

"Grrrr…let's have all of our Pokemon attack those brats!" Cassidy yelled as they ordered their Pokemon to charge forward. The group was ready as well, however, and told their Pokemon to attack, too.

Pretty soon, a large battle was taking place between everyone. It was Ash and his Pidgeotto vs. Butch's Hitmonchan, Jessie's Lickitung against Misty's Staryu, Brock's Geodude against James' Weezing, and Serena's Hitmonlee vs. Cassidy's Raticate. Everyone seemed pretty evenly matched. Cubone was pitching in whenever it had the chance.

Haunter watched the battle from the side in amusement. It was being entertained tremendously by everyone here. It was especially intrigued with that black-haired boy. He had called its jokes bad earlier, but it had since forgiven him. Upon closer inspection of Team Rocket, it could tell that these were bad people. They must have been the ones who captured all of its friends to do terrible things. It also remembered them shooting another Pokemon a few days ago. Despite its joking nature, Haunter decided to aid side the black-haired boy was on so these bad people will go away. It then floated into the middle of the battlefield and faced the opposing team before launching a Night Shade at all of their Pokemon. The attack collided with Team Rocket's Pokemon which blasted them backwards to land in front of their trainer's feet.

"Thanks a lot, Haunter!" Ash said while Haunter turned to give him a grin.

"Hey! Who invited you to the battle!?" Jessie yelled at Haunter.

"That's right! Sneak attacks aren't fair! It's us who are supposed to play dirty!" James seethed.

Haunter turned back to the crooks and launched another Night Shade attack at them and their Pokemon, causing another explosion. The crooks and their Pokemon were blown backwards against the wall. They knew they were clearly outnumbered now that Haunter joined.

"Grrr…if it wasn't for that stupid Haunter, we would've destroyed you brats!" Cassidy growled as she and the other Rockets jumped to their feet and returned their Pokemon. They then turned around and bolted up the stairs.

"Get back here!" Ash cried as he, his friends, Pokemon, and Haunter followed them. There was no way he was going to let them get away this time after what they did to Cubone's mother.

Team Rocket entered the last floor and quickly scooped up all of the pokeballs that they had used to capture the ghost Pokemon with, not even paying Mr. Fuji any mind. They then shattered a nearby window and pulled out hand gliders from their backpacks. They were in such a hurry that they didn't notice they had dropped the Silph Scope goggles on the floor.

"It's a good thing the boss gave us these in case of an emergency!" James commented as they leaped out the window.

"Right. Those twerps may have beaten us, but we got what we came for! Mewtwo shouldn't stand a chance if it resists!" Jessie laughed.

As the group arrived on the last floor, they saw Team Rocket flying off into the distance with their hand gliders, but Ash wasn't through yet.

"After them, Pidgeotto!" he told his faithful bird Pokemon.

Pidgeotto obeyed and immediately flew after the evil group.

"He sure is relentless, isn't he?" Jessie muttered when she saw the Pidgeotto was coming after them.

"Then let's lose him! Weezing! Smokescreen!" James yelled as he released the evolved Koffing.

Weezing appeared once more and launched a Smokescreen right into Pidgeotto's face, causing it to cough violently.

"Blow all of that smoke away with your Gust!" Ash yelled from the tower.

Pidgeotto did so and blew the smoke away as fast as it could. Unfortunately, by the time it had done so, Team Rocket was already out of sight. They had gotten away again and with an army of ghost Pokemon to boot.

"Pidgo," Pidgeotto said sadly as it flew back to Ash.

"It's okay Pidgeotto. You did your best," Ash reassured while rubbing its head and returned it to its pokeball. He then glared after them. "I can't believe they escaped again. They don't deserve to run free. I'll never forgive them for killing an innocent Pokemon."

Brock then put on a grim expression. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news Ash, but didn't Team Rocket say there would be consequences if we saw them again? You don't think they will inform their boss about this incident do?"

"Do you think we should tell your mother to be on the lookout?" Serena asked worriedly.

Ash sighed and covered his eyes with the brim of his hat. "I don't know. I really don't want to alarm my mom in case nothing happens, but I also want to make sure she is safe. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. How am I supposed to break it to her that she needs to go into hiding because a crime gang is after her because of me?"

"I don't think it would be a bad idea to have your mother stay at Professor Oak's lab for a while," Serena suggested. "I would hate for your mother to be on the run because of Team Rocket."

Ash then gave another glare. "I can't stand Team Rocket. I swear if they hurt any of my friends or family, they will pay. They told me I better see them again, but it's them who better never run into me again. If they do…," Ash trailed as he clenched his fists again.

He then noticed the Silph goggles lying on the floor and picked them up curiously to inspect them.

It was then Misty noticed Mr. Fuji tied up against the wall. She immediately ran over to him and began to untie him, the others, Cubone, and Haunter behind her.

"Are you alright, sir?" Misty asked as she helped him to his feet.

"Yes. I'm fine, but who are you children? You weren't hurt by Team Rocket, were you?" Mr. Fuji asked.

"We were fine. We came here to capture some ghost Pokemon. We were also looking for a man named Mr. Fuji," Ash replied.

"Well, you succeeded in at least one of your goals. I am Mr. Fuji," the old man confirmed.

"Cubone!" the Cubone cried as it ran up to Mr. Fuji and hugged his leg.

"Oh, Cubone? Why did you leave the Volunteer House? It is very dangerous," Mr. Fuji said as he picked it up.

"So you were captured by Team Rocket?" Serena asked him.

"Yes and no. I came here on my own free will to investigate the ghost that's haunting this place. While I was searching, I did indeed see it. It told me to leave this place and get out. It then disappeared and Team Rocket showed up. I learned they were the ones who killed this Cubone's mother. I confronted them but they captured me," Mr. Fuji explained.

"Team Rocket," Ash muttered again through gritted teeth. He really wanted to drag Team Rocket back here himself and make them pay for what they did.

"Poor Cubone," Serena said sadly as she gave the Cubone a heartbroken expression.

"So there really is a ghost here?" Misty asked.

"There is. A ghost's identity can only be unmasked by a pair of Silph Scope goggles. You happen to be holding a pair in your hand, young man," Mr. Fuji told Ash while pointing to them.

"So that's what these are," Ash muttered before they heard a strange sound.

The temperature in the room suddenly felt like it dropped about twenty degrees, causing everyone in the room to shiver.

"Is that you doing that, Haunter?" Ash asked it. The Pokemon gave a puzzled expression at Ash and shook its head no.

A puff of smoke soon appeared and began swirling around in a vortex until it materialized into a being with an scary face and arms sticking out from it. "Get out of here…." It wheezed in a creepy voice.

"It's the ghost again!" Misty shrieked.

"Use the Silph goggles, Ash!" Serena told him hurriedly.

"Right!" Ash agreed as he immediately put on Silph goggles. As soon as he put them on, he could see the device began to scan the ghost as it came closer to them. After a few seconds, the ghost began to change forms. It grew legs and a skull formed over its head. Once the ghost had finished changing forms, it was revealed to be a Marowak!

"The ghost was a Marowak this whole time?" Brock asked in confusion

"Cubone!" the Cubone cried as it leaped from Mr. Fuji's arms and ran to the Marowak ghost. It then embraced it which the Marowak returned. Cubone was so overjoyed to see its mother again, even if it was in ghostly form. Tears began to form in its eyes as it thought it would never feel its mother's love ever again.

"I get it now," Serena realized. "The ghost was the Cubone's mother this whole time. It was wanting to warn everyone about Team Rocket."

"It wasn't malicious at all," Ash said as he and the rest of the group watched the heartwarming scene. Even Haunter was touched.

Soon, the mother Marowak gave one last loving look at its baby before nodding its head. It then began to slowly float upwards as a bright light enveloped it. Cubone's look of joy immediately turned to one of heartbrokenness as it watched its mother float away. The time between them had been too short, but Cubone was at least comforted that it could give its mother a proper goodbye this time. Tears formed in its eyes once more as it watched Marowak depart to the afterlife. Soon, the light disappeared, Marowak along with it.

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, the group, along with Mr. Fuji and Cubone were walking out of Pokemon Tower. They were heading back to Mr. Fuji's house to see him safely there. While they were walking, Ash felt a light tap on his shoulder. Thinking it was Pikachu, Ash turned to see what the rodent needed, but saw that it was still in his backpack.<p>

"Uh, Pikachu? Didn't you just tap my shoulder?" Ash asked it.

"Pi?" the rodent questioned

"That's weird. I could have sworn something touched my shoulder," Ash mumbled as he looked at his friends and Mr. Fuji to see if they knew anything. Seeing as they were giving him confused looks, Ash decided to let the matter go. They resumed walking, and Ash felt the same tap again. He turned around very swiftly and came face-to-face with Haunter!

"Hauuuunnnt!" It cried as it gave a goofy expression to Ash.

"Aaaah!" Ash yelled as he jumped back in surprise and falling on the ground, which caused the Haunter to start laughing again. It couldn't get enough of this human!

"Hahaha! Very funny, Haunter," Ash said sarcastically as got up and dusted himself.

Haunter then began to circle Ash and pointed to one his spare pokeballs.

"Oh? You want to come with me, Haunter?" Ash questioned.

"Haunt! Haunt!" it nodded its head happily.

"Sounds good to me! Now we can play together a lot! I'd love to have an entertaining Pokemon like you!" Ash smiled as he held up the spare pokeball.

The Haunter nodded enthusiastically that this human liked its jokes before floating over to Ash's pokeball and pressed the button which let it be sucked into the pokeball. It immediately dinged to show it was successfully captured.

"Alright! I captured a Haunter!" Ash cheered as he held the pokeball in front of his face.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed as it held up two fingers on its good arm. Just because one arm was broken didn't mean it couldn't still do its pose, as well.

"It looks like you were able to get your ghost Pokemon, after all, Ash," Brock smiled for his friend.

"Yeah," Ash said as he watched the pokeball teleport away to Professor Oak's lab. "Haunter and I are going to have a lot of good times ahead of us! I can't wait to try it out in battle and see the clever tricks it has up its sleeve!"

* * *

><p>The group was now back at Mr. Fuji's house. They had spent the entire rest of the afternoon playing with all of the various Pokemon there. Mr. Fuji even gave the group some helpful advice on loving and taking care of their Pokemon. Because Cubone had been able to see its mother one last time, it had warmed up considerably to everyone around it. It played games like everyone else. It especially had grown fond of Serena.<p>

"You're so warm, Cubone!" Serena smiled as she hugged it.

"Cubone!" the lonely Pokemon answered as it hugged her back. Her touch felt so gentle to it, almost like its late mother's.

Like all good things, though, it had to come to end. The group couldn't stay at the Volunteer house forever and knew they had to leave.

"Mr. Fuji, thanks for letting us come here to your home and play with the Pokemon," Ash told him while they got ready to leave.

"Oh no, young man. It should be me that's thanking you and your friends. Because of you, Team Rocket was chased out of the Pokemon Tower and the mystery of the ghost haunting the place was solved. You did so much for us," Mr. Fuji praised.

"Yes. Please come back and visit us again. You are welcome anytime," Reina smiled.

"You got it!" Ash said while giving them a thumbs up.

Serena then went over to Cubone and rubbed its head with a smile. "I had a great time with you Cubone. I hope we can see each other again sometime," she told it.

"Bone?" Cubone looked at Serena with an upset look on its face. It didn't want to her to go, too! It hadn't felt so peaceful in another another's arms since its mother died. Mr. Fuji was certainly a kind man whom it definitely trusted, but even he didn't have the soft touch of its mother. This girl, though, with as much as they played together and the hugs it received from her, she almost felt like another mother to it.

Serena gave it one last, sad smile before getting up to go with the rest, but was stopped by Cubone.

"Cubone!" it cried as it went up and hugged her leg.

"Ah, it doesn't look like Cubone wants you to leave," Mr. Fuji commented.

"Oh, Cubone. I don't want to leave you, either," Serena told it, "But I have to continue my journey."

"Here is an idea, young lady. Why don't you take Cubone with you?" Mr. Fuji suggested.

"Really?" Serena questioned in surprise.

"That's correct. You see, Cubone recently lost its mother and is still hurting from that. It needs the love of someone who will show it the utmost kindness and care for it. After seeing how you two interacted today, I believe that person is you," Mr. Fuji explained.

"What do you think, Cubone?" Serena asked it as she knelt down.

"Cubone!" it replied before leaping into Serena's arms to hug her.

"Oh, Cubone," Serena smiled as she returned the hug and tears formed in her eyes. "I know I'm not your real mother, but I promise to give you the love and support you deserve as any mother would!"

"Cubone!" Cubone responded with joy as it continued to hug its new mommy.

"Well, would you look at that," Misty smiled.

"I think you will be a great mother to Cubone, Serena," Brock agreed.

"Thanks," Serena said as she lifted Cubone into her arms and held it against her chest. She then turned to Ash and blushed. "Will you help me take care of Cubone, Ash?"

"Uh, why me?" Ash wondered in confusion.

"Come on, Ash," Misty encouraged. "If you care for a baby Pokemon, it will help you mature faster and teach you to be responsible. It will be good for you."

"I guess that will be okay," Ash said unsurely.

"Don't worry, Ash! I'll be here to help you. We will be the best parents we can be to this Cubone," Serena said happily before turning back to Cubone. "Is that okay that you have a daddy to take care of you, too, Cubone?"

"Bone!" it nodded its head swiftly. It believed two parents were always better than one!

"Misty and I will be here for you also," Brock told Ash. "Remember, I spent years caring for my siblings while my parents were away, and Misty knows a thing or two about caring for young ones, as well."

"Don't worry," Mr. Fuji assured Ash as he placed his hand on Ash's shoulder. "I sense something special in you. I have no doubt that you will be make a great father someday."

"Eheheheh, thanks," Ash muttered embarrassedly as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. There goes someone saying something about a special gift in him again. Whether Mr. Fuji meant the same thing as Sabrina's father, Ash didn't know.

"Chu!" Pikachu agreed with a smile. It would now have another Pokemon to converse with outside of its pokeball. It waved at Cubone with its good arm while Cubone shyly waved back.

Serena once again blushed. She was actually going to get to take care of a Pokemon with Ash as a mother and father! They will be the best parents they could be. It would also be a great opportunity for her and Ash to get a little closer as they cared for Cubone together. Miette's parting words continued to ring in Serena's ears about her needing to get closer to Ash. She supposed this was as good an opportunity as any.

* * *

><p>The group was back at the Pokemon Center for a final time before departing Lavender Town. They needed to heal their battle after their run-in with Team Rocket. This would also be one of the last Pokemon Centers they would be in for a while. Brock's guidebook pointed out there were only three Pokemon Centers between here and Fuchsia City. That meant they would be spending a lot of nights outside since it would take them around a month to get there.<p>

Ash was sitting at the video phone of the Pokemon Center as he stared at the black screen. There were so many thoughts going through his head as he was debating whether or not to call his mom. He knew that if he called her, there would be no turning back. He would basically be telling her that she's on the run until Team Rocket is stopped. On the other hand, that dream where his mother was killed was still fresh in his mind. It wasn't that much outside the realm of possibility for something like that to actually happen if his mother stayed put in their house by herself. He really wished he had never met this criminal gang. That way, he knew his mother would always be safe. If he could go back in time and change all the instances when he saw Team Rocket, he would.

"What should I do, Pikachu?" Ash asked it as he buried his face in his hands. His rodent was on the table of the video phone looking at him with a worried expression.

"Ash, I hate to tell you this, but you should let your mom know the situation," Serena told him seriously while coming from behind him while feeding Cubone from a bottle. Mrs. Ketchum had always been like a second mother to Serena so she was extremely worried for her, as well.

Ash sighed one more time before picking up the video phone and dialing his house number. Needless to say, he really wasn't looking forward to this conversation.

His mother's usually cheerful expression appeared on video phone as usual, and she let out a gasp of happiness when she saw it was Ash.

"Ash! You're calling me again! I always love it when you give me a call. Nothing makes a mother happier than to hear from her son," Delia told him with a smile.

Ash began to feel tears coming to his eyes. He didn't think he could go through with this. He then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw Serena nod her head at him. Behind her were Brock and Misty. Ash smiled at the support they were all giving him before letting out a huge sigh. Here it goes. He was hoping he could convince his mom to leave their home without specifically telling her she was in danger.

"Mom, I wish I was calling you on a happier note, but I'm really calling because I worry about you a lot," Ash said. He knew he had been through this with her before, but Delia smartly reminded her son that he was the one on the journey and not her.

"Ash, I really am happy that you are concerned for me, but I'm just fine. As long as you call me enough, that is all the support I need to keep going by knowing that you will be home again, one day," Delia replied.

"I know, Mom. It's just…maybe you could stay at Professor Oak's lab while I'm gone. Just for a little bit. It would make me feel a lot better," Ash said. That was such a lame excuse, and he knew it.

"Ash, Professor Oak is an extremely busy man. I couldn't possibly intrude on him like that on a whim, even if we are good friends," Ash's mother said with a frown.

Ash frowned. He didn't figure that would work. After doing some heavy thinking, a light bulb went off in his head. This had to work.

"Mom, I think I've never really told you how much I appreciate you," Ash began. "I've always wanted to thank you. Now that I'm on a journey, and you are by yourself, I think now is a good time to give you a special gift."

"You know you don't have to thank me, Ash. I'm your mother," Delia said.

"No. You really do deserve this. That's why I'm going to transfer a lot of the money I've saved up on my journey to your bank account. It should be enough to buy you a vacation to Cinnabar Island for a while. It was always your dream to go there. Well, the time is now. You can have the ultimate relaxing experience," Ash urged with a smile.

"Cinnabar Island?! For me?" Delia asked in amazement.

"I know it may seem like I'm giving you a lot, but I promise I have plenty more money in my account." He then added with a cheesy grin. "Pokemon Trainers get paid more than one would think from their winnings!"

"Ash…I…don't know what to say. Are you sure?" Delia asked

"I'm definitely sure, Mom. You deserve this vacation. You've done so much for me. I just want to thank you in any way I can," Ash told her.

"Oh, Ash! Thank you so much. You are the best son a mother could ever ask for. I love you," Delia told him.

"Me, too, Mom. I'm sure you will have a blast on Cinnabar Island," Ash replied.

"I promise you I will. I know I've said this before, but you are becoming a fine young man. I'm so proud of you," Delia said to Ash lovingly.

"Thank you," Ash replied as he felt tears come to his eyes again. He hated lying to his mother like this. Sure, he always wanted to thank her for all she's done, but he was doing it now for the wrong reason. It was to keep her safe rather than as a thank you gift. The truth was, he barely had enough in his account to send his mother on vacation. He would be using up most of his earnings for this. It made him feel terrible for having to resort to deceit like this, especially to his mother.

"I'll pack today and leave first thing tomorrow. Does that sound okay?" Delia asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"It sure does, Mom! You deserve it. You'll have to let me know how it goes when you come back!" Ash said.

"I will. Good bye, son. I love you," Delia waved.

"I love you, too, Mom!" Ash said with false cheerfulness as he hastily hung up the phone. He was worried that if he was on the phone any longer, his mother would have noticed he was about to cry. Ash buried his face into his hands once more. He really hoped she would be on vacation long enough for Team Rocket to forget about him. The best hope was they wouldn't try to do anything at all. He then wiped his eyes and turned to his friends, who were all watching him with a worried expression. They knew he must feel horrible right now. Despite this, Ash attempted another smile.

"Hey, guys. I guess we should go ahead and get going. We need to get to Fuchsia City as fast as we can," he told them as he stood up from the seat. He then picked up Pikachu and placed it in his backpack with its head poking out.

The rest of the group nodded grimly as they turned in the direction of the Pokemon Center exit. As they were walking out, they passed a man in a trench coat reading a newspaper. They didn't really pay him any mind as they walked by him. The group soon went through the doors and stepped out into the late afternoon of the day, and were gone.

The man in the trench coat looked up from his newspaper after them and gave a dark smile. Underneath his trench coat was a black suit with a red "R" on it, and he heard the entire conversation between Ash and his mother.

* * *

><p><strong> I really hated to end the chapter in such a grim way, but it needed to be done. It also reinforces the idea that there are Team Rocket spies everywhere. It would have been so much better if I could end the chapter where Serena got Cubone.<strong>

** Speaking of Cubone, it will sort of be like Togepi for a while. It is still too young for battle so Serena will care for it like a mother while it's still young. Ash will try to help out too of course which I'm sure some hilarity will ensue from him trying to act like a dad sometimes. And yes, Togepi will still be in this story. Cubone is not a replacement for it as the baby Pokemon of the group.**

** The next chapter will be up next Tuesday and I will see you all again. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter because I'm a little nervous about how it came out. I suppose your feedback will let me know.**

**A side note: over 1000 reviews?! That's incredible! Thank you so much to everyone who has cared enough to review! You guys are awesome! **

**Chapter 32: Snow Way Out!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Can Ash or Serena catch a Kangaskhan in the Safari Zone?_

_**Maybe. The group will definitely catch more Pokemon there than in canon.**_

_Will Ash and Serena be the only ones who use Mega Evolution?_

_**Certainly not. There will be several people who use Mega Evolution.**_

_Will Brock and Misty, and other traveling companions be weak compared to Ash and Serena?_

_**I think I've addressed this topic before, but if I haven't, let me clarify. Ash and Serena are the main characters of this story. Naturally, they have a lot more to say about them than other people and get the spotlight more often. It is like this in almost every book and movie, but also like these things, supporting characters will have their moments, too, just not very frequently. This goes for Brock, Misty, Leaf, and every other person they come across. It just simply hasn't happened for Brock and Misty yet. Gary got his time in Silph Co and will play a major role later on in the series, and Leaf played a major part in Chapter 14 and will also play a major role later on in the series, as well. Back to Brock and Misty, they each have at least a couple of chapters dedicated to them in each arc. I have also made them feature more prominently in future chapters that I have written. They just haven't been posted yet for you readers to see, but you will noticed the difference. To answer your question fully, Brock and Misty are definitely not "weak" compared to Ash and Serena. It's just their strengths at battling aren't shown as often in this story because they aren't the main characters. I'm revealing nothing about how Ash and Serena become later on the series because it's too much of a spoiler.**_

_How will Ash get the Earth Badge from Giovanni in your story?_

_**I'm revealing nothing about Ash's Viridian Gym Battle.**_

_Will Serena's Eevee become a Sylveon?_

_**I've already decided which Pokemon Eevee will evolve into. It won't be Sylveon, though. Sorry.**_

_Pikachu's not gonna be on that cast for long, is he?_

_**No, it won't. Only for a few chapters.**_

_How about having Ash's Bayleef falling in love with Ash's Sceptile?_

_**It might, but it will still have its canon crush on Ash, first.**_

_Who is Serena's father?_

_**Not telling yet. Sorry.**_

_Will Gold or Crystal join Ash and Serena on their journey in the Johto arc?_

_**No. They are adults in this story and different characters from Jimmy and Marina, whom I already confirmed to appear.**_

_Will you adapt some of the memorable filler episode in the Johto arc?_

_**I guess it depends on your definition of what a memorable filler is, so I'm not sure.**_

_Is Serena psychic or an aura user?_

_**I'm not revealing anything yet about what powers Serena may or may not have.**_

_Will Ash get a Lucario?_

_**Eventually, but not anytime soon. Really, I mean not anytime soon. Nor will I reveal how he gets it. As for the person who tells me every chapter not to give Ash a Lucario: please relax. Lucario will simply be another one of Ash's Pokemon. He will still have tons of other Pokemon he will use. It's not like Lucario will be featured in every battle and every topic.**_

_Does Miette have a crush on Ash?_

_**No. She was only doing that to get under Serena's skin, and said what she said in the last part to motivate Serena to hurry up.**_

_Will Dawn and Paul be a couple?_

_**I'm not sure yet. I don't hate Ikarishipping, but it isn't my favorite, either. We will see what happens.**_

_Will Ash retain some of his denseness after he and Serena become a couple?_

_**Somewhat, but not like at the beginning of the story. He will mature a lot as the series goes on and lose his denseness as he gets older as most boys do.**_

_So will Ash have a talk with Riley and will he help Ash out?_

_**Yes, but he won't teach Ash who to use aura yet because he isn't ready to learn.**_

_Will there be a chance for Ash to get slap in the face or will someone finally tell it to him about girl's feelings?_

_**ROFL! No, it won't happen like that.**_

_Can Serena get a Milotic?_

_**It's probable, but if she does get one, it won't be before Hoenn.**_

_Will Serena and Gary have Nidoqueen vs. Nidoking in the future?_

_**Perhaps.**_

_How long until Ash sees Serena's feelings for him?_

_**Not until she tells him. Sorry that was mean. Even if Ash realizes Serena's feelings for him, that doesn't mean they will start dating that moment. Ash has his own feelings to work out with Serena, too.**_

_Will Ash capture/receive any more fossil Pokemon from Kanto?_

_**No. Not from Kanto. He may get some from other regions, though.**_

_Will Ash catch a Duskull later?_

_**Maybe.**_

_How will Pokemon that need to be traded to evolve work out?_

_**For Pokemon that need to trade to evolve, I'm not sure if I will have them evolve naturally for easier writing or if someone will help them out.**_

_Have you figured what Serena will strive to do in the next story?_

_**I have a pretty good idea, but it isn't for certain yet.**_

_Will you include more amourshipping moments?_

_**Trust me, there are many amourshipping moments coming in future chapters. You won't be disappointed.**_

_Will Misty or Brock end up in a relationship with anyone?_

_**Absolutely. They are two of the few characters I know for certain who their final relationship is with. (It's not with each other, just so you know)**_

_How will you play out the Mewtwo arc?_

_**It will have the same backstory as canon. It will have some similarties to the movie, but I will try to make it as different as I can.**_

_Will you evolve Cyndaquil and Totodile?_

_**I might. What will probably happen is I will put up a poll for them like I did with Bulbasaur and Squirtle.**_


	32. Snow Way Out!

**A/N: I'm glad to hear how a lot you responded positively to the last chapter (despite the slightly rushed ending I admit) and how Ash and Serena will be surrogate parents to Cubone, but mostly Serena. In case any of you were wondering, even though Serena is technically over the six pokeball limit with the addition of Cubone, she didn't officially capture it in a pokeball, so it isn't part of the equation. It will eventually become one of Serena's official Pokemon once it trains and gets older. Big Brother Pikachu will help look out for Cubone also in the meantime.**

**Digressing away from Cubone, I think you guys will like this chapter. I spent a lot of time on it to get it just how I envisioned it since I started this story. Please enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 32: Snow Way Out!<p>

It was beautiful days like this that the group really appreciated. They were on their way to Fuchsia City, and the sun was shining brightly in the early morning sky. Despite the fact that they knew it would still take them a moth to reach Fuchsia City, they were in very high spirits. It was also a very special day for a certain someone. It was Ash Ketchum's eleventh birthday, and needless to say, as he opened his eyes from a good night sleep, he was very excited.

Ash gave a huge stretch and yawn before turning over to his best buddy Pikachu to tell him the exciting news. Well, he would have told Pikachu the exciting news if the rodent was on the side of his pillow like it was supposed to be. Pikachu wasn't there!

"Pikachu?" Ash questioned while glancing around the tent. Upon shifting his eyes elsewhere, he discovered Brock wasn't in his sleeping bag either, and his pokeballs were gone, too!

_"What's going on?" _Ash wondered to himself. It wasn't uncommon for Brock to already be out of bed cooking breakfast, but Ash's pokeballs and Pikachu should still be in the tent with him. Not to mention, there also wasn't the delicious smell of Brock's breakfast that filled Ash's nostrils in the morning, as well. It was dead quiet outside the tent from what Ash could tell.

Becoming a little worried, Ash climbed out of his sleeping bag before unzipping his tent and poking his head outside, and he was immediately greeted by a party horn blown in his face. Ash gave a yelp and fell over backwards on his behind before looking up to see what that was all about.

"Surprise!" Serena, Misty, and Brock shouted at Ash while throwing their hands in the air and releasing a bunch of colorful confetti paper on him. All of their and Ash's Pokemon were out of their pokeballs, as well. Everyone was giving him a big smile.

Ash gave them all a grin in return while Pikachu walked over to him and got in his lap. "Wow! Thanks guys! You really got me!"

"Of course. You didn't think we would forget about your big day, did you?" Misty asked him.

"Why don't you go get changed and join us out here so we can celebrate?" Brock suggested with a smile.

Ash looked himself over and saw he was still in his pajamas. "Oh, right! I'll be right out!" he said excitedly before disappearing back inside his tent.

As she watched him go back to his tent, Serena herself was happy for Ash. Ever since she had asked Brock to teach her to cook, the Pokemon breeder had taken every opportunity he could to teach her the basics. He smiled when he had learned Serena wanted to make Ash's birthday cake herself. Brock had helped her out with the directions, but it was Serena who actually made the cake. She and Bock had woken up very early that morning to make the cake so it would go unnoticed by Ash. Then they put it in a box and set it on a nearby picnic table. She and everyone else also made sure to purchase a present for him before they left their last small town a couple of days ago. She hoped he would like it.

Ash soon reemerged from the tent in his normal attire and looked super pumped. He was still grinning from ear to ear that his friends and Pokemon were here to celebrate his birthday with him. His Pokemon didn't waste any time in tackling him. Ash gave out grunt as all of his Pokemon collided with him and knocked him to the ground. Even Cubone had run forward to join in to tackle its 'daddy'. They all began to laugh merrily. Ash and his Pokemon really did love each other. They would always help out each other in the best of times…and the worst of times.

"Hahahaha! Guys, knock it off!" Ash laughed as his Pokemon got off of him.

Charmeleon and Squirtle both got a mischievous smile and shot a light Flamethrower and Water Gun, respectively, in Ash's direction as a birthday present, which he quickly ducked under. Ash wasn't angry as he knew that was just their way of showing they were happy for their trainer.

"Come on, Ash! I want you to come see your birthday cake!" Serena said excitedly as she grabbed Ash by the arm and pulled him along to where the box was on the picnic table.

"Okay, now close your eyes," Serena told him as she covered his eyes with her own hands to make sure he didn't peek.

Brock then opened the box to reveal the cake and brought out the various presents from their backpacks. He then nodded his head to Serena to show they were ready.

"Okay! You can open them!" Serena smiled as she removed her hands from his face.

Ash opened his eyes and they grew wide with excitement. The cake was made in the image of a giant Pikachu face. It was chocolate underneath with the yellow icing for the body.

"Chuuu!" Pikachu smiled at the cake that looked like it.

"I hope you like the cake, Ash. I made it myself. Brock helped a little, though," Serena said nervously as she shuffled her feet on the ground.

"Wow! You made this?! You even made it in the face of a Pikachu! I love it!" Ash shouted happily as he threw his arms around Serena in a hug.

Serena blushed at the hug Ash was giving her and relaxed in his arms before returning it herself. "You're welcome, Ash. I'm glad you like it," she said sincerely.

"Well, before we dig in, why don't you go ahead and open your birthday presents?" Brock suggested.

"Definitely!" Ash agreed.

Misty was first. She picked up her present, which was in red wrapping paper, and handed it to Ash, who took it gratefully. He tore off the ribbon and wrapping paper until he was able to uncover what Misty had given him.

It was a T-shirt that had all of Kanto's 151 Pokemon on it, even Mew. Ash grinned broadly as he picked up the shirt and held it against his torso to find it was the perfect size. He discovered there was something else in the box and picked them up to inspect them curiously.

"It's a set of fishing lures," Misty explained. "You can use the different kinds of lures in there to catch a whole variety of Water-type Pokemon. There is even my own special lure in there, the Misty lure!"

Ash looked over the fishing lures and just as Misty said, there was one fishing lure in there that was made in her image. He gave a big smile at Misty for her gift.

"Thanks a lot, Misty!" he said gratefully.

"Don't mention it," she smiled back.

Brock was next. His gift was in a weird rectangular shape with blue wrapping paper. Ash tore off the paper to reveal what looked like a large advanced wristwatch.

"It's a Pokegear," Brock told him. "I always wondered why you never had one before since I started traveling with you. It can do all sorts of things. You can check the time, listen to the radio, check a map of the area, or use it as a phone. I took the liberty of getting Leaf and Gary's Pokegear numbers from their parents while we were in the last town. I also got your Mom and Professor Oak's numbers."

Ash gave a big smile at Brock. In addition to all the other things the Pokegear could do, it would be a lot easier contact his friends and family from now on. He didn't have to wait until they were at a major town anymore. He couldn't wait to try it out later.

"That's really awesome! Thank you, Brock!" he said while fist-bumping him.

"No problem!" Brock responded.

Finally, it was Serena's turn. She walked up to him before giving him a nervous smile before handing him her gift. She hoped he would like it. Ash stared at the package, which was rectangular in shape with green wrapping paper, before opening it to reveal a white box. He opened the white box and smiled at what he saw.

Inside the box were various pictures in neat frames. They were photos of Ash and Serena together at various times throughout their childhood in Pallet Town. Some were pictures of the two smiling together with their arms around each other. A few showed them playing with each other. A few even had Leaf and Gary with them, and the later photos had Misty and Brock with the two, as well. As Ash looked at the pictures, his heart warmed at the thought. It reminded him of all the great friends he had in his life and how much they all appreciated one another. It was gifts like these that would last a lifetime. He would need to carry the photos around in his backpack for now, but would be sure to transport them to his home at the next Pokemon Center so they wouldn't be damaged. He closed the white box before giving Serena a genuine smile.

"Wow. Thanks, Serena. This means a lot to me," Ash said sincerely.

"It was no trouble, Ash. Just know that we will always be friends forever," Serena replied with her face heating up. She was so glad he liked the photos. Unbeknownst to him and the rest of the group, Serena had made a birthday card for Ash. She didn't really want to give it to him while everyone else was around, though. She preferred to do it when they had a moment of privacy, whenever that may be.

They continued to stare into each other's eyes moment before Brock gave a light cough. He hated to interrupt but the cake would go bad. They quickly averted their gazes from each other, each one a crimson red.

"Thanks a lot for my presents, everyone," he told them. "This is definitely one my best birthdays ever!"

"You bet, buddy," Brock replied before going over and giving Ash a light noogie.

"Hahaha! Stop it, Brock!" Ash laughed as he pulled away from the Pokemon breeder.

"Well, Ash. It's only fair that you get the biggest and best piece of the cake. Go first and get as much as you want before we get ours," Misty said.

"Great!' Ash exclaimed as he took a knife that was next to the cake before slicing off a large piece for himself.

Everyone else soon followed. It was a rather large cake so there was enough for both people and Pokemon to have some. They were all enjoying the party in their own way. Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock sat at the table and enjoyed conversation about their adventure so far and what it had in store for them in the future. Pikachu and Cubone sat nearest to the trainers. Pikachu had opted to put ketchup on its cake piece (much to the disgust of everyone else), and ate it right up. Cubone, being as young as it was, was making a mess and getting it all over its face as it tried to eat the cake. Serena and Ash took turns wiping its mouth for each bite it took. They thought it was cute watching the baby Pokemon try to eat it.

Eevee finished its piece of cake quickly and spent the rest of the time running in circles around Serena's legs, wanting to play. Charmeleon and Charla were sitting next to each other. They preferred all of their food extra cooked so they blew a light ember attack on the cake to make it black before eating it. The two Charmeleon would occasionally feed each other bites of their cake as well.

Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Oddish were eating next to each other. The only problem was Squirtle was trying to start a food fight with Bulbasaur, but the plant dinosaur calmly ignored Squirtle's attempts. The blue turtle Pokemon finally gave up before settling for chatting with the two grass-types once it saw Oddish was getting upset, which they were happy to do.

Psyduck, Goldeen, Staryu, and Starmie, and Magikarp were all in the water eating their cake. With the exception of Psyduck, who had arms and was noisily chomping its piece and almost choking. The other Water Pokemon were having a tough time, but managed finish off their piece. They then went off for a relaxing swim while Psyduck dog paddled back to shore since it wasn't as good.

Primeape, Nidorina, and Jigglypuff were having a contest on who could eat their cake the fastest. Onix and Geodude both devoured their pieces and spent the rest of the time trying to entertain Eevee. Zubat and Pidgeotto were perched in a tree while eating and observing everything going on below. Hitmonlee ate its piece calmly before meditating and blocking out all sounds to strengthen its mind

It was an enjoyable time for everyone.

* * *

><p>It had been a few hours since the group had celebrated Ash's birthday. They had played games, ate birthday cake, and Brock (with the help of Serena) cooked a huge meal. Ash ate until he thought he would pop from food overload. It had definitely been a good birthday for Ash so far. It would have been nice to take the whole day off, but they all knew that they were still a very long way from Fuchsia City, and so they moved on. It helped that the weather was still perfect for traveling.<p>

It turns out they had come across a large range of mountains in their way. The group knew that the area south of Lavender Town was very mountainous so they weren't surprised that they had to trek across one, but they also knew how quickly the conditions could change on such a place.

Brock pulled out his map from his backpack and studied it for a moment before looking up at the group. "The quickest way to the next town is if we go over this set of mountains. However, there is another pathway that goes around them. The only problem is it will take an extra six days to go that path," he informed everyone else.

"Well, guys. What are we waiting for? Let's scale that mountain," Ash said as he marched on when the others had stopped.

"Woah, there, Mr. eleven year old Pokemon Master. Why don't we spend the rest of the day getting a good rest? This mountain doesn't look especially threatening, but it could be dangerous if we don't make it over by dark," Brock said as he looked up at the tall mountain.

"It's only one in the afternoon. I say we go ahead and climb it," Ash disagreed.

"Ash, remember how you said you would be less reckless from now on," Misty reminded.

"This is different, Misty. This mountain is just one more obstacle I need to overcome to achieve my dream of becoming a Pokemon Maser. I bet everyone else has done this at some point. Besides, we don't have enough supplies to last us to take the trip around the mountain. The sooner we get over this mountain, the sooner we can stock up in the next town," Ash reasoned.

"Well, the weather is really nice right now," Serena noted as she and Cubone looked up at the sky.

"Pi," Pikachu agreed from Ash's backpack.

Brock and Misty gave a sigh. "Alright, Ash. Since it's your birthday, we'll go along with what you say. I just hope the weather doesn't turn on us quickly," Brock muttered the last part.

"Great! Let's go!" Ash exclaimed as he continued on with the others following suit.

* * *

><p>It was around five o'clock in the evening now. Thanks to Brock's map, they were able to continue on without getting lost. The only thing was they had been trekking through the mountain for almost four hours now, and it didn't look like they were even halfway though. This mountain was a lot larger than they all anticipated. The sun was still shining, but it was starting to get a little cooler now due to the higher altitude. The group had taken out a few blankets from their backpacks to cover themselves to keep them warm as they walked. Pikachu had resorted to staying in Ash's backpack where it was a little warmer than being outside. It also was easier for travel on its still injured arm. Serena had her arms and the blanket tightly wrapped around Cubone since it didn't have its own pokeball or backpack to be in.<p>

"Okay. Maybe this wasn't the best idea in the world, but at the rate we are going, we should still be over the mountain before it gets extremely late," Ash admitted as he pushed forward.

"You know, Ash? Part of being a Pokemon Master isn't overcoming every obstacle as quickly as possible. Sometimes the best way is to come up with a plan or take the safer route," Brock told him.

"I'll keep that in mind for the future, but for right now, let's just continue on," Ash said.

It was then that the wind began to blow, causing the group to shiver a little bit from the cold air.

"Oh, no," Brock muttered as he looked up at the sky and saw dark clouds rolling in. "I was afraid of this. The weather is beginning to change quickly."

"There weren't any weather advisories on the radio, though!" Misty exclaimed.

"There weren't any for the valley we were in," Brock corrected. "But on this mountain, anything can happen."

Misty wanted to blame Ash for this but knew they were all partially at fault. It wasn't like any of them put up a strong objection to climbing the mountain today when Ash suggested it.

The group had been walking for a few more minutes when light snow had begun to fall just as quickly as the wind had come. The group knew they were fixing to be in trouble. Even if it was in the middle of a mountain, it would probably be best to set up camp before it gets any worse.

"Hey Brock. Do you know of any caves around here that has a hot spring?" Ash asked.

"Let's see," Brock replied as he pulled out his map from his backpack again before rewrapping himself in the blanket. "It says here that there is one which seems to be a mile from here. It's a little off of the main trail, but not enough for us to get lost. I say we set up camp there."

"Good idea," Ash agreed as they continued on. He then turned to see how Serena and Cubone were faring. Serena seemed to still be doing okay due to having more body heat, but poor Cubone was still shivering rather violently.

"Here's my blanket," Ash offered as he handed it to Serena. "I want to make sure you and Cubone can stay warm no matter what."

"Thank you, Ash, but are you sure you will be alright?" Serena asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine. We are fixing to set up camp, anyway," Ash assured.

"In that case, I'll gladly take it," Serena smiled as she accepted the blanket from Ash's hands.

Ash nodded as he continued on with the others behind him. It was only when he left the warmth of the blanket did he realize how cold it was starting to become. He crossed his arms and drew them close to his body and began to rub them to keep himself warm. His teeth were also chattering.

"Pi?" Pikachu questioned as it popped its head out of Ash's backpack.

"I'll be fine, buddy. We're almost there," Ash told it.

Serena saw how cold Ash was and felt sympathy for him. He was always looking out for others before himself, no matter how uncomfortable it made him. She didn't know how Ash was going to take the question she was fixing to ask him, but decided it wouldn't hurt to ask, at least.

"Hey, Ash," she called to him gently, grabbing his attention. She then gave him a warm, inviting smile. "I have two blankets now. You can come underneath them with me. That way, it can keep both us, Pikachu, and Cubone warm."

"I guess that would be okay. Thanks, Serena," Ash replied, thinking nothing of it as he joined her underneath the blankets. He then grabbed one side of the blankets and wrapped them snuggly around both of them and Cubone while Serena held the other end.

Serena immediately felt her face heat up once she felt Ash's body against hers. She gave a sideways glance at Ash who was looking straight ahead with determination. She thumbed the card in her pocket with her free hand as she gazed longingly at Ash. She had thought really hard about the words she wanted to say in her card but was too embarrassed to show the birthday card in front of everyone. She would give it to him tonight once everyone else had gone to sleep. She then looked down and saw Cubone was looking a lot warmer since Ash had come under the blanket. She had no doubt that Pikachu was more comfortable, as well. They were using each other's body heat to keep each other warm. Serena couldn't help but think that seeing her, Ash, Pikachu, and Cubone underneath the blanket, it almost felt like they were a real family.

Once the group finally reached the cave, the snow was starting to fall pretty steadily, but they were still glad they had made it. Unfortunately, it had been partially covered with the snow that had fallen and would need to be dug out a little bit for them to be able to enter. They set down their blankets and began to dig. Serena could only use one arm since the other one was holding Cubone.

"Brrrr! This snow is so cold against my hands," Misty moaned.

"Just keep digging. Any second now we will be nice and warm inside that cave," Ash told her.

No sooner had he said this that a massive gust of wind swept by them. They all threw their arms over their faces as the freezing air blew past them. It wasn't strong enough for a human to worry about, but a light Pokemon was a different story.

"Cubooooone!" the baby Cubone cried as it was ripped from Serena's arms and blown away with the wind.

"Cubone!" Serena screamed she immediately went to chase after it, Ash doing the same.

Unfortunately, Cubone wasn't the only Pokemon that was light and exposed to the wind. Pikachu had poked its head out of Ash's backpack in alarm when it heard Serena's screams. The wind lifted Pikachu up, and it was blown out of Ash's backpack and sent sailing through the air like Cubone did a couple of seconds earlier.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he watched the rodent fly past his face. He reached out to make a grab for it, but the wind was too swift, and he missed. Both Pokemon continued to blow through the air and were soon out of sight. Ash and Serena weren't going to let that stop them, though.

"Wait!" Misty cried as she moved to go after them, but was stopped by Brock holding her back.

"Don't go!" he warned. "Or you'll be lost in the snowstorm!"

Misty turned from Brock and watched worriedly as Ash and Serena continued to dash after their Pokemon and soon disappeared into the snow and wind. She hoped they would make it back in time.

* * *

><p>"Pikachu! Cubone!" Ash and Serena called with their hands cupped over their mouths as they continued to run through the blizzard that was now taking place.<p>

Despite the wind being able to carry their voices far and creating echoes, they were getting no sounds from either Pokemon. Needless to say, they were becoming increasingly worried. As they were running, there were more frequent gusts of wind, causing Ash and Serena to hang on to their hats to keep them from blowing away, as well. The blizzard was getting pretty nasty, and the snow was beginning to pile up. This was causing their progress to slow immensely.

"They've got to be around her somewhere," Ash muttered as he held his arm above his eyes in a vain attempt to shield them from the wind and snow.

"What if they get lost? What if we don't find them?!" Serena cried frantically as tears came to her eyes.

"Don't think like that, Serena," Ash told her as he turned to face her.

"I can't help it. The weather keeps getting worse and worse! I want to believe we will, but…" Serena began, but was interrupted by Ash going up to her.

"Serena, we WILL find them. I know it," he said seriously as he placed his hands on Serena's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye. "Never give up until the end!"

As Serena's deep blue eyes stared into Ash's chocolate brown ones, she couldn't help but feel extremely relaxed. All of her fear seemed to disappear instantly. He was right. They won't ever give up until the end. Her worried look was soon replaced by one of renewed determination.

"You're right," she said as she smiled and nodded. "We won't stop looking until we find them."

Ash smiled back and gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze before releasing her and turning back around to trudge through the snow, Serena following him. By now, the temperature had dropped well below the freezing mark, and Serena was shivering violently despite being encouraged by Ash just a moment ago. Ash turned around and saw her frozen state before going over to her side and wrapping his arms around her.

"We can keep each other warm while we are searching," he said with a smile. "Once we find them, we can call out for Brock and Misty. Then we will be safe and sound."

Serena blushed and nodded before wrapping her arms around Ash, as well. They had just begun walking once more when they heard a very faint cry in the distance. It almost sounded like Pikachu!

Ash and Serena immediately looked in that direction in alarm and began running as fast as they could.

"Pikachu! Cubone!" Ash hollered once more.

Once again, they heard a distant yell. They could definitely make it out as Pikachu's voice this time. They also heard another sound that they knew to be Cubone's.

"Pikachu! Cubone! We're coming!" Ash yelled as they went as fast as they could through the deep snow. Unfortunately, the blizzard was making visibility extremely low, and it was hard to make out where they were going. As a result, they didn't see the path ending ahead of them. They stepped right off into the air and took a tumble down the side of the steep, snow cliff about twenty feet below. Luckily, the snow cushioned their landing greatly so they weren't injured.

Ash grimaced at how cold the snow was against him as he lay on his back but didn't let that deter him. He sat up and saw Serena doing the same, already shivering violently again.

"Are you okay?" Ash asked as he stood and helped Serena to her feet.

"I'm fine. It's just so cold," she moaned. "I think my fingers are becoming numb."

"I know. Mine, too," Ash replied before they heard a "Pikachu!" very close by.

"Pikachu! Is that you?!" Ash called as he looked around but didn't see the yellow rodent anywhere.

"It sounds like it came below us," Serena stated as they ran to the edge of another nearby cliff and looked down. They gasped at what they saw.

Pikachu was hanging on for dear life on a jagged ice rock that was sticking out from the cliff with its good arm. Its broken one dangling beside it, unable to grip the cliff. Adjacent to Pikachu was Cubone, frantically struggling to keep ahold of another rock that was sticking out. Despite being able to use two hands to grip the rock, it was in just as much danger. There seemed to be an endless abyss of nothingness below them. If they were to fall…

"What are we going to do?!" Serena asked frantically as they saw the predicament their Pokemon were in.

Ash brought is fist to his chin as he became deep in thought but made sure to be quick. After a few seconds, a light bulb went off in his head.

"I've got it! Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released the plant dinosaur from its pokeball.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried before it began shaking from the cold, as well.

"I know it's cold, but we need you to use your Vine Whip to help Pikachu and Cubone," Ash told it as he pointed to the two Pokemon in danger.

"Bulbasaur!" it nodded before shooting two vines from its bulb and lowered them down the side of the cliff until they were dangling just in front of Pikachu and Cubone.

"Try and grab on!" Ash yelled to them.

Cubone was able to grab on to one of the vines because it had a free arm. Pikachu, on the other hand, stared up worriedly at the vine in front of its face. Its broken arm was no good, and it was afraid of letting go of the rock with its good arm in case it missed the vine. It would only have one chance and didn't want to risk it. Ash felt the same way and didn't want to risk it, either.

"Bulbasaur, go ahead and pull Cubone up. Then lower me down, and I'll get Pikachu," Ash told it. He then called down to Pikachu, "Just try to hang on a little longer, Pikachu."

"Chuuuu," the rodent replied worriedly.

"Saur!" the grass-type cried before pulling Cubone up its vines, wrapping the extra vine around it for support.

As soon as Cubone was within arm's reach, Serena reached out and grabbed it before giving it a big hug. "Oh, Cubone! I'm so glad you're okay. I was so scared!" she said while tears came to her eyes and Bulbasaur released the vines from Cubone.

"Cubone bone," it replied while hugging her back.

They knew they couldn't relax yet, however. Pikachu was still down there. Ash nodded to his Bulbasaur to wrap its vines around his body and hold on tight. Bulbasaur did so while Serena also held onto Bulbasaur for support. Ash figured that Pidgeotto might be able to help in this situation, also.

"Come on out, Pidgeotto!" Ash called and released the bird Pokemon. He then said to it, "Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur's going to lower me down to get Pikachu. I need you to get underneath me to help Bulbasaur lift me up since I'm heavier."

"Pidgo!" it cried before flying down next Pikachu and giving it a nod with its head to show it everything will be alright.

Once Bulbasaur's vines were securely fastened around Ash's waist, it lowered him towards Pikachu as gently as it could.

"Just hang on a few seconds longer, Pikachu. I'm almost here," Ash said as he inched closer to the Pokemon in danger.

"However, Pikachu was becoming dangerously tired and its strength was draining. That, and its tiny fingers were beginning to go numb from hanging onto the icy rocky for so long. Just before Ash reached Pikachu, its fingers slipped off, and it began to fall.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as he threw his arms out as far as they would allow him and caught the rodent just in time, the jolt on the vines causing Bulbasaur to rock a bit. It still held firm, however. Ash then nodded up to Bulbasaur and Serena and signaled them to begin to lift them up.

Bulbasaur then began to lift Ash slowly but surely while Pidgeotto got underneath Ash and helped him up by nudging his feet with its head. For a while, it looked like everything would be okay, but to everyone's great misfortune, a massive gust of wind blew once again, one of the strongest yet.

"Woah!" Ash cried as he and Pikachu were swung around in Bulbasaur's vines.

"Ash! Pikachu!" Serena shouted. She then began to tug harder with Bulbasaur to get them up faster while Pidgeotto grabbed onto Ash's shoulders with its talons to try to steady him.

The wind was too strong, however. Ash, with Pikachu in his arms, was flung from Bulbasaur's vines, the force ripping him from Pidgeotto's talons in the process. Time seemed to slow down as everyone watched in utmost terror as the two began falling towards their doom, screaming as they fell.

"Nooooooooo!" Serena screamed in horror as she watched the two fall in helplessness. She felt like she about to pass out. She felt utterly helpless. One of the most important people and Pokemon in her life were falling to their deaths! This couldn't be happening!

Pidgeotto and Bulbasaur weren't about to let that happen, though. Pidgeotto immediately dove after its trainer as fast as it could and grabbed onto him again and began flapping its wings as fast as it could in an effort to slow his descent. With a cry, Bulbasaur shot out as many vines as it was able to and flung them down as fast as it could.

They reached Ash and Pikachu just in time.

Ash and Pikachu gave the biggest sigh of relief so far in their lives when Bulbasaur caught them. Serena herself breathed a huge sigh relief, as well. She almost fainted when she saw how close of a call that was. She figured that Bulbasaur would need more help in case something like that happened again. She called out all of her Pokemon: Charla, Hitmonlee, Oddish, Jigglypuff, Nidorina, and Eevee, to help hold onto her and Bulbasaur. They all grabbed onto Bulbasaur and began to pull as hard as they could to help Ash and Pikachu up as quickly as possible.

Luckily, there wasn't another incident this time. Thanks to the team effort of everyone to pull Ash and Pikachu up, they were soon back on the cliff and set gently down onto the snow where they let out another sigh of relief.

"That…that was way too close," Ash panted before he felt Serena collide against him in a tight embrace.

"Oh my gosh, Ash! That was so terrifying!" Serena exclaimed as fresh tears began to spill from her eyes.

"I know, but we're okay now," Ash said soothingly while hugging her back, trying to reassure her.

"I thought I was going to lose you! I don't know what I would do if that happened," Serena continued to cry with her face buried in his shirt.

"Serena, look at me," Ash said.

Serena's tear-stained face looked up from Ash's shirt into his eyes. They locked gazes before Ash continued.

"I made a promise at the beginning of our journey, didn't I? We're staying together," Ash told her, which caused her to continue to look into his eyes and saw the sincerity in them. There was just something about Ash's eyes and his words and warm smiles that made all of Serena's doubt and fear go away, like everything would be okay in the end.

She smiled back and tightened her hug. "You're right. Together to the end."

They were soon joined by Pikachu and Cubone, who gave them both a hug, as well. The four tightly embraced each other, all of them overjoyed they were all okay. Soon, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, and Serena's Pokemon came in for the group hug, also. Because everyone had worked as a team, they were all okay for now.

Once everyone had relaxed enough, they were reminded that there was still a blizzard swirling around them right now. Also, since they had fallen from the cliff about twenty feet above them, there was no way for all of them to get back up yet. Nightfall was approaching fast, and they would all need to find shelter quickly.

Ash and Serena looked around, but didn't see a nearby cave anywhere. Ash's new Pokegear was getting no signal because of the blizzard, and they also didn't have a paper map to try to locate one; that was back with Brock in his backpack. They would need to make an impromptu area of shelter.

"It looks like we will need to make our own shelter for the night," Ash muttered as he looked around for a substitute. "We can make one from the snow cliff in front of us."

"Right. We can use Charla to burn a large shelter into the snow for us," Serena agreed as Charla stepped in front of her.

"My Charmeleon can help, also," Ash said as he released the other fire lizard.

"Alright guys. Use Flamethrower on that snow in front of us to form a cave," they called once the duo of Pokemon were ready.

The two fire-type Pokemon obeyed and blew forth the hot flames from their mouths. They were careful to be very precise with their Flamethrower so as not to melt all of the snow around the area they were forming. Otherwise, it would cave in, and they would need to start over.

After about twenty seconds, they had made a cave that was a decent size for everyone to fit into. Ash, Serena, and their Pokemon entered the opening. They then took various bits of snow from the walls and ground and began to pile it up on the entrance to close it up and allow them to remain warm. Because everyone was helping, it was done after only a few minutes.

Ash sighed. "We're finally out of the cold," he said. He then looked at his hands. They were red raw and he could hardly feel them. Thankfully, it didn't look bad enough to be frostbite. He then noticed that Serena's hands were the same way.

"It looks like we are going to be spending the night in this cave. We will have to search for Brock and Misty in the morning," Serena said as she rubbed her almost frozen hands together in an attempt to warm them up.

"We might as well get some heat while we are in here," Ash figured. He then saw Charla and his Charmeleon standing a short distance away and smiled. "Hey guys! Do you want to share some of your warmth with us?"

Both Charmeleon nodded at the request and went over to Ash, Serena, and the other Pokemon. They then held their tails up let them burn brightly. They put in a little effort towards their tails which allowed the flames to burn larger so everyone would get enough heat. Ash decided it was a good idea to release his other Pokemon so they could get in on some of the warmth. He released Squirtle and Primeape, who went over near the flames, as well, but not before Primeape took Ash's hat to wear.

"Alright everyone! The heat is on!" Ash declared once everyone gathered around the two Charmeleon.

The Charmeleon smiled to each other and held the other's hand for support. Charla was holding Charmeleon's hand a little more affectionately, however, causing it to blush.

Serena smiled at the Charmeleon as they held each other's hand and thought about holding Ash's hand, as well. Both of their hands were still exceptionally cold at the moment. She slowly inched her hand a little closer to Ash's. He didn't appear to notice. The Pokemon noticed Serena moving her right hand closer to Ash's left and decided to watch. Serena's hand finally made it to its destination. When skin met skin, Ash didn't pull away, much to Serena's relief. Then she went the rest of the way and gently grabbed it. To her surprise, Ash turned and smiled at her.

"Now our hands can warm up much faster, right Serena?" he asked while giving her a grin.

"Mmmhmm! That's right!" Serena smiled. He missed the point on why she was holding his hand, but was happy nevertheless. All of their Pokemon smiled at the scene, too. The whole team seemed to have had a hard day since they entered the mountains, but with each other's support, they had pulled through. It was now time to take a nice break. It looked like things were going to turn out okay, after all.

Despite the happy and calming atmosphere in the cave right now, little did the group of people and Pokemon know that the blizzard outside was getting worse and worse. It was slowly breaking apart the wall they had made to close the cave with…

* * *

><p>It had been a few hours since the group had entered the makeshift cave to spend the night. It was well into the night now, and the temperature had reached its coldest yet. Thanks to the great insulation of the snow and Charmeleon and Charla's flames, everyone was staying relatively warm. Ash and Serena's Pokemon had gone to sleep a little while ago. All were huddled in a corner using the other's body heat for warmth. Only Ash and Serena were up at the moment. They were huddled together next to their Pokemon. Serena figured this would be the best time to give him his birthday card since this was the most alone time they've had so far.<p>

"Ash, how has your birthday been so far?" she asked him timidly.

"Well, aside from the peril from earlier, I'd say it's been really good. I got to spend it with my friends, Pokemon, and received awesome gifts from you guys," Ash replied.

"So it doesn't bother you that you are spending the night in a snow cave?" Serena asked while she tilted her head to the side.

"No, it doesn't," Ash confirmed before giving her a reassuring smile. "I have you and all our Pokemon with us. As long as I have that much, I'm perfectly content."

"I'm glad to hear it," Serena said while returning his smile before taking a deep breath. She then reached into her left pocket on her skirt and withdrew the birthday card from it. She then handed it to Ash.

"I also got you a birthday card, Ash," Serena told him. "I was kind of nervous to give it to you earlier, but I really wanted you to see it."

"Thanks, Serena," Ash replied while he inspected the outside of the card. It looked simple enough. It was colorful and showed all kinds of party balloons with the words "Happy birthday" printed in big bold letters. Why would Serena be nervous about showing him this card?

"Go ahead and read what's inside of it," Serena said while she began turning red.

Ash nodded before opening the birthday card. Inside was a written message that was clearly in Serena's handwriting. Her beautiful, cursive letters were all swirling together. He then began to read the message written in it:

_Ash, I wanted to wish you a very special and happy birthday. You are one of the nicest boys I ever met and deserve the best of all birthdays. These last few months while traveling with you on our journey have made the best memories of my life so far. I wouldn't trade them for anything. I wouldn't know what I would do or where I would be if you weren't in my life. I still remember when we first met and you helped me back at Pallet Town Sumer Camp then. Even if that moment didn't mean much to you, it meant the world to me. I'm really glad I met you. Thank you so much for being my best friend and most important person in my life._

_ Happy birthday!_

_ Serena_

As Ash finished reading the letter, he was…touched…to say the least. He always knew that he and Serena were best friends and would do anything for each other, but to read something so heartfelt from her was…he felt his cheeks go a deep red. He didn't quite know what to say.

"Serena, I-I mean that much to you?" Ash stammered as he turned to look at her gorgeous face staring back at his.

"You really do. I meant every word in that letter," Serena answered softly as she stared back into his eyes to show her sincerity.

"I'm really…grateful to hear you say that. To hear that someone really cares that much about me, especially because it was you," Ash said quietly. His chest was feeling very tight right now.

"Ash, just know that no matter what happens…I'll…always be on your side. That's a promise. I'll always be here for you," Serena told him gently as she took her hands in hers.

"Serena, I…" Ash trailed. He was at a complete loss for words when he felt Serena's now warm hands holding his own. Could this be what Brock, Misty, and all of his other friends meant when they said there was more to him and Serena then friendship? As Ash suspected, he definitely felt more than a close friend to Serena sometimes. Right now was certainly one of those times. He didn't quite understand what he was feeling for Serena right now. Whatever those feelings were, they made him feel extremely warm.

Serena had been really nervous when handing Ash his card. She was wondering throughout the whole day whether she should give it to him or not. She wasn't quite sure how he would take it. She didn't outright say she liked him but certainly let him know that he means more to her than just a friend. His reaction seemed to be positive, if not a little surprised so far. She could honestly say she was glad she did give it to him in the end.

"Thank you," Ash finally said again after a moment of silence. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to say that you are the most important person in my life, as well. I'm glad I met you, too."

"Really?" Serena asked as she looked at Ash with sparkling eyes. She felt like she could cry after hearing those words come from Ash!

"I really am," Ash confirmed with a smile. "I wouldn't have it any other way than us traveling together right now."

"Oh, Ash," Serena sighed as she leaned against him. Everything seemed to be okay. She felt like she could stay in this position forever. It didn't matter that a snow storm was blowing right outside. It didn't matter that they had to spend the night in a cave. The only thing that mattered to Serena right now was that she liked Ash, through and through, and she couldn't be happier at the moment.

Ash immediately turned red once he felt Serena lean against him. What were these feelings going on with him right now? He had this feeling a few times before, but now it was coming back to him two-fold! He felt like he had seven Charizard dueling in his stomach right now. The weirdest part was he liked this feeling.

While Ash and Serena were having their moment, not every single Pokemon was asleep. Pikachu, Cubone, and the two Charmeleon happened to hear the exchange that went on between their trainers (or parents) and gave a smile with their eyes still closed.

The blissful moment Ash and Serena were sharing was interrupted, unfortunately. The blizzard had become so fierce that it had whisked away a portion of the snow the group had used to cover up the opening. As soon as the hole was exposed, a wild rush of wind blew into the cave, immediately chilling Ash and Serena to the core. The Pokemon were also startled awake by the sudden drop in temperature and frantically looked at the opening.

"Oh, no!" Ash yelled as he jumped up and ran to the opening and pressed his back against the hole. It felt like there were a thousand ice cubes on his back all at once. The air was so cold! He grimaced but held firm.

"Ash!" Serena cried as she ran over to him, followed by their Pokemon.

"Just stay back! You all need to keep warm!" Ash yelled as he once more gritted his teeth from the cold.

"Chu Chu! Pika Pi!" Pikachu shook its head frantically and ran over to jump into Ash's lap.

"Bone!" Cubone yelled as it joined Pikachu.

"I'll be fine! I just want to make sure you all are warm," Ash told them a little sternly.

"Chuuuu!" Pikachu shook its head again. It wasn't going to leave Ash's side.

Ash sighed but a thought occurred to him. Come to think of it, those pokeballs were probably pretty warm. He then made his decision.

"Everyone! Return to your pokeballs!" he yelled as he held them up, which caused his Pokemon to look at him in alarm. He then turned to Serena. "You return your Pokemon to their pokeballs, as well!"

"But Ash…," Serena tried to protest.

"Serena, please! We have to make sure our Pokemon stay warm," Ash pleaded. He then turned back to his Pokemon. "Return! You all have to conserve your strength!"

His Pokemon shook their heads to let him know that they wanted to say, and even tried to dodge the red beam from the pokeballs. Ash didn't listen, and before his Pokemon could put up more of a struggle, they were back in their pokeballs. Serena's Pokemon put up a protest, too, but Serena reluctantly returned them to their pokeballs, as well.

"Chuuuuuuu," Pikachu said as it looked up worriedly at its trainer as it and Cubone were the only ones not in a pokeball at the moment.

"Pikachu," Ash said seriously, "I need you to get inside of your pokeball so you can stay warm. Please! You also Cubone. I now you technically don't have a pokeball, but the most important thing is keeping you warm right now!"

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu uttered as it shook its head and shivered. It hated pokeballs more than anything and would rather freeze than go into a pokeball and leave its trainer's side.

Cubone, likewise, shook its head. These humans had given it a new family to which it was very grateful. It had already abandoned its parent once and wasn't about to abandon another one. It would stay by its parents' sides this time.

Ash let out a sigh. "I know you guys want to stay with me, but the most important thing is making sure all of you are safe."

Once more, the two Pokemon shook their heads no.

"Fine. If you won't get in the pokeballs, at least go with Serena to the other side of the cave so you are away from the cold. I can block it!" Ash said bravely, despite his back felt like it was going numb.

"Ash, we can't just let you freeze to death just so we can be more comfortable!" Serena protested.

"I'll be fine!" Ash stated firmly before softening his expression. "Please."

"We're not leaving you!" Serena cried as she went over to Ash and threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "If you are going to freeze, we all will!"

"Serena…"Ash trailed before looking down at Pikachu and Cubone to see their determined expressions. It seemed they were dead set on staying with Ash, and nothing he said would change their minds.

"You all really want to stay here and keep me warm?" Ash asked in amazement, receiving a nod from Serena and the two Pokemon.

Just then, Ash and Serena's pokeballs opened up to reveal all of their Pokemon. They all went over and crowded around Ash and brought their arms or wings around Ash in order to keep him warm in some way. Primeape even gave Ash his hat back to let him know it cared, too.

There was no way Primeape was going to leave Ash. It never had someone or something that genuinely cared for it like Ash. They had made a promise to grow stronger together. It would stay by Ash's side. Bulbasaur had been extremely distrustful of humans, but Ash proved to it that there are definitely some humans worth trusting. It was going to stay by Ash, as well. Charmeleon had an abusive trainer in Damian, but Ash extended the olive branch and offered Charmeleon a new life. It was going to stay with Ash in his time of need like Ash was to it. Squirtle had been abandoned by its trainer, which made it think all humans were hateful. Ash had shown it that it was wrong, and there were good humans in the world. It would never abandon Ash because he never abandoned it. Pidgeotto had been a loner all its whole life. It thought it never needed anyone and could take care of itself. Ash had shown it the way that it could be so much happier with friends in its life. As Ash's friend, Pidgeotto would say by Ash. Lastly, there was Pikachu, his first Pokemon. Ash was honestly the best trainer Pikachu could ask for. They had been through so many things together since they started out and were best buddies. It would never let Ash freeze like this.

"Pikachu? Cubone? Charmeleon? Squirtle? Bulbasaur? Pidgeotto? Primeape?" Ash said in awe as all his Pokemon embraced him to keep him warm.

Serena's Pokemon likewise crowded around her to ensure that she was warm as well. Pretty soon, there was a crowd of Pokemon and two humans all huddled around each other, with Ash in the middle.

"Don't you see, Ash?" Serena asked him. "As I've said before, we all care about you too much to let you do everything by yourself. We are all in this together."

Ash then began to feel tears come to his eyes. They really cared for him, and it really touched him. He remembered Serena had told him the same thing on the first day of their Pokemon journey. She was right. No more doing things by himself. They were in this together.

"Alright. You win. I guess we'll all be cold together," Ash said as the tears began to stream from his face. "Thank you, everyone."

All of his, Serena's Pokemon, and Serena herself continued to surround Ash to let him know he was never alone. With everyone he cared about surrounding him, Ash suddenly didn't feel so cold anymore. Even the blizzard against his back he could hardly feel anymore. As tears continued to stream from Ash's face, he knew in his heart that it wasn't the cake, it wasn't the presents or the games that made this birthday great, it was his friends and Pokemon, right here by his side to show they really cared about him. Ash could honestly say that this was the best birthday he ever had.

* * *

><p>It was now the next morning, and the blizzard had finally blown over. Charla and Chameleon blew a hole through the opening with their hot flames, and everyone stepped outside. The sun was once again shining brightly, soaking them in its warm rays. Everyone looked at each other and gave a smile. They had made it through the blizzard. Most importantly, they did it together.<p>

"I suppose we go ahead and look for Brock and Misty," Ash suggested as he began to look for a path to follow.

"Yeah, Serena agreed as she and their Pokemon followed Ash.

They didn't have to search long, however, as they soon hear Brock's voice calling from above them.

"Hey, Ash! Serena!" he yelled with his hand cupped over his mouth. Misty was next to him.

"Hey guys!" Ash waved happily up to them.

Serena also looked on. She was overjoyed at the moment. They had made it through the blizzard and found their friends. Everything had turned out okay.

A few minutes later, Ash, Serena and Pokemon were able to get back on the cliff that Brock and Misty were on, courtesy of Brock's Onix providing a lift.

"So how was your night?" Ash asked them.

"It was so comfy!" Misty answered. "That hot spring really kept us warm! Were you two able to find a cave with a hot spring?"

"No," Ash replied. "We carved a small cave out of this snow cliff and stayed there. We may not have had a hot spring, but we definitely made sure no one was cold." He then look at Serena and all of their Pokemon and saw them nod their heads. "We able to overcome the blizzard because we all worked together."

"That's good to hear," Brock responded while nodding his head in approval. "What do say that before continuing on and getting off this mountain, how about some breakfast? I have some waiting for us back in the cave with the hot spring."

"Sounds good!" Ash said enthusiastically before turning to Serena and their Pokemon. "What do you all say to some of Brock's cooking after last night?"

All the Pokemon responded eagerly before following Ash, Brock, and Misty back to the other cave. They all felt much closer to their trainers now after going through something like that with them. They all realized that anything could be accomplished when they worked together as a team. They would always be there for their trainers in their time of need, and likewise they knew their trainers would always be there for them.

Serena trailed a little farther behind as she watched Ash from behind. She had finally gotten off her chest some of her feelings to Ash. She even got a pretty good idea of how he felt about her. With all of the emotional words she and Ash exchanged last night, describing Serena's feelings as a crush didn't seem to do them justice anymore. No. What Serena felt for Ash was much stronger now. It went beyond a crush. She had finally come to terms with her feelings for Ash, and nothing would change it. She felt so at peace now she finally realized what she was feeling all along, even if Ash didn't quite know yet.

_"Ash Ketchum, I-I-I love you," _she thought.

* * *

><p><strong>And this chapter marks a huge turning point in Ash and Serena's relationship. Expect a lot more amourshipping moments from here on out. Serena's feelings have now finally gone beyond a crush to Ash. Now we just need to wait for him, but he is starting to have strange feelings around Serena, also. There will be no shortage of amourshipping moments in future chapters. Trust me.<strong>

**With that being said, the next chapter will be out next Tuesday. See you all then! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter. They are always read and appreciated! **

**Chapter 33: Training Days**

**Answering the Questions:**

_How are you doing the Pokemon movies?_

'_**Mewtwo Strikes Back' is part of the main arc right now. I think I can fit it in there without it disrupting the flow too much, the same with 'The Power of One'. The other movies I'm not sure yet if they will be part of the main arc or separate stories. The plot will be the same for all the movies, but I will try to make them as different as I can.**_

_Will there be any birthday celebrations that are shippy moments or just happy moments because you confirmed the characters will age throughout? _

_**Does this chapter answer your question? **_

_Will Other traveling companions be close to as strong as Ash/Serena are,or will be about as strong as their Anime counter-parts?_

_**The traveling companions will be about as strong as their anime counterparts. There is no need for them to be any stronger in this story. With that being said, May or Dawn might win a grand festival when they appear. Seeing May beat Drew for a change would be soooooo satisfying to write. Actually, scratch the first two sentences. Ash and Serena's traveling companions will be as strong as their anime counterparts until the last story when I will need them to be much stronger trainers. (won't reveal why). People can come a long way in the three or so years between Sinnoh and the final story.**_

_Will Ash and Serena catch a male and female Ralts and evolve them into Gallade and Gardevoir, respectively?_

_**It is certainly a possibility.**_

_Will Ash, Serena, and many others having trouble with Mega Evolution?_

_**I don't know. It's too far off to tell.**_

_Will Ash's Charizard travel with them throughout the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, etc.?_

_**Maybe. I never planned for Charizard to stay in the Charicific Valley.**_

_Will Ash's Charizard learn moves like Fire Blast, Steel Wing, and Dragon Pulse, among others?_

_**Yes.**_

_Can Ash catch a wild Meowth to annoy the heck out of team rocket's Meowth?_

_**I don't plan for that to happen at the moment.**_

_Can you do stories are separate from the story like Pikachu's vacation and Pikachu's rescue mission?_

_**Probably not as I can't think of a way to make them different than from what's already in canon.**_

_Since you said Miette doesn't have a crush on Ash, will she be paired with Calem instead?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will you make Mewtwo stronger in your story compared to the movie?_

_**It's difficult to imagine Mewtwo being any stronger than he already is in canon to be honest.**_

_Will Ash get Sandshrew or Diglett as his ground Pokémon?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash get more shiny pokemon besides Noctowl?_

_**It's a possibility, but if he does, it will only be one or two more. If one acquires too many shiny Pokemon, that really undermines their value and rarity.**_

_Is Butterfree ever going to be seen again?_

_**He might. It would certainly be nice to see those two reunite briefly.**_

_Will other poke spe characters appear in the story?_

_**The answer is in the Chapter 28 questions. **_

_Will Haunter become a little bit more serious as time pass?_

_**Haunter will always be its jokester self, but it will also know there are times when it needs to be serious, also.**_

_In the anime, Cyndaquil involves in the Sinnoh region (DP Episode 182), would that still happen or is that going to change?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Will the dratini that ash will catch in the safari zone ever evolve? Will ash catch any other pokemon who will evolve to awesome pokemon like salamence, hydregion, flygon, metagross, tyranitor?_

_**Yes to the first question and maybe to the next.**_

_Is Marowaks' death going to come up/affect the story later on, like Cubone feeling hatred towards Cassidy, team Rocket or firearms in general?_

_**Yes. Right now, Cubone has a huge grudge against Team Rocket so it may get justice done for it later on. It's still in the mourning stage for its mother, so it won't be for a while before Cubone tries to do something about it.**_

_Have you figured out a way for Misty to catch her Horsea, or have you written it out of the story since you couldn't think of any way to introduce it?_

_**I had to write it out. There would probably be zero scenes with it if I included it. If Misty catches a Horsea, it will probably be a different one from canon. With that being said, I have a few other water-type Pokemon Misty will get.**_

_Will Ash evolve his Haunter by the end of this arc?_

_**If Haunter evolves, it probably will be in a future arc and not Kanto.**_

_When you bring in Togepi will Cubone get jealous of the attention its' getting and attacks it because it feels left out?_

_**Cubone will definitely be clingy to Serena for quite a while, and get jealous if another Pokemon is taking its place.**_

_When Ash gets to Fuchsia City, will he go to the Fuchsia Gym or go to the Safari Zone first?_

_**Fuchsia Gym will be first.**_

_Will Brendan be Professor Birch's son in your series?_

_**Yes.**_


	33. Training Days

**A/N: Hey everyone! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter and thought it was one of my best so far. Expect to see a lot more amourshipping moments in the future from now on. I apologize if this chapter is a little slow, but the end makes up for it with a big surprise, so please enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any other thing that has to do with it. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 33: Training Days<p>

It had been about a week since the group had traversed the treacherous mountain during a blizzard. Despite being shaken up during the experience, they all came out stronger in the end, particularly Ash and Serena. Ever since their night in the cave with their Pokemon, they were even closer now than before. They seemed to do everything together. If Brock and Misty didn't know better, they would say the two were boyfriend and girlfriend.

Serena was really enjoying all of the time she was spending with Ash ever since she told him how she felt about him. She no longer felt extremely shy about her feelings anymore once she learned Ash felt the same way about her, even though he didn't seem to understand what the feelings were. Serena figured that Misty and Leaf had been right all along. All Ash needed was a little push. Misty had even outright asked Serena one night if she and Ash were finally together. The honey-blonde haired girl responded by saying they weren't, but they were closer than ever, and Serena felt very confident that they would be together one day.

For his part, Ash was acting far less oblivious about Serena's actions towards him, such as compliments she would give him or always wanting to do something with him. Ash, of course, was happy to oblige. He didn't think he could ever turn her down and felt like he would do anything for her. Those strange feelings would return quite often now. He felt a weird tightness in his chest when he was around Serena, or he would find he was the one blushing for a change. If this kept up, he would have to ask Brock what he was feeling, after all. The Pokemon Breeder was like a big brother to him, after all.

The group was now ever closer to Fuchsia City. They were about two weeks away now and were in luck to find a Pokemon Center out in such a remote area. It would be a great place to check up on their Pokemon. Ash also knew that Pikachu should be getting its cast off pretty soon. He had a good feeling that it would be today.

Nurse Joy smiled and greeted them as soon as they entered the Pokemon Center. "Hello!" Welcome to our Pokemon Center!"

Brock immediately took action. He ran up to the desk and leaned over it until he was right in her face. "Nurse Joy! The love I have for you is so strong! It is so mighty! It is so unshakeable! It is…YEOWW!"

"And in the end, your love for her is so hopeless," Misty sighed as she pulled Brock away by the ear again.

Nurse Joy quickly recovered from the advance Brock made on her before once again smiling. "Anyway, what can I do for you today?"

"I really would like you to check on my Pokemon, please," Ash told her as he gently took Pikachu out of his backpack and set it on the desk. Plus, could you look at my other Pokemon?"

"Ours, too!" Serena added as she showed Nurse Joy her Cubone and her pokeballs.

"Certainly!" Nurse Joy replied with a smile. She then took their pokeballs and Pikachu before disappearing in the backroom with Chansey.

The group took a good look around the lobby and noticed that this Pokemon Center was nowhere near as busy as the ones they had been to previously. This rather surprised them since it is the only one they had encountered so far since the last small village they were in once they got over the mountain. Nevertheless, the group decided to sit down and wait while their Pokemon were being inspected. Ash and Serena sat down next to each other, of course. Serena didn't waste any time in leaning against Ash's arm and giving a content sigh. Ash was the one who blushed for a change, but didn't say anything, and instead just gave Serena a smile.

"So guys? Have you thought about what Pokemon you are going to use for your upcoming battles?" Brock asked from beside them.

Serena and Ash glanced at each other before realizing they really hadn't. Fuchsia City was still a good two weeks away, but that didn't mean it was ever too early to prepare.

"You know, I would really like to use some of the Pokemon I haven't used much against the gym leader, like Muk, Hitmonchan, or Haunter. The only thing is that I have no idea what their battle strengths and weaknesses are so I'm not sure if they are ready," Ash replied.

The same goes with me," Serena sighed while still against Ash's arm. "I really want to be able to use Hitmonlee, Eevee, and Oddish more, but now that I'm in the upper ranks of the Battle Chateau, there is a lot at stake using them since they have the least battle experience. That isn't to say that they are great battlers, but…"

"That's understandable," Misty smiled. "You two really want to be able to win in the Battle Chateau or Pokemon Gym, but you also realize that it is only fair if all of your Pokemon have an equal piece of action so they all feel special."

"Exactly," Ash murmured.

It was then the busy signal went off in the backroom and Nurse Joy emerged with Pikachu, Cubone, and the rest of the pokeballs. Nurse Joy and Pikachu had a big smile on their faces when they came out, and the group soon saw why.

Pikachu's cast was gone.

"Buddy!" Ash exclaimed as he immediately went over to embrace his partner now that it was okay.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as it leaped at Ash and gave him a big hug.

"I'm so happy your arm is back to normal," Ash said genuinely as tears came to his eyes.

"Your Pikachu's arm is completely healed now, albeit a little stiff from being in the cast for so long," Nurse Joy told him. "I am pleased to say that it can return to the battlefield with full use of its arm now."

"That's such great news!" Misty exclaimed as she went over to the rodent in Ash's arms and snuggled her face against it, to which Pikachu cooed in delight.

"Way to pull through, Pikachu," Brock said while nodding his head in approval.

Ash continued to hug his first Pokemon in pure joy for the next several minutes before looking at it and getting a determined look on his face. "What do say we make up the time we missed by training right now?

"Pikachu!" the rodent agreed enthusiastically by nodding its head.

Serena watched the two with a big smile on her face. She loved the bond those two shared. She figured this should call for a celebration on Pikachu's recovery, but what could she do? It was then a thought hit her! She could bake something!

"Nurse Joy," Serena said quietly while the others exited the Pokemon Center, would it be too much trouble if I used the kitchen tonight?"

"It would be perfectly fine!" Nurse Joy replied with a smile.

"Great! Thanks!" Serena said happily before looking down at Cubone in her arms. "Do you want to help me make something, Cubone?"

"Cubone bone!" it answered with a smile and a nod.

* * *

><p>It was like Pikachu had never been out of battle in the first place. Every time Ash issued a command, Pikachu executed the attack so flawlessly, he could have sworn they were even better than before. Ash was feeling incredible now that his partner was one hundred percent again. All the pain and guilt of Pikachu's battle with Sabrina had been washed away, replaced by utmost determination. They were going to win when he challenged her to a rematch.<p>

After training with Pikachu a while, Ash decided now was the perfect opportunity to train his other Pokemon, as well. Serena, Misty, and Brock joined, also. He had Primeape, Serena's Hitmonlee, and Charmeleon duel each other in a physical attack only fight so Charmeleon could focus on other attacks other than fire, and Primeape and Hitmonlee could focus on close combat. He had Bulbasaur focus on fighting Serena's Charla and Oddish so it could overcome its weaknesses like Ash promised. Pidgeotto and Zubat were focusing on dodging Pikachu's electric attacks. Geodude and Onix were focusing on dodging and withstanding water-type attacks, courtesy of Misty's water-type Pokemon and Squitle. Eevee preferred to play with Cubone, but after some coaxing from Serena, it joined her Jigglypuff and Nidorina in a battle. Misty's Psyduck and Cubone were the only Pokemon not in a battle or some type of training right now. Cubone was really young so it had an excuse and watched curiously from Serena's arms. Psyduck merely stood and watched the scene with its hands on its head.

"Psyduck. Don't you want to join in on the training?" Misty asked it as she went over and knelt down next to it.

"Psy?" it questioned and gave Misty a clueless expression.

"You have to train if you want to be strong. Wouldn't it be awesome if you could use those cool Psychic attacks that you used at the Power Plant any time you wanted?" Misty tried again while smiling at it.

"Duck," it replied before going over and interrupting the battle between Primeape, Hitmonlee, and Charmeleon. It made a pose and flexed its muscles to show them how strong it was.

The three bigger Pokemon glanced at each other before looming over Psyduckk, ready to take it on. Psyduck immediately felt its bravery leave it and sweatdropped.

"Psy aye aye!" it cried in fear before running back over to Misty and hugged her leg in a death grip.

Misty sighed. "Psyduck, I didn't mean you have to fight all of the bigger Pokemon. Start off with Pokemon your own size."

"Psy?" it questioned again.

"Why do I even bother?" Misty muttered as she placed her hand over her forehead in frustration.

The group spent all afternoon training their Pokemon and had some much need quality time with them. Evening was now approaching, and the group decided to call it a day. As they were walking in, Brock had an idea.

"Hey, Ash. Serena," he said to them, causing the two to turn towards him.

"What's up, Brock?" Ash asked.

"A great way for you guys to train the Pokemon you haven't used as much yet would be to have a Pokemon battle with each other. Not a physical only fight like at the Saffron City fighting dojo. It can be a real battle. Ash can use Hitmonlee while Serena can use Hitmonchan. I bet you could get some battles in with Haunter and Muk, too."

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Misty chimed in. "I've always wanted to watch you two face each other in a real battle!"

Serena and Ash exchanged glances with each other. Brock and Misty were right. They had never had a true Pokemon battle before. It would be a great way to test each other's strengths and weaknesses as Pokemon trainers and a good way to introduce their newer Pokemon to battling. After they had grown closer since Ash's birthday, they figured they might was well have a Pokemon battle with each other. They nodded at each other and smiled at Misty and Brock.

"Definitely!" they said at the same time.

"I'm going to go over and phone Professor Oak right now!" Ash said enthusiastically as he went over to the video phone, the others following suit.

Ash quickly dialed the number to Professor Oak's lab, and after a few rings, the Pokemon Professor picked up the phone. He had a book beside him that he was clearly reading so Ash knew he wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Hey, Professor Oak!" Ash and Serena greeted with a smile.

"Ah! Ash! Serena! Hello!" Professor Oak responded with a wave of the hand he wasn't using to hold the phone.

"Chuuuu!" Pikachu waved.

"Ah! Hello to you, too, Pikachu! I see your arm is all healed up! That is fantastic!" Professor Oak commented.

"Hey, Professor Oak! I was wondering if you could send over Muk, Hitmonchan, and Haunter!" Ash asked.

"I'd be very happy to, Ash, but you already have six Pokemon with you. You will need to send three over here before I can send them to you," Professor Oak answered.

"Oh, right," Ash remembered. He then thought about which Pokemon he could send over. He didn't really want to be away from any of his Pokemon.

Seeing the trainer's dilemma, the Pokemon professor decided to make a suggestion. "Here's an idea, Ash. I have some various Pokemon here at my lab that are in a feud right now. From what I hear, Bulbasaur is an excellent peacemaker. Why don't you send it over so it can sort out the feud while you are using your other Pokemon? As for the other two, how about Charmeleon and Primeape? You told me they are always eager to battle new opponents. There is no doubt they could find some new, strong Pokemon to challenge here."

"I guess that makes sense," Ash replied as he unclipped Charmeleon, Primeape, and Bulbasaur's pokeballs from his belt to place them on the transporter.

Then, out of nowhere, Muk appeared behind Professor Oak and tackled him.

"Muuuuuuk!" it exclaimed as Haunter appeared in front of the screen and waved before making a funny face at Ash.

Ash laughed. "Hey there, Haunter! I see you still love your jokes!"

"Indeed," Professor Oak said somewhat tiredly as he got off the ground and appeared in front of the screen again. "Your Haunter has no trouble keeping the Pokemon here entertained, and Muk is still as affectionate as ever. Hitmonchan has adapted into the crew quite well. It is a very determined Pokemon and spends all day training to be better."

"Glad to now they are doing okay!" Ash replied happily while Serena, Brock, and Misty smiled.

Professor Oak then returned Haunter and Muk their pokeballs before going to get Hitmonchan's pokeball. He reappeared about thirty seconds later and placed their pokeballs on the transporter like Ash before him.

"I'm ready to make the exchange when you are, Ash," Professor Oak told him.

Ash nodded and pressed the button on the video phone to begin the transport sequence. His three pokeballs soon disappeared in a bout of electricity while the pokeballs on Professor Oak's end did the same. They soon reappeared on the other end.

"I got their pokeballs, Professor," Ash informed Oak.

"Your other Pokemon made it safely over here, as well," Professor Oak reported while holding up the pokeballs on the other end.

"Great! So I guess I will talk to you later, Professor Oak!" Ash said.

"Good! Take care, everyone! Call anytime you need something!" Professor Oak waved before the screen shut off.

Ash decided it was a good idea to go ahead and release his three Pokemon that just got transferred to let them know what's ahead. The Pokemon appeared from their pokeballs and looked up at Ash expectantly.

"Hey, guys! I know we've never had a proper battle with each other before, but tomorrow will change that! You're going to get your first battle with me tomorrow! I can't wait to see how well you all do," Ash said excitedly.

"Muuuuuuk!" Muk exclaimed enthusiastically as it tackled Ash into a hug like it did for Professor Oak.

"Haaaaaunter!" Haunter laughed as it floated over to Ash.

"Chaaaaan!" Hitmonchan nodded as it leaped into the air with its fists in an upward strike at an invisible opponent.

Ash's friends watched the scene in amusement. It would be quite interesting to watch them all battle tomorrow. Serena looked at her own pokeball that contained Hitmonlee and gave a smile She was anxious to have a real battle with it since that was the Pokemon she has used the least so far.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight right now. Everyone in the group had gone to bed except for one person. Serena and her Pokemon were still up and working in the kitchen of the Pokemon Center. She had her Charla, Nidorina, Jigglypuff, Oddish, and Eevee out of their pokeballs while Hitmonlee was meditating so it would be well rested for tomorrow. Cubone was sleeping in Ash's bed with him and Pikachu for tonight. Serena hummed pleasantly to herself while she placed the cookie dough on the baking sheet and placed small chocolate chips on them.<p>

"Nido," Nidorina muttered quietly as it went up to the cookie dough and wanted an early taste while Serena's back was turned. It was just about to take one when Serena turned back around and caught it. It looked away in a guilty manner, but Serena smiled.

"Heehee! If you wanted a taste, all you had to do was ask, Nidorina," Serena giggled as she scraped a piece from the bowl the cookie dough was previously in with a spoon and fed it to the food loving Pokemon.

"Nido!" it said happily as it ate the raw but yummy treat.

Jigglypuff, Charla, Oddish, and Eevee saw this and looked up expectantly at Serena.

"Of course you four can have some cookie dough, as well!" Serena said as she got some more leftover cookie dough and gave it to them.

She then placed the pan in the oven and set it to the appropriate temperature. She put her index finger over her mouth to her other Pokemon to indicate they needed to be quiet. The Pokemon understood and nodded at her request.

"I really hope they like these cookies. This is first thing I'm making all by myself," Serena mumbled to herself.

* * *

><p>Serena and Ash were standing on opposite ends of the battle field. Brock was in the center to judge, and Misty was off to the side to watch and had Cubone in her arms to take care of while Serena was battling. Everyone was eager to see how this battle would play out.<p>

Serena gave Ash a wink before saying, "I'm ready when you are, Ash!"

Ash smiled back. "I'm ready right now! Go Hitmonchan!" he yelled to release the fighting Pokemon. Hitmonchan appeared and began pretending to box invisible opponents

"I'll use Hitmonlee, then!" Serena yelled as she released her fighting type. Unlike Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee took a deep breath and got into a meditative stance for preparation.

"A match between Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan. This should be interesting," Misty commented from the side. "Those two seem like total opposites. Hitmonchan seems like a very hot-blooded Pokemon, and Hitmonlee is calm and collected.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone rooted for both of its parents from Misty's arms.

"Okay. This is a one-on-one battle between Ash and Serena. There will be no time limit. Each trainer will use one Pokemon to battle the other. Begin!" Brock announced as he waved both of his hands down.

"Hitmonchan! Let's see your Mega Punch!" Ash hollered.

"Counter that with your Mega Kick, Hitmonlee!" Serena shouted.

Hitmonchan dashed forwards at top speed, eager to get the first strike in. Hitmonlee appeared to be a sitting duck! It was still in its meditative stance! Hitmonchan continued to advance upon the kicking fiend until it was right in front it. It immediately brought its fist forward for the Mega Punch, but at the last second, Hitmonlee jumped out of the way and swung its right leg around. Hitmonlee's foot connected with Hitmonchan's fist. Soon, both Pokemon were struggling to overpower the other. Realizing they were equally matched, both Pokemon leaped back and stared at the other intently.

"Try your Fire Punch!" Ash called to it.

Hitmonchan once more dashed forward. It reared its fist back, and it became enveloped in fire, but Serena knew how she could dodge it.

"Use Rolling Kick, Hitmonlee!" she countered.

Hitmonlee ran forward towards Hitmonchan, its legs extending as it did so. Once the two opposing Pokemon reached each other, Hitmonchan swung its fiery fist forward Hitmonle, but Hitmonlee rolled underneath it and swung its leg upward, hitting Hitmonchan right in the face. Hitmonchan still had its fist moving, though. It continued on and smashed Hitmonlee in the face while it was on the ground. Both Pokemon reared back in pain and took several steps back from each other before facing the other again.

"Use High Jump Kick!" Serena yelled.

"Sky Uppercut!" Ash yelled, as well.

Hitmonlee got a running start and leaped high into the air with its foot extended. Hitmonchan also ran forward and shot into the air with its fist glowing. Hitmonchan was coming from underneath Hitmonlee and knocked it right in the stomach. Hitmonlee gave a gasp of pain before finishing its move. It got a determined look and brought its foot down right on top of Hitmonchan's head. The punchy Pokemon was sent sailing straight towards the ground and landed hard on its back. Hitmonlee landed slightly more gracefully on its hands and knees but still winced from the recent punch to the stomach. Hitmonchan slowly sat up from the ground before bringing its fists up once more, indicating it was still ready to fight. Hitmonlee made a back stance before putting its arms up defensively.

"Great job getting up, Hitmonchan!" Ash praised. "Since Hitmonlee's faster, try your Mach Punch!"

Before Serena or Hitmonlee could even blink, Hitmonchan appeared in front of Hitmonlee and delivered a swift punch across the face. Hitmonlee reeled back but retaliated by kneeing Hitmonchan in the stomach, surprising the punchy Pokemon and sending it doubling over in pain now that it had the wind knocked out of it. Serena saw her chance.

"Awesome, Hitmonlee! Use Mega Kick once more!" Serena called.

"Try and get out of the way, Hitmonchan!" Ash yelled.

Hitmonchan was still gasping when Hitmonlee's foot connected right into its torso, Hitmonchan managed one more punch at Hitmonlee's face before it was sent sailing backwards. Both Pokemon landed on the ground face up. They struggled back on their feet before staring each other into the eye and panting. Unfortunately, Hitmonchan fell to the ground once more and didn't get up.

"Hitmonchan is unable to battle. The victory goes to Serena and Hitmonlee!" Brock judged.

"That was great, Hitmonlee! Thank you!" Serena cheered.

"Leeee," Hitmonlee breathed calmly before going back to a meditative stance.

Serena then smiled apologetically at Ash about his Hitmonchan, but he reassured her with a thumbs-up that everything was okay.

Ash and Pikachu walked over to Hitmonchan and helped it up to its feet. Hitmonchan looked slightly hurt that it lost its first battle, but Ash gave it a reassuring pat on the back before speaking. "Hey Hitmonchan. That was a great battle. It doesn't matter if you won or lost. You proved to me that you are a great Pokemon, and I can't wait to use you more in the future!"

"Chan?" Hitmonchan questioned as it looked up at Ash hopefully.

"You bet! I'm proud to have a Pokemon like you on my team! What do say that we become stronger together?" Ash said to it.

Hitmonchan nodded before looking over at Hitmonlee, still in its meditative stance. It walked over to it and held out its boxing glove for a handshake. Hitmonlee opened its eyes and stared at the open gesture for a moment before reaching out and slowly shaking the other Pokemon's hand. Hitmonlee then jerked Hitmonchan to the ground and went back to its meditative stance. It then looked at Hitmonchan and nodded its head to indicate it wanted the punchy Pokemon to do the same. Hitmonchan closed its eyes and tried to relax its mind, but being the hot blooded Pokemon it was, it couldn't take being quiet for so long and groaned loudly in exasperation. Hitmonlee sighed. They would need to work on that.

"Well, I think that those two will be able to get along just fine," Ash told Serena as he walked over to her.

"Yeah," Serena agreed as she smiled at Ash.

Misty watched the two interacting with their Pokemon and realized they were attempting to form a bond with all of them. She wished she could say the same for her. Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen she all knew very well. She even had managed to bond with her annoying Psyduck on some occasions. There was just one Pokemon she hadn't really made the effort to connect with yet, her Magikarp.

The last time she had really attempted to use it was back in Celadon City to explore for clues in the murky water, but recalled it in annoyance once she realized it didn't know how to swim. Deciding that she had been unfair to Magikarp so far, Misty decided she would attempt to teach Magikarp how to swim herself, and she would do it today.

* * *

><p>Ash had both his Muk and Haunter out of their pokeballs. They were training with each other at the moment while Ash issued commands and Serena, Pikachu, Cubone, and Brock watched from the side. It turned out that they were both quite skilled. Muk's sludge body made it a defensive tank against physical attacks, and Haunter's playful nature and ghostly body made it a very tricky Pokemon to go up against. The raven-haired boy had no doubt that he was going to be using more of them in the future. His Fuchsia City gym battle was coming up, and he vowed he was going to use at least one of his new Pokemon in the battle. He just hadn't decided on who yet. It would depend on what the gym leader used.<p>

Misty was by a small lake a short distance from the group. She released her Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen from their pokeballs. The three Pokemon appeared from their pokeballs and looked up expectantly at their trainer. Misty kneeled down by the water's edge before speaking to them.

"Hey, you three. I'm about to release Magikarp to try to teach it how to swim properly. I need all of you to hold it above the water as best as you can during this time. I'm not afraid of it drowning because it's a fish, but I don't want it to just sink, either," she told them, receiving a nod from them.

"Okay, Magikarp! Come on out!" she said

Magikarp appeared in the water and immediately began flailing around in the water as it tried to stay afloat. It slowly began to sink, but it was soon held up by Misty's other Pokemon.

"Magikarp, I need you to watch my other Pokemon, in particular Goldeen since it's a fish Pokemon, also. I want you to try to copy their movements to the best of your ability. I bet you will be swimming in no time," Misty said.

"Karp! Karp!" it replied.

Goldeen then began moving gracefully around the water, exaggerating its movements so Magikarp could get a good glimpse at the proper motions for swimming. Once Goldeen was done, it paused and looked at Magikarp to indicate it wanted the red fish to copy it.

Magikarp slowly wiggled away from Staryu and Starmie and began swimming towards Goldeen. However, it only managed to swim a few feet before it began to sink again. Staryu and Starmie immediately went over to it and held it above the water again.

"That's okay, Magikarp. If at first you don't succeed, just try again," Misty encouraged with a smile, before she heard a voice behind her.

"Hey, Misty. Are you training your Magikarp?" Brock asked as he came up next to her.

"Yeah," Misty replied as she turned back to Magikarp, who attempted to swim again only to sink a few seconds later. "If I'm going to be a worthy Cerulean gym leader, it's only natural that I should train all of my Pokemon. I've been neglecting Magikarp over my other Pokemon lately because it can't swim, but it deserves to be loved, also."

"I see," Brock said as he nodded his head.

"The only problem is when I first got Magikarp from that salesman, I had no idea training it would be this hard. I expected it to gain experience just like my others even though I knew Magikarp were some of the toughest Pokemon to raise properly. Even worse is I let my temper get the best of me at Psyduck or Magikarp's antics. I say they are annoying me or giving me a headache. I love all my Pokemon, but it is a terrible thing to say to them," Misty berated herself.

"Just like people, all Pokemon have their flaws or quirks," Brock pointed out. "In the case of Psyduck or Magikarp, they are more noticeable. Despite that, even they can be worked with to overcome their flaws. I'll admit, Psyduck and Magikarp may not act like the sharpest Pokemon in the world, but they still love you."

Just then, Misty's pokeball shook and Psyduck popped out with a cry of "Psy aye aye!"

"Psyduck! What are you doing out of your pokeball?! I didn't want…"Misty started, but stopped herself. She was doing the very thing she confessed to Brock. She gave a huge breath before smiling at Psyduck. "Hey there, Psyduck. I guess you wanted to be outside with all of my Pokemon instead of being in your pokeball."

"Psy," it replied as it went to Misty and hugged her leg affectionately.

"See, what did I tell you?" Brock smiled.

"I really do owe you an apology, Psyduck," Misty said as she kneeled down and rubbed Psyduck on the head. It really seemed to like Misty rubbing it and relaxed. For such a hot-tempered girl, Misty had a surprisingly soft touch.

Misty then looked over to Magikarp and called out to it, "I should apologize to you, as well, Magikarp. I haven't been giving you the best attention either."

"Karp?" it questioned as it leaned slightly in the water.

"You and Psyduck are just as superb as my other Pokemon. It's because of my poor judgment and quick temper that I couldn't see that. I promise that things will be different between us from now on. I just ask that you both forgive me," Misty said as she closed her eyes and tears began to fall from them.

Magikarp stared at its trainer for moment with the same blank look on its face. This was the first heart to heart meeting it's had with Misty so far. Magikarp had to admit that it was a little jealous of Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen. They were much more capable in battle and smarter than it could ever be. Misty was finally taking the initiative to teach it how to swim, and even apologizing to it and Psyduck. It wasn't going to let her down!

With a mighty push, it squirmed out of Staryu and Starmie's grasp and began to swim, little by little towards Misty.

"Misty! Look!" Brock said excitedly as he pointed his index finger towards the fish Pokemon.

Misty opened her eyes and gasped when she saw that Magikarp was actually swimming towards her. It was a little wobbly, but swimming nevertheless!

"That's great, Magikarp!" Misty cheered happily as the fish Pokemon got closer to her. When it was in arm's reach, she reached out and grabbed it before lifting it in the air above her head.

"Karp!" it said happily.

"You did so well! I'm so proud of you!" Misty smiled as she gave it a hug.

"Psy?" Psyduck remarked as it looked up at the scene.

"Of course, Psyduck. You can have a hug, too," Misty said with a mock roll of her eyes before kneeling down and embracing the duck Pokemon.

Brock, Staryu, Starmie, and Goldeen watched the scene with a smile on their face (for Brock and Goldeen). It seemed Misty had finally found her connection with Psyduck and Magikarp. Those three would undoubtedly only grow closer from now on.

Ash and Serena happened to notice Misty hugging Psyduck and Magikarp and stopped their training to watch the heartwarming scene.

_"Well done, Misty. I knew you could find it in your heart to bond with those two,_" Ash thought.

* * *

><p>It was nighttime once again at the Pokemon Center. Knowing this was their final stop before civilization in Fuchsia City, the group decided to spend one more night there. It would be nothing but traveling after this. They were currently in the lobby chatting among one another.<p>

"I think this turned out to be a pretty eventful day," Brock commented. Currently, he was seated next to Misty while Ash and Serena were sitting on another couch opposite of them. Brock noticed they were sitting a lot closer than usual to each other, but didn't say anything about it.

"I'll say!" Serena smiled. "Ash and I had a great first battle, and Misty finally found her click with Psyduck and Magikarp!"

"You make it sound like I hated them," Misty muttered.

"Well…," Ash began, but the look Misty gave him immediately made him close his mouth.

Before another fight could take place and ruin the good atmosphere, Serena decided now would be a good time for her bring out her cookies for everyone. She slowly reached into her backpack and brought four bags of cookies wrapped in a neat cloth and presented them to the others.

"What have you got there, Serena?" Ash asked curiously. Something was telling him it was food, though. That was always a good sign.

"I made cookies for everyone as a small celebration," Serena answered. "They to for Pikachu's recovery from its broken arm mostly, but everything else that has happened make these appropriate, as well!"

"Wow! That was really nice! Did you make those cookies yourself?" Misty asked.

"Yes I did!" Serena replied happily, but then added, "Well, my Pokemon helped a little bit last night."

She then stood up and handed a bag to Brock, Misty, Ash, and kept one for herself. She then handed a smaller cloth to Pikachu and Cubone so they could share. The Pokemon didn't object to this as there were still plenty for each of them.

The group unwrapped the cloth and began to munch on the cookies. Brock gave a nod to Serena before swallowing the first bite and giving his expert opinion.

"These turned out really great Serena. They have the perfect amount of moisture in them so they aren't too hard, and the chocolate chips are placed perfectly so there isn't an overwhelming taste of just cookie or chocolate. Everything is well balanced. My compliments to you, Serena. This was really good your first time."

"Thank you, Brock!" Serena said happily. She was glad that her cooking teacher approved of the cookies. Now there was just a certain person on her right whose opinion she really wanted.

"How are my cookies, Ash?" she asked.

"They're awesome!" Ash exclaimed as he continued to devour them one by one.

Serena face-faulted but quickly recovered. She supposed that was as good an answer as she could get from Ash. He was never one to critique food like Brock. As long as it tasted good, that was good enough for Ash. On the positive side, Ash was eating the cookies very quickly so Serena figured that meant they were exceptional. She was feeling very pleased with herself that she succeeded in making something herself for the very first time. She smiled as she continued to watch Ash chomp on the cookies before enjoying one herself. It had definitely been a good day.

* * *

><p>"Oh my goodness! Cinnabar Island is even lovelier than what I've seen in pictures!" Delia exclaimed as she excitedly looked over the boat and saw the large island in the distance. She couldn't wait soak in the hot springs they offered there and just plain relax. As the boat pulled into the harbor, Delia began to let her mind wander towards what a great family she had now.<p>

"I have such a wonderful son in Ash," Delia muttered happily to herself. She was so glad that Ash had taken after his father more than her. It had been her husband who truly changed her for the better from what she once was. When she gave birth to Ash, she had been given the loving family she had always wanted, and she couldn't be happier at the moment.

Still, her past would creep upon her sometimes every time she looked a certain picture in her room. It showed a baby boy in a much younger Delia's arms as she gazed lovingly at it. Her husband was by her side and proudly smiled at the boy, as well. Despite not being the true father of the boy, the man had taken the liberty of taking to raise the boy with her once his real father had come after them. Ash had only seen the photo once and assumed the baby boy was himself. Delia quickly assured Ash it was him before making sure to place the photo away and keep it out of his sight. It was because if Ash took a closer look at the boy, he would realize the baby boy in the photo wasn't himself. He also would have realized his mother and father were much too young for it to possibly be him.

Delia supposed if the baby boy from the photo was still around, he would be twenty one years old right about now. Upon learning the truth of his real father, he had become an extremely bitter and angry boy once he was older. He had run away when he was ten years old to start his own Pokemon journey, vowing to never come back. Despite Delia's struggle to stop him and plead with him, the headstrong, angry boy had left without a second look back. Just as he said, Delia hadn't seen him since then. Delia longed for the day and hoped he would return and give her a second chance as a mother, but she had no idea where he was or how to contact him.

Delia was snapped out of the thoughts of her past as a voice rang out over the intercom. "Attention passengers. We have arrived at the destination of Cinnabar Island. Please enjoy your stay."

Delia gave a smile as the thought of relaxing on Cinnabar Island had cheered her up once again. She picked up her suitcase and made her way down the plank of the ship and onto the dock. She breathed in the beautiful clean air and was surprised at the amount of tourists here. It truly was a paradise for vacationers.

A man followed Delia off the ship several yards behind her. He quickly found a small area behind a few boxes on the dock and kneeled down quickly so he wasn't seen. He then pulled out a communicator on his wristwatch and spoke into it.

"Sir, Delia Ketchum has arrived on Cinnabar Island. Your orders?" he inquired.

"Very good. Cinnabar Island is a very…active island. It would be difficult to do anything while she was there. However, she won't be in a crowd forever. For now, just make sure she doesn't leave your sight," a dark voice said on the other side.

"Yes sir!" the man responded.

If only Delia knew. Her relaxing vacation would be monitored the whole time by Team Rocket.

* * *

><p><strong>I think this is going to be the last or second to last filler chapter I have for the story. Once again, I apologize for it being a little slow paced, but I hope I was able to capture the bonding of everyone that was important in this chapter. The Fuchsia City gym battle is up next and Ash may finally use some of his new Pokemon. See you all next Tuesday with the upload, and don't forget to leave a review. Thanks again!<strong>

**Chapter 34: Koga and Janine of the Fuchsia Gym!**

_Will Paul find out that Giovanni, aside from being a gym leader, is the leader of Team Rocket?_

_**No. He will find out the same time as everyone else.**_

_Will characters like Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor make an appearance?_

_**Yes they will at some point. I'm not sure if it will be Kanto, however. I have to save some characters for later regions, too, after all.**_

_You said you might know what you want Serena to do does it have anything to do with being a Pokemon perfomer like the anime?_

_**It might be. The idea certainly interests me.**_

_Will Gary have any of these Pokémon that his game counterpart is shown to have?_

_**Maybe, but if he doesn't, Blue certainly will. Remember that Blue is Gary's father in this fic and the Kanto region champion.**_

_Are you going to have Serena catch Buneary who likes Pikachu or is Dawn still going to catch Buneary?_

_**Dawn will still get Buneary.**_

_With regards to Ash's mum, will she still be getting Mr mime and at a similar in the canon or will it be earlier?_

_**She will get it around the same time as in canon but for different reasons and a different way.**_

_Will Pike Queen Lucy appear?_

_**Yes, but not until the Kanto Battle Frontier.**_

_In your time skip story, do you think that perhaps you could list off the Pokémon that Ash, Serena, and many of the other characters in your stories have gained through the years?_

_**Yes. That was one of things I was going to do.**_

_Is Miette still going to attempt to flirt with Ash to motivate Serena to kick up her game more?_

_**She might, but Serena mostly knows Miette isn't serious with her flirts so she may not feel any real threat from her anymore.**_

_What will the future villainous teams of Magma, Aqua, and Galactic be like, if you've already thought ahead about those things? Will they be as dangerous as Team Rocket and take no prisoner?_

_**They will definitely be as dangerous as Team Rocket, but maybe not the extremes of them since Team Rocket is technically a terrorist organization. Magma and Aqua will be slightly different from canon, but still have the same goals. Think more of their Omega Ruby/ Alpha Sapphire personalities if you have seen the trailer. As for Team Plasma and Team Flare, they will be in this series, too. I won't reveal where, when, or how they appear, though. I have a special story arc lined up for those teams that I think everyone will enjoy.**_

_Will Ash and friends encounter a female villainess, either working solo or for Teams Rocket, Magma, Aqua, or Galactic (I'm going to assume you won't add in Plasma or Flare since you mentioned not adding Unova and Kalos), that would sexually molest (possibly rape) Ash in front of Serena and pretty much turn on her anger/revenge meter to the red zone?_

_**Something like that is up for debate. I don't particularly want to write about something like that due how controversial it is. If something like that happens, it won't be shown in writing. It will just be implied off text. As far as Serena's anger/revenge goes, yeah. If something like that were to ever happen I'm sure Serena would be super angry. However, it would be OOC of Serena to act on revenge in the red zone. She is too sweet natured to think of something like that.**_

_Will you write a chapter where Ash or Serena (not both of them) ends up getting seperated from the group?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will you write something like the "Victory Road" that appears in the games? and if yo do so, will appear there a legendary Pokemon_?

_**There will be something like that, but it won't be like the games. As far as a legendary Pokemon being there, maybe.**_

_Also you should totally do and If I Stay pokemon amourshipping with Serena taking the place of Mia?_

_**? ? ? ? ? ?  
><strong>_

_Would there be a way for you to update sooner?_

_**No, unless I want to neglect work, family, and friends. Once a week is a good and steady update schedule.**_

_Will Serena be mistakenly challenge at a Gym Battle in any of your arc stories? There are a few..."interesting" Gym Leaders out there._

_**Yes. There are few interesting ones. With regards to your question, she might do something like that, but she will definitely battle a few gym leaders regardless at some point.**_

_Will they find their way around the regions easier than on the show?_

_**Yes. They have Brock's map and a Pokegear. They will be fine.**_

_About Duplica you can have appear the in/near saffron she is based on the copy cat girl?  
><em>

_**I don't have any plans for Duplica to be in this story at the moment.**_

_Can you do a ash x shauna one please?_

_**If you mean as a separate story, I might in the future. What I really want to do is write a fanfiction based off of the Pokemon Special manga after I finish this series. I already have a couple of ideas floating around in my head for one. I just want to focus on one story at a time to ensure I can finish them.**_

_Aside from Butterfree, have you decided if there are any other Pokemon Ash will release?_

_**There is one other I can think of at the moment, but it will be necessary. There won't be any more releases in Kanto or possibly Orange Islands (depends on if I have Ash keep Lapras). The next release won't be until late Johto or Hoenn.**_

_By the time they return to Saffron city, will Sabrina's Kadabra have evolved again into Alakazam?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Just for the sake of giving us a rough estimate of when Ash and Serena's Charmeleons evolve, will they be at their Charizard stage by the time the group gets to Cinnabar Island?_

_**No, but they will be Charizard soon after.**_

_I know you won't spoil which Pokémon Ash and Serena will catch when they get to the Safari Zone, but how many do you plan to have them catch there?_

_**Ash: 2**_

_**Serena: 1 (she catches a Pokemon in Seafoam Islands also)**_

_**Brock: 1**_

_**Misty: 0 (she catches a Pokemon in Seafoam Islands to make up for it, though)**_

_**I don't want the group to catch too many Pokemon per region. Otherwise, I won't be able write about them all and give them enough time to flesh out their personalities or have the group bond with them.**_

_Ash is only going to catch 1 Tauros at the Safari Zone rather than an entire herd, right?_

_**Correct.**_

_When the fic moves over to the Johto arc, will there be a skip in time, or will it start right where the Kanto arc leaves off?_

_**There will be no time skip in between regions, other than like a week or something. The only true time skip is between Sinnoh and the final story.**_

_Are they on their way to Fuchsia City before going back to Saffron City?_

_**Fuchsia City. I already explained that Ash is going to get stronger by facing other gyms before having a rematch with Serena. He will rechallenge her for his seventh badge. It's just something divergent from canon that I'm doing.**_

_Will Cubone get a poke ball or will it be like Larvitar._

_**It will eventually get its own pokeball when it grows up.**_

_Hey I was wondering who will evolve first Charla or Ash's Charmeleon?_

_**They will evolve at the same time.**_

_Will Pikachu, Sceptile, Charizard and other of his pokemon retain their legendary molesting powers?_

_**At this point in the series, no. They might much later on when Ash is a much stronger trainer.  
><strong>_

_Will Ash face Mewtwo before or after the Kanto league?_

**_Before, but after he gets all 8 badges._**


	34. Koga and Janine of the Fuchsia Gym!

**A/N: Welcome to the real chapter 34 everyone! I think it turned out very well for how I wanted it. I'm sure you guys will really like the ending to this chapter. Why? Read and find out! Also enjoy the sassy side of Serena that many of you will see this chapter, despite how brief it is. Please enjoy. I deleted all responses to the author's note as I said I would, but I still read them so fear not.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 34: Koga and Janine of the Fuchsia Gym!<p>

After a whole month of traveling on the road with only a few Pokemon Centers along the way, the group had finally reached Fuchsia City. Unlike the other cities the group had been to so far, Fuchsia City seemed to be heavily influenced by Japanese culture. All of the buildings were in the classic Japanese style. Aside from being home to Ash's next gym battle and Serena's Battle Chateau challenge, Fuchsia City also had many attractions and festivals.

"Ah, Fuchsia City! It has some of the cleanest air out of all of the cities in Kanto!" Misty said as she took in a huge whiff.

"That's because rather than cars and roadways here, Fuchsia City is well-known for its greenery and wildlife. People also use more bicycles or walking for travel here. The reason why this city has such a healthy lifestyle is because of the Safari Zone and zoos here," Brock explained.

"So they need to keep the place clean so it's healthy for all of the Pokemon here," Ash stated.

"Right," Brock confirmed with a nod.

"Oh, I would love to go to a festival, here" Misty commented as she clasped her hands together.

"That does sound like fun, Misty," Serena smiled before turning to Ash. "Do you want to go to one, Ash?"

"Sure. Why not?" Ash shrugged.

"We're in luck. The guidebook says that there is the annual Pokemon Trainer's festival is in two days at the city square. We can attend that one," Brock spoke up as he looked through the helpful book.

"Awesome! Let's head to the Pokemon Center first. I can have my gym match tomorrow, and we can go to the festival the next day!" Ash suggested as they made their way there.

"You sure are eager Ash," Misty commented with a smile.

"Of course! This will be my first gym battle since Saffron City. I've done a lot of training with my Pokemon since then so I want to prove that it's paid off!" Ash replied.

* * *

><p>"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried as he immediately ran towards her and grabbed her by the hands once the group was in the Pokemon Center.<p>

"Hello. What can I do for you?" Nurse Joy asked nervously.

"What can you do for me?" Brock repeated slyly. "You could go on a date and later marry me!"

"What?!" Nurse Joy exclaimed before Brock was grabbed by the ear from Misty and dragged off.

"Dragging you away by the ear is something that I can do for you," Misty muttered as she pulled him along.

"Not the ear again…" Brock mumbled in pain.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. We are just here to have our Pokemon checked out," Serena said as she and Ash approached the desk. They were completely unfazed by Brock's advances by now.

The only one member of the group who seemed to be confused was Cubone. This human was undoubtedly nice and a great cook for Pokemon food, but what was this strange behavior all about?

"Certainly," Nurse Joy replied as she took Cubone, Pikachu and the rest of their pokeballs. She then handed them to Chansey who moved them in to the backroom on a table.

"While we're here, Nurse Joy, I was wondering if you could tell me what types of Pokemon the gym leader uses. That way, I can figure out which Pokemon to use when I challenge it," Ash said politely.

"Of course. The gym leader here is well trained in the ways of a ninja and uses poison-type Pokemon," Nurse Joy responded.

"Hmmm, a ninja who uses poison-types," Ash muttered thoughtfully as he put his finger to his chin.

"I hope it's a really pretty girl ninja," Brock gushed while his face was as red as tomato.

"Get over yourself, Brock!" Misty scowled.

"So which Pokemon do you think you are going to use, Ash?" Serena asked him.

"It's a tough decision. Pidgeotto would be an effective Pokemon to use, but I really want to use some of my newer Pokemon. Haunter and Muk have neither an advantage or disadvantage so I can use them depending on how many Pokemon the gym leader wants to use. I'm not sure how effective Hitmonchan will be against poison-types, though," Ash muttered as he looked sadly at Hitmonchan's pokeball.

"I see," Serena replied while nodding her head in understanding. "Even if you don't use it in this gym, there is nothing stopping you from using it during the next gym."

"Yeah," Ash agreed before addressing Hitmonchan's pokeball, "I promise. You are going to have your first gym battle really soon, Hitmonchan."

* * *

><p>It was now nighttime in Fuchsia City, and the group had taken to explore the sights for a little bit. As expected, it was very lively and riddled with Japanese culture. There were booths set up all in a line all across from each other selling an assortment of food and offering other activities. Ash and Serena wasted no time in going straight for some of the delicious food while Brock and Misty decided to look at different kimono outfits at a particular stall.<p>

"I bet I would look really cute in this," Misty commented while she looked a particular one over.

"You should try it on, Misty," Brock told her.

"Oh, I don't know," Misty blushed before her pokeball opened up and Psyduck popped out.

Although slightly annoyed that Psyduck once more came out of its pokeball without permission, Misty smiled at and knelt down to be more eye-level with it. "What is it, Psyduck?" she asked kindly.

"Psy," it replied while pointing at the kimono.

"You want me to try it on, too?" Misty asked, receiving a nod from the yellow duck.

"See, even Psyduck thinks so," Brock encouraged while folding his arms.

"Well, I guess so," Misty said slowly as she took it off the hanger and went behind a folded curtain to change.

Meanwhile, Ash and Serena were staring at the various types of sushi in hunger. Ash immediately went to grab for a piece of sushi with his hand, but it was soon slapped away by Serena.

"Ash, you should know better. Use chopsticks to grab sushi instead of your hands," Serena scolded slightly.

"Right. I guess I got carried away," Ash said sheepishly before getting a pair from a stack off to the side.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu poked at Ash's shoulder once Ash began eating the sushi.

"Oh? You want some to, Pikachu?" Ash asked the rodent, receiving a nod in the affirmative.

Ash handed a piece to Pikachu who promptly put it in its mouth. The rodent chewed and smiled at the great flavor, but something was wrong.

"Chaaaaa!" Pikachu cried as it begin running around in circles frantically.

"Sorry buddy. I accidentally gave you the extra spicy kind," Ash said apologetically.

Pikachu quit running and glared at Ash. Ash could tell by the look Pikachu was giving him that he would be in for a Thundershock later.

"This sushi is delicious! Here is some for you, Cubone!" Serena smiled as she gave some to the baby Pokemon.

"Cubone!" it exclaimed in delight once it tasted the food.

"I bet Nidorina would like to try some, as well!" Serena commented as she released the food loving Pokemon.

"Nidorina!" it cried before looking at the sushi in Serena's hands and smiling.

"Here. Why don't you try some, Nidorina?" Serena asked it while holding out her hand.

Nidorina immediately began eating the food from Serena's hand but as usual, was a little too eager.

"Don't take my fingers along with it!" Serena laughed as the poison-pin Pokemon finished.

"Psy aye aye," Psyduck muttered as it wandered over to the group.

"Oh hey, Psyduck," Ash greeted once they saw it.

"Why aren't you with Misty?" Serena asked.

"Psy," it replied as it pointed to a folding curtain a short distance away where Brock was waiting.

Soon, Misty emerged from the behind the curtain somewhat shyly wearing the Kimono outfit. She also had her hair down out of the usual side ponytail. She then made her way over to Ash and Serena, followed by Brock. She did a slight pose for the group before asking their opinion.

"Hey. How do I look?" she asked nervously.

"You look lovely, Misty," Brock answered.

"Like a real kimono girl!" Serena added.

"Yeah…," Ash trailed. Out of all the time he's known Misty, he had no idea she could ever look so…feminine. It was a nice change of pace from her usual tomboyish attitude.

Serena noticed Ash's face and frowned slightly. She really wished Ash would look at her like that more often. She soon told herself to relax as she knew Ash and Misty were just friends and didn't hold any special feelings for each other.

"Psy aye aye!" Psyduck yelled as it turned red and fell over on its back.

"Uh, Psyduck?" Misty asked it.

"Hahaha! I think Psyduck's fainted due to how great you looked," Brock told her.

"That goofy duck," Misty commented but smiled nonetheless.

"Attention, everyone. Our traditional kimono dance this month will be performed by our very own Janine in five minutes! Please make your way over to the stage at the front," a male's voice said over the intercom.

"That sounds like fun!" Serena exclaimed.

"I agree. The way all of the girls move while dancing is so alluring," Brock commented.

Once the group had made their way over to the outside stage, it was apparent there weren't any seats available to sit in. They managed to get in front of everyone and stood the closest to the stage so they had the best view.

By the time the lights on the stage dimmed and the curtain rose. Behind the curtain was a young girl with shoulder length dark purple hair. She wore a traditional black kimono outfit with matching black sandals. She stood in a pose to where she had one fan in each hand. One was outstretched and the other one was covering her face. She then gracefully moved the fan away from her face to reveal brown eyes and a lovely smile before she began to dance.

"That must be Janine," Ash mumbled to himself. "That's a really pretty looking…"

"_Huh?!" _ Serena thought as she looked at Ash in alarm.

"…dress," Ash finished, causing the honey-blonde girl to sigh with relief. At least he didn't mention her attractiveness on appearance.

Janine continued the dance as everyone watched her movements. Her moves were so mysterious and intriguing, yet so beautiful. It was clear Janine must have undergone much practice in order to get the dance just right. She then began to move towards the group until she was just in front of Ash, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. She gave him an alluring smile and a wink before gracefully moving back towards the stage.

Ash turned red at the gesture that Janine had given him. Serena, meanwhile, turned red from the heated glare on her face. She really hoped this girl wasn't trying to flirt with Ash!

The dance went on for a few more minutes before finally ending. Everyone applauded at the superb job Janine had done. As she left the stage, she looked towards the group and gave another wink that Ash could have sworn was directed at him. With that, she disappeared behind the curtain. Ash stood transfixed for moment, staring at the place where Janine had left before Brock waved his hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Ash," Brock called.

Serena had an angry look on her face as she still watched the stage. She couldn't believe that kimono girl had the nerve to flirt with Ash! He even seemed to be affected by it!

"_Oh no, she didn't!_" Serena thought.

The group still ended up having a great night. After Janine had danced, they spent the rest of the evening going through the various booths and eating the delicious food, though Serena was clinging to Ash a little more than she usually did the rest of the time they were there. Ash, who had lost some of his denseness since starting his journey a while back, knew it probably had something to do with Janine but decided not to ask Serena. Ash figured it would be best to just let it be and let her be by him if that made her feel better, not that he minded, of course. He sure was enjoying Serena being next to him all the time. It seemed that no matter what order the group was sitting or walking in, Ash and Serena were next to each other in some way.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day, and the group decided to start things off with Ash's gym battle at Fuchsia City. After losing to Sabrina, Ash was determined to win this gym battle. He trained his Pokemon extra hard this past month and was about to see the results. While he doubted the Fuchsia City gym leader was as cold and emotionless as Sabrina, if worse came to worse, he would make sure to forfeit the match before there were any severe injuries. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice like back in Saffron City.<p>

Just like all of the other buildings in Fuchsia city, with the exception of the Pokemon Center, the Fuchsia gym was definitely a reference to Japanese culture. It seemed all of the gyms the group had been to had their own differences to make them unique. Pewter City's gym looked like a giant boulder. Cerulean City's gym looked like a giant aquarium, and Celadon City's gym looked a like a large shop that sold perfumes. In the case of Fuchsia City's gym, it looked like an ancient Japanese castle.

The group approached the doors, and Ash let out a big sigh before turning to his rodent partner. "Are you ready to win our fifth badge, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika Pi!" it responded with determination.

The group then opened the sliding doors and stepped in. The inside of the gym looked very much like the fighting dojo in Saffron City, just minus the hulking men and a lot bigger. There was no sign of the gym leader, or anyone else for that matter. They figured a place this large would be overflowing with people, but it was quite the opposite.

"Hello?" Ash called as he stepped further into the building. Once again, there was no response.

"I guess we should try looking around," Brock suggested.

Ash nodded continued to walk further into the gym until he bumped into something hard.

"Ooowww," Ash said as he rubbed his nose painfully.

"What's wrong, Ash" Serena asked as the group came up to where he was.

"There's something here that's blocking the way, but I don't see anything," Ash told them in confusion.

"Hmmm," Brock muttered as he brought of his fist and knocked on the hard substance before making his conclusion. "It's an invisible wall."

"Why is there an invisible wall here? Furthermore, if there is one here, how are we supposed to look around?" Ash asked in exasperation.

The group bowed their heads in thought as they tried to figure out what they could do. Misty leaned against a nearby wall for support, and to her great surprise, the wall flipped horizontally which sent her falling to the other side.

"Woah!" Misty cried as she fell through.

"A trick wall…," Brock muttered in thought again as they passed through like Misty before them.

Misty was rubbing her behind painfully as the rest of the group joined her in the room. It looked like this room was no different than the one before it. It was just another large, empty room.

"This place is really weird," Ash said as they looked around the room. "How are we even supposed to find the gym leader if there are invisible walls and trick doors all over the place?!"

His question was soon answered, however. The group heard a cry of "Hiyah!" as a throwing star was thrown right past Ash and Pikachu's faces. It embedded into the wall behind them, causing the two to freeze.

"Woah! What was that?!" Ash asked his rodent partner on his shoulder.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu replied nervously.

"It appears to be a ninja star," Brock replied as he went over to the projectile and pulled in from the wall to inspect it.

Just then, another ninja star flew through the air. It once more sailed right past Ash and Pikachu's faces. Brock yanked his hand out of the way with a cry just in time as the star struck where it was just a second ago.

"Hey! Who's throwing those?!" Ash yelled across the room, but saw no one.

"Hiyah!" a voice soon hollered across the room again.

The group then saw a figure drop down from seemingly nowhere and landed gracefully in a kneeled position. The figure was revealed to be a young girl with dark purple hair tied back in a spiky ponytail and brown eyes. She stood up and smirked at the group. There was something familiar about her. Upon a closer inspection, the group let out a gasp of surprise as they realized she was the girl who danced the previous night!

"Wait! You're that kimono girl! What are you doing here?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I think a better question is what are you doing here?" Janine replied smartly.

"I'm Ash Ketchum! I'm here to challenge the Fuchsia City gym leader for a Soul Badge!" Ash declared.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu added for emphasis.

"A Soul Badge, you say?" Janine smiled slyly as a glint appeared in her eye. "If that's the case, you will have to beat me to get it!"

"You mean _you're _the gym leader of Fuchsia City?!" Ash exclaimed as the rest of the group put on surprised faces.

"That's right! Graceful as a Ninetales, swift as a Rapidash, deadly as a Scyther! The Ninja Janine of Fuchsia City Gym! That's me!" Janine finished with a pose.

"Hey, Brock," Misty whispered in his ear. "Wasn't the Fuchsia gym leader a man named Koga last time I checked?"

"It was," Brock confirmed quietly, as well. "Have we been out of the loop that long since leaving our gyms?"

"Well, Janine! I challenge you to a battle!" Ash stated as he brought out a pokeball.

"I accept your challenge, Ash!" Janine answered with a smile. "It will be a three-on-three Pokemon match! Only you can make substitutions! If you win, the Soul Badge is yours!"

"Sounds good to me!" Ash said with determination.

"If you lose…" Janine added with a smirk and wink, "…you have to go on a date with me!"

Pikachu, Cubone, Misty, Brock, and Serena let out surprised gasps once more at that statement. Ash, on the other hand, looked neutral.

"_She said what?! Is she serious?!" _ Serena thought in panic as her face turned red.

"Um….I guess that would be okay if we hung out," Ash replied with a shrug.

"It's not hanging out, Ash! She means an actual date!" Misty yelled at him.

"Oh….," Ash muttered as he turned red from the awkwardness of the situation. "I guess I don't have a choice because I need the Soul Badge. Going on a date can't be that bad."

"_Wh-wh-what?" _Serena thought as she felt tears come to her eyes, her anger turning to heartbrokenness. Ash was actually agreeing to go out with her?!

Misty happened to see Serena's expression and glared at Ash. "Hey, Ash! For you own sake, you better hope you win!" she yelled.

Ash turned around to face Misty to ask what she meant until he noticed Serena standing next to her. Her extremely upset look was all Ash needed to see before he realized his mistake. He really messed up and didn't think about what he was saying. He knew how special Serena felt about him since his birthday. He couldn't go back on his word with Janine since he already agreed to the terms. Misty was right. He really had to win this one lest he damages his friendship with Serena.

"Ready when you are, Ash!" Janine called.

"Alright! Pidgeotto! I choose you!" Ash called as he released the bird Pokemon.

"Pidgo!" it cried as it got into a battle position.

"A Pidgeotto? I shall choose my Weezing!" Janine declared as she threw forward her pokeball.

Ash had battled a Weezing before against Team Rocket, but he had no doubt that Janine's was a lot more powerful.

"We shall begin our match, now!" Janine announced.

"Alright, use Quick Attack, Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted.

"Dodge it and use Sludge, Weezing!" Janine countered.

Pidgeotto was very fast, but Janine's Weezing still managed to swiftly float out of the way. Pidgeotto soared past Weezing as it turned around and launched the nasty sludge at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto U-turned and got smacked with the gunk right in the middle of the chest which knocked it to the floor.

"That Weezing's a lot faster than I thought it would be," Ash muttered.

"Use Smog, Weezing!" Janine called.

"Get up and blow that smog away, Pidgeotto!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeotto gave a mighty flap of its wings and took off to avoid the Smog attack. It then used Gust to blow away all of the poisonous gas back towards Weezing. Weezing, of course, wasn't affected by the Smog attack.

"Let's try to out speed that Weezing by using Agility!" Ash hollered.

"Use Sludge," Janine yelled

Pidgeotto began flying around the room at breakneck speed. Weezing, however, was able to keep up due to Pidgeotto's linear pattern and continued to use Sludge.

"Make your patterns unpredictable so Weezing can't keep up, Pidgeotto!" Ash told it.

The bird Pokemon than began moving in zigzags all over the room while using Agility. It was going up, down, and spiraling. Weezing was beginning to get dizzy because it couldn't keep up with Pidgeotto's erratic movements.

"Use Wing Attack!" Ash ordered.

Weezing began to frantically look around for Pidgeotto but had lost it. It soon felt a large wing slam right on top of its largest head, but quickly shook itself from the pain.

"Use Smokescreen, Weezing!" Janine called.

"Blow it away like last time!" Ash countered.

Once again, Pidgeotto blew the smoke back towards Weezing.

"I thought you might do that," Janine smiled.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Being a ninja, I train in the many ways of stealth, and I teach my Pokemon this, also. I expected your Pidgeotto to direct the smoke back at Weezing, but since Weezing isn't affected by its own attacks, all you did was conceal its location while Pidgeotto is wide open," Janine explained.

Ash remembered this was similar to the strategy he used against Brock at the Pewter Gym with Pidgeotto all that time ago. He was able to get many hits in because Pidgeotto's location was concealed. Now he was at the receiving end of the trick.

"Be careful, Pidgeotto! Weezing could be anywhere!" Ash warned.

Pidgeotto looked around at the giant smoke cloud, trying to find any source of movement. Then, out of nowhere, a Sludge attack burst from the smoke cloud from Pidgeotto's right, striking it once again. Pidgeotto yelled in pain once more, but managed to stay in the air.

"Finish with Tackle!" Janine yelled once more.

"Try to sense where Weezing is, Pidgeotto!" Ash told it. "Use your abilities to sense for changes in the air flow when Weezing moves!"

Pidgeotto nodded and closed its eyes and focused on nothing but the air around it. So far, it was absolutely still. Pidgeotto knew Weezing would have to move fast if it were to attack it so it would feel the air change when that happened. The absolute silence was pretty unnerving. All there was on the battlefield was Pidgeotto and a giant smoke cloud in front of it. After what felt like an eternity, Pidgeotto felt a whoosh to its right and opened eyes to give Ash the signal.

"Use Steel Wing!" Ash ordered, taking the hint.

A split second later, Weezing emerged from the smoke cloud, charging straight for Pidgeotto. The bird Pokemon reared its right wing back as it glowed white. It then swung it forward and smacked Weezing right in the middle of its larger face. The poison Pokemon went sailing backwards like a baseball that had been hit by a homerun hitter. It slammed into the wall hard and Ash called the finishing attack.

"Finish with Quick Attack!" Ash yelled.

Pidgeotto charged forwards once more and slammed into Weezing with its beak. Weezing then sank to the ground, defeated.

"Your Pidgeotto beat Weezing!" Janine said in amazement.

"Yep! I knew Pidgeotto wouldn't let me down!" Ash smiled as he gave a thumbs up to his bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto hooted happily in response.

"That was smart to use Pidgeotto's skills as a bird to look for changes in air currents to locate Weezing," Brock commented.

"Yeah…," Serena trailed.

Cubone, noticing its "mommy's" distress, gave her a reassuring pat on the arm.

"Thanks, Cubone," Serena weakly smiled and hugged the baby Pokemon.

"Don't worry, Serena. Didn't you say that Ash has never let you down, before? I don't think he will this time, either," Misty said in an attempt to cheer her up.

"I know. It's just…he actually agreed to go on a date with Janine after I told him how I felt about him," Serena mumbled.

"I don't think Ash did it on purpose, Serena," Brock told her. "Knowing Ash, he will definitely find some way to make it up to you. That's just the kind of guy he is."

Janine recalled her Weezing and smiled sadly at it. "Thanks for a great job, Weezing. Take a good rest," she told it. She then looked at Ash. "Your Pidgeotto did very well, but wait until you try my next Pokemon!"

"Pidgeotto and I are ready for anything!" Ash declared.

"Pidgo!" Pidgeotto agreed.

Janine was just about to send out her next Pokemon when a new voice broke out into the room.

"End the battle at once!" the voice ordered.

Everyone in the room turned to where the voice had come from. The owner was revealed to be a middle aged man with tall black hair ending in spikes. He wore a dark robe and had a calm yet serious expression on his face. Upon seeing the man, Janine instantly looked guilty and looked down at the floor.

"Um, excuse me, sir, but we are in the middle of a very important match. I'm attempting to win a Soul Badge from the gym leader," Ash said.

"That is not the gym leader of Fuchsia City," the man stated, earning a gasp of surprise from the group. "That is my daughter, Janine."

"So you aren't the gym leader?" Ash asked the ninja girl.

"I apologize for tricking you. I was just so eager to have a real gym match with an opponent," Janine answered as she continued to look at the floor.

Upon hearing this, Serena instantly got an annoyed expression on her face and slid over to Janine.

"So you weren't really the gym leader, yet you decided to raise the stakes by saying Ash had to go on a date with you if he lost. What were you planning on doing if he won, considering you aren't the gym leader?" she asked in a sassy tone with her hands on her hips, Cubone mimicking her motions.

"I didn't really get that far because I wasn't planning on losing," Janine said as she twiddled her thumbs and avoided eye contact with Serena.

Serena smiled triumphantly at being able to bring this ninja girl off of her pedestal, until Janine said her next sentence.

"Hey. What are you supposed to be? Ash's girlfriend or something?" Janine asked.

Serena instantly blushed and looked away. "Ash isn't my boyfriend…," she muttered sheepishly. Curse this girl for bringing that to light in front of Ash!

Janine smirked now that she found a weak spot. "Then why are you so concerned that I want to go on a date with Ash?"

Serena took a while to answer as she continued to look away. She turned towards Ash and saw him watching the two of them in confusion and embarrassment. This caused Serena to turn even redder than she already was. Ash was probably thinking they were acting ridiculous.

"I just care a lot about Ash so I care about who he goes on a date with," she said lamely.

"So you like him, don't you?" Janine smiled deviously.

"_Curse this girl and her big mouth!__**"**_ Serena thought. She was so embarrassed!

"That's enough, Janine," the new man scolded as he went over to her.

Janine turned and bowed to the man. "I apologize, father," she said formally.

Janine's father then turned to Ash. "Young man, the true gym leader of Fuchsia City whom you seek is me. My name is Koga. My daughter Janine is a gym leader in training."

"Ah, so you're the real gym leader," Ash realized, glad the topic had moved away from the two girls arguing about him.

"Indeed I am," Koga confirmed.

"In that case, I would like to challenge you to a gym battle so I can win a Soul Badge," Ash declared.

"I will accept your challenge, young man. I can see you are a very capable battler," Koga replied with a nod.

"Excuse me, sir. I noticed you said that Janine was a gym leader in-training. Perhaps it isn't any of my business, but were you planning on retiring soon?" Misty asked curiously.

"No, ma'am. Quite the opposite, actually. I have received many recommendations to qualify for the Elite Four in the past year. I have undergone special training to be worthy and accepted. That is why I am training my daughter to succeed me as the gym leader of Fuchsia City should I become an Elite Four member in the future," Koga explained.

"Awesome! I get to battle a gym leader who has received recommendations for the Elite Four!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.

"Your enthusiasm is admirable, young one," Koga commented while he bowed his head and smiled. "However, enthusiasm alone isn't enough to defeat me."

Ash nodded his head as Koga went to stand on the opposite of the room from him. Ash didn't want to push Pidgeotto so he returned it to his pokeball so it could take a nice rest. He figured Koga used poison-types like Janine, so what were the options of Pokemon he could use?

"Janine, will you be the judge of the battle?" Koga asked his daughter.

"Yes, father," Janine replied with a bow before hurrying away from Serena to the other side of the room.

Serena glared after her before blushing again and returning to where she was next to Brock and Misty to watch the battle. "_The nerve of her!"_ Serena thought. _"Who knows what Ash is thinking of me right now! This is so embarrassing!"_

"Cubone bone," Cubone said reassuringly as it patted her on the arm.

"Since you have already used one of your Pokemon against Janine, we shall have a two-on-two battle rather than three. Is that acceptable?" Koga asked.

"That's fine with me!" Ash smiled.

Koga smirked once more. "Pokemon are not merely about brute force! You shall see soon enough! Venomoth! I choose you!" he said as he released his first Pokemon.

A large, purple moth-like Pokemon appeared from the pokeball. It had large eyes and scaly wings.

"Venomoth!" it cried.

"A Venomoth," Ash muttered as he and Serena scanned it.

"Venomoth, the moth Pokemon and the evolved form of Venonat. The dust-like scales covering its wins are color-coated to indicate which poison it has," said the pokedexes.

"In that case, I'll fight fire with fire! Muk! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released the sludge Pokemon.

"Muuuuuuk!" it cried. It was very excited for its first gym battle. It raised its slimy hands in the air in an intimidating manner.

"Ah. I see you are using a poison-type Pokemon of your own to minimize Venomoth's techniques," Koga commented.

"Do you think Muk has what it takes to beat Venomoth?" Misty asked Brock.

"I think it's possible," Brock replied. "Muk will be immune to many of the poisonous powders that Venomoth has on its wings, but I'm sure there are other techniques Koga has."

"The match shall now begin!" Janine declared.

"Muk! Use Sludge!" Ash yelled.

Muk instantly shot a gooey black liquid at Venomoth, but Koga was ready.

"Use Double Team, Venomoth!" Koga ordered.

The moth Pokemon immediately split into multiple images of itself and surrounded Muk. The sludge went right through a copy, and Muk looked around in confusion.

"Now use Psychic," Koga said calmly as he folded his hands in his sleeves.

Venomoth and its copies shot a blast of psychic waves at Muk. The Sludge Pokemon yelled in pain from the super effective hit. Despite the great amount of pain, it knew which Venomoth was the real one now because of where the attack hit. It went to attack it, but Venomoth had already switched around positions with its copies before Muk could focus on where it went.

"That Venomoth knows psychic attacks. I knew there had to be some trick that Koga was prepared for," Brock commented to Misty and Serena.

"Okay, Muk. The real Venomoth should move a split second before all the rest. I need you to focus on all of them!" Ash told the sludge Pokemon.

Muk nodded and looked around at the many Venomoth flying around the room to confuse it. It wouldn't be long until Koga ordered another attack.

Sure enough, the poison gym leader told Venomoth to go in for another Psychic attack. Muk studied its opponent to see which one moved first. The second one from the right seemed to move a split second before the rest, and Muk knew that was its target. It would make sure to keep its eyes on that one.

"Use Minimize to dodge that attack, Muk!" Ash called.

Muk sucked in its sludge body as much as it could and sank into the ground as just a puddle. The psychic waves just missed it, and Muk emerged from the sludge puddle, unharmed. It still had its eyes on the target despite the erratic movements all the copies were making. It was once the leader of a horde of Grimer so it was used to keeping its eyes on one target out of several.

By the look on Muk's face, Ash could tell it had found the real Venomoth. He just had wait for Koga to command another attack so Venomoth would slow down.

"It seems your Muk is very quick with its Minimize," Koga commented. "It seems we may have to slow it down to get another attack in. Use Stun Spore, Venomoth!"

Venomoth and its copies quit moving in erratic patterns and begin flapping its wings quickly to spread the dust over Muk, but that pause was all Ash and Muk needed.

"Use Sludge, Muk," Ash yelled.

Muk once more quickly shot out the nasty liquid while Venomoth was still flapping its wings to sprinkle the powder. It hit Venomoth right in the middle section, knocking it backwards, but it still managed to stay in the air.

"Now use Poison Jab!" Ash called.

Muk extended its sludge covered arm. Its arm crossed the room and punched Venomoth hard, sending it flying until it hit a wall.

"Use Sludge again!" Ash hollered.

"Use Confusion, Venomoth!" Koga ordered.

Muk shot the sludge again right at Venomoth's face, completely blocking its view. Venomoth's eyes glowed blue as the sludge attack became enveloped in blue energy. Venomoth redirected the nasty liquid back at Muk, but it wasn't counting on another attack right behind Sludge. As soon as the Sludge attack was sent back to Muk, Venomoth saw Muk's hand break through the sludge coming right towards it for another Poison Jab. The attack collided with Venomoth, and it sank to the ground. The Sludge attack still hit Muk, but it didn't appear too fazed by it.

"Venomoth, are you able to battle, still?" Koga asked.

"Moooth," it muttered weakly.

"I see," Koga replied before returning. "Take a nice hard rest, friend. You battled well."

"Venomoth is unable to battle! The winner is Muk!" Janine announced.

"That was great, Muk! You were awesome!" Ash praised.

"Muuuk!" it exclaimed happily.

"You might have been able to defeat Venomoth in battle, but you have yet to see my strongest Pokemon. It has recently evolved due to all the training we have been through. Are you prepared?" Koga asked.

"We're ready!" Ash confirmed.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Very well. Crobat! I choose you!" Koga called as released his final Pokemon.

"A Crobat? What's that?" Ash wondered aloud. Was it one of the Pokemon he hadn't heard about yet like Magby and Elekid?

Crobat was revealed to be a dark purple, bat-like Pokemon. It had two large wings at the top, and its feet served as smaller wings. It had yellow eyes and its teeth were clearly visible.

Ash and Serena immediately took out their pokedexes to scan the new Pokemon in curiosity.

"Crobat, the bat Pokemon and the evolved form of Golbat. It flies so swiftly and silently that no one can notice it even when nearby," the pokedexes reported.

"I wasn't aware a Golbat could evolve," Ash muttered to himself. He had no knowledge of a Crobat's existence until now so it's almost like he was battling completely blind. He didn't know what to expect from this thing.

"Crobat! Use Confuse Ray!" Koga called.

"Try to move out of the way of the ray with Minimize, Muk!" Ash hollered.

Muk obeyed and attempted to suck its body in like before, but the Confuse Ray shot out of Crobat at such speed that it wasn't able to use Minimize in time. Muk was enveloped in the light and raised its sludge arm in an attempt to block out the light. Once the ray died down, Muk had a dazed expression its face with swirly eyes. It was confused!

"Use Poison Jab, Muk!" Ash yelled.

Muk did as it was told but when it reached extended its arm, its aim was way off and missed Crobat by a large margin.

"Use Mega Drain," Koga ordered calmly.

Crobat's eyes began to glow as it stared straight at Muk in the eyes. A blue energy began to envelop Muk, and it began to yell in pain as its energy was depleted.

Ash, knowing the situation was hopeless, decided to recall Muk before it was injured any further. There was no point in it battling anymore if it was confused and couldn't break free of Mega Drain.

"Muk! Return!" Ash called as he brought it back. He then looked at and smiled. "Thanks for an awesome job, Muk. You deserve a good rest."

"A wise decision, young man," Koga noted.

"Muk did a really good job, but it just couldn't keep up with Crobat's speed," Brock commented from the side.

"Hey, Brock. You have a Zubat. Do you know of any way it can become a Crobat?" Misty asked curiously.

"I really don't," Brock answered as he looked at Zubat's pokeball in thought. "Being the breeder I am, though, I'm sure I'll figure it out. Zubat and I just have to work hard and find out together."

Ash began going through the remaining options in his head to figure out who could stand up to the agile Crobat. Squitle, Hitmonchan, Haunter, and Pikachu were all still very capable of battle. Which of these would be his best option? He figured if he was going to have a chance to beat a tricky Pokemon like Crobat, he would need to use a tricky Pokemon himself. With that, he made his decision.

"Haunter! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he released the ghost Pokemon.

"Ah, a ghost Pokemon. An interesting choice, indeed," Koga said.

"Wait until you see what we can do!" Ash shouted. "Haunter! Use Shadow Ball!"

Haunter brought its hands close together and formed a black orb in its hands before shooting it at Crobat.

"Dodge it, Crobat," Koga said.

Crobat seemed to disappear into the air as it suddenly appeared in a different spot because it moved so fast. If Ash didn't know better, he would have thought Crobat had teleported.

"_Wow! That's so fast!"_ Ash thought in amazement.

"Use Confuse Ray, again, Crobat," Koga ordered.

"Counter with your own Confuse Ray, Haunter!" Ash called.

Both Pokemon shot out a bright ray which collided in midair and canceled out the effects.

"Use Poison Fang!" Koga yelled.

Crobat immediately appeared in front of Haunter due to its speed and bit down on the ghost Pokemon. Due to Haunter's secondary typing of poison, it was immune to the toxic effect, but it still hurt terribly.

"Grab onto Crobat so it can't get away!" Ash shouted.

Haunter grabbed onto the speedy bat with its disembodied hands despite the pain and grinned mischievously at Crobat.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Ash called.

Haunter once more formed a black glowing orb and struck Crobat at point-blank range. There was an explosion, and Crobat was sent flying backwards, but it wasn't down yet.

"Not bad, young man. I will make sure not to make the same mistake twice, though," Koga commented.

"Try your Night Shade attack, Haunter!" Ash yelled.

"Dodge it and use Wing Attack!" Koga countered.

Crobat easily dodged the Night Shade. The dark energy missed its target by a long shot. It again seemed to teleport because it was moving so fast. Haunter was fast as well, but Crobat's speed was on a whole different level.

Crobat appeared again in front of Haunter and gave it a harsh slap with its wings, knocking the ghost Pokemon backwards.

"Use Double Team!" Koga ordered next.

Crobat split into several copies of itself which only made things more confusing for Ash and Haunter. All of the copies then began to move throughout the room very quickly. It was easier to tell which Pokemon was the real one when Venomoth had used it because it was slower, but Crobat was so fast, that Ash and Haunter couldn't make heads or tails of which one was moving first. They were in a tough situation.

"Use Aerial Ace," said Koga.

It appeared as if all of the Crobat were zooming towards Haunter at an incredible speed as they closed in.

"Dodge it, Haunter!" Ash yelled.

Haunter disappeared from the middle and appeared once more away from all of the copies. However, it was surprised to feel Crobat ram into it from behind. Haunter was sent sailing towards the ground where it hit the floor in pain.

"Your Haunter does well at dodging attacks. However, Aerial Ace is a move that never misses. You would do well to remember that," Koga informed Ash from across the room.

"Haunter! Can you still battle?" Ash asked worriedly, mentally kicking himself or forgetting something like that.

"Haaaaaunter,"the ghost Pokemon said as it slowly floated back off the ground and stared once more at the many Crobat flying around the room.

"_Think, Ash!" _the raven-haired boy thought to himself. "_Haunter has a slew of tricky moves it can use. There has to be something that can find the real Crobat!"_

He then began to go through all of Haunter's moves as quickly as he could. Shadow Ball, Night Shade, Mean Look, Confuse Ray, Lick, Spite, Shadow Punch….that's it. Shadow Punch!

"_Shadow Punch is a move that never misses! It can find the real Crobat no matter how fast or how many Crobat there are!" _Ash thought before calling out, "Haunter, use Shadow Punch!"

Haunter closed its eyes as one of its hands seemed to disappear away from the rest of its body. About a second later, the hand came through the wall balled into a fist before striking the Crobat the second farthest to the left. Crobat let out a cry of surprise as Haunters fist collided with its face. The other Crobat disappeared upon the real one being found due to it being thrown off balance.

"That was great, Haunter!" Ash praised.

"Impressive, but we're not beat yet. Use Aerial Ace!" Koga said.

"Use Shadow Punch again!" Ash yelled.

Both Pokemon were hit by their respective attacks once more. Upon being hit again, it was clear both Pokemon were becoming pretty tired. Ash knew that constantly using Shadow Punch wasn't going to defeat Crobat due to the low power of the move. He would need something that was a lot stronger. The only problem was Crobat was too fast to be hit by any other of Haunter's moves. It would have to be very close for Haunter to hit it. That's when Ash had an idea.

"Haunter, use Shadow Punch as hard as you can from behind Crobat to send it into your direction!" Ash shouted.

Haunter must have known what Ash was thinking as it nodded before having its fist appear behind Crobat and punching it like before. Only this time, it put in a little extra force to give Crobat momentum. Crobat was sent spiraling in Haunter's direction as it tried to regain balance, but Ash wasn't going to give it a chance.

"Fly over, and grab Crobat before it can fly away," Ash called.

Haunter flew towards Crobat as fast as it could and caught the bat Pokemon in its hands before grinning once more at the Crobat.

"Use Poison Fang!" Koga called.

"Use Night Shade!" Ash yelled.

Crobat once more bit down on Haunter with its vicious fangs causing the ghost Pokemon to grimace in pain once more. Haunter pushed through the nasty bite and sent several waves of dark energy right into Crobat's face. The bat Pokemon cried out in pain before Ash called out the finishing move.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Ash yelled again.

"Use Bite!" Koga cried.

This time, Haunter was faster than Crobat due to it being in better shape. Haunter quickly formed the black, spherical ball before Crobat could retaliate and let it fly. The Shadow Ball smashed into Crobat's face before causing an explosion.

Both trainers waited anxiously for the smoke to clear to see what the outcome was. About ten seconds later the smoke cleared to reveal Haunter still holding on to Crobat. Only this time, Crobat wasn't moving. Haunter than let go of the bat Pokemon, and it fell to the ground and didn't get up.

"I can't believe it. Crobat was beaten," Koga said.

"That was great, Haunter! You did it!" Ash exclaimed in excitement.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

"Haunt Haunt!" Haunter said happily before flying over to Ash and covering his whole face with a hug.

"Hey, Haunter! I can't see!" Ash said as he and the ghost Pokemon laughed.

"_Ash just won the Soul Badge! I knew he could do it!" _Serena thought happily before a more depressing thought came to her head. That still didn't mean Ash hadn't originally agreed to go on a date with Janine if he lost. It was then Miette's words rang in her ears before they parted.

XXX

"_One more thing," Miette spoke up, which caused Serena to look back to her. She then leaned forward with a sly look on her face. "Ash is quite the gentleman. If you keep your head in the clouds for too long and don't take action, another girl could steal him from you, even me_."

XXX

"_Miette was right," _Serena thought as tears formed in her eyes. "_I'm waiting too long to tell Ash that I really like him, and other girls are taking an interest in him. It seems he's starting to notice them, as well. I told him my feelings in the snow cave, but it wasn't a true confession."_

"Cubone?" Cubone asked as it saw its mommy crying.

"I'll be fine, Cubone," Serena mumbled before attempting a smile at the Pokemon she was holding.

Cubone didn't buy it, however. It turned around in Serena's arms until it was facing her before giving her a hug with its small arms. It didn't quite know what was wrong with her, but it still hated to see her upset.

"You're so sweet, Cubone. Thank you. I really needed that," Serena said quietly as she hugged it back.

Brock and Misty stood solemnly as they watched Serena. They knew the only one that could help Serena was Ash, himself. They hoped he had a solution.

Koga and Janine then went over to Ash before bowing to him.

"I submitted everything to you I could muster. It seems I must hone my skills. You have defeated both me and my daughter. This Soul Badge is rightfully yours," Koga said before presenting a pink heart-shaped badge to Ash.

"Thank you, Koga!" Ash said appreciatively before taking the Soul Badge from Koga's outstretched palm and holding it out in front of him. "Alright! I just got a Soul Badge! I'm over halfway to the Pokemon League now!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it made a V shape with its fingers once more.

"Haunter!" the ghost Pokemon added happily.

"That was well done, Ash. Haunter and Muk did incredible for their first gym battles," Brock praised as he, Serena, and Misty joined him.

"Congratulations! That training really paid off!" Misty added.

"Thanks, guys!" Ash answered before he noticed Serena hadn't said anything. Her pink hat was covering her eyes so Ash couldn't see her expression.

"Serena?" Ash asked in worry.

Serena quickly looked up before giving Ash a cheerful smile. "You did wonderful, Ash! I'm so happy you got you next badge!"

"Thanks...," Ash said. He could tell that the smile was very forced. She was almost acting like she was at the Battle Chateau in Cerulean City. He really didn't want to go through that again.

"Hey, Ash. Would it still be okay for us to hang out later?" Janine asked.

"Janine! A true ninja does not say things like that," Koga scolded.

"Sorry," Janine muttered and bowed once more. Despite training to be a ninja and gym leader, she still possessed many child-like qualities.

Ash noticed that Serena's expression had darkened again once Janine mentioned she and Ash hanging out once more. It was then he understood why she seemed upset. She had poured her heart out to him in the snow cave, and here he was almost accepting a date from another girl. Ash didn't quite understand what his feelings were, but he knew he just couldn't leave them alone this time. He then believed he had a solution for this problem.

* * *

><p>"Brock, Misty, Pikachu, Cubone, can I speak to Serena in private? We'll catch up in a second," Ash said once they left the Fuchsia City gym.<p>

Brock and Misty glanced at each other before nodding and walked ahead of the group. Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulder while Cubone jumped out of Serena's arms. Pikachu then took Cubone by the hand and lead it away from its mommy and daddy. The four then looked back at Ash and nodded their heads for support before continuing on.

Ash waited until they were out of sight before turning to Serena. She had her head down and looked pretty upset. Just seeing that expression on her face was enough for Ash's heart to shatter.

"Serena. I'm really sorry about what happened with Janine. I wasn't thinking at all when I said I would go on a date with her," Ash told her as sincerely as possible.

"It's okay, Ash. You're free to hang out with any girl you choose. It isn't like we are dating or anything," Serena said quietly while giving Ash another false smile, but the raven-haired boy didn't fall for it this time.

"_Why do the words "dating Serena" have such a strange effect on me?"_ Ash thought before continuing. "It's not okay, Serena. I betrayed your trust by doing that, and that was wrong. I really am sorry."

"I'll be fine, Ash. You don't have to apologize," Serena said dismissively as she began walking again, but Ash wasn't going to let her go on until this was really settled.

Ash began thinking of anything he could that would let Serena know how important she was to him, something that would make her feel special. He then realized the answer was extremely obvious the whole time.

"Serena," Ash called out to her, causing her to stop and turn to look at him.

"Ash, I accept your apology. We're good. Let's just forget about it," Serena said tiredly, but not for long.

Ash took a deep breath. "Serena, will you…go on a date with me?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Serena's eyebrows instantly shot up as far as they could go as she looked at Ash in surprise. "Wh-wh-what?" she stammered in amazement, quite sure she had misheard him. Surely Ash Ketchum wasn't actually asking her out!

"I said will you go on a date with me?" Ash repeated in a stronger voice this time.

Serena felt like she could faint. This was a like a dream come true! Ash Ketchum, the boy who seemed to know nothing about feelings of love, was really asking her on a date! Those had to be the best words she had ever heard come out Ash's mouth so far!

Serena put on an expression of pure joy before giving her response. "Ash, I would love to go on a date with you," she said as tears came to her eyes, but happy tears this time.

"That's great!" Ash replied as he turned red. "We can spend the whole day together in Fuchsia City tomorrow, just you and me. We'll send our Pokemon to the play area at the daycare center where they can have fun while we're gone. I'm sure Brock and Misty will find something to do together, as well. It will be only us."

Serena smiled even bigger, and that alone instantly made Ash smile in response to see how happy Serena looked.

"Thank you so much, Ash. You have no idea how much this means to me," Serena said as she wiped her eyes to try to dry her tears.

"I'm just glad to see you happy again. We'll have a lot of fun tomorrow!" Ash replied as he walked over to her to give her a hug.

Serena blushed furiously as Ash embraced her. She was finally going to get to go on a date with Ash Ketchum, the boy she had liked…no loved for so long. Her young age be darned! She knew what she was feeling! Ash even had been the one to ask her out on his own free will. Any bitter feelings about Janine instantly vanished and were forgotten. She closed her eyes and gave Ash the most affectionate hug she was able to. Words couldn't even describe how happy she was.

Tomorrow was certain to be a day the two weren't ever going to forget. It would be their first date.

* * *

><p><strong>There you have it! I'm sure a lot of you were waiting for that moment! And Ash and Serena continue to get closer to each other. It will only be more apparent next chapter. I think you guys will like the next one, as well. It covers Ash and Serena's first date! What does that mean for Brock and Misty while Ash and Serena are out? Hahaha! I have something planned for them next chapter, as well. You guys won't want to miss it! (That kind of sounds like a Tv show pitch…)<strong>

**See you all next Tuesday and have an awesome week!**

**Chapter 35: The Fuchsia Festival**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Aside from AshxSerena shipping, and JimmyxMarina shipping for the Johto arc, will there be BrendanxMay shipping for the Hoenn arc, and LucasxDawn shipping in Sinnoh?_

_**Probably, but I don't know if that's their final pairing. Brendan will definitely appear. I'm not sure about Lucas.**_

_Have you thought about who will be the Hoenn League Champion? Steven Stone or Wallace?_

_**Steven will be Hoenn League champion in this fic.**_

_Will Psyduck still irritate Misty to her limits even though she has bonded with it?_

_**Not like before. **_

_In Johto, is Ash going to get Chikorita, Totodile and Cyndaquil like in the show, if he has Charizard still with him, Will he still have Cyndaquil?_

_**Yes. Even though Ash has Charizard, he will still have Cyndaquil. He will get Totodile also for sure. The only one I'm torn between is Chikorita. I'm considering about letting Serena have it (it will still have its canon crush on Ash and could fight with its trainer for his affection) or still give it to Ash.**_

_Will Serena keep Charla with her party in Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**Most likely since it was her first Pokemon.**_

_Is Magikarp going to evolve in a dangerous situation that requires to save someone or in a hilarious situation? I mean I could picture Magikarp evolving in a children's birthday party!_

_**A serious situation, but the scenario you mentioned would be quite hilarious.**_

_Can Hunter J appear before Sinnoh?_

_**Maybe, but I won't make any promises.**_

_Will Misty still leave at the end of Hoenn?_

_**Misty will leave at the end of Johto like she did in canon.**_

_Can't you do something about Ash not catching any Legendary Pokémon at all? I mean, can't you put it up for a vote, or something?_

_**I'll think about it in poll, but know that I'm pretty adamant about what I said earlier about legendaries. People being able to capture those things in a pokeball really cuts down on their status of epicness.**_

_Will Serena get a Pokemon egg?_

_**At some point yes, even if it's not in Kanto.**_

_In your fic how many moves can the Pokemon know and use in battles?_

_**Pretty much unlimited. It's easier to write that way. Restricting it to four would be too hard to keep up with.**_

_Will Ash still turn to stone upon getting in between Mew and Mewtwo's attacks in the first movie or have you planned something else?_

_**We'll see.**_

_If you could do a short preview of the next region in the last chapter, that would be amazing._

_**I'll probably do that.**_

_Can Serena's Pokemon have a rivalry with Calem's Pokemon?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash's Hitmonchan have a bit of Hawlucha's personality in showing off flair as they fight?_

_**Hitmonchan is a very hot-blooded, eager Pokemon. It's the complete opposite of Serena's cool, calm, and collected Hitmonlee. It will have a little of Hawlucha's personality.**_

_Will there be a few instances where Tracey makes sketches of some girls?_

_**Maybe**_

_Will Ash get another bug type soon?_

_**Ash's next bug type won't be until Heracross in early Johto.**_

_Will Misty's Squirtle evolve into a Wartortle and soon?_

_**Misty doesn't have a Squirtle in this fic. Ash does. As for Ash's Squirtle evolving, yes it will evolve at some point.**_

_Will Ash or Serena have stalkers going after them every once in a while like some celebrities do in real life?_

_**Hahahaha that would be funny but I don't think they will be stalked. They might be asked to do a random interview at some point though if they win tournaments.**_

_Will there be a princess day episode?_

_**There won't be one. It was an interesting episode, but won't appear in this fic.**_

_Will you do the Altomare movie different and will Ash capture Latias? And will Latias have a crush on Ash like it does in the movie?_

_**Latias will still crush on Ash, but he won't catch it. He will be able to call on it when needed, though.**_

_Do you plan on exploring how Ash is Sir Aaron's descendant at some point?_

_**Probably.**_

_Will Kurt's pokeballs make appearances?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash use Mega Charizard X as well as Infernape against Paul in the Sinnoh League?_

_**I don't know yet. That's waaaaay too far off.**_

_Will Serena admit her love to Ash in the Mewtwo saga?_

_**No. It won't be there.**_

_Will you reveal the happenings of the two trainers who got the Bulbasaur and Charmander in canon, if they exist?_

_**The two extra trainers were Serena and Leaf in this fic. Remember?**_

_Who the heck is Ash's dad? Is he an existing Pokemon character or one you came up with?_

_**He is an existing Pokemon character, so is Ash's half brother. You will know who both of them are soon enough.**_

_Do u plan on having the same traveling partners for other regions? Like Tracy for orange islands, Brock for Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**For the most part yes. There is a possibility Brock won't be in Sinnoh, however, and it will just be Ash, Serena, and Dawn. That way Ash and Serena can take care of themselves without having a big brother figure like Brock around to help them mature. Serena is studying under Brock right now, after all as far as chores and cooking goes. Ash may learn later on, as well.**_

_Will Gary mature?_

_**Yes, but I already think he's nicer to Ash in this fic than he was in the anime.**_

_Will Serena catch any Pokemon that will crush on Pikachu?_

_**Probably.**_

_Why not have the Viridian Gym Battle be a full battle (6 vs 6)?_

_**I was already planning on doing that so good guess. Ash's Viridian gym battle will be his only 6 on 6 gym leader battle in Kanto. Other than that, I will reveal nothing about it. **_

_Will Ash and Friends encounter Articuno when they get to the Seafoam Islands?_

_**Perhaps. We're getting pretty close there and I think the Seafoam Islands chapter turned out very well after I wrote it. **_

_Are we going to see Paul anytime soon?_

_**Paul appears again in Fuchsia City, just not in this chapter. He has a brief cameo next chapter, and he will make his real appearance in the chapter after that. **_

_Will you be giving Ash's starters the Pledge moves from X and Y?_

_**Maybe.**_

_When the Kanto starters are all fully evolved, will they learn Hydro Cannon, Frenzy Plant, and Blast Burn, and will they Mega evolve._

_**Yes and Yes.**_

_Can you foreshadow Mewtwo and what chapter will you introduce Mewtwo?_

_**I've actually already foreshadowed him. As far as appearances, it makes a brief appearance in chapter 39, and makes its full appearance in the Mewtwo Strikes Back arc, which will be in the late 40s. I've decided to combine Mewtwo Strikes Back with this story after much thought.**_

_Could Ash get a Nidorino in the Safari Zone?_

_**Sorry. Ash won't be getting a Nidorino in the Safari Zone.**_

_Are you thinking of Evolving Serena's Eevee into a Vaporeon? I noticed that she doesn't have a water type?_

_**Serena's Eevee won't become a Vaporeon. About a water-type Pokemon, she gets her first one on the Seafoam Islands chapter.**_

_When Ash faces Blaine, will he battle him in the Cinnabar Gym like the games, or in a volcano like the anime?_

_**The volcano.**_

_Will Giovanni abandon his duties as Gym Leader like he does in the anime? If so, who will be Gym Leader in his place?_

_**It's a big spoiler so I won't say.**_


	35. The Fuchsia Festival

**A/N: A couple of you have asked me to update the team for each character since it has been a while. I will do so after the Safari Zone since it is pretty close and will make more sense** **because everyone will have a new Pokemon by then. **

**Anyway, I'm very pleased with how this chapter turned out. It is definitely one of my longest ones so far. I hope you all find it acceptable for this moment you all have been patiently (or not patiently) waiting for. I see a few of you were worried about Team Rocket showing up, and I will just go ahead and ease your fears. No, Ash and Serena's date won't get interrupted, especially by Team Rocket. I'm not that evil and have no desire to troll you all like that. Rest easy. With that being said, please enjoy the chapter! **

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 35: The Fuchsia Festival<p>

Needless to say, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Cubone were ecstatic to hear Ash had actually asked Serena on a date. They spent the rest of the day bombarding them with questions about what they were going to do and the like. Ash and Serena were extremely embarrassed about the huge amount of attention they were getting from their friends and Pokemon, but what Brock and Misty asked made sense. What WOULD they do together on their date tomorrow?

Misty had suggested a nice, romantic dinner at Fuchsia City's finest restaurant. It would be dinner by candlelight while someone played a violin over their table. Ash had to bring Misty back to reality that he and Serena were only pre-teens, and not even aspiring trainers could afford a date like that. They didn't want to ask their parents for money, either, unless it was an emergency.

Brock's idea wasn't much better. He suggested that they see a movie together which wasn't that bad. It was what he said they should do while watching the movie. He told them Ash should put his arm around Serena while she could lean on his shoulder. It would be a cute suggestion. It was then Brock got a goofy expression on his face and said they would lean in and kiss for the rest of the movie which made Ash and Serena's faces turn the color of a deep red apple while Cubone and Pikachu got uncomfortable looks on their faces. Misty had whacked Brock on the back of his head and told him that he was being ridiculous and keep it G-rated.

With none of their friends' suggestions quite hitting the mark on what they could do, Ash and Serena were left on their own to decide. They figured the best way to go about doing this was to make it relatively simple. Nothing too fancy, but not too insignificant, also. There was a nice zoo in Fuchsia City that they could visit together. They also learned there was the Pokemon festival tomorrow night where breeders and trainers around the world gathered for a night of fun. There would be Pokemon salon booths, dancing, and other fun activities. Ash and Serena figured they could spend the day together at the zoo while their Pokemon could play at the daycare center. Then they could pick up their Pokemon that evening before heading over to the festival where they could all enjoy it together. It sounded like a plan!

Nighttime had since fallen, and the group was going to spend the night at the Pokemon Center. Serena was extremely eager to call her mother on the video phone to tell her that she was finally going on a date with Ash. She suggested Ash do the same thing before she hurriedly went over to the video phone and dialed the number to her house. She really hoped her mother wasn't busy. Serena grinned broadly once she heard her mother pick up on the other end.

"Gabena residence. Who is speaking?" Grace asked from the other end.

"Mom! It's me! Guess what!?" Serena exclaimed, cutting to the chase.

"Serena! Hello! What is it?" Grace asked curiously as her face appeared on the screen.

"Ash and I are going on a date!" Serena squealed with delight.

"Oh, Serena! That's such wonderful news! I knew you could do it!" Grace said happily.

"_Knew she could do it? What does she mean by that?"_ Ash thought with confusion as he watched from behind Serena.

"I know! Ash and I are going to the Fuchsia City zoo tomorrow during the day and attending the Pokemon festival that night together!" Serena continued to speak cheerfully.

"That sounds like a good idea! You two will have so much fun!" Grace approved.

"I know!" Serena smiled.

"Cubone!" Cubone suddenly cried as it appeared in front of Serena's face.

"Oh my! Is that the Cubone I've heard about?" Grace asked with a surprised look.

"It is! Mom, meet Cubone! Ash and I are taking care of it and helping to raise it since it is still too young to battle," Serena introduced.

"Well hello, there!" Grace smiled as she gave the Cubone a friendly smile and wave.

"Cubone bone!" it answered as it waved at Grace excitedly.

"Oh! That's right! Serena, your eleventh birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Have you thought about what you want to do yet?" Grace inquired.

_"It is coming up soon," _Serena thought before answering, "Not yet, Mom. If I can't think of anything by the time it arrives, you can surprise me with something."

"Will do," Grace responded before looking at Ash to address him.

"Ash, you are a very fine young man. I know you will treat Serena right on your date tomorrow. I know I can trust you," she said to him.

"No problem, Mrs. Gabena. We'll have a lot of fun!" Ash told her with a thumb-up.

Grace nodded before turning back to Serena. "Well, good night, Serena. I love you. Let me know how it turns out.

"I will, Mom! Love you, too!" Serena smiled before the video phone shut off.

"Well, I guess I better go ahead and tell my mom," Ash said as Serena got up from the seat. He then sat down on the chair to be more comfortable. If he recalled correctly, his mother was staying at the Hot Springs Resort on Cinnabar Island. He didn't know the number but a quick search from his Pokegear fixed that problem. They were so convenient. Once Ash got the number, he dialed it to the front desk of the resort while Pikachu hopped on his shoulder so it could see Delia, also.

"Good evening. Hot Springs Resort. May I help you?" the desk clerk asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I was hoping you could transfer to the room Delia Ketchum is staying in right now," Ash requested.

"Of course. Hold on one moment, please. I'll transfer you," the clerk replied before Ash heard the call go on hold.

Ash realized that this was the first time he would be talking to his mom since he sent her on vacation. He really hoped she was doing well and was safe so far. He didn't want to call her too much on her vacation otherwise she might worry again. He was convincing himself that Delia was fine. Cinnabar Island was a tourist trap, and there was no way Team Rocket would try anything in an area so public, right?

Heh, well that theory was immediately shot to the ground when he remembered they took over Silph Company in broad daylight.

Ash soon heard the phone ringing to what he presumed Delia's hotel room was and held his breath. He was calling late so she should be done with her activities through the day. Pikachu hopped on his shoulder so it could look at Delia from the small picture on the Pokegear, too.

"Hello?" Delia answered the call from the other end.

"Hi, Mom!" Ash said excitedly.

"Ash!" he heard his mother cry before her face appeared on the screen. "I'm so happy to hear from you!"

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu smiled as it waved at Delia.

"Hello to you, too, Pikachu!" Delia greeted with a smile before waving back at the rodent.

"How's Cinnabar Island been so far?" Ash asked curiously. A harmless question on the outside, but his real motive was making sure she didn't notice anything strange.

"It's been wonderful, Ash!" Delia answered. "I haven't such a relaxing time since I had you! That was so nice what you did for me! You are a wonderful son."

"Thanks, Mom," Ash replied. If only she knew the real reason for the vacation. He decided not to push the matter further about asking how she was lest she becomes worried. His mom said she was fine and didn't act like anything was out of the ordinary, and that was good enough for him. He might as well move on to the other reason he called her.

"Anyway, Mom, I have something to tell you," Ash began.

"Oh?" Delia asked as she gave her son a curious look.

"Yeah. Serena and I are going on a date," Ash told her nervously.

"Oh! My little Ashy! That's so wonderful! Your first date with a girl!" Delia squealed.

"Come on, Mom," Ash said as he turned red from embarrassment.

"You're growing up so fast!" Delia continued as tears came to her eyes.

"Mom…," Ash trailed.

"Now Ash. I want you to be a perfect gentleman to Serena on your date. She is a very sweet girl, and it won't do if you don't be respectful," Delia told him seriously.

"Don't worry, Mom. I will make sure to," Ash reassured.

"And make sure to wear clean clothes and you-know-whats," Delia added as Ash fell over off of his chair in embarrassment.

Serena giggled lightly as she knew how Delia was while Brock and Misty raised their eyebrows at the comment. It seemed Ash's mother had a tendency to embarrass Ash, even if it was only motherly concern. They were still amused, however. Pikachu laughed openly while Cubone looked on in confusion.

"_Same old Mom,"_ Ash thought as he pulled himself back onto the chair before replying, "Don't worry, Mom. I will," he told her.

"Oh! I just remembered! Your uncle Riley learned I was on Cinnabar Island, and he invited me to his house tomorrow!" Delia spoke up.

"Really?" Ash asked. That's right. Sabrina's father in Saffron City mentioned that Riley was living on Cinnabar Island right now. He was supposed to pay Riley a visit once he got there. He then decided to tell his mom, also, but not the reason he was visiting. "Hey, Mom. I'm going to be coming to Cinnabar Island pretty soon for one of the badges I need to collect. Would you mind telling Riley that I'll be coming, as well? I'd like to see him, too."

"I'll let him know. He hasn't seen you in over a year. I bet he'll be happy to learn his nephew is coming," Delia smiled.

Ash felt a huge wave of relief once he remembered that Riley was staying on Cinnabar Island right now. There was no way he would let anything happen to Delia while he was there. She really was safe on her vacation for right now.

"Anyway, Mom. That's what I called for. I won't keep you. You must be tired since it's so late," Ash smiled.

"Mmm hmm. Good night, son. I love you. You two will have such a great time," Delia waved with her free hand.

"I love you to, Mom. Good night," Ash answered before the screen went black and the phone was hung up.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm kind of tired now so I think I'm going to hit the sack for tonight," Brock spoke up while he stretched.

"Me, too," Misty said as she and Brock headed to their rooms. She wasn't tired like Brock. Rather, she just used that as an excuse to give Ash and Serena some alone time before they went to bed the night before their date.

"Serena and I will catch up in a bit," Ash called as they watched the two leave.

After Brock and Misty were out of sight, the only ones left in the Pokemon Center lobby were Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Cubone. They stood there quietly, not really being able to think of anything to say to each other. They were both excited yet pretty nervous about tomorrow.

"Sooooooo, Serena," Ash started, trying to break the silence.

"Sooooooo, Ash," Serena copied.

"I'm really happy for tomorrow. It's going to be a good day. I can feel it," Ash said.

"I know, Ash. I can't wait," Serena replied as she blushed. She didn't think she would be able to get any sleep tonight because of how excited she was.

"Chuuu," Pikachu said as it smiled at the two and gave them a thumbs-up, Cubone copying its big brother's gesture.

"Thanks for the support, you two," Ash smiled before turning to Serena. He realized Brock and Misty went to bed on purpose to give Ash and Serena some time together, but he really couldn't think of anything. It was pretty embarrassing. "Well, I guess we better get to bed. We don't want to oversleep and get a late start."

"That's right. Good night, Ash. I'll…see you tomorrow," Serena replied, her voice filled with emotion.

"Yeah. You, too," Ash replied as they went their separate directions, Ash and Pikachu to one room while Serena and Cubone went the other way.

* * *

><p>"Oh, my gosh! What should I wear?!" Serena cried frantically as she ran around her room at the Pokemon Center.<p>

She was extremely nervous about her date with Ash today. It was so strange. She had dreamed of this day ever since she met him at Pallet Town Summer Camp. Now that it was finally here, she was panicked. What if she and Ash couldn't find anything to talk about? What if something bad happened and she embarrassed herself completely? What if Ash didn't like the outfit she wore? Okay, maybe that last one was a little unlikely. This was Ash and he wouldn't really care what she wore, but she still wanted to look nice, which was how she was in her current predicament.

Misty was sitting at the edge of her own bed watching Serena run back and forth with a frown on her face. She knew Serena had wanted to go out with Ash since they met and really wanted their date to go well. Cubone was following Serena around the room trying to keep up with her. Every time Serena would try on a different outfit, she would sigh and immediately throw it off, and Cubone would be there to catch it, even though half the time the item of clothing would completely cover it.

"I can't believe this!" Serena shouted after she had exhausted all of her clothes. She had a huge passion for fashion. How could she not find one suitable piece of clothing that she liked!?

"Serena, listen to me," Misty interrupted gently as she stood up from the bed and walked over to her. "You will look lovely no matter what you wear. Even if you didn't wear something you liked, Ash will go out with you regardless. He isn't a shallow person like that. You have nothing to fear."

"Even so," Serena muttered as she looked at the pile of clothes scattered around the room, "I don't know what to wear."

"Why don't you just wear what you usually wear?" Misty suggested with a smile. "Just try it."

Serena stared at Misty with a look of surprise. Would that really work? Just wear her normal outfit? After much inner debate, she nodded and went into the bathroom with her typical clothing in her arms. A couple of minutes later, Serena emerged from the bathroom dressed in her usual black shirt with the red skirt. She didn't know if this was such a great idea. She felt so normal. She went over to the mirror and stood in front of it to look herself over, Misty and Cubone standing behind her to await her reaction. After checking herself, she realized that she did look rather nice. Not too fancy. Not too plain. Maybe Misty was right.

Serena turned towards Misty and smiled. "Thanks, Misty. I guess I'm just overthinking this."

Misty returned the gesture. "You're welcome. Remember, you still want to stand out so let's try some make-up on you."

Misty then went over to her backpack and pulled out a small purse before snapping it open and pulling out a few cosmetics. She then brought them over to Serena and began to work on her face.

"When I'm done with you, Ash is going to have his socks knocked off," she said.

* * *

><p>Ash was in the lobby of the Pokemon Center, twiddling with his thumbs nervously with Brock and Pikachu sitting next to him. He was in his normal clothes except his sleeveless jacket, Pokemon League Hat, and fingerless gloves. Brock had told them they were too informal. Ash had never been on a date before. Sure, he had "hung out" several times before with Leaf or Serena, but never on an actual date. What was so different about this? Once Brock had quit joking with Ash, he told Ash the way to treat Serena was like a true gentleman. He spent the next hour showing Ash on ways to improve his manners, especially while eating.<p>

XXX

_"Okay, Ash. Remember. The napkin goes in your lap while you eat at all times. Chew with your mouth closed, and try to make less noise," Brock told Ash as they were practicing at a table in the Pokemon Center cafeteria._

_ "I don't know, Brock. This is how I've been eating ever since I was born. It's hard to break old habits," Ash replied as he scratched his head._

_ "Come on, Ash. Surely you can improve you table manners for at least one night. Just look at Pikachu," Brock said as he pointed to the rodent on the other side of the table._

_ Pikachu was hastily slurping a bottle of ketchup until it noticed the two humans were watching it. It then sweatdropped and let out nervous laugh that it was supposed to be setting an example. It then slowly poured the ketchup from the bottle onto a small plate before grabbing a spoon with its pinky outstretched. It then brought the spoonful of ketchup to its mouth and before smiling and letting out a satisfied "Chaaaaa"._

_ "Okay, maybe don't follow Pikachu's example," Brock muttered once he saw the Pokemon overdoing it. "Anyway, I'm sure you will be fine."_

_ XXX_

_ "Okay. I can do this,"_ Ash thought. "_It's Serena. She's just my best friend."_

That was all she was, right? He didn't know.

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Misty step around the corner of the nearby hallway.

"Ash, Serena is now ready for your date," Misty announced as she moved her arms towards the opening for a dramatic entrance.

About three seconds later, Serena came around the corner, as well, and Ash's jaw dropped. Serena was in her normal clothes like he was, but there was something about her that seemed very magical. She had on makeup and her hair seemed styled slightly different today, like it was fluffier or neater, or just prettier. Whatever it was, Ash thought she looked…gorgeous. He couldn't believe he was actually thinking like that about a girl right now! He didn't notice it, but his face was heating quite fast.

Serena slowly approached Ash and blushed furiously. "You look really handsome, Ash," she commented quietly, not that she didn't think he ever wasn't handsome.

"Yeah, you look handsome, too," Ash muttered before quickly correcting himself. "Errr…I mean… you look very pretty."

Serena smiled and turned even redder when Ash told her that. That was the first time Ash had ever said that about her. She didn't know why. She wasn't dressed any different. The only thing was she had different was make-up on. Maybe the fact that they were on a date made Ash see her differently today.

"So…are you ready?" Ash asked as he shook himself of his red face and held out his arm for Serena to take.

"Yes. I am," Serena replied as she looped her arm around Ash's before they headed to the door of the Pokemon Center, Pikachu and Cubonefollowing him.

"Now you two have fun, you hear?!" Brock called after them with a wave and put his other arm around Misty. "Make sure to tell us how it went!"

"Brock, don't be nosy," Misty scolded slightly, but she knew she would want Serena to tell her the details later, also.

"They grow up so fast!" Brock cried as tears ran down his face.

Misty just rolled her eyes at that.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena were just stepping out the door of the Fuchsia City Pokemon daycare. The owners were a kind elderly couple who promised to take great care of them for the day. After seeing the massive play area inside and outside the daycare, the two knew their Pokemon would be in good hands so they had no reason to worry. It was now time to begin their date.<p>

"Well, Serena, it's almost eleven o'clock right now. The festival doesn't begin until six tonight. That means we have seven hours to do almost anything. Should we start with the zoo?" Ash asked.

"That sounds like a good idea, Ash," Serena smiled before going on their way.

As they were walking, Serena decided she would try the thing she had wanted for a while now: to hold hands with Ash. He hadn't pulled away when they were in the snow cave. Maybe since they were on a date, he would be receptive to hand holding now, also. She slowly began to inch her right hand to Ash's left hand. She then took a deep breath and grabbed ahold of it. Her cheeks immediately flushed…as well as Ash's.

"_Okay, Ash. Serena is holding your hand. What should you do?" Ash asked himself. "Grab it back? Yeah. That sounds like a good idea."_

Ash then grabbed Serena's hand back to secure the hand holding. He then decided to interlock his fingers with Serena. Once he did so, he got a really tight feeling in his chest again.

An older married couple was walking by Ash and Serena at that time and smiled at the scene. "Aw, how cute," the woman said to her husband. "Reminds me of us at their age."

That comment didn't go unnoticed by Ash or Serena.

Serena felt like her chest was going to explode at that comment_. "Is that going to be Ash and me in sixty years?!"_ she thought as she blushed even harder.

_"Serena and me?! Married?!"_ Ash thought in embarrassment. He remembered mentioning to the group a while back that he did plan on being married one day. Was his future wife really Serena? Maybe it was best if he didn't think about that right now and focus on their date. That was pretty embarrassing.

Ash and Serena were so lost in their thoughts that they didn't notice they had arrived at the Fuchsia City Zoo. The group had learned that the way the zoo worked here wasn't like where Pokemon were locked up in cages day after day. The zoo exclusively featured exotic Pokemon taken from the Safari Zone. Each Pokemon would be rotated daily in the pens that where lined up along the route so the Pokemon were still free to roam yet never in captivity for more than one day.

A young woman stood at the toll booth and smiled when she saw the two approach, looking deep in thought.

"Hello there," she greeted warmly, which snapped the two pre-teens' attention to her. "Is it just you two today?"

"Yes ma'am," Ash answered.

"Very well. It's ten dollars each for a child's ticket," she said.

Luckily, Ash had managed to save up more than enough money for both him and Serena despite using most of it for his mother. He was only going to pay for himself, but Brock and Misty immediately scolded him and told him he should pay for Serena's ticket, also. It would be the gentleman thing to do.

"You didn't have to pay for me, Ash. I had ten dollars with me," Serena told him as he handed the ticket salesman a twenty dollar bill.

"It's no problem, Serena. I want to pay for your ticket," Ash told her with a smile as he was given the two tickets. "Come on! Let's go!"

Serena wasn't sure if Brock or Misty had a hand in telling Ash to pay for her, also, but she was happy, nonetheless. Ash was such a gentleman when he needed to be. Once again, it was just one of the many qualities she loved about him.

As they entered the zoo, they saw a pen which housed a large, brown kangaroo-like Pokemon with a baby version of it in its pouch. It was playing different types of games with its baby and didn't seem to mind that it was in a pen for today.

"Cool. A Kangaskhan!" Ash exclaimed as he and Serena scanned it with their pokedexes.

"Kangaskhan. The parent Pokemon. They raise their young from their pouch. It's infant rarely ventures outside of it," said the pokedexes.

"Kangaskhan is a normal-type Pokemon. It would be nice to have one of those since I haven't caught a Pokemon of that type yet," Ash commented as they made their way over to the pen to look at it.

Serena then noticed a small gumball machine that had pokefood in it that had the words "Feed the baby Kangaskhan" on it.

"Hey, Ash. Look. Why don't we get some pokefood so we can feed it? That could be fun!" she suggested.

"Sounds good," Ash replied as he made his way over to the machine and put a quarter in it. He then turned the lever and about a handful of Pokemon food came out.

Serena then took the pokefood before going over to the pen and smiling at the Kangaskhan.

"Kangaskhan! I have some food for your baby to eat," she called.

Kangaskhan looked over at Serena from what it was doing and smiled. It then walked over to the edge of pen while Serena stuck her hands through the bars. The baby Kangaskhan looked at the food in Serena's hand before glancing at its mommy to make sure it was okay. Upon seeing the mother's signal, the baby Kangaskhan reached out from its pouch and grabbed a piece of the Pokemon food and took a small bite. It smiled at the taste and finished off the rest of the morsel. It then began to quickly eat right out Serena's hands, causing her to laugh.

"Hahahahaha! That tickles, Kangaskhan!" Serena smiled as Ash watched in amusement.

Behind them, a certain purple-haired boy happened to be walking by at the moment. He didn't have any interest in interacting with the Pokemon here. He was just at the zoo to see the various Pokemon that would be available in the Safari Zone before he went. Upon seeing Ash and Serena, he immediately frowned and stuffed his hands in his pockets before turning to go in the opposite direction without a word. He was completely unnoticed by the two as their backs were turned. He couldn't believe he had run into them, particularly Ash, again. He figured he would go challenge the Fuchsia City Gym Leader before heading to the Safari Zone. He should have known running into Ash again was inevitable, whether he liked it or not.

* * *

><p>"How do you suppose Ash and Serena are faring on their date?" Misty asked as she and Brock walked out of small café. They had just eaten lunch together.<p>

"Beats me, but we did all we could to ensure they were ready. We just have to trust in them," Brock replied as he appeared in thought.

"I really hope Ash realizes Serena's feelings for him soon. Even though he's Ash, he can't be oblivious of them forever," Misty said.

"Yeah," Brock agreed.

It was then Brock noticed the most beautiful girl in the world (according to him) passing by about thirty feet in front of them. She had long, teal hair, brown eyes, and a pale lavender shirt and pants. A Vulpix was walking by her side.

Brock immediately froze in his tracks as he felt his face heat up. Misty continued on until she noticed that Brock wasn't beside her anymore.

"Brock, what's up?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"I just saw the girl of my dreams," Brock muttered in a goofy voice.

"The girl of your dreams? So what else is new?" Misty scoffed.

"No! Really! The girl that just passed looked like the famous Pokemon breeder and beautician, Suzy!" Brock exclaimed.

"Suzy? I've never heard of her," Misty said as he put her finger to her chin in thought.

"How could you not? She's famous across the world! I've always wanted to study as her pupil! She's the absolute best!" Brock continued.

"Are you really sure that it's her? Why would she be casually passing by in Fuchsia City?" Misty asked skeptically.

"I'm positive it's her! I've got to meet her!" Brock yelled as he ran off in the direction where the girl went.

Unfortunately, as Brock looked around, he didn't see any sign of her. He hung his head. Maybe Misty was right. It had just been his imagination, after all. Studying under such a beautiful and talented Pokemon breeder like Suzy seemed like it could only be a pipe dream for him.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena had since moved on from the Kangaskhan pen and moved onto a pen that had a lime-colored praying mantis like Pokemon with a reptilian head and sharp blades in place of its forearms.<p>

"Wow. That must be a Scyther," Ash muttered as he and Serena scanned it.

"Scyther. The Mantis Pokemon. Scyther have ninja-like movements and speed and easily catches prey with its sharp scythes," said the pokedexes.

"I think it looks kind of scary," Serena commented as she grabbed Ash's arm for support.

"It's fine, Serena. The Scyther is behind the cage. There is no way it can harm us right now," Ash said reassuringly as he stood close to the cage.

Upon hearing Ash's comment, the Scyther raised its eyes in an "Oh really?" manner. It then reached out with one of its long blade-like arms and stuck it through the bars on the cage. It then slowly swiped at Ash and made a small tear across his clothing to taunt him. Ash and Serena sweatdropped after that.

"Ummm, on second thought, maybe we shouldn't stand too close to the Scyther, after all," Ash said nervously as he moved away quickly, taking Serena with him.

The Scyther was smirking at him as they left. No person was going to insult its pride like that.

Next in line for the cages was a Tauros. Unlike the Kangaskhan and Scyther, the Tauros was in a much larger pen. This was probably in part due to how much a Tauros loves to move around and exercise.

"Oh, wow! It's a Tauros!" Ash smiled as he and Serena used their pokdexes once more to scan it.

"Tauros, the wild bull Pokemon. Tauros are rowdy Pokemon with a lot of stamina. Once it starts running, it won't stop until it hits something," the pokedexes informed.

"That Tauros sure looks powerful," Serena commented as they watched the Tauros run around the cage and buck occasionally.

"A Tauros would make a great member to my team," Ash said. "I would no doubt get my exercise in trying to keep up with it."

"Could you imagine trying to own a whole herd of Tauros?" Serena asked with a smile. "How would you keep up with them? You would always have a stampede to deal with."

"Hahahahahah, yeah! Owning almost thirty Tauros would be a little over the top!" Ash laughed. "I don't know how I would be able to use them all equally! Anyways, that settles it! I'm definitely going to shoot to catch a Tauros in the Safari Zone once we check it out. I have yet own a normal-type Pokemon so a Tauros would be perfect!"

"Since you are so energetic, another energetic Pokemon would suit you well," Serena agreed as she looked over in the cage next to Tauros before adding, "I guess energetic can't be said about this Snorlax."

Ash looked over to where she was looking and saw what looked like an enormous fat, dark blue cat-like Pokemon. It was on its back with is short arms and legs spread out, fast asleep.

"Oh yeah, a Snorlax," Ash realized as they scanned it.

"Snorlax, the sleeping Pokemon. Snorlax are incredible lazy and does nothing but eat and sleep. As it grows larger, it becomes even more slothful," said the pokedexes.

"Yeah. This Snorlax doesn't look like it's going to wake up anytime soon," Ash mumbled as he and Serena watched Snorlax and listened to its heavy breathing.

"With as large as it is, I wonder how much a Snorlax can eat," Serena wondered.

"A Snorlax is able to consume over nine hundred pounds of food at one sitting," the pokedexes piped up.

"Woah! Nine hundred pounds!?" Ash and Serena gasped at the same time.

"Still, I bet you a Snorlax is a pretty powerful Pokemon once it is awake. I wouldn't want to be in the way of a hungry Snorlax," said Ash.

"No kidding," Serena agreed.

Serena and Ash spent the rest of the time at the zoo visiting a few of the other types of Pokemon that were available or viewing, most of which they had already seen. A few consisted of an Exeggcute, a Male and Female Nidoran, a Doduo, and a Pinsir. Ash, who knew Serena loved sweets, happily bought her some cotton candy which she loved. She even let Ash have a few bites who happily obliged. They were having such a good time with each other that they didn't seem to notice all of the small smiles adults were giving them. They all thought the two looked so good together. Serena and Ash soon got a little tired from walking around all day and sat down on a nearby bench to rest.

"Are you having a good time so far, Serena?" Ash asked as he stretched his legs out.

"I'm having a wonderful time with you, Ash. I'm really glad we are doing this," Serena replied sincerely.

Ash nodded his head in response. The two sat in silence for a moment before Serena decided to ask something pretty risky. She had become incredibly bold since their time in the blizzard.

"So Ash? I'm really glad you asked me on a date, but I'm curious. What made you want to ask me?" she asked. It surely couldn't have just been because he felt bad about Janine. At least, she hoped it wasn't.

"You know, it's really strange," Ash answered. "I mean, I definitely wanted to see you smile again after what I did, and asking you out was definitely the right answer."

"So that's the only reason?" Serena asked with a somewhat hurt expression.

"Of course not!" Ash quickly said as he realized it came out the wrong way. "I'm glad I asked you out! I've been having these really strange feelings around you lately, and I don't know what they are. It seems like the only way to satisfy them is when I'm with you. Even then, the feelings go away, but they seem to intensify the next time I'm with you. I really like spending all this time with you!"

Serena smiled brightly at Ash's response. She had a really good idea what those feelings Ash felt around her. She would have liked nothing more than to tell Ash what he felt around her, but it would be best if he figured it out himself. That is what Leaf and Misty said the best would be. Pushing away her eagerness of Ash seeming to really like her, Serena instead leaned her head on Ash's shoulder.

"I really enjoy spending time with you, too, Ash. I really do," she said with a contented sigh.

It was then they saw time had passed incredibly quickly at the Pokemon zoo, and before Ash and Serena knew it, it was already after five o'clock. They would have to hurry up and leave to get their Pokemon from the daycare if they were able to make it to the festival in time.

"How did you like the zoo, Serena?" Ash asked as they walked through the exit gate.

"I had a lot of fun! There were so many neat and interesting Pokemon there!" Serena answered with a smile.

"Glad to hear it!" Ash said. "Well, there is still more fun to be had! I bet we will have a great time at the festival."

"Yep!" Serena replied with a blush. She didn't exactly know what the festival had in store for them. She had heard there were things from games to dances. She remembered how she and Ash had their first slow dance to Butterfree's singing a couple of months ago. If given the opportunity, would she go a little further than she did then? Serena blushed even harder at the thought of how romantic that sounded. She didn't even realize she had stopped walking in her daze.

"Hey, Serena! Are you coming?" Ash called.

Serena snapped out of her daze before giving Ash a big smile. "Of course!" she replied before running up to Ash and looping her left arm around his right. Then together, they began the trek to the daycare center to get their Pokemon.

* * *

><p>It was now six o'clock in the evening, and the festival had just started. Everyone was eager to try everything there and have a great time. Well, almost everyone was enjoying themselves, except a certain Pokemon breeder.<p>

"Suuuuzy," Brock mumbled as he shuffled along the ground through the walkways.

"Brock! You've been moping about that since this afternoon! Isn't it time that you got over it?! You don't know if that was even her!" Misty cried out, tired of his sullen attitude.

"If only you knew what meeting Suzy would mean to me, Misty," Brock muttered with a sigh.

"What's so great about Suzy, anyway?" Misty scoffed, clearly not knowing what she said.

"What!?" Brock cried as he looked up at Misty in anger. "How dare you!"

He then began to go on a rant. "The sensational Suzy has been given the Award of Excellence at the World Pokemon Breeder's Competition for three consecutive years! Also, the readers of Pokemon Friends Magazine has named her the most popular Pokemon breeder for four years running, and her website records over ten thousand hits per day!"

"Okay Brock! I get it! I understand that this Suzy person is probably a great Pokemon breeder, but there are several other Pokemon breeders here tonight, also. You could still learn a thing or two from them," Misty said, trying to cheer him up.

"They don't have the magical touch that Suzy does," Brock countered.

Misty wasn't quite sure what he meant by that, so she just let out a sigh until she spotted a Pokemon breeder booth not far away. The girl was busy massaging a Chansey with a gentle smile on her face. A Vulpix was by her side, watching curiously. Misty tugged on Brock's arm to get his attention.

"Hey, Brock. That Pokemon breeder over there looks really nice and good at her job. Let's try going to her," Misty suggested as she pointed in that direction.

Brock slowly looked up and followed her gaze to where she was pointing, and it felt like his heart stopped. Her beautiful teal hair! Her lovely brown eyes! The most wonderful smile in the world!

"It's Suzy!" Brock yelled as he ran off and made a beeline straight for the booth that Misty had mentioned.

"So that's Suzy," Misty wondered aloud. She didn't even know it when she made the suggestion. Maybe Brock could catch a break, after all.

Brock stopped just behind the only person at the booth at the moment and eagerly awaited his chance to meet Suzy. He had a dreamy expression on his face the entire time. He was finally going to meet Suzy, his idol! His role model! He was brimming with excitement! Misty had walked up behind him and watched Suzy give the massage carefully. It seemed she had a very gentle touch.

"There you are! You are as good as new!" Suzy said with smile as she finished. Her voice was like music to Brock's ears.

The Chansey leaped off the table it was getting the massage on and walked over to a nearby mirror. It felt fully relaxed and let out happy cry of "Chansey!" once it was satisfied.

"That was really great. Thank you, Suzy," the man who owned the Chansey said.

"It wasn't a problem at all. I really love my work," Suzy replied.

"See you later," the man said as he walked off with his Chansey.

Suzy then turned in Brock's direction and gave him a warm smile. "Hello there. May I help you?" she asked.

Brock just stood there, completely transfixed. Suzy was actually talking to him! He had been waiting for this moment for at least a few years now. Misty watched him from the side worriedly. Was he just going to stand there all night or actually say something to Suzy? After what seemed like an eternity to Brock, he finally mustered up his courage. He hurried over to Suzy and placed his hands firmly on the front table of her booth and looked her square in the eye.

"Suzy! I want to breed with you!" Brock yelled enthusiastically.

"What?! I-I-I'm sorry?" Suzy exclaimed in a surprised tone.

"Brock…." Misty muttered as she face-palmed.

"Wait! That came out totally wrong! I meant…I want to breed like you!" Brock yelled again.

"You want to…what?" Suzy stuttered in a freaked-out tone.

"Wait! That came out wrong, also!" Brock cried. "_You're making yourself look like an idiot!" _he thought.

"Brock, just relax," Misty told him.

Brock took a deep breath and tried again. He was still beet-red. He tried to be very careful with his wording. "Suzy, my name is Brock, and I am a Pokemon breeder, too. I have admired how wonderful your methods are for a very long time. I would really love it if you would take me on as your pupil so I can be as great a breeder as you….and your Vulpix is nice! Please say yes!" he finished.

"Oh, well it is very nice to meet you Brock. I'm flattered that I am your role model," Suzy answered.

"You really want to be her pupil, Brock?!" Misty asked in a surprised tone.

"Of course!" Brock cried with a still red face.

"That's very nice, Brock. However, I am always traveling and don't have time to take on pupils," Suzy said apologetically.

"You-you don't?" Brock muttered with a crestfallen expression. It felt like his dream was completely shattered. She said no!

"That's pretty Vulpix," Misty commented as she looked over the red six-tailed fox Pokemon. "I wonder if it has won any awards."

"It has!" Brock suddenly shouted again as he went over to it, failing grasp the reason Suzy couldn't be his teacher. "Notice how lovely its coat is and the beautiful six tails it has! It's a fabulous Pokemon!"

"I see," Misty muttered before she looked her right and saw Serena and Ash approaching from a distance. She nudged Brock in the side to get his attention. "Hey Brock. Serena and Ash are coming. We don't want to interrupt their date. Let's get out of here!"

"Oh, uh, right," Brock said, clearly disappointed his meeting with Suzy was cut short. "It was lovely to meet you, Suzy! We'll continue this conversation later! Bye!"

The two then dashed off before they were in eyesight of Serena and Ash.

"It was nice to meet you two, as well!" Suzy called after them, but all that was left was a dust cloud.

It was then Ash and Serena were passing by Suzy's booth. Serena stopped him and pointed to it.

"Oh, look, Ash! It's a Pokemon breeder's booth. Let's have her look over some of some of our Pokemon!" she suggested.

The two then made their way over to Suzy who greeted them with another warm smile. "Hello. My name is Suzy. Thank you for stopping by. What is it I can do for you?" she introduced.

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Ash Ketchum and this is Serena Gabena. It says here that you offer massages for Pokemon. Would you mind giving my buddy, Pikachu, one?" Ash asked as he motioned to the rodent on his shoulder.

"I bet my Eevee would love one, too. It does need to relax every once in a while with all the energy it has," Serena chimed in.

"I would be glad to," Suzy replied pleasantly with a nod.

Ash then set his rodent down on the table while Serena released her Eevee from its pokeball. Suzy inspected the Pokemon briefly before giving her verdict.

"Ash, your Pikachu has an exceptionally shiny coat, and Serena, your Eevee is very clean and healthy for such a playful Pokemon," Suzy reported.

"Thanks," Ash replied. "We owe a lot of it to our friend, Brock. He is a Pokemon breeder like you and is really good at what he does."

"Brock," Suzy muttered thoughtfully, recalling a Pokemon breeder she met just a few minutes ago with the same name.

Pikachu then lay down on the table while Suzy placed her hands directly on Pikachu's cheeks.

"Now remember, Ash. A Pikachu's electrical sacs are stored in its cheeks. Because it uses them so much, its cheeks can become sore after a tough battle. A good massage on them is all a Pikachu needs to feel refreshed," Suzy informed.

She then began to rub her hands gently across Pikachu's cheeks, ending just below its neck and repeating the process.

"Chaaa," Pikachu cooed in happiness.

"Are you enjoying it, Pikachu?" Ash asked with a smile as he watched, receiving a nod from his partner.

"Would you like to give it a try, Ash?" Suzy asked as she looked over at him.

"Sure!" Ash replied as he went over to where Suzy was standing, Serena looking on with a smile.

"Okay, Ash. Remember to use gentle motions on Pikachu. Don't be too light, but don't be too firm either," Suzy told him.

"Hmmm…," Ash muttered as he put his hands on Pikachu's cheeks and began to rub them. "Like this?"

"Yes. That's very good!" Suzy praised.

"How does that feel, Pikachu?" Ash asked his buddy.

"Pikaaaachu," Pikachu replied in a completely relaxed tone.

Suzy then went over to Serena's Eevee. "As for your Eevee, Serena, an Eevee's coat is very smooth and can get dirty easily, especially with how energetic you said yours was. I recommend that you use a soft brush and brush it in straight lines across Eevee. This will help keep its coat clean and not get tangled."

"Okay," Serena replied as she watched Suzy's example. After brushing Eevee for a couple of minutes, Suzy let Serena try.

Serena took the brush from Suzy's hand and began to carefully brush Eevee across its fur, trying to be as gentle as possible. To her relief, Eevee really seemed to be enjoying it. Cubone had been watching the entire time before it decided it would try its hand at massaging Eevee like Serena was doing. It went over and began to rub Eevee in what assumed was a gentle manner. The only problem was Cubone's hands were really rough and the bone it was always holding made things worse.

Eevee cringed every time Cubone moved its hands across its back. Upon seeing this, Serena picked Cubone up with her free hand before it accidentally injured Eevee.

"Why don't you just leave this to me, Cubone?" Serena suggested as she continued to brush Eevee.

"Bone," Cubone pouted.

"You're both doing a great job!" Suzy praised as she watch the two trainers.

"Did you hear that, Eevee? Do you think I'm doing well, also?" Serena asked.

"Vee Vee!" Eevee cried happily before it tackled Serena. It still hasn't seemed to have gotten over that habit.

"Oh, my!" Suzy gasped as she watched the scene. Vulpix looked on in confusion.

"Heheheheh. I take that as a yes," Serena muttered from the ground.

"Attention, everyone! The dance floor is now open in the city square for anyone who wishes to dance!" a voice said over the intercom.

"Oh, Ash! There's dancing! We should go do that! The last time we danced was to Butterfree's song," Serena suggested.

"That sounds like fun! You know I always love a good dance!" Ash agreed as he finished massaging Pikachu. The yellow rodent then hopped onto its usual place on Ash's shoulder.

"Would you like to dance, Eevee and Cubone? That sounds like something you two would like," Serena told them.

"Vee!" Eevee smiled as it hopped up and down

"Bone bone!" Cubone replied while nodding.

"It was very nice to meet all of you," Suzy smiled. "I will be staying at the Fuchsia City Pokemon Center for the next two days so feel free to come see me if you want any more tips."

"We will do that. Thank you, Suzy," Ash replied as they left.

Unbeknownst to them, Brock and Misty were watching from behind a stall several yards away. Well, mainly Brock was just waiting for them to leave so he could continue to talk to Suzy, and Misty was there because she simply had nothing better to do at the moment.

"They're leaving to go dance. Now is my chance to once again ask Suzy to take me as her pupil," Brock whispered.

"Brock, she already told you she doesn't take on pupils because she never has time," Misty reminded.

"I can still get to know her," Brock responded.

"Whatever," Misty said while rolling her eyes. "I'm going to head over to the dance floor to see if there is a song playing that I like."

"Catch you later, Misty," Brock replied with a small wave as he continued to watch Suzy. He couldn't help but feel like he was spying on her. He knew it was wrong, but he just didn't know what to say to her. He always went completely crazy when it came to beautiful girls, and he couldn't control himself. Everyone always thought he was a likeable guy when he was just being himself. Maybe that was the key to get a girl's attention. Finally mustering all of his courage, and putting on a pleasant…rather than a goofy expression, Brock made his way back over to Suzy.

"Suzy," Brock greeted with a wave as he went over to her, trying his best to not go gaga.

Her hair seemed to sway magically as turned back towards him. "Oh, hello again, Brock," she said pleasantly.

Brock instantly turned red at her lovely voice, but shook it away.

"Suzy, being a fellow breeder, I was wondering if you could share some tips with me," Brock suggested.

"I would love to, Brock," Suzy smiled. Brock almost melted under her smile. Suzy then added as an afterthought, "You know, just a short while ago, I met a boy named Ash and a girl named Serena who said they were friends with a Pokemon Breeder named Brock. Were they referring to you?"

"Haha! They were actually," Brock responded. "I actually travel around with them."

"They're Pokemon are in excellent shape. They said they owed it all to you. You must be an exceptional Pokemon Breeder," Suzy commented.

"Yeah," Brock said as he rubbed the back of his head. "I actually make special types of pokefood for each of their Pokemon. Every one of them has their own taste."

"Oh! In that case, would you let my Vulpix have a sample of your Pokemon food? Everything I give it seems to only be mediocre," Suzy said while gesturing to the fox Pokemon.

"Hmmm, a Vulpix," Brock muttered as he thought about a flavor that a Vulpix might like: probably something hot since Vulpix was a fire-type.

"I've got it!" Brock cried as he took his backpack off of his back and set it down on the table where Vulpix was. The fire-type looked on in interest.

"Here, Vulpix. Try this," Brock suggested as he held out some Pokemon food and set it down on the table.

Vulpix went over to the small batch of Pokemon food and gave it a curious sniff.

"Vulpix!" it cried with delight as it began to happily eat the food.

"I'm very impressed, Brock!" Suzy praised. "Your cooking is one of the few who Vulpix even likes!"

"Th-th-thank you, Vulpix!" Brock cried. "I'm not worthy!"

"I have an idea, Brock," Suzy suggested. "Since I will be in Fuchsia City tomorrow, as well, we should have breakfast together tomorrow at the Pokemon Center. We can go over tips for Pokemon Breeding. I bet we could learn a lot from each other."

"You-you-really?!" Brock stuttered. He couldn't believe his beautiful role model was actually asking him to breakfast! He was actually going to learn a bit from Suzy, the world's greatest Pokemon Breeder! He was ecstatic, to say the least.

"Yes," Suzy confirmed.

"Th-th-that's a wonderful idea!" Brock exclaimed. "I would love to study you! I-I mean study with you!"

Unable to contain himself anymore, Brock fainted.

"Oh, my," Suzy gasped as she covered her mouth once she saw Brock hit the ground.

"Vul?" Vulpix questioned as it watched, also. It thought Brock was a pretty interesting human. His cooking was good, also.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena were having a blast dancing with each other right now. There had been many styles of music playing right now. It seemed that Fuchsia City was known for its great music, as well. The song currently playing was a fast-paced one so everyone was free to dance how they saw fit. There were many people crowded into the square, but Ash and Serena had found a nice spot in the middle left part of the square. Pikachu, Cubone, and Eevee were nearby, dancing together.<p>

"How are you holding up, Serena? You tired yet?" Ash asked as they danced.

"Not at all! How about you!?" Serena answered.

"Never!" Ash replied.

There was no tension or nervousness at all between the two right now. It was just like the fun dances they would have when they were younger in Pallet Town. Ash thought his date with Serena was going superb. It really had been a good idea. He was worried he would be extremely nervous and be unable to say or do anything, but he learned quickly that the best thing was to just be himself. He was sure Serena preferred it that way, too.

It was then the music suddenly changed. It slowed down considerably as a voice came over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentleman, we are now going to enter our more romantic part of the evening. So find yourself a partner and enjoy the music," the voice announced.

Serena and Ash stared at each other and blushed heavily. They still remembered when they had danced slowly to the Butterfree singing a while back. That had been their first slow dance. The difference here was this was an actual slow song where they were expected to dance slowly with one another. Ash gulped while Serena was watching him expectantly. He could do this. Taking a deep breath, Ash went over to her and held out his hand like last time, but tried to sound less nervous.

"Serena, may I have this dance?" he asked in a gentlemanly tone as he held his hand out.

"Of course, I would love to, Ash," Serena replied as she took his hand. She was beaming on the inside.

Ash began racking his brain to that time and how he was supposed to hold on to Serena. He slowly put his hand on Serena's back, and they began to move back and forth. He was still a little clumsy but much better than last time. After about thirty seconds, Ash had once again gotten the hang of it once more. It was almost like he was a natural.

"You're getting better, Ash," Serena smiled as they took a step to their left.

"Hahaha, yeah. I'm not that good," Ash trailed as he turned red from embarrassment.

"Don't say that Ash. You are doing wonderful. Even if you weren't a good dancer, that wouldn't matter to me. The only thing that matters is who I'm dancing with, and that's you," Serena told him.

Once more, Ash was again at a loss for words. He again felt that really tight feeling in his chest once he heard Serena say that. Why was he always feeling this way around her now?

Serena was really enjoying the slow dance, as well. As she danced with him, she thought about all the things her fellow girls had told her. They were always saying how Ash had suppressed feeling for her but just didn't realize it. Since he turned eleven, though, slowly but surely, he seemed to be returning those feelings to her. She was delighted. He was always doing more things with her now. He always wanted to be near her. Maybe he really did like her back. She unknowingly tightened her grip around Ash causing him to blush. They danced in silence for a moment before Serena broke it.

"Hey, Ash," she asked, still a little shyly. "Since we are on a date, I remember you saying a while back that you planned on getting married one day. Out of curiosity, what type of girl would you want to spend the rest of your life with?"

"My dream girl?" Ash asked in a surprised tone before seeming to go into deep thought. "Let's see. She would have to be one of the sweetest girls in existence. She would also have to be smart, funny, and a good listener. She would need to be someone I can always count on and who will always be there for me. I hope to be that kind of husband, also."

"I see," Serena replied with a heavy blush.

"_Wait. Did I just perfectly describe Serena when I was telling her what my dream girl was like?" _Ash thought before adding. "Of course. I'm only eleven right now so I don't plan on getting married for a while. My tastes may change by then."

"Yes. Of course they might," Serena replied before thinking to herself. "_I wonder if Ash was thinking of me when he was describing his dream girl?"_

She didn't realize how close to the mark she really was.

"I'm having such a good time, Ash," she finally told him. "I am going to remember this night forever."

"Really? Forever?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Absolutely," Serena replied. "This really means a lot to me."

"Oh," Ash replied as he blushed. He then smiled. "It means a lot to me too, Serena."

Serena smiled broadly once Ash said that. After hearing Ash say those words so easily, Serena decided to do something she was too shy to do the last time they had slow danced. She slowly began to lean her head down. Closer and closer she got until her head was finally resting on Ash's shoulder. To her great fortune, he didn't pull away.

"Ash…"she muttered in content.

Ash blushed heavily and tried not to let out a gasp. Serena was actually leaning her head on his shoulder while dancing. It felt so strange yet…comforting…relaxing…to have Serena resting her head on his shoulder. He gave her another one of his smiles that Serena loved. She looked up and smiled back before returning her head to its place on his shoulder.

Serena felt extremely safe right now with Ash holding onto her right now, like nothing could harm her. Ash had always just had that effect on her. It was as if nothing else mattered at the moment except them dancing together. The stress of trying to be a good trainer, their fights with Team Rocket, all of that felt so small now and didn't matter. Serena once more breathed a contented sigh before she closed her eyes. She felt like she could be in this position forever. Unbeknownst to her, Ash had closed his eyes, too. It was then they became completely into the moment, and their movements suddenly became very natural

Beside Ash and Serena, Pikachu had asked Serena's Eevee to dance, which the evolution Pokemon happily agreed two. Pikachu was holding onto Eevee's forelegs while it stood on its hind legs to be more eye level with Pikachu. Cubone stood watching with a sad look on its face. Upon seeing its expression, big brother Pikachu smiled and allowed it join in as well.

While Ash and Serena were dancing, Misty was sitting on a bench a short distance away, watching them with a somewhat longing expression. She couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Ash and Serena's relationship at the moment. The two were always extremely close, and they were always there to support each other. Misty wished there was some boy in her life as well whom was interested in her. Misty let at a huge sigh and rested her face on her hand.

"What guy could ever fall in love with me?" she said to herself. "I'm just an extremely crabby tomboy."

As if an answer to her prayers, there was a boy that came up to her, but Misty hardly took notice until he spoke.

"Hello there," said the boy. "What's a nice girl like you doing by herself?"

Misty looked up to see whom was addressing her. It was a boy who appeared a couple of years older than her. He had really dark red hair as contrast to Misty's bright red hair and wearing formal clothing. He had a younger girl next to him that was presumably his sister considering they looked alike. Misty supposed he was rather handsome.

"Oh, I'm fine," Misty said. "I'm just by myself right now. My friends are either dancing or talking with other people right now."

"May I ask your name?" the boy asked.

"I'm Misty Waterflower," Misty responded half-heartedly.

"That's a very beautiful name," the boy complimented.

That took Misty by surprise and got her attention. No one had ever said she had a lovely name before. She looked back up at the boy and gave him an interested expression.

"My name is Rudy," the boy introduced, "And this is my little sister Mahri."

"Hi!" the little girl said in a bubbly tone.

"It's nice to meet you two," Misty replied with a smile. "Where are you from?"

"We are actually visiting from the Orange Islands right now, specifically Trovita Island. You see, my little sister loves this Pokemon festival a lot and begs me to take her every year," they boy explained.

"Oh wow! You come all the way from the Orange Islands?!" Misty exclaimed.

"Hahaha! We do! From the way you're surprised, I take it you are pretty local," the boy guessed.

"Yeah. I'm from Cerulean City. I am actually one of the Sensational Sisters and one of the gym leaders," Misty said.

"Oh, cool! You are one of the Sensational Sisters!? I love how graceful and beautiful they are! I watch your shows all the time on TV! I want to be just like you when I'm older!" Mahri beamed.

"Well, isn't that nice?" Misty said as she smiled at the girl. "I have no doubt that you have what it takes to become one."

"Hooray!" the girl cheered. "A Sensational Sister actually complimented me!"

"So you are a gym leader of Kanto?" Rudy echoed. "I'm actually a member of the Orange Crew on the Orange Islands, so I'm sort of like a gym leader myself."

"That's so cool! It looks like we have something in common!" Misty realized.

"Hey, Misty. Since you are by yourself right now and have no one to dance with, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Rudy asked as he held his hand out to her.

Misty stared at the open hand in surprise. No boy had ever asked her to dance before, let alone a handsome boy like Rudy. He certainly seemed like a nice guy so Misty believed she could trust him.

"That sounds lovely. Thank you, Rudy," Misty replied as she took his hand.

"Can I join, too?" Mahri asked.

"Of course. The three of us will have a great time!" Rudy responded as he took Misty onto the dance floor, the little girl following them. He then took Misty in one of his hands and his little sister in the other, and they danced together.

Overall, the group had an amazing time at the festival. Ash and Serena got to spend much alone time with each other. Brock had gotten an invitation to have breakfast with his idol, Suzy, and Misty had gotten to known a nice boy by the name of Rudy and his sister. Despite the wonderful time everyone was having, all good things had to come to an end at some point.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Misty," Rudy said as he placed a kiss on her hand, causing her to blush.

"Thanks. You, too, Rudy," Misty replied.

"If you are ever in the Orange Islands, please come to visit my sister and me at Trovita Island. We would love to have you," Rudy invited.

"You know what, I just might do that one day," Misty answered.

"So it's a promise?" Mahri asked hopefully.

"You bet. I'll definitely do it sometime," Misty confirmed.

The two walked away with Mahri frantically waving her hands at Misty until they were out of sight., Misty watched them go with her hand over her heart. It seemed like her prayers were answered. Rudy was quite the gentleman, and he was even a gym leader just like she was. He also had a cute little sister whom Misty had gotten along really well with. She really hoped they would see each other again soon. Maybe there was hope for her with boys, after all.

* * *

><p>By the time Ash and Serena had finally arrived back at the Pokemon Center, it was already eleven o'clock at night. Eevee was extremely tired so Serena had returned it to its pokeball. Cubone was asleep in her arms, and Pikachu was almost passed out on Ash's shoulder. It had been a very fun but tiring day. They weren't expecting Brock and Misty to be waiting for them in the lobby once they arrived. The two were looking at Ash and Serena expectantly<p>

"So how did it go?" Brock asked with a knowing smile.

"Uh…we had a really awesome time," Ash responded.

"Atta boy, Ash!" Brock praised as he went over and gave Ash a noogie.

"Ahhhh! Knock it off, Brock!" Ash said embarrassedly as he pulled himself away.

"You've got to give me the details!" Brock pleaded.

"Don't be so nosy, Brock. They had a good time. That's all you need to know. We should be getting to bed," Misty said in annoyance as she pulled Brock away by the ear with one hand and took the sleeping Cubone and Pikachu in the other one.

"Ouch! Don't drag me by the ear! I'm not doing anything bad!" Brock exasperated as they disappeared around a corner, leaving Ash and Serena alone.

The two stood in silence for a few moments until Serena broke it once more. "Thank you for today, Ash. I had a really great time."

"Yeah. I did, too. I'm really glad we did this," Ash replied.

"You are?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Of course! I had a lot of fun with you!" Ash confirmed.

"Does that mean we can go on a date again some time?" Serena pleaded.

Ash paused for a moment. Go on a date again with Serena? He hadn't thought of that one. There is no doubt he and Serena had a good time. He went on a date with her because they were best friends for sure, but once again, Ash had his doubts about it some time. Going on dates was something that best friends didn't do. They hang out, but dates? It was all so confusing sometimes. Ash's stomach was extremely knotted right now. He never used to keep getting so worked up around Serena. Ash really went deep into thought with that question. How would going on another date affect his and Serena's relationship? He kept getting this really weird feeling, and after much thinking, decided the best way to figure out what it was to go on another date again with Serena in the future. Hopefully, that will provide the answers. After what seemed like an eternity to Serena, Ash gave his response.

"Of course," Ash answered with a smile. "I'd love to go on another date some time."

Serena was absolutely beaming when she heard Ash say those words. "I'm so glad," she replied.

"Yeah. Anyway, it's getting pretty late. We should probably get to bed. You have another Battle Chateau challenge tomorrow. I want to make sure you are well rested," Ash said.

"Yes, of course. Good night, Ash," Serena responded as she began to make her way to her and Misty's room, but stopped. She suddenly had an incredible urge to do something she had never dared do before to Ash. If this was the past, there would be no way Serena would have the courage to do what she was about to do, but after a day like today, it felt right.

Taking a deep breath, Serena walked up to Ash before she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, completely taking him by surprise. The moment Ash felt Serena's soft lips touch his cheek, he began to feel really dazed and his chest felt its tightest yet. He had never been kissed by a girl before, cheek or otherwise. Wow, it felt incredible! Serena held that positon for about five seconds before taking her face away from Ash's.

"Thank you again, Ash. Good night," Serena said as she hurried away to her room. Inside she was leaping with pure joy. "_Oh my gosh! Yes! I just had my first kiss with Ash! It doesn't matter if it was on the cheek! I still kissed him!"_

Ash stood completely still in the lobby for a while after Serena had left. His hand was holding the spot on his cheek where Serena had kissed him. He was as red as a tomato. He was at a complete loss right now with his feelings for Serena. He could no longer tell if she was just his best friend or something much more.

"Wow, Serena. What is going on with you and me?" Ash mumbled to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>Sooooooooo how was it? This chapter was of course mainly dedicated to Ash and Serena, but I tried hard to give Misty and Brock plenty of attention, too. They are supporting characters so just remember they won't have a chapter that is ONLY about them, as a few of you have asked. With that being said, they will co-star in a few chapters, as evidenced by the next chapter of the story's title below. I hope you all enjoyed this very amourshippy chapter and there is plenty more moments and dates in the future!<strong>

**See you all next Tuesday with the next chapter! Have a great week!**

**Chapter 36: Brock's Battle**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will there be a tournament in the orange league this time with old rivals that never got resolved or like canon? _

_**I'm trying hard to decide how I want the Orange League to go. It will mostly be the same as in canon (Ash will still battle Drake, but his battle will be much different), but there will be differences, as well. As far as old rivals go, what kind did you have in mind that never got resolved because I am on a blank.**_

_Does Mr. Fuji have the same back story as the anime, and if so why is he alive._

_**Because he doesn't have the same backstory as in canon. He is a caretaker of abandoned Pokemon in this fic and nothing more. He has no connection with Mew or Mewtwo. I know I said Mewtwo's backstory would be the same, but I meant mostly from the main ideas of his creation.**_

_Where's Aya?_

_**She doesn't exist in this fic. Janine took her place. If I find a time when Aya is necessary (very unlikely), then I will put her in the story. Until then, she isn't there.**_

_It's recently been said that Rayquaza holds the secret to Mega Evolution, and it becomes Mega Rayquaza, which it did when it had to deal with Primal Kyogre and Primal Groudon. Will that be referenced in your stories somewhere?_

_**Yes, but not until Hoenn which is when Mega Evolution will first be mentioned. Ash and company still won't use it until Sinnoh, however.**_

_Will Tobias appear? _

_**Eventually. He won't be in Kanto if that's what you're asking.**_

_Will Serena do contests on the Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**For the umpteenth time, **__**SERENA WILL NOT DO CONTESTS IN THIS STORY! **_

_Will Brock and Misty have birthdays too?_

_**Yes, they have birthdays, but the only ones that will be shown in this story are Serena's and Ash's.**_

_When are Gary's and Leaf's next appearance?_

_**Leaf: In just a couple of chapters. Chapter 37 to be exact. She will appear before the group leaves Fuchsia City. She will be meeting Paul on her next appearance.**_

_**Gary: Not until Ash gets 7 badges, but before his 8**__**th**__**.**_

_Will Oldrivalshipping be in this story?_

_**It's possible. **_

_Will the Safari Zone in Johto, Hoenn, and The Great Marsh in Sinnoh make an appearance?_

_**Most likely.**_

_In the Hoenn arc (if it's been planned out) will Max turn ten during the journey through Hoenn?_

_**Max will turn 10, but not in Hoenn, and yes he will start his own journey when he turns 10. What I will probably do is widen the age gap between May and Max than in canon so Max will still be younger than 10 while May can be a little closer in age to Ash and Serena. She will be a year younger than them in this fic while Max will be 8 or 9 at the start of Hoenn. **_

_Also in Hoenn, I remember there being a filler episode about a loving couple that met the group while May and Ash were fighting. Are they gonna make any impact with Ash and Serena?_

_**Probably not as it wouldn't have a big effect on them as they are already going to be dating by Hoenn. It would be something along the lines of "Yeah, we know we love each other. Thanks for pointing that out, complete strangers"**_

_I noticed that James' Victreebel made an appearance after Paul released his Weepinbell...Is there any connection there?_

_**Honestly, that was one of the ideas I thought of as I was drafting this story, but it fell through. It would be interesting but there is no connection between them.**_

_Will Paul ever meet Team Rocket?_

_**I'm trying to fit a meeting between them right now actually, so it might or might not happen depending on if I can make it work and still be interesting.**_

_So will Ash get more Pokémon in the Orange Islands?_

_**He will get one more Pokemon (a noncanon one) in Orange Islands outside of Lapras and Snorlax.**_

_Will Pikachu be paired with another pokemon at any point in the story?_

_**Yes. You saw a little dancing between it and Serena's Eevee (it's female) this chapter, after all, right?**_

_Will Riley teach ash how to control his aura when he sees him?_

_**Not immediately as Ash is still young and isn't ready to learn his aura yet, but he will be aware of it.**_

_Will Misty's Magikarp be like Ash's Charizard in the anime after it evolves into Gyarados?_

_**No, it will listen to Misty.**_

_Relating to the topic of legendary pokemon, since you say you dislike them to be captured can you instead have them give Ash and the gang some item of them that allows Ash to call for them for help?_

_**Probably.**_

_Will there be a storm that separates the pokemon from the trainers just like in canon?_

_**No, not like in canon, and the island of giant Pokemon won't appear, either.**_

_Will you do some of the Indigo League training episodes?_

_**No, as 99% of them were filler. There will be training chapters before Ash goes to the Indigo League, but he will actually be training in those chapters rather than doing something else.**_

_I'm not sure if you're going with this route, but with Paul returning soon, are you going to have him belittle Ash by telling him how Serena would let him down by holding him back as a reference to how his own brother had failed to live up to his expectations?_

_**It's an interesting idea that will come into play at some point, but not at their next meeting. For now, Paul just pretty much ignores Serena.**_

_Can Ash get a Rotom?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Maybe in a future arc, do you have plans to incorporate Colosseum and XD's gimmicks? Like have the Snag Machine that Ash could use to snag mistreated Pokemon from abusive trainers?_

_**It's unlikely something like that will be in this story, but it isn't an impossibility, either. It won't be any time soon in any case.**_

_Will Misty or Brock get a chapter thats mostly about them? Like not about Ash's gym battles or Serena's Battle Chateaux tournaments (or however you spell it), just about Brock or Misty?_

_**As stated in the author's note, no they won't, as they are supporting characters. Supporting characters will not have a chapter that is JUST about them unless it is absolutely necessary. For instance, Paul may have an exclusive chapter to himself that explains his backstory much later on, but that is as close as it would get. Like I also said, they will play large roles in chapters sometime and will get plenty of "text?" time, but not have one that is ONLY about them.**_

_Also in Hoenn who are you going to have as the last Gym Leader be Wallace or the more faved Juan?_

_**Probably Juan, but Wallace will still play a role in Hoenn despite Steven being the champion.**_

_Ash will not get reset each region right?_

_**Sort of, but not like in canon. He will still use his older Pokemon from other regions sometimes.**_

_Could you possibly give Koga a cameo in Johto as an Elite 4 member?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Speaking of elite 4 members, are you going to have Ash encounter one of the Kanto Elite 4 members some time and maybe have a battle with the one he meets?_

_**He will encounter a couple before the League, but not until he has all 8 badges.**_

_Is this upcoming date going to be the only date Ash and Serena have in the Kanto part of this series or will there be more?_

_**No, there will be another one.**_

_Will Ash still die in the Mewtwo saga like he did in the movie? Just wondering due to MAJOR potential amourshipping moments._

_**Believe it or not, that is actually a major spoiler for this fic. I shall not divulge this. Sorry.**_

_If Blue is Garry's father, then was Ash's father Red?_

_**I shall not reveal Ash's father until the time comes (which isn't too far off)**_


	36. Brock's Battle

**A/N: Happy belated Columbus Day to you all! Here is another super long chapter for you all to enjoy. Is it just me, or are my chapters just getting longer and longer? Well, the longer the better I suppose as it's easier to tide you over until the next update. Enjoy the chapter! I think it turned out quite well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Brock….or Pokemon either for that matter.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 36: Brock's Battle<p>

Ash had slept quite peacefully that night at the Pokemon Center. To be quite honest, he felt like it had been the most restful sleep he has had since he entered Saffron City. Yesterday had truly been a day off for him and his friends to enjoy themselves. There were no Pokemon battles to worry about, no Battle Chateau challenges, and best of all, there had been no Team Rocket. The group has the misfortune of running into Team Rocket at least once in every major city so far. Fuchsia City had definitely been the most enjoyable city the group had visited so far. Now, it was the start of a new day.

"Mmmmm," Ash yawned as he gave a stretch and got out of bed, Pikachu doing the same. It seemed Brock had already gotten out of bed and left the room, as usual. Ash vaguely remembered Brock mentioning he was having breakfast with a very special person. It made Ash wonder who on Earth it could be.

"Brock must have actually met a girl last night by the way he was talking about the person. Who do you think it is, Pikachu?" Ash asked the rodent as he began to change into his clothes.

"Chu," Pikachu replied with a shrug of its small shoulders.

Come to think of it, how had Brock actually managed to even get a girl to go to breakfast with him in the first place? Most of the time, he would act extremely goofy, and the girl would reject his advances. So what could he have said that would make a girl have breakfast with him…unless it was a female version of Brock who was just as crazy about the opposite gender as he was. Ash and Pikachu shuddered at the thought.

Once Ash had gotten dressed in his normal attire, Pikachu hopped on his shoulder, and he began to head towards the door to greet his friends. Just before Ash opened the door, he stopped. Serena would definitely be out there, and he didn't quite know how to handle it. He was extremely confused about his feelings for her right now, especially after she kissed him the previous night. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the kiss. He was just very surprised. Now that he and Serena had gone on a date and she kissed him, would their relationship be different from now on? Would she treat Ash much differently from now on? He wasn't sure how to react to her now.

"Pika?" Ash's rodent partner inquired after seeing its trainer's thoughtful expression.

"Oh? I'm good, buddy," Ash replied before opening the door and heading down the hall to the Pokemon Center. Ash supposed he would just have to play it by ear and see how his interactions with Serena would go now.

As Ash made his way down the hall and into the cafeteria, he wasn't surprised to find Brock, Misty, and Serena already seated at a table, eating their breakfast. Ash always seemed to be the last one to wake up. What did surprise him was that there was a new person at the table. She had long teal hair with a Vulpix next to her. The Vulpix was talking with Cubone. After a brief moment, Ash realized that it was Suzy, the Pokemon breeder he had met the previous night at the Fuchsia City festival. Why was she sitting with his friends? Was she actually the person whom Brock was having breakfast with?

Ash then got a tray and plate from the corner of the cafeteria before helping himself to the wide variety of food set up like a buffet. He then made sure to get a cup of ketchup for Pikachu before joining his friends at the table. As soon as Serena spotted him coming, she immediately turned a deep shade of red, which caused Ash to do the same thing, as well. He then set his tray down next to Serena's before sitting down. Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder before grabbing the cup of ketchup and going over to Vulpix and Cubone to converse with them.

"Good morning, Ash," Serena greeted warmly, despite still being red.

"Good morning," Ash replied back. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept wonderful," Serena answered, and indeed she had. She had several blissful dreams about her and Ash being a couple.

The two continued to stare at each other for a few moments before they heard Brock clear his throat, snapping them back to reality.

"Oh, hey guys? What's up?" Ash said, addressing the rest of his friends and Suzy before taking a sip of milk.

"We're good, Ash. I think we all had a good night's sleep," Misty told him. She was still thinking about Rudy.

"Good to hear," Ash replied before turning to Suzy. "So Suzy. It's good to see you again, but I am curious to know why you are here with us."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Brock and I agreed to have breakfast together today. We met last night at the festival and decided it would be a great idea to share with each other our different methods on Pokemon breeding," Suzy answered.

"_Ah, so they are just sharing breeding tips,"_ Ash thought, but as soon as he saw Brock's facial expression, he quickly knew Brock wasn't thinking quite along the same lines.

"Yeeeeeeah," Brock said dreamily while looking at Suzy with a longing expression before shaking his head. "I mean…right. I already told Misty this, but Suzy is one of the world's best breeders. It really is a huge step for me as a Pokemon Breeder that I learn as much from her as I can."

"Thank you for the kind words, Brock, but I'm learning a lot from you, too," Suzy said before Vulpix hopped on the table and nuzzled her face. "A perfect example is Vulpix. Before I met you, it was always really hard for me to find a flavor of food that Vulpix would eat. You, on the other hand, were able to get it right your first try. I would say outside of me, you are one of the few people Vulpix actually trusts. Right Vulpix?"

"Vul!" the fox Pokemon cried happily.

"Really?" Brock asked in surprise. His idol was actually calling him a great breeder! Vulpix then went over to Brock and sat down in front of him, obviously an invitation to pet it.

"Not to mention I also noticed how loving you are towards all of you and your friend's Pokemon," Suzy continued. "Your friends told me they are all very well taken care of, and it's all thanks to you."

Brock turned red and began rubbing his neck in embarrassment. "Hahaha! Well, I just do my best," Brock said.

"So I'm curious, what are the rest of you aiming to be?" Suzy asked everyone else politely.

"I'm training to be a Pokemon Master! I've already collected five badges and going on number six!" Ash said proudly as he showed Suzy the inside of his sleeveless jacket where the badges were pinned.

"I see. Was this Pikachu your first Pokemon?" Suzy asked as she gestured to Pikachu who had just now finished its cup of ketchup and hopped on his shoulder.

"It sure was!" Ash replied. "When we first started out, Pikachu didn't think to highly of me because it had bad experiences with people in the past. I was able to show Pikachu I wasn't like the others and gained its trust. We've been best friends ever since!"

"Pikachu!" the yellow rodent agreed with nod.

"As for me, I'm already one of the gym leaders of Cerulean Gym," Misty revealed. "However, I left the gym recently to prove myself. I'm trying to become a great water Pokemon trainer before returning to the gym."

"I haven't really figured out my goal yet," Serena admitted, "But right now I'm competing at the Battle Chateau. I've had a lot of fun with it so far and have reached the rank of Baroness."

"That's very impressive!" Suzy praised. "I've heard the Battle Chateau can be very challenging sometimes. To reach the rank of Baroness is quite an achievement."

"Thank you! I actually was going to go compete in a competition today," Serena said.

"I always thought the Battle Chateau had been interesting ever since it opened," Suzy commented. "The fact that you have to dress up and look nice while also trying to be somewhat elegant in your battle style must be quite challenging. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind if I watched you compete today? I would like to have a chance to see what the Battle Chateau is all about."

"Of course you can!" Serena replied with a smile.

"Thank you. By the way, Brock, have you ever thought about competing in a Battle Chateau tournament?" Suzy asked him.

"A Battle Chateau tournament? Me?" Brock asked in confusion.

"Of course. You told me you used to be the Pewter City gym leader, and you are also a Pokemon Breeder. I would love to see how you incorporate your breeding techniques in a Pokemon battle," Suzy said.

"Say no more!" Brock suddenly yelled as he suddenly slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "I am going to compete in the Battle Chateau today!"

"You are?!" Ash, Misty, and Serena questioned at the same time.

"Definitely! I shall use my skills as a Pokemon Breeder to advance through the ranks and earn Suzy's respect! I shall do it even if I have to go against you, Serena!" Brock declared as he pointed straight at the honey-blonde girl.

"But Brock, you already have my…," Suzy began, but Brock interrupted her by grabbing her hands and looking her straight in the eye.

"I can't wait to show you all I've learned as a Pokemon breeder through battling!" Brock said excitedly before he dashed out of the cafeteria.

"Brock! Where are you going!?" Misty called after him.

"To register at the Battle Chateau! What else!" Brock yelled back before he was out of sight.

Everyone in the room looked after the scene with confusion. Brock sure was a motivated individual when it came to girls.

"I was going to tell Brock he already has my respect. I suggested he do the Battle Chateau just for today so I could see his techniques. I hope I didn't mislead him to believe he had to go through all this trouble of advancing through the ranks just for me," Suzy said in worry.

"Brock must hold you in high regard," Ash muttered.

"Vul!" Vulpix chimed in.

"It looks like I'll have my work cut out for me at the Battle Chateau if I end up facing Brock. I've never gone against an actual gym leader before," Serena said.

"You'll do great!" Ash told her before turning red and looking away. "Just like you always do."

"Tee hee! Thank you, Ash!" Serena giggled.

Pikachu and Cubone watched Serena and Ash's cute interaction with interest. They hoped it wasn't too much long before they fully came to terms with their feelings for each other.

* * *

><p>Serena was now in the backyard field of the Pokemon Center. She had her arms folded and her head down as if she were in deep thought. Serena knew she would have a tough round at the Battle Chateau this time because Brock was competing. Even though Brock had mainly focused on breeding since he began traveling with them, that still didn't change the fact that he used to be a gym leader. That proved he was going to be a very tough opponent should she go against him. Now that she was at the rank of Baroness, she figured it would be a good idea to train her Pokemon before the tournament today.<p>

"Okay! Come on out everyone!" Serena called as she released all of her Pokemon.

Once they were out of their pokeballs, all of them gave Serena an expectant look. The only exception was Hitmonlee who shut its eyes before sitting down and meditating. It seemed Hitmonlee could be a little too relaxed sometimes, but Serena knew by now that the kicking fiend was still listening.

"Alright! This is probably going to be our toughest challenge yet! Everyone who is going to be competing in this tournament has done just as well as I have or better. Let's get in some good training so we are prepared for anything!" Serena cried while pumping her fist in the air.

"Cubone!" Cubone cried also while mimicking her movements.

All of her Pokemon responded in agreement before they went into some heavy training. Nidorina was working on fighting with its teeth and claws since its horn wasn't developed. It had become quite adept and its Dig attack lately and had learned to control it better.

Charla was learning to control its accuracy with its fire attacks better. It had been working very hard on trying to control the flames more. It was soon able to get the flames from its mouth to begin swirling in a spiral pattern, and its eyes lit up with excitement. It then hurriedly ran to Serena who was watching Nidorina at the moment.

"What is it, Charla?" Serena asked once the fire chameleon reached her.

Charla then took a step back and blew forth its burning flames from its mouth. The flames went up and up until it looked like a tornado made out of fire was taking place. Unfortunately, it seemed it was having a hard time steering it. It got a worried expression once it found out how hard it was to control.

"Quick! Stop shooting the flames, Charla!" Serena yelled frantically once the fire tornado began coming towards them.

Charla immediately quit blowing the fire and got a sheepish expression on its face while Serena and the other Pokemon sighed with relief.

"Well, I guess the good news is that you learned Fire Spin," Serena said while shrugging her shoulders. "But I guess we made need to work on controlling it."

Serena's other Pokemon sweatdropped once they heard Charla would be doing that attack more, but a glare from Charla immediately made them nod in agreement. Just because Charla was very girly, that still didn't take away the fact that it was still a Charmeleon and could be frightening when angry.

Serena then went over to her Jigglypuff who was practicing its speed. It had gotten very skilled at its Rollout attack as well as its control while floating in the air. Despite Jigglypuff's round body, it was a very fit Pokemon.

"How's it going, Jigglypuff?" Serena asked it.

"Jiggly!" it responded happily before coming down from the air to land in Serena's arms to snuggle with her.

"I thought so! Keep up the great work!" Serena encouraged before hugging it back and setting it down on the ground.

She then looked over and saw one Pokemon who wasn't as enthusiastic as the others about training. It was her Oddish. Eevee was over next to it nudging it and trying to encourage it to train, but Oddish would just look down sadly and sigh.

Deciding to see what was going on, Serena went over and kneeled in front of Oddish to be more eye-level with it.

"Hey, Eevee. Will you go play with Cubone for a moment while I talk with Oddish?" she asked with a smile.

"Vee Vee!" it exclaimed before running off with Cubone.

Serena then directed her attention back to Oddish. "Hey, Oddish. Why aren't you training like the others?" she asked curiously.

Oddish didn't look at its trainer and continued to look at the ground before sighing again.

"You know you can talk to me Oddish," Serena tried again.

Oddish looked up at Serena and began to make various movements and sounds. Despite not understanding it, Serena got the gist of what it was saying.

"I don't think that's true at all, Oddish. You aren't a weak Pokemon. You've won plenty of battles in the past," Serena said.

Oddish wasn't so convinced, however. It's true it had won battles for Serena before, but it always would win by the skin of its teeth. Not to mention, after the battle it would be too tired to battle again for a while. It supposed this was in part to being a sickly Pokemon while it was at Melanie's cabin. It probably still hadn't fully recovered yet despite it being with Serena for many months now.

Serena then heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Ash and Pikachu approaching. She blushed once she saw him coming but quickly shook it away. Oddish also looked up at the raven-haired boy.

"How's the training going, Serena?" Ash asked once he reached her.

"All of my Pokemon are working super hard to perfect their attacks," Serena reported before casting a worried look in Oddish's direction. "It seems Oddish doesn't think it's good enough to battle anymore, though."

"It doesn't? Why would you think that, Oddish?" Ash asked as he knelt down, also. Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder and went over to put a comforting hand on the grass-type.

"It says that it isn't as strong as my other Pokemon because it used to be sickly at Melanie's cabin, but I think it's been doing great. It's never had this problem before," Serena said.

"Hey, Oddish. If you want another Pokemon's opinion on how much stronger you have gotten, why don't you just ask a Pokemon you've known for a while," Ash said as he released Bulbasaur. He had traded back at Professor Oak's lab for his Muk earlier that day.

"Bulbasaur!" the plant dinosaur cried.

"Bulbasaur, you used to be a great bodyguard for Oddish and have seen it train. Do you think it's gotten any stronger?" Ash asked it.

Bulbasaur then went over to Oddish who was giving it an inquisitive stare. Bulbasaur stared back at Oddish for a few moments before it shot out a vine and raised it in the air as if to strike Oddish. The weed Pokemon got a surprised look on its face before leaping out of the way just before it hit. It then ran forward and tackled Bulbasuar. Bulbasaur recoiled slightly from the hit before grinning broadly at Oddish. It then began to tell Oddish that it wouldn't have been able to dodge a surprise attack and retaliate like that if it wasn't a strong Pokemon. It had great reflexes! It had definitely improved its skills since Melanie's cabin.

Oddish smiled upon hearing that and nodded its head.

"You see," Serena said as she rubbed Oddish on the head. "You are a great Pokemon, and I'm really happy to have you on my team."

"That's right," Ash agreed as he picked up Bulbasaur. "When Bulbasaur and I first started out, we had a tough time winning battles together because everything outside Melanie's village was so different, but once we got some special training in, we've been doing much better. Isn't that right Bulbasaur?"

"Saur!" it agreed happily.

Oddish looked thoughtfully at Serena, Ash, Pikachu, and Bulbasaur. Maybe everyone was right. It just needed to have more confidence in itself. It couldn't be held back by its past state as a sickly Pokemon forever. So what if it was only a foot tall and unevolved!? It could still show a Pokemon a thing or two!

"Oddish!" it cried before running off to work on perfecting its attacks.

"Why don't you go help Oddish, Bulbsaur?" Ash suggested as they watched it run off.

"Bulbasaur!" it replied in the affirmative before leaping out of Ash's arms and following the weed Pokemon.

Serena smiled before turning back to Ash. "Thanks for your help, Ash," she said.

"Hey! Don't thank me. Thank Bulbasaur! It was the one who convinced Oddish!" Ash told her.

They continued to stare at each other for a moment before Ash began to get really nervous. There was just something about Serena right now that was making Ash feel really warm. There was a slight breeze in the air, and her honey-blonde hair was blowing gently in the wind giving her a picturesque look. She had a beautiful smile on her face as she continued to look at Ash as if expecting him to say something. Ash felt himself turn red once again and decided to excuse himself.

"I don't want to get in the way of your training…so I'll just be heading off and see how Brock's doing," Ash muttered nervously before going with Pikachu.

"Okay. See you later, Ash," Serena said sweetly as she watched him go. "_There was no mistaking that look," _she thought_. "He definitely must be starting to feel something for me. He is starting to get nervous around me like I do with him."_

"I feel like I need a cold shower right now, buddy," Ash told Pikachu to his side as he walked with it back to the Pokemon Center once they were out of Serena's earshot.

"Pika Pi Pikachu," the rodent snickered. It then clasped its hands together and made a love-stricken face before pretending to faint.

"Knock it off, Pikachu," Ash said embarrassedly. "I don't love Serena."

"_Do I?" _ he thought secretly.

* * *

><p>Brock had wasted no time in making a beeline straight for the Fuchsia City Battle Chateau after he left the breakfast table. He had no trouble registering at all with Hennessy because of his previous gym leader status. He was still confident in his abilities as a trainer and couldn't wait to show Suzy how well he raised his Pokemon so she would recognize him!<p>

Brock was currently in the side yard of the Pokemon Center polishing his Onix and Geodude with a rag while Zubat was enjoying some of Brock's homemade Pokemon food.

"There you go, guys. We have a tournament we're going to enter today so I want to make sure you all are in peak condition," Brock told them with determination.

His Pokemon nodded in agreement. Onix and Geodude had been with Brock a really long time and definitely believed in his abilities. He was a great Pokemon Breeder as well as a battler. Even his newest member, Zubat, had picked up on Brock's skills. It had only taken excellent grooming and Pokemon food to show it that.

"Brock, you know it isn't necessary to actually compete in the Battle Chateau to prove yourself to Suzy," Misty said from behind him.

"You don't understand, Misty," Brock replied as he stopped polishing his Geodude for a second to face her. "My dream is to be the world's best Pokemon Breeder. Suzy is definitely the best of the best. If she actually thinks of me as worthy breeder, I will be one step closer to achieving my dream of being one. That's why I need to win this. I want to show Suzy my great methods of how I take care of my Pokemon through battling."

"I guess I see where you're coming from, but I still think you are being a little rash. Suzy has already said several times what a great breeder you are. Not to mention me, Ash, and Serena think so, as well. Our Pokemon owe a lot to you with how much you take care of them," Misty told him.

"Thanks for those words, Misty, but this is something I feel like I have to do," Brock answered as he went back to polishing his rock Pokemon.

Sensing that the conversation was over, Misty nodded in understanding before heading back in the direction where she came from.

* * *

><p>The group, accompanied by Suzy, was now standing in front of the Fuchsia City Battle Chateau. The grand castle before them was a stark contrast between the traditional Japanese buildings and wildlife the group had seen so far in the city. To their great surprise, there wasn't as big of a line in this one as there were in the other cities they encountered. Maybe the Fuchsia City Battle Chateau wasn't as popular as the one in the other cities because of too many more activities to do in the smaller city? Regardless of the reason, the group was able to walk right in.<p>

Hennessy was there to greet them as usual as soon as they walked through the large double doors.

"Welcome to the Fuchsia City Battle Chateau sirs and madams!" Hennessy greeted. "Who will be competing in today's tournament?"

"I am! My name is Serena Gabena, and I'm going to compete in the upper ranks for the rank of Duchess!" Serena declared with confidence.

"Uh! I'm Brock! I'm com-competing, too!" Brock stuttered. Despite being really eager to participate, he was still extremely nervous. It was mainly because Suzy was going to be watching him.

"Very well! May I just see the young dame's case of symbols and her certification to prove her rank?" Hennessy asked politely. Brock was already a known past gym leader so he automatically qualified for the upper ranks.

"Certainly!" Serena replied as she handed her case to Hennessy.

Hennessy inspected everything before handing them back to Serena and bowing. "I see you are going for the Duchess rank today, madam! I wish you the best of luck in your tournament! May the ones who are competing follow me to the changing room?"

"Good luck, you guys!" Ash called after them while giving a thumbs-up.

"Thank you, Ash!" Serena said sweetly while turning around to wink at him.

Ash felt a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. When was the last time Serena had ever winked at him like that?

"Eheheheheh!" Brock laughed nervously. It wasn't that he was worried about his battling skills. He was just hoping his methods were good enough for Suzy.

As the three watched them go, Misty leaned over to Ash and whispered. "I think both Serena and Brock feel like they have a lot at stake right now. This is Serena's last rank to achieve before she becomes a Duchess, and Brock wants to prove himself to Suzy."

"I know," Ash whispered back. "I know one of them has to win, but I don't want one of them to lose, either."

"I think that regardless of who wins, one will be happy for the other. I know they will both do great," Suzy spoke up.

"Vul!" Vulpix agreed

"_This feels weird,"_ Brock thought to himself as he was being led down the halls by one of the butlers.

He was soon led into a changing room where he was presented a white button-up shirt with a bowtie, along with a dark blue suit jacket and matching dark blue slacks with black shoes. Brock could honestly say he never had to look this neat before. He was used to being a little worn out and dirty from doing chores or caring for his Pokemon so this was almost foreign to him.

He took the clothes from the butler's outstretched hands and went into the nearby closet to change. He looked himself over in the mirror once he was finished and walked out but was stopped by the butler.

"Before you come out to battle, I must ask you to please comb your hair, sir," the butler said apologetically.

"My hair?" Brock questioned as he looked at himself in the mirror. When was the last time he had done that? He looked over all of the tangles and spikes in his hair and realized it may take a while to this…

* * *

><p>Once Brock had finished in the changing room, he walked back down the hallway to find his friends were already waiting for him at the end. They all gasped in shock once they saw him, which made him a little uneasy.<p>

"Uh, hey. Why are you all looking at me like that?" Brock asked curiously.

"Brock, I've never seen your hair so neat before," Misty said in surprise. It was an even bigger shock to see Brock's hair neat and tidy than it was Ash's hair back in Viridian City.

"Heheheh. Yeah. You have no idea how much hairspray I had to use to keep it down. I'm sure I have the hardest hair in Fuchsia City right now!" Brock chuckled which caused the others to laugh.

"I for one think you look very handsome, Brock!" Suzy complimented with a smile.

"Th-Th-Thank you, Suzy!" Brock cried before blushing and bowing several times. His idol actually thought he looked handsome!

"Let's not forget Serena!" Ash reminded before walking over to Serena and taking one of her hands. "You look lovely, madam," he said in a formal voice before kissing her hand.

Serena blushed furiously. Did Ash just really kiss her hand?! She was beginning to wonder what happened to the incredibly clueless Ash she once knew. He never would have done that in the past! It was almost semi romantic what he did just now! She continued to stare at Ash while he stared back at her. His chocolate brown eyes were so alluring right now. Did she dare take the kiss on the hand a step further? She soon found herself leaning in closer to Ash until…

"Are you all ready to begin the challenge?!" Hennessy interrupted.

Serena immediately pulled away from Ash. She was still blushing heavily. Was she really about to…? As much as she wanted to, she couldn't believe how bold she was being lately with her feelings for Ash! They were in a public place for crying out loud with everyone watching them! It was so embarrassing!

Ash, meanwhile, was looking at Serena strangely. When he saw her leaning in closer to him, he could have sworn he heard several alarms going off in his head. He wasn't quite sure how to react. Should he just stand there? Should he lean in, too? Was Serena actually going to…woah….

"Yes! We're ready!" Serena smiled at Hennessy, despite being slightly disappointed.

"In that case, madam, you will be up first! Please follow me," Hennessy requested before making his way into the battle room, followed by the others.

"PikaPi Pikachu!" Pikachu snickered at Ash.

"I already told you, Pikachu. I don't love Serena," Ash whispered so the others wouldn't hear him.

Pikachu shook its head and let out a huff. Ash may have been oblivious before, but now it just seemed like he was trying to convince himself he wasn't.

Once they were in there, Serena handed Cubone to Ash before going over to her spot while the rest went to the side part to of the room to watch. Brock was glad Serena went first so he could try to pick up on any special techniques the Battle Chateau might have. He had seen Serena battle several times before, but he would paying special attention this time.

Serena patiently awaited her opponent for about thirty seconds before he appeared on the other side. He was a thin boy with blonde hair. It seemed he was fairly confident.

"May the dame and beau please bow or curtsey to one another!" the judge called.

Serena did a curtsey while the boy gave a slight bow in return.

"This is the first round of an official Battle Chateau challenge between Serena and John! There will be no time limit! Please choose your Pokemon!" the judge declared.

Serena decided she would have Hitmonlee make its debut today at the Battle Chateau since it hasn't had a chance yet. She had been training with it, and it had won its match against Ash's Hitmonchan. She just hoped it wasn't so relaxed to where it wouldn't do anything.

"Hitmonlee, I choose you!" Serena shouted as she released the kicking fiend.

Once Hitmonlee was released from its pokeball, it gave a deep breath before exhaling and closed its eyes for a short meditation before the battle.

"A Hitmonlee, huh? In that case, I'll choose Electabuzz!" the boy said as he released it.

"An Electabuzz? I haven't seen on of those yet," Serena muttered as she scanned it.

"Electabuzz, the electric Pokemon. Its body constantly discharges electricity and can cause blackouts in cities," said the pokedex.

The Electabuzz charged up electricity and looked very ready for battle as opposed to Serena's Hitmonlee who looked as calm as ever.

"Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Use Meditate, Hitmonlee!" Serena ordered. She figured that since Hitmonlee liked to do it so much she might as well tell it to do so in a battle to raise it attack.

Hitmonlee seemed to like that idea as it sat down on the ground and seemed to be focusing very hard while closing its eyes.

"Hey! We aren't here to relax! We're here to battle! Electabuzz, use Thunderpunch!" John yelled. He was a little on the rude side for a place like the Battle Chateau.

The Electabuzz nodded its head before roaring and charging up its fist with electricity. It then dashed straight for Hitmonlee, crackling with energy.

Hitmonlee sensed it was coming and sighed. It seemed it was facing another hot-blooded Pokemon. It was highly reminded of that raven-haired boy's Hitmonchan.

As Electabuzz was getting closer to Hitmonlee, the group was beginning to wonder why Serena wasn't ordering Hitmonlee to do anything. It was still in the same meditative position it always was, but Serena and Hitmonlee had a plan.

"_Just a few more seconds," _Serena thought.

Just before Electabuzz reached Hitmonlee, Serena gave a command. "Dodge it, and use Rolling Kick!" she yelled.

Hitmonlee quickly opened its eyes from its meditation. It saw Electabuzz bring its fist down for the strike. Its limber body allowed to quickly roll underneath Electabuzz's outstretched arm, surprising it. Hitmonlee then was behind Electabuzz. It quit rolling and ended up on its back as it brought its leg upward in a kicking motion, smashing its foot into Electabuzz's back.

Electabuzz made a cry of pain as it was knocked into the air.

"Leap into the air after it!" Serena told Hitmonlee.

Hitmonlee jumped into the air and was soon eye level with Electabuzz as they had a stare off.

"Use Thunderbolt, Electabuzz!" John yelled.

"Use Mega Kick!" Serena yelled also.

Electabuzz charged up and released a massive amount of electricity at Hitmonlee. The attack connected and Hitmonlee grimaced slightly from the jolt. While it hurt, it wasn't affected too much by the electric attack because of the constant mediations it did to strengthen its mind. It was still able to stretch out its legs and deliver a solid kick to Electabuzz's face. It then raised its foot above Electabuzz's head and smashed it down on top of it, sending the electric Pokemon plummeting to the ground.

"Cubone!" Cubone cried in joy for its surrogate mother was winning so far.

"Hitmonlee's doing very well. Serena must be a great trainer to be in tune with how a calm Pokemon like Hitmonlee prefers to battle," Suzy commented.

"Vul!" Vulpix agreed

"That's Serena for you," Ash smiled. "She's gotten a lot more in tune with her Pokemon's feelings the past few months.

"_So Suzy thinks Serena is a good battler? I hope she thinks that way for me, also,"_ Brock thought as he watched the battle.

The two Pokemon were once again back on the ground, staring at each other. Serena was really proud of how Hitmonlee was battling, but she didn't know that her opponent was about to throw a curve ball.

"Use Psychic, Electabuzz!" John shouted.

The Electabuzz soon shot out a blast of psychic waves, completely taking Serena and Hitmonlee by surprise. The energy blasted through the air and struck Hitmonlee right in the stomach. Htimonlee gave a cry of pain as it was knocked off its feet from the super effective hit. It soared through the air and landed on its back.

"Oh, no! Are you okay, Hitmonlee?!" Serena cried.

"Leeeee…," Hitmonlee muttered as it slowly got to its feet.

"I didn't know an Electabuzz could learn Psychic," Ash commented aloud.

"They can't naturally. They have to use a TM to learn that move," Misty explained as she watched the battle with a frown.

"_Come on, Serena. Don't let that Psychic attack stop you," _Ash thought.

"Are you still okay to fight, Hitmonlee?" Serena asked it.

Hitmonlee turned around and nodded at its trainer. It was taken by surprise once by that Psychic attack, but it wouldn't let it happen a second time.

"Use Psychic one more time, Electabuzz!" John ordered.

Once more, the psychic waves were shot out of Electabuzz, but they weren't fooled a second time.

"Run forward and jump over it, Hitmonlee!" Serena yelled.

"Hitmonlee got a small running start as the waves came closer to it. Then at the last second, it leaped high into the air, soaring right over the Psychic attack. It then began to fall towards Electabuzz with the intent for a High Jump Kick.

"Use Reflect to block that kick, Electabuzz! Once you do, use Thunderpunch!" John ordered. He thought he had the match, but he didn't know Serena and Hitmonlee had a trick up their sleeve, as well.

Electabuzz set up a glowing wall around itself to prevent the Hi Jump Kick from working, but Serena switched tactics.

"Use Brick Break, Hitmonlee!" she called.

Hitmonlee withdrew its foot from using Hi Jump Kick. Then it put forward its seldom used arms in a karate chop motion. It brought its hand down right onto the wall around Electabuzz. The wall instantly shattered and Electabuzz was blown back several yards.

"Your Hitmonlee knows Brick Break!?" John cried.

"It sure does!" Serena replied with smile before commanding, "Hitmonlee, finish with one more Mega Kick!"

Hitmonlee landed on the ground and ran towards Electabuzz who was still dazed from its Reflect being shattered. It then reeled its leg back and smashed t into Electabuzz'z midsection. The electric Pokemon was sent flying backwards once more. It landed on the ground and was down for the count.

"Electabuzz is unable to battle! The winners are Serena and Hitmonlee!" the judge announced.

"You did amazing your first Battle Chateau round, Hitmonlee! Thank you!" Serena cried as she ran forward to give it a hug.

"Leeeee," Hitmonlee breathed as it returned the hug before closing its eyes and returning to its meditative state.

"Great victory, Serena!" Ash cheered as he went over to meet her.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone chimed in.

"Thanks, everyone!" Serena replied as she took Cubone back.

While everyone was congratulating Serena, Brock was watching, as well while he smiled. It seemed to him that there wasn't too much of a difference between regular Pokemon battles and a Battle Chateau challenge. He felt a surge of confidence that he might be able to do this, and then gain Suzy's approval.

* * *

><p>"This will be an official Battle Chateau challenge against Brock, a former gym leader of Pewter City, and Sean! There will be no time limit! May the two beaus please bow to one another!" the judge declared.<p>

Brock took a deep breath before he gave a bow to the person across from him. This was it. He was finally doing a Battle Chateau challenge, and he had his friends and Suzy supporting him. The boy, who was black-haired and of normal build, bowed back.

It was true Brock hadn't had real battle in a while, but that didn't mean he didn't believe he could win. He was nervous for sure, but he knew he had taken great care of his Pokemon. Brock winning the battle will be his Pokemon's way of returning their love to him. It was then he realized he had been using Geodude and Onix for as long as he could remember, but he hadn't really used Zubat in a real battle yet. He then decided the first round would be the best place to start it out with.

"Please choose your Pokemon now!" the judge commanded.

"Zubat, go!" Brock yelled as he released the bat Pokemon. Zubat gave cry once it was released and began flapping its wings quickly to keep it in the air.

"I'm facing a former gym leader, huh? This should be fun. I choose you, Sandslash!" they boy known as Sean yelled before releasing it.

A sand-colored mouse-like Pokemon with large claws at the ends of its hands and feet with a spiny back emerged with cry.

"Slash!" it cried in a nasally voice.

"A Sandslash?" Ash questioned as he and Serena scanned it.

"Sandslash, the mouse Pokemon and the evolved form of Sandshrew. Sandslash can dig incredibly fast. If its claws break, they grow back in a day," reported the pokedexes.

"Do you think a Zubat will be able to keep up with a Sandslash? There is a huge difference in power," Serena asked Ash.

"This is Brock we are talking about so I'm sure he will come out on top," Ash replied.

Suzy and Vulpix had their eyes completely focused on how Brock was going to battle.

"Begin!" the judge yelled.

"Zubat! Let's start things off with a Supersonic!" Brock commanded.

Zubat began to release shrill semi invisible waves from its mouth that sailed towards Sandslash.

"Dodge it by digging underground!" Brock's opponent ordered.

The Sandslash immediately jumped into the air before spiraling downward and quickly digging a hole with its sharp claws. It then entered the hole and the waves past harmlessly over it.

Brock wondered as an afterthought how many times the battle room had to change floors with all the attacks and holes dug in battles.

The Sandslash soon emerged quickly from the ground before spiraling up and slashing at Zubat with its sharp claws.

"Dodge it and use Wing Attack, Zubat!" Brock called.

Zubat quickly flew out of the way of the claws before appearing behind Sandslash and struck the mouse Pokemon with one of its wings. The Sandslash was knocked out of the air and landed on the ground quite hard, but it wasn't near defeated yet.

"Get up and use Sandstorm!" Sean yelled.

The Sandslash obeyed and began to twirl very quickly as dust began to emerge from the ground. Soon, a lot of sand had been whipped up and filled the room, making it difficult to see.

"The Battle Chateau must have special types of flooring to allow these kinds of attacks to happen. This defies nature!" Ash cried as he shielded his eyes from the sandstorm.

Everyone else was wondering the same thing about how the Sandslash could make a sandstorm happen on carpet.

Brock and Zubat could hardly catch their breath before Sandslash appeared right in front of Zubat and slashed at with its claws, scoring a direct hit. Zubat shrieked in pain and flew back a little bit to get away from Sandslash

"It's okay, Zubat!" Brock encouraged. "We can still rely on your Supersonic to see Sandslash through this sand!"

Zubat nodded as it began to use Supersonic at different areas of the room to try to locate Sandslash. The mouse Pokemon was a lot faster than it looked, and it was constantly moving, but after enough Supersonics, Zubat finally found it. It nodded to Brock to signal him to order an attack.

"Use Wing Attack!" Brock commanded.

Zubat felt Sandslash leap into the air behind it and spun around to deliver another solid slap at the mouse Pokemon which sent tumbling to the ground once more.

"Use Rockslide, Sandslash!" Sean ordered once the Pokemon was on its feet.

Sandslash then began to summon large rocks from seemingly nowhere and sent them all towards Zubat. The bat Pokemon began trying to dodge the rocks as best as it could, but it had a lot of rocks to keep up with, and it was already hard enough to see in the sand swirling around the field.

"Try to get out of there, Zubat!" Brock yelled.

Zubat then began to fly towards Brock in an effort to get where there was less sand around. It soon emerged from the worst part. It was almost there, and smiled when it was finally able to see Brock despite the sand. It was almost there when it saw Brock's happy look change to surprise.

"Heads up, Zubat!" Brock yelled.

Zubat looked up just as a stray rock was about to come crashing down on top of it. It didn't have time to dodge, and the rock connected sending Zubat falling towards the ground where it landed painfully. The rock was pinning its left wing to the ground!

"Finish with Rock Tomb!" Sean ordered.

A large tomb of rocks began to fall on top of Zubat and began covering it up. Zubat was trying to fly away, but the rock had fallen on its left wing to prevent it from moving. The rocks continued to pile up on top of Zubat until it couldn't be seen anymore. The Sandslash then finally relented the attack.

"Oh, poor Zubat," Misty muttered. It looked like the match had ended.

"Zubat is unable to…" the judge began but was stopped by Brock.

"Wait!" he cried. "I can still sense Zubat's supersonic waves through those rocks! It isn't knocked out yet!"

The judge looked surprised but nodded. "Very well. We will give your Zubat twenty seconds to try to break free from underneath the rocks. If it is unable to do so in that time limit, we will call the match."

Brock then closed his squinty eyes and began to concentrate hard

"How is it that Brock is able to hear Zubat's Supersonic attack?" Ash wondered aloud. "A normal person shouldn't be able to hear them."

"You're right. A normal person can't, but I bet you Brock can hear it," Misty answered as she and the rest watched in anticipation.

Suzy and Vulpix looked on in interest. There was no doubt that Brock was a great person as well as an exceptional breeder. He must have a great bond with his Pokemon to be able to sense Zubat's Suprersonic.

"_I wonder…" _she thought as she looked at Vulpix.

"_Come on, Zubat. I know you can do it," _Brock thought as he continued to concentrate.

It had already been ten seconds and time was running out fast. However, Brock wasn't giving up. He could still hear Zubat's Supersonic from underneath those rocks. His Pokemon was doing everything it could to break free. Brock then began to feel Zubat's Supersonic getting louder and more powerful. It was almost like Zubat itself was getting stronger. There was only five seconds left and the judge looked like he was about to raise his flag. Brock then felt Zubat's most powerful Supersonic yet and knew that was it.

"Now Zubat! Break free! You can do it!" Brock yelled.

Then to everyone's great surprise, there was shining white light coming from the cracks in the rocks. The rays of white light were so bright, they were even overtaking the sandstorm, and it began to die down.

"Is that what I think it is?!" Serena gasped as she and everyone else watched in amazement.

Soon, the rocks blasted apart as shiny white blurred figure zipped upwards from the wreckage and began darting around the room at breakneck speed. When it finally stopped, the figure wasn't a Zubat. Instead, a Golbat was in its place.

"That's wonderful, Zubat…I mean Golbat! You evolved! Look at you now!" Brock said happily.

"Hmm…that's really impressive. Brock was able to sense Golbat's whereabouts in the rocks through its Supersonic told when the best time to break out would be," Suzy smiled.

"Vul," Vulpix said as it tilted its head and watched Brock.

"It doesn't matter if your Pokemon evolved. Sandslash and I can still win! Sandslash, use Sandstorm once more!" Sean yelled.

"Use Confuse Ray, Golbat!" Brock ordered.

Sandslash had begun spinning quickly to whip up more dust, but Golbat had already shot out a glowing ray from its eyes due to its quick speed. The bright light blasted through the room and completely engulfed Sandslash since it was too busy spinning to dodge it. Sandslash stopped spinning and began to wander around the room with swirly eyes, signaling it was confused.

"Try to shake it off, and use Rock Slide, Sandslash!" its trainer called.

Sandslash than began to summon large rocks once more and started throwing them around the room, but they were missing Golbat completely. It then fell over onto the ground because it was so dizzy.

"Go in for Wing Attack, and spiral through the air once you start, Golbat!" Brock shouted.

Golbat then began to speed towards Sandslash as fast as it could. The mouse Pokemon was struggling to get up but unable to due to how dizzy it was. It was like a Squirtle that had fallen on the back of its shell and unable to roll over. Golbat continued to dive bomb Sandslash before it began to turn into a spiral dive. Soon, Golbat was spinning so fast it looked almost like a mini tornado was going through the air. Golbat collided with the Sandslash, making a large explosion of dust to fly up into the air from the remains of Sandslash's Sandstorm.

Everyone waited in anticipation to see the results. When the dust cleared and settled, Golbat was standing on top of a knocked out Sandslash in victory.

"Sandslash is unable to battle! Victory goes to Brock and Golbat!" the judge announced.

"We won? I actually one the first round in the Battle Chateau?" Brock muttered. His face then broke into a wide grin. "We actually did it Golbat! I'm so proud of you!"

Golbat then left Sandslash and flew over to Brock with an overjoyed expression on its face.

"Well done, Golbat," Brock smiled once Golbat reached him and rubbed it on the head.

"That was super, Brock!" Ash praised once he and Pikachu came over. "You and Golbat must have an awesome relationship if you were able to sense its Supersonic attack underneath those rocks!"

"I'm impressed, as well," Suzy added. "You really are in tune with Pokemon, Brock."

"Heheheheh! Thank you, Suzy! I'm not worthy!" Brock said embarrassedly as he turned red and bowed continuously.

Serena was watching Brock with slight worry. She was happy her friend won, but this proved he was still very capable. He was definitely still a great battler despite focusing more on breeding. Should she face Brock in battle, it would most likely be her toughest battle so far. She had never faced a gym leader before, but she had a feeling she would be facing one today.

* * *

><p>Serena had managed to make it to the final round. This would be her deciding match for her to try and achieve the highest rank so far. It almost seemed fitting that she would be facing a gym leader for this title rather than a regular trainer. That's right. Brock had made it to the final round, as well. He had lost a lot of his nervousness in time and was now fairly confident he could win the Battle Chateau challenge. Serena, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive. She was currently sitting on a bench in the lobby. Her hands were on her knees, and she looked deep in thought.<p>

"Hey, Serena. Are you feeling okay?" a voice asked from beside her.

Serena looked up and saw Ash looking down and giving her one of his trademark smiles that Serena loved so much. Pikachu was on his shoulder.

"I'm doing okay, I guess. I'm just a little nervous about going up against Brock," Serena answered.

"I understand what you mean. Brock is a really tough opponent. I remember when I faced him for my first badge. I was only able to beat him because I had the handicap of using as much Pokemon as I needed," Ash said.

"Right. Since you weren't even able to beat Brock using the same number of Pokemon, I don't know how I will manage to. Brock wants to win just as badly as I do, and we both have a lot on the line," Serena said sadly.

"Yeah. The truth is, it would be great if both of you were able to win, but there can only be one of you who turns out on top. However, if you are worried about not being strong enough to beat Brock, I can tell you right now that you are," Ash stated.

"Really?" Serena asked hopefully as she looked at him.

"Definitely! Think about it. You and I have both gotten so much stronger since we started our journey. We hardly knew anything at all about capturing or battling with Pokemon. We were totally destroyed our first time at the Battle Chateau. Now look at us! I have five badges, and you are one rank away from being a Duchess!" Ash told her.

Serena thought about what Ash had said. They really had gotten a lot better. She didn't even know what she wanted to do at the start of her journey. She never would have imagined herself coming this far in the Battle Chateau, but here she was. Ash was right. She then looked at Cubone in her arms and saw it nod its head. She had been caring for it like a mother for a while now. She wouldn't have been confident enough to do this at the start of her journey, but here she was once again.

"Thank you, Ash," she said sincerely and gave Cubone a hug. "You're right! I do have what it takes to win!"

"There you go!" Ash smiled. "Remember, whether you win or lose, it is bound to be a great battle!"

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

Ash then got up to go talk to Brock, as well. As Serena watched him go, she once again had a longing expression on her face. Even though she had become bolder in her feelings for Ash lately, it seemed battling wasn't the only thing she needed to have more confidence in. Maybe she would tell him her real feelings sooner rather than later, after all.

Serena and Brock were now facing each other on opposite sides of the battle room with. Each one was just as determined as the other to win. They were no longer nervous about facing the other. All of their friends were on the sidelines cheering them on. It was now finally time for the final Pokemon.

Serena was thinking about which Pokemon she could use against Brock. He had stuck to using his Onix and newly evolved Golbat for the other challenges. That meant he would no doubt be using Geodude for the final round. That immediately took out Charla, Jigglypuff, and Eevee since they were weak to those types. Nidorina knew moves that would be strong against a Geodude, but its typing was still weak. Brock would probably figure out how to exploit its weakness so it was still risky. That left Hitmonlee and Oddish. Hitmonlee had already battled twice today and was most likely worn out while she hasn't used Oddish once. She then thought back to earlier when she told Oddish it was a strong Pokemon. Here, she would let it prove itself.

"This will be an official Battle Chateau Challenge against Serena and Brock to decide who wins! There will be no time limit. Both opponents will battle until the other is unable to. May they please bow or curtsey to one another!" the judge commanded.

Serena did a curtsey to Brock before giving a smile. Brock bowed back before giving her a thumbs-up.

"May the best trainer win!" he called.

"Sounds good!" Serena agreed with a smile.

"May the trainers each choose their Pokemon?" the judge requested.

"Go, Geodude!" Brock called, as Serena expected. The Rock Pokemon appeared and pounded the ground with its hard fists to show it was ready.

"Go, Oddish!" Serena yelled as she released the weed Pokemon. Once Oddish was out the pokeball, it gave a deep breath. It hoped it could win this match for Serena.

"You may now begin!" the judge declared.

"Let's start things off by using Rock Polish to raise your speed, Geodude!" Brock told it with confidence.

Geodude then appeared to get much shinier and smoother as it performed the attack.

"Now use Tackle!" Brock ordered.

Geodude began bouncing forward at a much quicker speed than one would anticipate due to Rock Polish.

"Try to dodge it, Oddish!" Serena cried, but it was no use.

Oddish was too slow to dodge the speedy Geodude, and it was sent soaring through the air.

"Now use Mega Punch!" Brock ordered next.

Geodude jumped into the air after Oddish and delivered a sold punch into Oddish's face, sending the small grass Pokemon in a horizontal beeline. It soon finally slowed down and landed on the ground with a thud.

"That was great work, Geodude!" Brock called while giving it a thumbs-up.

"Geo!" Geodude responded while turning back to Brock to give him a smile.

Serena, meanwhile, was trying to encourage Oddish to get up.

"Come on, Oddish! You can do it! Try Petal Dance!" she said.

Oddish slowly rose to its feet and began whipping up a flurry of petals before sending them to Geodude. The rock Pokemon began to jump out of the way of as many petals as it could. Due to the amount, it wasn't able to dodge all of them, but it still kept its damage done to a minimum. It grimaced slightly at the pain but still had plenty of fight in it.

"_Brock really does have his Pokemon well-trained," _Serena thought. "_It's too fast for Oddish to hit it with long range attacks so I have to get it close, but that's dangerous for a Pokemon like Geodude."_

"Use Rock Throw, Geodude!" Brock yelled.

Geodude then summoned a large amount of rocks and began throwing them at Oddish. Oddish was doing its best to dodge the rocks, but it wasn't very limber. All it could do was try to run out of the way. It wasn't long before one finally struck Oddish, and it was knocked to the ground. The difference in battle experience really showed.

"Oddish really has its hands full. Despite the type advantage, Brock's Geodude has so much more experience," Misty said from the side.

"Yes. I'm quite amazed at how skilled Brock is. I'm really glad I was able to meet him," Suzy agreed.

"Finish with Tackle!" Brock yelled.

Once more, Geodude once more began bouncing along the ground at a high speed towards Oddish who was gasping for air. It had just received a pep talk from Serena earlier that day about it not being a sickly Pokemon anymore. It was past that stage of its life. So what was the problem? It had went with Serena so it could have a loving trainer that would help it be able to take care of itself, but it still couldn't even do that. Everyone else told it that it was strong so all it needed to do was believe in itself. Maybe that was the key to overcome its weakness. Oddish had been a Pokemon of low self-esteem, but it couldn't let its past hold it back forever. Oddish remembered Serena telling it to let Geodude get in close. Now was as good a time as any. It used its remaining strength to jump to its feet and got a glint in its eye.

"Great! Use Giga Drain, Oddish!" Serena shouted. She was delighted the weed Pokemon was able to get up. It actually looked ready to fight now.

"Watch out, Geodude!" Brock warned.

Oddish's eyes glowed blue as Geodude came to a halt, but it was already close enough for the attack to work. Geodude became enveloped in a blue light as its energy was depleted and added to Oddish's. The weed Pokemon felt a surge of energy once it felt its strength returning. Geodude must be a very strong Pokemon for Oddish to feel this kind of energy flowing inside of it. It didn't feel weak anymore! It felt quite the opposite. It felt the best it did in quite a while, actually. No more being frail and thinking lowly of itself! It was then Oddish decided to convert that energy into something useful.

Oddish gave a loud cry and began to glow a shining white.

"Oh my goodness! Oddish is evolving!" Serena cried with excitement as she watched.

"Wait! That's not all!" she heard Ash yell as he pointed to the rock Pokemon. "Look at Geodude!"

Everyone then turned their attention to the rock Pokemon and saw it was evolving, too! That was amazing! Geodude was evolving for Brock!

"Geodude…," Brock muttered as he watched it transform.

Once both Pokemon were finished, a Gloom stood where Oddish was, and a Graveler was where Geodude was. The two newly evolved Pokemon stared at each other with confident expressions on their faces. They really wanted to win the match for their trainer.

"Wow! Our Pokemon just evolved at the same time!" Serena exclaimed happily.

"Things really just heated up this match!" Brock smiled. "It is bound to get interesting."

"I'm really excited for this battle now! I can't wait to see how it will turn out," Ash said before addressing Pikachu. "Right buddy?"

"Pika Pi!" it agreed.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone cried as it cheered.

"Alright, Graveler. Let's start things with your Rock Throw!" Brock commanded.

"Counter that with Petal Dance!" Serena yelled.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other. The petals collided with the large rocks which caused a mini explosion of dust as jagged rocks littered the room from being broken by the Petal Dance.

"Use Rollout!" Brock commanded next.

Graveler then got a running start before curling into a ball and began barreling towards Gloom. Graveler was going so fast that it was completely shattering any remaining rocks that were in its path.

"Dodge it, Gloom!" Serena yelled.

Gloom saw Graveler coming and moved out of the way just in time. It was very graceful as it twirled or flipped out of the way. Gloom almost appeared as if were dancing rather than dodging an attack.

"Use Stun Spore to try and stop Graveler in its tracks!" Serena shouted next.

Gloom then unleashed a brown powder from its flower and began to sprinkle it over as much of the field as it could.

"Watch out, Graveler. Here it comes!" Brock warned.

Graveler then used one of the many rocks in the room differently this time. Rather than plow them out of the way, it used a particularly large one to ricochet off of. It then shot through the air away from the Stun Spore. It then landed on the ground and uncurled itself to stare at Gloom, awaiting its next move.

"That was a unique way to dodge Stun Spore. Brock and Serena can sure come up with some interesting methods," Suzy said with interest as she watched the ensuing battle.

"Well, that's Brock and Serena for you!" Ash said with a smile.

"You know Serena gets her interesting ideas from you, Ash," Misty said with a knowing smile.

"Hahaha! Yeah. I guess so," Ash laughed while rubbing his neck.

"Let's try to get the playing field into our advantage, Gloom! Use Grassy Terrain!" Serena called.

Gloom's eyes glowed blue for a moment before the entire carpet seemed to turn to grass.

"Great! Now this should help us out!" Serena cheered.

"Heads up, Graveler! We're at a disadvantage now because of the field," Brock warned.

Graveler nodded its head to signify it heard Brock.

"Now use Rollout!" Brock yelled.

Graveler once more curled into a ball and began rolling towards Gloom at high speed. As it was speeding towards Gloom, the weed Pokemon once more danced out of the way with Graveler just missing it every time.

"_Hmm…I bet I can keep Gloom off balance if I use Magnitude," _Brock thought before issuing the command. "Use Magnitude, Graveler!"

While in midroll, the rock Pokemon jumped into the air before slamming down onto the grassy field extremely hard. Everyone in the room felt the shockwaves, but Gloom felt it the most. It swayed back and forth as it tried to keep its balance. Before it knew what hit it, Brock's Graveler slammed right into the back of it, sending it soaring through the air and landing on its back. Before it could even recover, Graveler slammed into it once more.

"Try Petal Blizzard, Gloom!" Serena shouted.

While it was soaring through the air, Gloom began to shoot a flurry of petals similar to its Petal Dance move. Graveler easily dodged the attack as it was way too quick now that its Rollout was becoming more powerful.

"That Graveler's really fast. There has to be a move in Gloom's moveset that can slow it down," Serena muttered to herself. She thought it might be best to let Graveler gets close before she issues a command.

"Let Graveler get really close!" Serena yelled.

Gloom nodded its head and stood its ground. Graveler once more turned back around for another Rollout attack. Faster and faster it got until it was almost upon Gloom. The weed Pokemon was confident it could dodge Graveler one last time due to its increased agility despite having a flower on its head. Just before Graveler was upon it Serena made her move.

"Dodge and use Sweet Scent, Gloom!" Serena called.

Gloom once more danced out of the way like before as Graveler missed it by just an inch. Gloom spun around and sprayed a large amount of sweet smelling aroma at Graveler. The rock Pokemon was unable to dodge like last time since the playing field was now completely grass. The aroma completely covered Graveler as it began to slow down due to feeling very relaxed

"Don't fall for it, Graveler!" Brock tried to warn, but it was too late.

"Use Petal Dance!" Serena yelled.

Gloom once more shot a large amount of petals at the rock Pokemon. The attack struck dead on due to Graveler's decrease in speed. It was hit by every single one of the petals as it yelled in pain. An explosion soon occurred and Graveler was blasted backwards. It flew through the air and landed before Brock's feet. Brock had a shocked look on his face that his Graveler was knocked out.

"Graveler…" Brock muttered sadly.

"Graveler is unable to battle! The winners for today's tournament are Gloom and Serena!" the judge declared as he waved a flag in their direction.

"I actually won," Serena said in a surprised tone before her face broke into a wide grin. "Gloom, we won!"

She then sprinted forwards as fast as she could in her nice clothes until she reached Gloom. She picked it up and gave it a big hug.

"I knew you could do it Gloom! See! You really are a strong Pokemon!" Serena told it.

"Gloom!" the weed Pokemon cried happily. Serena was right. All it needed was a lot more confidence. It was true it was once a sickly Pokemon, and its past really held it back from using its full potential. Now, those days were over. Gloom would never think low of itself anymore and always give it one hundred percent in every battle.

While Serena was hugging her Pokemon, Brock went over to Graveler and helped it to its feet.

"You battled very hard, Graveler. I'm proud of you," Brock said.

"Graveler," it said sadly.

"Don't worry about it. I know you tried your best, and I couldn't be happier even if you won. You even evolved for me. You are still a winner in my book," Brock told it.

As Suzy watched the events take place, she smiled at Brock and Graveler before giving a sideways glance to Vulpix, and then back to Brock. She then nodded her head to herself.

"_Well, that settles it!" _ she thought.

* * *

><p>The group was now standing outside the Battle Chateau. Serena had just gotten her new symbol and certification to show her rank. Needless to say, she was shocked but still very pleased. It had been very hard to get here, and this match felt like her toughest yet since it was against Brock. She really felt like she earned her title today.<p>

"I can't believe it. I'm actually a Duchess now," Serena gasped as she looked at her new symbol and certification.

"You know what that means, don't you? You can challenge the Battle Chatelaines the next time you enter a Battle Chateau. You are like an elite member now!" Ash told her with a grin.

"Cubone!" Cubone cried as it hugged its mommy for her great accomplishment.

"Well done!" Misty added.

"Thanks everyone!" Serena said as she almost felt tears come to her eyes that she had actually gotten this far. She was now a top contender at the Battle Chateau. She couldn't wait until they came across the next Battle Chateau.

"I'm really proud of you, Serena!" Ash told her while giving her a thumbs-up.

"Thank you, Ash," Serena said while blushing, not even trying to hide from Ash anymore. Ash blushed back.

"Pikapi," Pikachu whispered mischievously in Ash's ear, earning an annoyed look from him.

"I would like to thank you all for letting me accompany you to the Battle Chateau. It was definitely an interesting experience, but now I'm afraid I must continue on my travels," Suzy told the group.

"Suzy, I…could you please teach me more breeding tips before you leave, and maybe we…" Brock started, but he was gently interrupted by her.

"Don't you see, Brock? You are already an incredible Pokemon Breeder. The love you have for your Pokemon is truly admirable. There is absolutely nothing I could teach you that you wouldn't already know. I'm extremely impressed with how you handle Pokemon," Suzy said.

"Really?" Brock asked hopefully.

"Yes. I would say I even learned more from you than you did for me," Suzy continued. She then cast a glance over to her Vulpix, and they both nodded their heads before Suzy added, "In fact, why don't you look after Vulpix for me for a while."

"What? You want me have Vulpix?" Brock wondered in confusion as he looked down at the fox Pokemon. It then came over and rubbed its head against Brock's leg affectionately.

"I do. You are the first person besides me whom Vulpix has truly warmed up to. With your great knowledge on Pokemon, I know you would be a much better trainer to Vulpix than I ever could," Suzy said with a smile.

"I-I-I don't know what to say except thank you," Brock said as he felt tears come to his eyes. Even though he had lost at the Battle Chateau, his role model still recognized him as an incredible breeder and was giving him Vulpix. This really just made Brock's day.

Everyone smiled at the scene. They were all really happy for Brock and knew how much this meant to him.

Brock then looked down at the fox Pokemon. "You don't have to worry about a thing, Vulpix. I promise I will take great care of you."

He then took out a spare pokeball before pressing the center button. The red beam of light shot out to retrieve Vulpix. It was then sucked into the pokeball where the item _dinged _to show Vulpix was officially caught. Brock then smiled at the pokeball.

"Goodbye, Vulpix," Suzy said a little sadly.

"Uh, we will see each other again, right?" Brock asked hopefully.

"I'm sure we will. We are now rivals, aren't we?" Suzy asked with smile as she held out her hand for Brock to shake.

"Huh? Uh, sure," Brock replied as he took the open gesture and shook her hand back.

Suzy then looked at the rest of the group. "I wish all the rest of you the best of luck in your endeavors, too. Please take care."

"It was nice meeting you, too, Suzy!" Ash said while giving her a thumbs up.

"Have a safe journey!" Misty added.

"Good luck!" Serena finished.

Suzy then gave one final wave before turning around to leave. Brock began to frantically wave back and forth as tears started to fall from his eyes. He had a great day: He made a new friend and Pokemon in Vulpix, his model called him a worthy Pokemon Breeder and even put him on the same level as her. With all this in mind, Brock had a new determination to continue to be the best Pokemon Breeder there was. At the rate he was going, Brock was now more confident than ever that he could do it.

Everyone continued to wave until Suzy was out of sight. They then put their hands down and sighed. Another new friend was going down a separate path. They were certain they would see her again at some point, though. At the very least, Brock would make sure of it. He looked once more at the pokeball that contained Vulpix and smiled. He would definitely do Suzy proud.

"That sure was a nice experience to meet Suzy," Misty commented.

"It sure was," Serena agreed. "I say we take a nice rest after all the events that happened today."

"Sounds good to me! Let's go back to the Pokemon Center and check out the Safari Zone tomorrow," Ash suggested.

The group nodded and was just about to head towards the center when they heard a voice they hadn't heard in a while despite being familiar from behind them.

"So it seems you're still training Pokemon. I sure hope you've improved since the last time I saw you," the owner of the voice said coldly.

Everyone's eyes widened as they spun around and saw a purple-haired boy glaring at them, particularly at Ash.

"Paul…," Ash muttered in surprise.

* * *

><p><strong>And there is the obligatory reappearance of Paul. I bet you all can't wait to see what he is up to now…. :P<strong>

**Please don't flame me or leave reviews ranting about how Brock should have won against Serena. They will be deleted. Furthermore, a lot of good things happened to Brock this chapter anyway so it wasn't like I just used him as a tool to lose to Serena. Brock can catch a break every once in a while, too. If you guys read closely, I provided a clue as to which evolutionary route Gloom will take in this chapter when it (eventually) evolves. It wasn't **_**that **_**subtle, and it won't be for quite a while, either, probably not even in Kanto.**

**The Safari Zone is coming up next chapter, and I will see you all next Tuesday! Once again, thank you for all the reviews and favorites! They mean a lot to me!**

**Chapter 37: The Safari Zone Rush!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Since you have Jigglypuff with Serena, does that mean that other recurring wild Pokémon like Wynaut, Loudred, Spoink, and Hippopotas may somehow find themselves under the ownership of our main characters at all?_

_**It's possible.**_

_Now that it's been revealed that Pidgeot can Mega Evolve, do you plan to have Ash's Pidgeot be among the Pokémon on Ash's team to be able to do that?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Rudy appear later on in the orange islands again?_

_**Definitely. Ash has to battle him for his Spike Shell Badge, after all.**_

_You keep saying you will include small bits of manga. What is manga?_

_**It's the Pokemon Adventures manga. It's a good read and you can probably find some sites on the internet that has it posted. **_

_Will Ash and Serena become a couple before, during, or after the second date?_

_**Probably after.**_

_Now that she's met Rudy, will Misty mention the Orange Crew to Ash at some point?_

**Yes, at some point, but not soon since he is still worried about his Kanto badges.**

_Since Charizard listens to ash now, will Ash and Ritchies battle be a lot different?_

_**It's still a Charmeleon in this fic. It hasn't become Charizard yet. About its obedience, it will still listen to Ash mostly, but you will notice a change in its demeanor about battling. As far as Ash and Ritchie's battle at the Pokemon League, I'm revealing nothing about how it will play out or anything else about the Pokemon League.**_

_Will Delia encounter Mr. Mime while at Cinnabar Island?_

_**No.**_

_Will you include exclusive characters from the upcoming alpha sapphire and omega ruby games in the Hoenn arc such as contest idol Lisia?_

_**I don't know. I know nothing about these characters yet. Wait until the games are released until you ask me a question like that.**_

_Will Misty stay this time around or will she return to Cerulean after Johto?_

_**Return to Cerulean.**_

_In regards of the implication of Serena may have powers just like Ash, will that be explored as well when Riley is training Ash in the near future?_

_**Riley won't be training Ash in the near future as he isn't ready yet. He may not start training Ash until as late as the Sinnoh Arc, or it may not even be Riley who trains Ash. Until then, there will just be Ash's aura in appearing in short bursts. In regards to any powers Serena may or not have, you will just have to wait and see.**_

_Will Serena get a Fennekin and if so will it evolve?_

_**I'm not sure to either of those questions. If Serena does get Fennekin, she won't have it until the last story.**_

_Will there be a chapter where the group gets attacked and ash saves Serena but gets some kind of injury in the process, small or large?_

_**Most likely.**_

_Are you planning to have Brock keep Vulpix and possibly evolve it to Ninetales, or have him give it back to Suzy?_

_**I'm playing both sides of the question right now. The only answer I can give is I will keep writing and see where the writing leads me.**_

_Is Serena going to have her own "Bye Bye Butterfree" moment where she has to release one of her Pokémon?_

_**At some point yes, but it won't be in Kanto. It will probably be in late Johto or Hoenn.**_

_Will any battles not done in the indigo league be done in the orange league tournament?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Ash and Serena will become a couple before the end of the Kanto Arc?_

_**They might. I don't really wish to reveal when they actually start dating. It will be before Johto. That's all I will say.**_

_So, Ash won't get 30 Tauros?_

_**Lol no.**_

_In a few episodes of the show, Brock actually pulled Misty away by the ear. Is there a chance that might happen in the future?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Will the group encounter a few more Johto Pokemon?_

_**Yes, a few.**_

_Will Alain make an appearance?_

_**Maybe, but if he does, it won't be any time soon.**_

_Will Ash and Serena finally kiss due to the emotional scene of Ash dying, or does that happen later?_

_**Sorry, I don't wish to reveal something like that. It would be too big of a spoiler.**_

_Are Ash and friends going to find Togepi's egg like the anime in Grandpa Canyon, or will they find the egg a different way or location?_

_**Different way and location. They will get it on Cinnabar Island. It won't hatch until near the end of the Kanto saga so much later than canon.**_

_Will there be Leaf x Gary in this fic?_

_**Honestly, I don't really like OldRivalShipping or Leafgreenshipping as I feel it's incredibly overrated in spite of the hype it gets when I never see any hints about it. Despite this, I can't fully rule out the possibility of those two having a relationship at some point, or even can't promise that it won't be the final pairing for Leaf and Gary. It may just happen whether I want it to or not, or they may end up with someone completely different. Sorry I can't give you a definite answer about that.**_

_Will Serena have a Pikachu at some point?_

_**As of right now, no. The only main character I want to have everyone's favorite yellow mouse is Ash himself. However, I may change my mind at some point.**_


	37. The Safari Zone Rush!

**A/N: Hey everyone. The Safari Zone chapter has finally arrived. I hope you all find it acceptable. I'll have an update of the group's Pokemon team at the end of the chapter. Enjoy! About the last chapter, you guys are right. Maybe three evolution was overdoing it, but what's done is done. I'll try not to mush so many together in the future. Thanks for pointing out about saying Serena was a Baroness. I meant to say Marchioness.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 37: The Safari Zone Rush!<p>

"Paul…," Ash muttered in surprise.

Sure enough, the cold boy whom Ash and the group had become acquainted with was standing right before them. Judging by the glare he had on his face, it seemed he hadn't changed at all since the group last saw him.

Shaking away his shock, Ash glared back at Paul. "Yeah. I'm still a trainer. I'll have you know I've gotten a lot better since I saw you last!"

"Really?" Paul asked sarcastically. "So does that mean you finally took the advice I gave you about training Pokemon?"

"I'll never resort to raising Pokemon that way!" Ash said defiantly. "My Pokemon and I work together as a team and spent a lot of time bonding with each other! I've won five badges now thanks to all of our hard work!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

Ash then opened his sleeveless jacket to show Paul his five badges. These badges were a testament to the hard work he and his Pokemon have been through. Ever since that time in the snow cave, his relationship with his Pokemon had changed for the better. That freezing night showed that no matter what, he and his Pokemon were always there for each other. He wasn't expecting Paul to smirk at him once he saw the badges, though. The smirk soon turned to a cold frown, however.

"After all this time, you still only have five badges? You truly are pathetic," Paul said. If Ash didn't know better, he could have sworn Paul almost sounded disappointed.

Ash mentally cursed at himself. It seemed that no matter how hard he worked, his rivals were always one step ahead of him. It wasn't that he was a bad trainer now. Even casting aside the night in the snow cave, he truly had gotten a lot stronger since he last saw Paul. He regularly trained his Pokemon almost every day now. Any time he saw a weakness of his Pokemon, he redoubled his training to cover that weakness. His time at the Silph Company and Sabrina's gym had taught him that much. It had also taught him to lose his recklessness. It's just he had yet to catch up since he vowed to get better.

"How many badges have you gotten, then?" Ash asked curiously.

"I've gotten seven. The only badge I haven't received yet is the Earth Badge from the Viridian City Gym. I would have already been there, but the gym leader wasn't there at the moment," Paul replied.

"You have seven badges?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Of course. That's where any competent trainer should be, not that you would know anything about that. I just got back from the Fuchsia City gym," Paul said.

Ash felt Serena put a hand on his shoulder to try to calm him. Ash took a deep breath. He knew Paul was only trying to get a rise out of him. He wasn't going to take the bait of Paul calling him a bad trainer.

"If that's how you feel, how about another battle? I'll prove to you that I've gotten stronger," Ash offered.

"No thanks. I don't have time for a battle right now," Paul replied as he turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Ash asked. Why was Paul blowing him off like that?

"None of your business," Paul answered rudely as he left the scene.

As they watched Paul leave, Ash felt the tension in his chest relieve. He then sighed. He and Paul were complete opposites. Every time Ash saw that guy, it seemed there could never be a friendly conversation between the two.

"What do suppose is up with him?" Misty scoffed.

"This isn't a new attitude for Paul. I just don't understand how there are people like him. He is so much different from how Damian was, though. Damian was just a cruel, mean-spirited crook who didn't care about his Pokemon. Paul, on the other hand, seems to be a very hard working person who respects those above him, just extremely cold. I can't help but wonder if he was always like that," Ash mused.

"It isn't like Paul would tell us if we asked him," Brock figured. "I say we don't worry about Paul at the moment and focus on resting. He'll turn up later if he is meant to."

"Yeah. Let's head back to the Pokemon Center," Ash agreed as they began to head back to spend the night there.

* * *

><p>The Pokemon Center was a madhouse when the group got back. They wondered what could have caused such a commotion in such a short amount of time. It clearly wasn't because there were a lot of injured Pokemon because Nurse Joy didn't appear especially busy. So what could the problem be? The group was thankful they already had rooms reserved here from previous nights.<p>

Deciding to ask Nurse Joy, the group went over to her. She was looking worriedly at all the people in the lobby but not preoccupied. The group knew they weren't interrupting anything.

"Hey, Nurse Joy. What is with all of the trainers here so suddenly?" Ash asked her.

Nurse Joy sighed before giving her answer. "There have been rumors of a Dratini sighted in the Safari Zone this week. It's been all over the news recently which attracted a lot of attention. Naturally, many trainers have come down to Fuchsia City to visit the Safari Zone and hopefully catch a Dratini."

"I think I remember hearing that on the news last night," Brock realized as he crossed his arms and appeared in thought. "I guess it just took the trainers this long to arrive here from other parts of Kanto. With as rare as a Dratini is, I can't say I blame them for coming."

"Right. Some people don't believe the reports and think it is a big hoax. Some even think it was completely made up with no evidence and was really used as a publicity stunt," Nurse Joy said.

"What do you think, Nurse Joy?" Serena asked curiously.

"I personally think it's real. Kaiser is the warden of the Safari Zone, and he has been there an extremely long time. There is actually a picture of him and a Dratini inside of the entrance building that was taken almost thirty years ago. As far as I know, that Dratini is still in the Safari Zone," Nurse Joy answered.

"Well, it gives all the more reason to check it out! Right guys?" Ash asked excitedly. He then looked at Pikachu. "Are you ready to go search for a Dratini tomorrow, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" the rodent responded in agreement.

"Heh. You actually think a Dratini is going to appear to a trainer like you?" the voice of Paul suddenly said from behind them.

Ash immediately glared as turned to face his complete opposite. "Yeah. What's wrong with that?" he demanded.

"Nothing. Just don't be surprised if your efforts turn up fruitless. There is no way you will ever find a Dratini in the Safari Zone," Paul smirked.

"Oh, yeah? What makes you so sure you will find one?" Ash asked with an edge in his voice.

"A Dratini is only going to appear to a competent trainer. You, on the other hand, can't even get your Pikachu to get inside of a pokeball," Paul answered as he gestured to the rodent on Ash's shoulder.

"If Pikachu doesn't want to go into its pokeball, I won't force it!" Ash defended. "My Pokemon and I trust one another and are sensitive to each other's feelings!"

Paul smirked again upon hearing that. "Heh. You wonder why you only have five badges," he muttered.

A flash of hurt appeared across Ash's eyes, but he quickly masked it. "I'll show you Paul! I'm going to find that Dratini tomorrow!" Ash yelled.

"Well, do your best," Paul said. He then gave a rough smile and walked off to a different area of the Pokemon Center.

Ash felt his hands clench as he watched Paul leave. What is with that guy? He then felt Serena's arms wrap around him. The gesture took him completely by surprise. Despite unexpected, Ash welcomed the embrace Serena was giving him.

"Ash, don't listen to Paul," Serena told him. "You are a wonderful Pokemon trainer. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for you and the help you gave me."

"Ash, remember what I told you about not letting your feelings get the better of you," Brock reminded as he gave Ash a serious look. "We know Paul makes you mad, and truthfully, he makes the rest of us angry, also. You just have to remind yourself that you are a great Pokemon trainer. All of your Pokemon think very highly of you, as well."

"That's right," Misty added. "Just remember that we are going to the Safari Zone to have fun. It isn't a contest with Paul on whether you find a Dratini or not."

"Pika pi!" Pikachu encouraged.

"Cubone!" Cubone added.

"Thanks, guys," Ash replied as he nodded his head and Serena let him go.

His friends were right. He shouldn't let one trainer's opinion get the better of him. Everyone else believed he was a very unique individual who even had the gift of aura, even if he didn't know how to use it yet. Even Gary Oak had called him a good trainer! He was even helping Serena look after a baby Cubone. With all of this positive influence around him, why did Paul's opinion matter to him so much? It must just be his desire to prove Paul's methods are wrong. He hoped that some way or the other, Paul would see the light one day.

* * *

><p>When the group arrived at the Safari Zone the following morning, there was already a long line waiting to get in. They were beginning to wish they visited the Safari Zone first so they wouldn't have to deal with all of these other people.<p>

"This place is nuts!" Ash commented as he looked around.

"If there is a Dratini, it certainly isn't going to show up with all of these people here," Serena agreed.

As the group looked around, they spotted Paul a short distance in front of them in line. Paul felt someone was watching him and turned around. Upon seeing the group, he frowned before closing his eyes and turning back around with his hands in his pockets. It looked like he was just going to ignore them.

"Nice to see you, too, Mr. Grouch," Misty muttered sarcastically.

After being in line for almost twenty minutes, they finally made it to the Safari Zone gate where there were several people in a ticket booth. It was clear they had extra workers today.

"Hello. How many tickets for you today?" the man asked somewhat tiredly.

"Four please," Ash replied.

The man nodded and handed the group their tickets before gesturing them to go inside. Once they were in entrance building, they looked around at the large room before them. In corner of the room, a large picture of a young man holding a Dratini in his arms was shown. That must be the picture Nurse Joy was talking about. Many people were crowded around trying to get a good look at it. As the group came closer to get a good look, it certainly didn't look like a hoax. Despite being a long time ago, the Dratini should still be in the Safari Zone, assuming it hadn't changed locations of course.

As the group looked to the side of the crowd of people, they were surprised to see a familiar young girl with brown hair and a white hat sitting in a nearby chair. It looked like she was fast asleep. She was in a slumped position with her mouth open.

"It's Leaf," Ash smiled before raising his eyebrows in confusion, "But why is she asleep?"

"I don't see how anyone could sleep with all this noise in here," Serena agreed before adding, "Do you think we should wake her up?"

"We might as well. We haven't seen her in a while," Ash replied as he went over to her, but stopped. How would he go about waking her up? If memory served correctly, for all of Leaf's cheerfulness and friendly personality, she was like a Krabby if woken up before she was willing to. He still remembered the time he was punched across the face as a reflex by her when he woke her up, and he didn't wish to go through that again, especially in public.

Thankfully, he didn't have to as Leaf began to stir in her chair. She slowly opened her eyes before giving a stretch and looking around the room. It was then her eyes settled on Ash and she gave a wide grin.

"Ash!" she greeted as she got up from her chair and embraced him in a hug. "I haven't seen you in so long. How are you?"

"I'm good," Ash replied, returning the gesture.

"Leaf! Hi!" Serena exclaimed as she hurried over to join the hug, as well.

"Serena!" Leaf replied, hugging her back. She then gave a smile and nod to Brock and Misty.

"So what are doing here, and why were you asleep?" Ash wondered.

Leaf chuckled nervously before replying, "Well, I've been here at the Safari Zone for the past week trying to find every single Pokemon this place has to offer. It is essential for filling up my pokedex. Then I heard the legendary Pokemon, Dratini, was here so I spent a while looking for that to. I've stayed at the Safari Zone from open to close every day trying to find it. I guess I must have skipping out on sleep while doing it."

"That is definitely determination if I ever heard it," Ash commented.

"Yep," Leaf replied before covering mouth because of big yawn. She then reached into her backpack and took out large canned coffee. She took a sip before making a face because it had long since gone cold. She then held her nose and began to chug it

"Are you sure you should be up?" Brock asked as he watched her down the caffeinated drink. "You look ready to collapse."

"I'll be fine," Leaf replied sleepily. "I don't want to rest until I see Dratini. If I miss this chance, filling up my pokedex is meaningless."

"Well, since you're here, we might as well enjoy the Safari Zone together," Ash suggested.

"That sounds great!" Leaf agreed before giving another big yawn which caused the group to sweatdrop. It was then she noticed the Cubone in Serena's arms and gave a smile. "Where did you get the Cubone, Serena?"

"Oh, we found it when we were in Lavender Town. It was an orphan at Mr. Fuji's house so Ash and I are taking care of it," Serena replied. She then looked down the Pokemon in her arms. "That is one of our friends, Cubone. Her name is Leaf. Will you say hi?"

"Cubone!" it replied before smiling and waving at Leaf.

"It's so cute!" Leaf squealed. Her excitement for cute things seemed to still exist.

Paul happened to be walking by at the moment and saw the group once more. Ash turned and saw Paul staring at him. Ash stared right back and got a look of determination on his face. Their gazes were so intense they seemed to pierce each other. Paul then averted his gaze before walking away. Despite his friend's advice, there was a silent battle going on between Ash and Paul right now.

"Who was that?" Leaf asked curiously once she noticed the silent exchange.

"His name is Paul. He has a really strict method on training his Pokemon. He is the complete opposite of Ash," Serena replied.

She then looked over and saw the intense look on Ash's face as he watched Paul go. Serena knew Ash remembered that this wasn't a competition, but she had a feeling Ash and Paul would be turning it into one, regardless. She just hoped that Ash could keep his cool today.

* * *

><p>The group was now finally inside the Safari Zone, Fuchsia City's main attraction. The staff explained the rules and told them would have three hours to catch as many Pokemon as they could. Once the three hours were up, they would need to pay again to have the session extended. The only catch was they were not allowed to use Pokemon to battle the wild Pokemon. They were only allowed to use special types of Pokemon called Safari Balls. That meant a lot of their captures would be based on luck. They were turned loose, and it was now time to catch some Pokemon!<p>

"So where do you think we should start, guys?" Ash asked the group as he looked around excitedly.

"I think we should…do you guys hear something?" Misty began, but stopped.

"It sounds like some kind of rumbling noise," Serena muttered.

"It's coming from over there," Misty pointed out as she went behind a bush to investigate. As soon as she looked behind it, she gasped and started running in the opposite direction.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"Don't just stand there! Run! A Tauros stampede is coming!" Misty screamed as she ran by the group.

The rest of the group got panicked expressions before running away also. About a few seconds after they started running, the Tauros plowed through the bush and was on a direct path behind the group. There had to be at least thirty of the wild bull Pokemon.

"I thought stampedes were supposed to be controlled inside the Safari Zone for safety reasons!" Serena exclaimed.

"They are! This is the first one I've seen since I've been here!" Leaf answered, also running at full speed despite her exhausted state.

"Do you think the excessive amount of people today have them in an uproar?" Brock wondered aloud.

"I don't care why we're being chased! I just want to get out of their way!" Misty screamed.

Ash then spotted a clearing that branched off from the main path. They could get out of the way there!

"Guy! Over here!" he called as he gestured to the opening.

One by one, the group jumped into the clearing as fast as they could, each eager to get away from the stampede. Serena was the last one to attempt to get in. Unfortunately, in her haste and carrying a Pokemon with her, she stumbled as she turned, causing her to fall to the ground. Cubone was thrown from her arms and fell right into the path of the incoming Tauros stampede.

"Cubone!" Serena cried as she got up and dashed towards Cubone to save it.

"Wait, Serena!" Ash yelled once he saw her run right into the danger zone. He then took off, as well, setting down Pikachu before he went.

Cubone stood there like a small creature in headlights as it watched the stampede come closer. Its senses were telling it to hurry and move out of the way, but it was too scared. It was absolutely frozen on the spot. It suddenly felt arms wrap around it as Serena grabbed it. It looked up worriedly at her. Serena then huddled herself over Cubone so it wouldn't get hurt, preparing for the worst. She would definitely make sure to protect Cubone at all costs!

"Look out!" she heard everyone yell.

Serena knew she didn't have time to get up and move. She would just have to take the stampede and hope she survives. If she doesn't, she never would have told Ash how she really feels. Serena shut eyes tight, waiting for the Tauros stampede to flatten her like a pancake. Closer and closer they got…but it never came.

At the last second, she felt someone fly into her, immediately pushing her out of the way. A quick glance showed that it was Ash. The two humans and Pokemon were moving through the air quickly. They soon landed on the ground a short distance away, Ash grunting in pain as he came in contact with the ground, the Tauros stampede just missing them. The bull Pokemon continued to charge on, as if not noticing they almost trampled someone.

Both Ash and Serena were panting heavily at the close call. They looked themselves over to make sure they didn't sustain any injuries. They then looked at each other for a moment before Ash finally spoke up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I am. You saved me," Serena breathed as her face heated up.

"Haha! Yeah. I guess I did. It was like instinct took over for a second," Ash muttered as rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ash, thank you," Serena said sincerely as she took Ash's hands in her own.

Ash immediately felt his face heat up, as well. Serena was holding his hands again, and it was making the inside of his chest contort into all kinds of positions. What was it about Serena that made Ash feel like he could something crazy so lately? He even saw Serena was starting to lean in closer to him, and he wasn't stopping her. Their faces were just inches apart, and then…

"Are you two okay?" Brock asked as came over to them, followed by Leaf and Misty.

Serena and Ash immediately pulled away. Their faces were even redder than before.

"Yeah. We're fine," Serena answered hurriedly. She couldn't believe she almost had her first real kiss with Ash. In retrospect, however, maybe a public place like the Safari Zone wasn't an ideal place to have something like that with, kind of like when she almost did it at the Battle Chateau yesterday. Despite that, why did these moments keep needing to get interrupted?!

"I think Ash and I are starting to rub off on you, Serena," Leaf told her with a smile and crossed her arms. "When we were younger, you were always the shy and cautious one while Ash and I were the ones who always got into trouble. Now look at you!"

"I would do anything to help out the ones I care about," Serena replied as she hugged Cubone, and then gave a knowing glance at Ash, "And I know Ash will, as well."

"Hahahahaha! Yeah. Anyway, we should continue on," Ash chuckled nervously as he stood up. He then helped Serena to her feet.

As Serena was being pulled up by Ash, a million thoughts were running through her mind. Ash wasn't even trying to pull away from her. In fact, he was leaning in, as well! Did that mean Ash intended to kiss her, as well? When would another opportunity like this present itself? Should she tell him how she feels soon? Should she do it today? Should she…

"Earth to Serena," Misty called out while waving her hand in front of Serena's face.

Serena snapped out of her thoughts and saw everyone was staring at her. "Hahaha! I guess I just spaced out for a moment!" she laughed.

"Since we are all okay now, we should really start our search for some Pokemon to catch," Brock suggested. "We've already been here for twenty minutes. The time will be up before we know it."

The group was about to move on when a large mantis Pokemon flew by and landed a short distance from the group. It was a Scyther. It had found some nice bushes nearby and started whacking at them with its sickle-like forearms, perhaps as a show of its strength, or looking for prey.

The group stood their ground, fascinated that a Scyther had just flown in front of them like that. Misty, on the other, hand turned ghostly pale.

"It's a b-b-b-BUG!" she shrieked as she sprinted off and hid behind a nearby tree.

"What's wrong with her?" Leaf wondered once she saw the display.

"Misty has a huge phobia of bugs," Ash explained. He then began to laugh. "You should have seen her when I caught Caterpie! She was yelling and freaking out the whole time!"

"That isn't funny, Ash Ketchum!" Misty shouted from behind the tree. "Besides, this bug has sharp claws and is really big! Make it go away!"

"I know! I'm going to capture it!" Ash declared as he pulled out a Safari Ball. "I haven't had a bug Pokemon since Butterfree. It was then Ash briefly remembered his butterfly Pokemon and how it left to start a family. He didn't stay on this memory too long, however, as he had to focus on the Scyther in front of them.

Ash took a few steps forward and looked at the Scyther before him. The Scyther sensed Ash looking at it and turned to face him. Upon seeing Ash, a glint appeared in its eye, and it gave a smirk.

Ash raised an eyebrow at this gesture before deciding on a course of action. Should he just throw the Safari Ball at it? Should he try to lure it so it will let its guard down?

"Ash, be careful," Leaf said from behind him. "I don't like the way that Scyther is looking at you. It looks too confident."

Ash took a deep breath before mumbling to Pikachu on his shoulder. "Are you ready to go for it, Pikachu?" he asked.

"Pika," the rodent answered.

"Go Safari Ball," Ash suddenly cried as he threw it forward.

The Scyther made no move to get out of the way. In fact, its smirk grew wider when it saw the ball coming towards it. Just before the Safari Ball connected, it swiped at it with it sharp claws and knocked it away. The Safari Ball then bounced harmlessly on the ground a short distance away.

"Ash! Watch out!" Serena cried once she saw the Scyther grin mischievously.

It then flew forward straight at Ash.

"Woah!" Ash cried as he and Pikachu were suddenly backed into a tree. The Scyther landed in front of Ash and smirked at him.

"I don't get it? What is this Scyther's problem with me?" Ash wondered aloud.

As if too answer his question, the Scyther reached out with its blades and made a tear into the sleeve of Ash's clothing. Ash remembered a similar action a couple of days ago with a Scyther at the zoo. Realization hit him. This was the same mischievous Scyther he saw at the zoo! What were the odds of seeing it again?!

"Oh, heheheheh. I guess you are still pretty irritated I called you harmless and tame back at the zoo, huh?" Ash chuckled nervously. "I can see now that you are a very strong and dangerous Pokemon. I really wasn't trying to insult your pride at the zoo. I was just reassuring my friend."

The group stood worriedly as they watched the scene. They weren't quite sure how far the Scyther was willing to go about harming Ash, and they didn't want to find out, either. It was illegal to attack Pokemon or have battles in the Safari Zone, but what if someone was in danger?

Serena then stepped up and brought a Safari Ball out. Ash was definitely in a predicament right now. If this Scyther thought it was tough stuff, she would cut it down size…no pun intended.

The Scyther continued to loom over Ash and Pikachu giving them a very intimidating look. It didn't even notice Serena coming up behind it. Ash saw her, though, but gave no indication he did so it wouldn't alert the Scyther to her presence.

Serena took a deep breath. This Scyther was a pretty scary Pokemon, but she could do it.

"Go, Safari Ball!" Serena yelled as she threw it straight for the Scyther.

The Scyther gave a surprised gasp when it heard her voice and spun around away from Ash to face her, but it wasn't quick enough as the ball connected and sucked it inside. Everyone watched the ball continuing to shake. They really hoped Serena was successful on her first try. They didn't want to have to try again as who knows what the prideful Scyther would do. After shaking for a while, the ball finally let out a 'ding' to show Scyther was captured, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Woah, that was way too close," Ash sighed as he and Pikachu slumped against the tree and put his hand over his chest.

"Pika Pika," the rodent agreed.

"Are you okay?" Serena asked worriedly as she went over to Ash, soon followed by the others.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. Thanks, Serena," Ash replied.

"You really had us worried," Leaf said.

Ash then sighed one more time before lifting himself off the ground and facing Serena. "Well, I guess you better go over and claim your new Pokemon before someone else does."

"Right," Serena agreed as she went over and picked up the Safari Ball.

She stared at the ball for a little bit before it was automatically transported out of her hands. It was then Serena realized that she had now captured enough Pokemon to start rotating her team. Once they leave the Safari Zone, Serena would make sure to give a call to Professor Oak to properly introduce herself to the mantis Pokemon. The Scyther she had caught seemed to have a bit of a mean streak to it, but she would make sure to correct that behavior before long.

"Is the bug gone?" the group suddenly heard Misty call from the faraway tree.

Everyone face-faulted. She had totally missed everything that just happened!

"Yes. I caught it," Serena answered with a roll of her eyes.

Misty immediately came back from behind the tree and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew! For a second, I thought that bug was going to get me!" She joked.

Everyone looked at her with deadpan expression. She had no idea how further from the truth she was. It was really Ash who was in danger the entire time. Upon seeing their expressions, Misty took that as a sign to be quiet for the time-being and laughed nervously.

"Ahem. Anyway, there are still a lot more Pokemon to catch while we are here. We've had a good warm up so I say we spend the rest of our time enjoying ourselves. The Safari Zone is supposed to be fun, after all," Brock spoke up.

The rest of the group nodded their heads in agreement before moving on. While they were moving, Leaf leaned over to Serena and whispered, "So what's been going on with you and Ash lately? You two seem to be a lot closer than the last time I saw you."

"We are," Serena confirmed. "Ash and I have been through so much together lately. I really am getting the feeling he may like me back, after all."

"See. I told you," Leaf said with a smile. "You better let me know as soon as you two become a couple!"

Serena blushed heavily. "Leaf!" she whispered harshly.

Leaf giggled. "I'm just teasing you."

"What are you two whispering about back there?" Ash asked curiously as he turned to face them.

"Nothing, Ash," Leaf replied with a wink.

Ash gave them an inquisitive glance before turning back to around to face ahead. "Girls_"_ he whispered to Pikachu with an eye roll.

The yellow rodent snickered in response.

* * *

><p>It had already been about another twenty minutes since the group had encountered the Scyther, and surprisingly, they hadn't seen another Pokemon since. Were all of the people here scaring them away, or were there just so many people they already captured them all? Should the group ever come to a Safari Zone again, they would make sure to go on a day when there were less people.<p>

"So Brock, Misty. Have you two thought about which Pokemon you would like to catch in the Safari Zone?" Ash asked.

"Hmm…well…are there any good water Pokemon here?" Misty asked as she rubbed the back of her head.

"I'm sure there are some nice rock Pokemon here that I would like to capture. Despite not being a Pewter gym leader anymore, rock Pokemon are still my specialty," Brock replied.

As if on cue, the group finally spotted their next Pokemon. It was a giant gray rhinoceros Pokemon with a stone body.

"Hey, guys. Look! It's a Rhyhorn!" Ash said excitedly as he pointed to the rock rhinoceros Pokemon eating some grass nearby.

"I think a Rhyhorn would be an excellent addition to my team since I haven't caught a rock-type Pokemon in a while," Brock figured

"Do you think you are going to try to catch it, Brock?" Serena asked him.

"Of course! I have a theory, you see. I bet if I can show this Rhyhorn how gentle and caring I am, I can coax it to come onto my team. I think it would be a lot more effective than throwing a Safari Ball at it."

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Brock?" Misty asked with a raised eyebrow. "I've heard Rhyhorn can get pretty aggressive."

"Don't worry, Misty. I'm aiming to be the best Pokemon Breeder. It's actually how I captured all of my other Pokemon like Onix, Graveler, and Vulpix. The only one I caught with a pokeball so far is Golbat," Brock replied.

"If you say so," Misty muttered.

Brock then walked over to the Rhyhorn while it was still eating and stood behind it. Everyone else waited a safe distance behind a bush to see how it would play out.

"Hey, Rhyhorn. How are you today?" Brock asked it with a friendly smile.

The Rhyhorn looked up from the grass it was eating and gave Brock a curious expression.

Brock then noticed a scratch on the Rhyhorn's leg and gave it a sympathetic expression. "I see that you've hurt your leg before. I could patch that up in a jiffy for you if you want."

The Rhyhorn continued to stare at Brock, not saying anything.

Taking its silence as a sign to go on, Brock reached into his backpack and pulled out a few Pokemon medical supplies. They consisted of a Potion and some disinfectant. He then kneeled down next the Pokemon to get a better view of the scratch

"Hold still," Brock ordered gently as he sprayed the disinfectant on the scratch. The Rhyhorn growled softly in pain but held fast.

Brock then sprayed the potion on the wound and gave a smile to the Rhyhorn. "There you go! You're all fixed up now!"

The Rhyhorn hadn't let its eyes off Brock the entire time. Is this kid crazy? It still watched as Brock went and put back the supplies in his backpack before pulling out a Safari Ball and holding it in front of him.

"You know, Rhyhorn? I bet we could make a great team together. What do you say? Will you come with me?" Brock asked while giving the rock-type a warm and inviting look. His methods and theories were flawless. This is how he got his previous Pokemon. He formed a bond with them. It was what being a Breeder was all about.

The Rhyhorn continued to stare at Brock curiously. The Pokemon and human were eye-to-eye. Rhyhorn then began to move closer to Brock. It looked like it was going to accept the offer, and then…

"Woah!" Brock cried in alarm as the Rhyhorn went up and thrust Brock upwards with its horn. He went sailing high into the air and past the group.

"I think Brock needs a new theory," Misty muttered as they watched Brock somersault through the air and land on the ground nearby.

They then went over to Brock to see if he was alright. Once they reached him, Brock had dazed look on his face and appeared a little dizzy.

"Well, that was a surprise," Brock murmured in shock as Ash helped him up. "That method has always worked before."

"Maybe, but I think Rhyhorn are a little less willing to join someone because of kindness it showed them," Misty said. "You should probably try with a Safari Ball this time."

"Yeah. I guess," Brock muttered with a shrug of his shoulders.

He then shuffled back over to the Rhyhorn and got a determined glint in his eye. The Rhyhorn stared back defiantly at him.

"Rhyhorn! You're mine!" Brock shouted as he threw the Safari ball forward.

It soared through the air and connected with the Pokemon, sucking it in. The Safari Ball then landed on the ground and began to shake several times. Rhyhorn was clearly putting up a huge struggle. After a while, the ball "dinged" to show Rhyhorn was captured.

"Alright! I caught a Rhyhorn!" Brock cheered as he held the Safari Ball in front of him.

"Great work, Brock! I bet that Rhyhorn will be a good addition to your team," Ash praised.

"Thanks, everyone!" Brock said with a smile. It was then he heard a familiar rumbling again and got a panicked expression his face.

Everyone else looked at his expression before they heard it, too.

"Everyone, I think we are going to need to get out of here again pretty soon," Serena muttered fearfully.

Sure enough, the group turned to their right and saw a large dust cloud not very far away. The Tauros stampede was back! They had to get away quickly!

"Let's get out of here!" Misty cried as she took off running, everyone else following suit.

No matter what, the group always seemed to find themselves being chased by Pokemon. They could only imagine what could be next!

"This is ridiculous!" Serena cried as they continued to run. They didn't notice that they were getting to the far edge of the Safari Zone and covered quite a bit of ground. They passed by a few people while running. The trainers they would pass would look curiously the group before seeing the herd of Tauros and dive into a nearby bush for cover.

After running for a while, the group was starting to get tired. Ash realized that they couldn't run forever. He was going to be a Pokemon Master. It was then he stopped running and turned to face the Tauros, Pikachu on his shoulder. Ash was staring straight at the Tauros charging straight at him and his partner.

"Ash! What are you doing?! You're going to get flattened!" Leaf shouted at him once they saw he wasn't moving.

"No," Ash replied. "We can't keep running from these Tauros forever. If I can catch their leader, it may stop the stampede. Who knows how many other people they have put in danger so far."

"Do you have to stand right in front of them to do it?!" Misty cried.

"I do if I want to find the leader," Ash answered as he scanned each individual Tauros as fast as he could.

He figured the leader would probably be somewhere towards the front of the group. There were about thirty of these Tauros, and there were six in the front. That narrowed it down significantly. The next thing he reasoned was the leader would probably move before any of the others so he had to look for just certain action in the stampede, whether it be a shift to the right, left, slowing down, or speeding up.

Serena stopped running and got a look of horror on her face when she Ash wasn't moving. He had saved her once. Now she was doing the same.

"Take Cubone," she told Leaf as she handed the lonely Pokemon to her before she took off running towards Ash.

"Wait!" Leaf cried after her.

"Cubone!" Cubone wailed as it struggled to break free. It didn't want to lose another set of parents so soon.

The Tauros were getting closer to Ash while he stared defiantly at them. He was going to be a Pokemon Master and couldn't just run like that anymore. He had friends and other people to protect! He would capture the Tauros leader! It was then he saw a particular one speed up a little faster than the others. It wasn't long before the rest of Tauros matched its speed, and Ash knew he found the leader.

"Ash!" he heard Serena scream behind him.

"Stay back!" he yelled as he quickly brought out a Safari Ball. The Tauros were only about fifty yards away from him now. They would be on top of him in only a matter of seconds. He then turned his hat backwards as he and Pikachu got a determined look on their face.

"_Come on, Ash," _everyone else thought.

"Go, Safari Ball!" Ash yelled as he threw the ball forward at the leader. The Safari Ball soared through the air and connected with the leader just as Serena was reaching Ash. She paused when she saw the ball suck in the bull Pokemon.

The other Tauros got a surprised look on their face as they saw their leader get captured in a Safari Ball. Their movements started to become more wobbly as they slowed down. It was then Ash, Pikachu, and Serena quickly jumped out of the way as the Tauros passed them. The stampede continued to slow down until it got disorganized enough to stop. They then looked around in confusion before going off to do their business.

Meanwhile, the two humans and yellow rodent turned back to the Safari Ball and saw it shaking. It finally 'dinged', and Ash breathed a sigh of relief. He had caught the Tauros leader and stopped the dangerous stampede. He then walked over to the ball and picked up before watching it teleport out of his hands to Professor Oak's lab.

"_I bet Professor Oak will have his hands full with a Tauros that likes to stampede,"_ Ash thought in amusement.

"Ash, you are still one interesting guy," Brock smiled in amusement as he and Serena were joined by the rest of the group.

"He's crazy if you ask me," Misty mumbled.

"That's Ash for you," Leaf said before giving another yawn and handing Cubone back to Serena. "Though I guess Serena isn't much better now. I still haven't forgotten when you two told me your stormed the Silph Company."

Ash and Serena exchanged nervous glances with each other. That was a pretty reckless thing to do and had learned a lot since then.

Ash gave a quick look around the area and noticed there weren't any more trainers around. They must be a very remote area around the Safari Zone. There were no benches, vending machines, or anything around here. Had the Tauros really chased them this far?

"Hey, guys. Do you see the main road anywhere?" Ash asked.

"I don't see it at all. We aren't lost, are we?" Misty asked fearfully.

Serena then looked at Leaf. "Leaf, you've been to the Safari Zone multiple times now. Do you have any idea where we are at?"

"I don't," Leaf replied while shaking her head. "I never came out this far because I thought it was past the Safari Zone limits."

"Then how are we supposed to get back?" Misty cried as she threw her hands in the air.

"Calm down, everyone. We can approach this logically. All we have to do is check the position of the sun," Brock pointed out.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"Well, if I recall, we were running away from the sun while the Tauros were chasing us because there was no sunlight in our eyes. If we move towards the sun, we should find our way back to the main road," Brock figured.

"Can we take a break before heading back? All this running has made me sleepy again," Leaf said with yawn.

"Hold on, Leaf. I say we follow Brock's advice and head back while the sun is still high up. We don't want to overstay our session," Ash advised.

"I know. Just a short rest," Leaf replied sleepily as her head drooped.

"Looks like I have no choice," Ash said as he went over and picked her up piggyback style, earning a surprised gasp from her. "I'll just have to carry you."

Leaf let out a tired smile and relaxed on his back. "Thank you, Ash."

"No problem. Just promise me you go bed as soon as we leave here," Ash told her.

"Right. I promise," Leaf yawned.

Serena couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy when she saw Ash carrying Leaf on his back. She wished that was her at the moment. Ash could be the one carrying her in his strong arms. She bet it must feel so comfortable right now. It was then she had to force those thoughts away from her head. She remembered what happened the last time she was jealous of Ash and Leaf in Cerulean City. She just had to keep reminding herself that those two were just best friends, and there was nothing romantic between them.

They were just about to head back when they heard a strange noise coming from the lake that was nearby. There was a small spot on it that seemed to harbor a strange glow to it. It definitely was out of the ordinary.

"What do you suppose that is?" Serena asked as she went to get a closer look.

The small ripples in the lake continued for a few more seconds until they suddenly stopped. The group gave an inquisitive glance at the lake for a few more moments. They thought nothing was going to happen until a figure popped its head out of the water. It was light blue in color with a white underbelly. It looked like a long snake with fin like ears and a circular snout. It was a Dratini, and it was looking straight at the group.

"Is that what I think it is?" Ash gasped.

"That's really a Dratini. I've been searching for one all week," Leaf said, now wide awake. She hopped off of Ash's back and pulled out her pokedex, Ash and Serena doing the same.

"Dratini, the dragon Pokemon. This Pokemon is full of life energy. It continually sheds its skin to gradually grow larger," said the pokedexes.

"I don't understand. How is that a Dratini just showed up like that? It is an extremely rare Pokemon that would run at the sight of humans," Brock said in a confused tone.

"This must be why no one has seen a Dratini so far," Leaf figured. "We are far off the main path where hardly anyone goes."

"But this Dratini doesn't really look like it wants to run," Misty commented as she saw the hostile expression in its eyes.

Sure enough, as the group took a closer look at the dragon Pokemon, it didn't look timid. If anything, if Pokemon could be considered bad, that is exactly how they would classify this Dratini judging by its expression.

"Yeah. This guy looks a little rough compared to the ones I've heard about," Brock agreed.

"I think I might be able to lure it closer with some bait," Ash stated as he pulled some out that was given to him by the Safari Zone staff. He then held it out in his hand and asked, "Would you like some food Dratini?"

The Dratini gave a quick sniff before it began to swim closer to the shoreline, still not letting up on its unfriendly disposition. To the group's great surprise, another Dratini poked its head out of the water, as well. Unlike the one that was swimming towards Ash, this Dratini had a very nervous and scared look about it.

"Would you like some bait, too?" Ash asked the newcomer Dratini.

Upon hearing Ash's voice, the other Dratini immediately looked alarmed and swam back several feet with a scared expression on its face. The Dratini that came out first saw what took place and glared at the other Dratini before continuing to swim to Ash. Once it came out of the water. It slid a little closer to Ash and stared at the food in his hand for a little bit.

"Go on. Have some," Ash encouraged in an inviting manner despite the Dratini's angry look.

Dratini stared at the bait for a moment before slapping Ash's hand quite hard with its long tail.

"Ouch!" Ash yelped as he threw the food a short distance away. The Dratini chased the food over and began to munch greedily on it and gave an arrogant smirk at Ash, who was massaging his stinging hand.

"Well, aren't you just a pleasant Pokemon," Serena said sassily with her hands on her hips while she glared at the Dratini. "That was uncalled for."

The Dratini gave an uncaring look at Serena before continuing its meal.

The group then cast a look at the Dratini that was still in the water. It barely had its head poked out of the water and was watching the group with a fearful expression. It was apparently acting how the group would expect with a Dratini. They are said to be very cautious of humans. The group thought they were having incredible luck by seeing two wild ones on the same day. They figured that this particular lake must have a few living underwater.

"Maybe I can get this one to come out of the water, as well," Ash figured as he took some more bait out of his backpack to coax it to him. He then gave it a warm smile. "Come get some food, Dratini."

The timid Dratini poked its head out of the water a little higher and cast wary glance at the group. Then, ever so slowly, it began to make its way to Ash.

"That's it. Come on," Ash said gently as it came a little closer.

"It's so cute," Leaf commented as she watched it come forward.

The Dratini slid onto shore and slowly made its way to Ash's hand. It sniffed the food and gave a questioning look at Ash as if to ask that it was okay to take.

"Go on. I promise I won't hurt you," Ash smiled.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu encouraged.

Dratini then leaned over to begin to eat the food, but it was suddenly knocked out of the way by the other Dratini. It was knocked several feet away before getting up with watery eyes. It almost looked ready to cry.

"Hey! What did you do that for?!" Serena asked the aggressive Dratini angrily.

The Dratini said nothing before slapping Ash's hand once more and snatching the food away.

"Pika Pika Pikachu!" the yellow rodent yelled at the Dratini.

The Dratini gave an angry look at Pikachu before tackling it to the ground. Pikachu got up and was preparing to Thunderbolt it, but Ash stopped it.

"Wait, Pikachu! Battles aren't allowed in the Safari Zone or we could get in a lot of trouble!" Ash warned.

Pikachu frowned deeply upon hearing that but relented its Thunderbolt. The Dratini smirked in triumph before eating at the food it had just snatched from Ash's hands.

"That just stinks! It's not even ashamed of itself. It's the complete opposite of how I would expect a Dratini to act. I thought they were supposed to be gentle Pokemon," Misty glared.

"This thing just has a bad attitude," Brock said with disdain.

Ash glared at the mean-spirited Dratini before going over to the other Dratini. Upon seeing Ash coming towards it, its eyes grew wide, and it darted behind a rock. The rogue Dratini got a dark glint in its eye and chased the timid Dratini behind the rock and stood over it in a dominating fashion. The other Dratini cowered in fear as it was loomed over by the other one.

The group had now had enough and decided to do something about it.

"I'll show that Pokemon," Ash said as he pulled out a Safari Ball. He wasn't going to let it pick on anymore Pokemon. He was just about to throw it at the bad-tempered Dratini but another beat him to it.

To everyone's surprise, another Safari Ball flew from seemingly nowhere and struck the rogue Dratini right in the center. The Pokemon turned in surprise for just a split second before it was sucked inside the Safari Ball. It then began shaking a few times before it 'dinged' to show it had been caught.

The group turned to see the other person who had just caught the rogue Dratini and discovered it was none other than Paul.

"Paul…" Ash muttered again.

Paul said nothing in reply as he walked up to the Safari Ball containing the rogue Dratini and picked it up, but not before giving a scornful look at the cowering Dratini that was still on the ground. Paul then pulled out his pokedex and ran it over the Safari Ball to check Dratini's stats. He appeared to be deep in thought as he looked over the Safari Ball. Ash couldn't help but glare that Paul still did something like that. It was almost insulting to the Pokemon, even if the one he captured wasn't exactly friendly.

Everyone continued to watch with a frown as Paul scanned the Safari Ball with an unreadable expression. After about ten seconds, he finally put it away and nodded his head.

"Okay. This one seems to have good stats," he decided.

"You're still going on about that," Ash uttered.

Paul then cast a glare at Ash. "Of course. It's the only way to get Pokemon that can win battles." He then shifted his glare to the other Dratini. "You can have that pathetic one. You two are perfect for each other."

"I stand by what I said that any Pokemon can be strong when trained and loved!" Ash yelled.

"Humph. I saw enough of your so called training in our last battle. Plus, the fact that you still only have five badges reinforces what I said about how your Pokemon are weak," Paul said.

"What was that?!" Ash yelled, getting fired up as his fists clenched, but Serena and Leaf held him back.

"Ash, stop! You know Paul is saying this get a rise out of you," Serena told him.

Ash slumped over in their grips while glaring at Paul. He couldn't believe he could just call a Pokemon weak like that. Where did he get off?!

Paul gave a rough smile before turning around. "Well, I got what I came for so I'm out of here," he muttered as he walked off. The entire group watched him go with disdain on their faces.

Ash just wished he had another chance to show this guy what he had learned since his last battle with him. Ash would definitely admit he made his fair share of mistakes when he did face Paul the first time. He had been so determined to beat Paul back then that it really cost him. If he were to face Paul now, however, he had a lot more confidence that he would be more level-headed and smart with his strategies. The only problem was that Paul thought different and didn't even seem willing to battle Ash anymore. Despite this, Ash was determined to beat Paul one day, not just for the sake of himself, but for his Pokemon and all loving trainers worldwide, as cheesy as that sounded.

"I think you handled yourself a little better with Paul this time," Brock mentioned. "Just remember that even though he didn't battle you now, he will most likely make it to the Pokemon League since he already has seven badges. You might be able to battle him there where it will really count. Maybe fate is just waiting for the right moment for you two to face each other again."

"Right. I'll make it to the Pokemon League and show Paul what I've learned there," Ash said with determination.

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu said.

"That's right, buddy. We'll definitely get him next time," Ash agreed before turning back to the remaining Dratini.

The dragon Pokemon still had a fearful look on its face as it was trembling before Ash. It's large black eyes show with such shyness yet a strange gentleness, also. Ash believed that this Dratini didn't have a single mean bone in its body.

Ash knelt down to be more eye-level with the Dratini and smiled at it. "Don't listen to what Paul said Dratini. You aren't pathetic at all. There is no shame in refusing to attack something for no reason. You are definitely the better Dratini. Remember that."

Dratini made a soft cooing noise as it looked up at Ash curiously.

"Hey, Serena. Do you have any extra bait? That other Dratini took all of mine," Ash said to her.

"Of course," Serena smiled as she reached into her own backpack and brought it over to Ash.

"Thank you," Ash replied as he took the bait from Serena's hands. He then held it out in front of the Dratini and gave it an inviting smile. "Go on. Help yourself."

The Dratini gave an extremely wary glance at the bait. It looked as if it were trying to decide if it was safe to do so this time. Ash couldn't exactly blame since it was either stolen from or attacked the previous times.

"I promise I won't hurt you. Nothing bad will happen this time," Ash reassured it.

Dratini took a deep breath before slowly crawling a little closer to Ash's outstretched hand. It looked down at the bait. It definitely did smell good and probably tasted good, too. It then slowly stuck its head out before taking a tiny bite. It chewed the morsel before swallowing and got a happy expression on its face. It then gave a cheerful cry before finishing it off.

"There you go," Ash said as he went to rub its head.

Upon seeing what Ash was about to do, the Dratini once again got a fearful expression and scooted away several feet. It still didn't seem to fully trust Ash yet.

"You seem to be a very cautious Pokemon," Ash told it with a sad smile.

The Dratini looked down at the ground. It couldn't help it. It was always shy like that. The other Dratini was one of the only other Dratini in the lake with it, and it had always been a bully.

It was then Serena decided to speak to it as she knelt down like Ash before her. "There is certainly no shame in being a little shy, but if you let it control you, you will be missing out on so many opportunities."

It was then Serena realized what she said and gave a quick look at Ash. She was giving out advice about being shy on things, and she could never seem to muster up the courage to tell Ash how she really feels about him. Maybe she should start listening to her own advice, but now wasn't the time. She just had to wait for the right moment. Oh…why didn't she do it when they had their date!? She then felt Cubone, Pikachu, and everyone behind her looking at her with a knowing expression once they heard her say that.

"That's right," Ash agreed, being the only one who didn't seem to notice Serena's sudden embarrassed expression. "I believe that you are a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for. I bet if it came to protecting something…or someone who you really care about, you would do anything."

Pikachu and Cubone then went over to the Dratini and began to explain to it how Ash and Serena were. They told it how they were shy and didn't trust humans at first, either, but they had grown since then. They believed that this Dratini would be able to overcome its timid nature, also.

"Just know I will never force you, but I believe I can help you if you give me the chance," Ash offered as he extended his hand in a gesture of friendship to the Dratini. "Will you let me?"

The Dratini once more looked at Ash's hand as it thought hard about the decision. This human definitely seemed sincere enough with what he was saying. The other humans he was with didn't seem like bad people, either. The look in his eyes were enough to tell it that much, but if it went on a journey with him, did that mean it would have to battle?

As if reading his mind, Ash spoke up once more. "Don't worry. I will never make you battle if you don't want to. I just want to show you the whole world. There is more to it than that small pond you've lived in so far."

The Dratini was still contemplating Ash's offer. He did have a point. All of its life, it had lived in isolation with no contact with any humans. It was mainly because humans were hardly ever in this area, but it couldn't solely place the blame on that. It was just a scared Pokemon by nature, but was it really willing to change? It remembered how the other Dratini had walked all over it, and it did absolutely nothing to fight back. Maybe it should give this human a chance to help it overcome its weakness. At long last, Dratini nodded its head and crawled over to Ash before nuzzling its head on his arm.

"Awww, that's so adorable," Misty commented with a smile.

Ash nodded his head and took out a Safari Ball. "Thank you, Dratini. I suppose I'll officially ask you now. Will you come with my friends and me on our journey?"

The Dratini responded to Ash's question by pressing its nose on the Safari Ball button and allowing itself inside. The ball made a dinging noise and Dratini had officially become Ash's Pokemon. It then was transported to Professor Oak's lab while Ash nodded his head.

"_I'll get you real soon, Dratini. We will see the world together," _he thought.

"That was well done, Ash," Brock praised while he nodded his head in approval. "I think you are the right trainer for the Dratini."

"That's right," Serena added. "Unlike Paul, you actually care about Dratini as an actual creature and not just because it's a rare Pokemon. That's a quality you have that he doesn't."

Cubone and Pikachu nodded their heads, as well.

"Thanks, everyone," Ash replied. He then pulled out his Pokegear and checked the time and gasped. "Woah! We only have ten minutes left until our session expires!"

"Yikes! We better head back!" Serena gasped. The group was just about to rush back in the direction they came from when they realized they were missing one person. They turned around and saw Leaf slumped against a nearby rock, fast asleep. Everyone face faulted at how she could have fallen asleep so quickly after all that happened.

"That girl," Ash muttered in disbelief as he went over and picked her up. "Okay, Leaf. Up we go!"

Serena once again felt a pang of jealousy but let it go once more. She hoped Ash would carry her like that one day!

* * *

><p>It was evening time now as the group was standing in front of the Safari Zone gate. They had learned there was a boat leaving for Cinnabar Island that evening, and the next one wasn't leaving for another two days. If they wanted to get to Cinnabar Island faster, they would need to go ahead and take this one.<p>

"Well, Leaf, I guess this is where we split up again," Serena said sadly.

"Yeah," Leaf yawned with her hand over her mouth. "I'm so tired I couldn't possibly come with you. I think I'm just going to stay at the Pokemon Center and sleep all day tomorrow…and possibly the rest of the week, also."

"Just try not to push yourself again. It won't do if you wind up getting sick because you're up all day and night looking for one Pokemon," Ash advised.

"Heehee! Like you're one to talk, Ash," Leaf teased.

"Heheheh! I guess you're right," Ash admitted.

Serena then walked up and embraced her friend. "Good bye, Leaf. I hope we see each other again, soon."

"Count on it," Leaf smiled. "After I leave Fuchsia City, I'm going to head back to Pallet Town for a while and see my family. I talked to Gary recently and he will be there, too. You guys will be passing through Pallet Town after Cinnabar Island if I'm not mistaken."

"Sounds like a plan! We'll all meet up in Pallet Town where it all began!" Ash declared with a thumbs-up. "And keep up with that pokedex. You're almost there for Kanto!"

"Hey, guys. I hate to interrupt, but the boat will be leaving pretty soon. We should probably head for the dock," Brock told them.

"Right. Say bye to Leaf, Cubone," Serena said to it.

"Cubone!" it waved with a smile.

"It's so cute!" Leaf squealed again.

"Take care, Leaf! We'll see you real soon!" Ash waved as he and the rest of the group turned to leave.

"Good bye, guys! I'll see you all in Pallet Town!" Leaf called after them while waving before yawning one last time.

After spending many days in Fuchsia City, it was now time for the group to leave. It had been one of their most eventful cities yet: Ash got his fifth badge, Serena achieved the rank of Duchess and could face the Battle Chatelaines next, Brock met his idol Suzy and received Vulpix, Ash and Serena went on their first date, and Misty finally met someone who didn't think she was just a crabby tomboy. To top it off, they all acquired a variety of new Pokemon. They couldn't wait to see what Cinnabar Island had in store for them!

* * *

><p>A creature was floating in a glass tube. It had been asleep for a very long time. It still needed a lot of rest before it could awaken. Being a clone, its body wasn't stable enough yet to live properly. It still needed more time.<p>

Scientists were working all around it right now. They were all eager for when it would finally awaken. They were aiming to create the world's most powerful Pokemon by using the legendary Pokemon, Mew's, DNA. They had been working on this project for many years now. It had taken long enough to just find a strand of fur that was claimed to be from Mew. The fruit of their efforts would finally payoff. It only needed a few more days now.

"Doctor, are the preparations complete?" a scientist asked.

"In due time. Our little specimen will be ready soon. All of its vital organs are in place, but it is still too unstable for us to pull the plug right now," the head doctor replied.

"Should we inform Giovanni?" the scientist asked.

"Not yet. Personally, I would like to research this Pokemon first before we turn it loose to Giovanni. It isn't every day that you get to study something like this," the head scientist responded with a wide, toothy grin. "Once we have gotten the information we need, then we can let it go."

"Do you feel somewhat sorry for it?" another scientist spoke up. "Its purpose in life will be used for nothing but experiments and battling."

"It is a clone. A clone does not have feelings," the head doctor replied dismissively before turning back to the sleeping figure in the glass tube.

He couldn't help but grin in anticipation. Any day now, they would have their hands on the world's most powerful Pokemon, and it would be theirs to control!

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that was the first actual appearance of Mewtwo in this story. (about time!). Its full arc and introduction isn't for a while, though, so don't get too excited. <strong>

**Don't you all just want to punch Paul square in the nose? Will there be an epic faceoff between the two opposing Dratini in the future? Maybe. You will all just have to wait and see.**

**As promised, here is everyone's current team:**

**Ash (on hand): Bulbasaur (M)**

** Charmeleon (M)**

** Squirtle (M)**

** Haunter (M)**

** Pidgeotto (F)**

** Pikachu (M)**

**(at lab): Muk (M)**

** Krabby (M)**

** Hitmonchan (M)**

** Primeape (M)**

** Dratini (F)**

** Tauros (M) **

**Serena (on hand): Charla (F)**

** Nidorina (F)**

** Jigglypuff (F)**

** Gloom (F)**

** Hitmonlee (M)**

** Eevee (F)**

** (taking care of): Cubone (M)**

** (at lab): Scyther (M)**

**Brock: (all male) Graveler, Onix, Golbat, Rhyhorn**

**Misty: Staryu**

** Starmie**

** Goldeen (F)**

** Psyduck (M)**

** Magikarp (M)  
><strong>

**Okay, everyone. The Seafoam Islands are up next! I will see you all Tuesday in the next update. For those of you that are mad that Misty didn't get a new Pokemon here, she will get one next chapter, and so will Serena. **

**Chapter 38: Articuno of the Seafoam Islands!**

**Answering the questions:**

_Will Cilan, Iris, Bonnie and Clemont appear at all in your stories or will they just be mentioned in the final story, when you skip time?_

_**They will definitely appear in this story, but not for a very long time. They may not make an appearance until Sinnoh for Cilan and Iris, or the last story for Clemont and Bonnie. Regardless, they won't be permanent traveling companions of Ash and Serena and probably only temporary.**_

_Will you have Ash's Dratini/evolution go head-to-head with Drake's Dragonite or a classic Pikachu ftw?_

_**Either one is certainly possible, actually.**_

_You said that Ash's father would make his appearance via flashback. Will that be his only appearance, or will he physically show up in the future?_

_**No, he will definitely make a physical appearance in this story, but I won't reveal how or when. If you are wondering about Serena's father, he is a long ways off before appearing or even being revealed.**_

_Will Ash's Glalie be able to Mega Evolve? And will Brock's Steelix become Mega Steelix?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will any of the orange crew hit on Ash or Serena?_

_**They certainly won't hit on Ash. Luwanna and Cissy are too old for him. Rudy has Misty so the only one left is Danny, but he seemed to like Misty, too.**_

_Will the Diglett episode still happen?_

_**No**_

_If Team Rocket does make more appearances after Kanto, what do you plan to do about Meowth? Because in several episodes, he's actually thought about joining the 'twerps' before._

_**We'll just have to see, but at the moment I have no plans for Meowth to join them.**_

_Will Serena get a Gardivor in your future stories?_

_**Possibly**_

_If a Lucario were to join the team and it is supposed to be with Ash, would it be quite a twist if Serena was the one Lucario chooses to be its trainer?_

_**No. Ash will definitely be the one who gets Lucario (eventually)**_

_When's Ash's next badge?_

_**Blaine's gym. Chapter 42.**_

_Will dragon Pokemon of any sort be caught by Ash or Serena?_

_**Does this chapter answer your question?**_

_Will we see at some point a battle between Gary vs Paul?_

_**Yes.**_

_Since you said Misty won't be around in Johto, will Lyra replace her?_

_**Misty WILL be in Johto. When did I say she wouldn't? There was already a poll that voted for me to keep her in Johto a while back, and no, Lyra won't replace her.**_

_Will there be more battle scenes with Serena in the Battle Chateau now that she is a Duchess?_

_**There is actually a spoiler concerning this that I won't reveal, but I will say that yes, there will be a few more battles.**_

_Will Ash and Serena ever have a heated argument?_

_**At some point, yes.**_

_Will Ash and Serena's adventures in Unova and Kalos be talked about in your time skip story?_

_**Yes, but only briefly.**_

_In hoenn, Will Team Aqua and Magma make a huge presence in the Hoenn Arc or will they just be a small thing?_

**_They will play a larger role than they did in the anime, but not completely take over the arc. Ash, Serena, and May will still be the main focus.  
><em>**

_Will Ash ever get a Ponyta/Rapidash or maybe an Arcanine?_

_**Maybe.**_


	38. Articuno of the Seafoam Islands!

**A/N: Here I am once more with another update to this story. Another chapter over 10,000 words for those of you who like the longer reads. This is like my fourth one in a row…**

**Well, I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Please leave a review and like.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon. Never have. Never will.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 38: Articuno of the Seafoam Islands<p>

A lone ship was sailing smoothly in the ocean right now. It was en route to Cinnabar Island which was home to several tourist attractions. The island had several lavish seaside resorts, clean beaches, and a variety of activities from hiking the volcanic mountain trail to soaking in the hot springs. However, Cinnabar Island wasn't just a big vacation spot. It was also where Blaine, the Cinnabar Island gym leader, lived. Also, the coastal island had a huge research center where a machine was being created that could bring prehistoric Pokemon to life from different fossils.

Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock were aboard the ship heading to Cinnabar Island. They knew that despite all the fun activities that would be in store for them, they had several things to take care of. If what the scientist back at the Pewter Museum said was true, the fossil machine should be ready by the time they reached Cinnabar Island. Ash would also be competing for his sixth gym battle. Most important, Ash had a meeting with his uncle, Riley, about this hidden gift he had learned about in Saffron City.

The ship they were on was fairly large due to the route being so well traveled. Everyone was doing their own activity at the moment. Misty was lying down on her back in a pool chair trying to soak up as much of the sun's rays as she could so she could get a tan. Pikachu and Cubone were in the pool area playing games with each other since they weren't ready to get in the pool yet. Serena and Ash were playing in the pool right now with Misty's and their water Pokemon, except Psyduck since it couldn't swim. It was watching the water as if to debate whether to jump in her not.

"Now don't be hasty, Psyduck," Misty told it from the pool chair as she saw the duck Pokemon's dilemma. "You know you can't swim. If you jumped in, I would have to save you."

"Psy…" it muttered sadly as it hung its head.

"I'll tell you what. Cinnabar Island has several beaches there. I'll try to teach you how to swim while we are there," Misty said with a smile.

"Psyduck!" it replied with a nod.

"Misty and Psyduck sure seem to have grown closer in the past month," Ash whispered to Serena while they watched.

"I know. When she first got it, you would think she would just go ahead and push Psyduck in the pool to get rid of it," Serena whispered back.

"What was that?!" Misty shouted at them from the pool chair.

"It's nothing!" they both replied quickly.

Brock was leaning over the ocean deck, staring out at the ocean. He was fighting the strong urge to not go staring at all of the pretty girls who would be in the ship's pool right now. This was largely due to his Vulpix standing next to him right now, watching him. Ever since Brock had gotten Vulpix from Suzy, he had been trying to control his urges to resist beautiful women. He could only imagine what his Vulpix would think if it saw Brock react that way. Then what would Suzy think? He didn't know how long he could keep that promise, though.

He gave a quick glance over at the fox Pokemon before smiling at it. "Hey, Vulpix. I bet a nice brush up would feel really great right now, especially with the ocean breeze."

"Vulpix!" it replied happily.

"Great. I'll get the brush," Brock said as he went over to his backpack to get it.

There was a group of teenage girls that were passing by in their bathing suits on the way to the pool as Brock was getting the brush. He instantly felt his face heat up once he saw them.

"_Must resist beautiful women,"_ he thought. This was going to be harder than he thought.

"Attention, passengers. The ship bound for Cinnabar Island will be arriving at the Seafoam Islands within the next thirty minutes for anyone interested. They are home to various types of water Pokemon not found in other parts of Kanto. Keep in mind that should you depart here, you will have to wait several hours for the next ship to come through on its way to Cinnabar Island," a female's voice said over an intercom on top of the large ship.

"Many kinds of water Pokemon?" Misty asked with interest as her face lit up. "I say we stop there!"

"What do you think, Serena?" Ash asked her. "The Seafoam Islands may be a good opportunity to get your first water-type Pokemon."

Serena pondered over what Ash had mentioned. He did have a point. Serena really did lack any water-type Pokemon on her team. It would also be fair to Misty if they made a stop there since she hadn't caught any new Pokemon in a while, either.

"That sounds good! I say we check them out," Serena answered.

"Yes!" Misty cheered from the poolside. "I'm going to go get changed right away!"

With that, she hopped off of the pool chair and returned her Pokemon before hurrying off to change.

"I say we get out of the pool, also, so we don't miss the stop," Ash suggested.

The two then swam over to the edge of the pool and climbed out. They grabbed their towels nearby and threw them around themselves and began to dry off. Ash looked over on the other side of the ship and saw Brock brushing his Vulpix.

"Hey, Brocko! Serena, Misty, and I are going to stop at the Seafoam Islands! Are you coming with us?" Ash called from pool deck.

"Sure! That sounds good! Just let me finish with Vulpix before I get ready!" Brock answered back.

Ash nodded once before turning back to Serena. "This is going to be fun. I have a feeling something really cool will happen while we are at the Seafoam Islands!"

"Me, too!" Serena replied. She hoped she might be able to find some alone time with Ash while they were there. Like Cinnabar Island, the Seafoam Islands had beautiful beaches, as well, and the sunsets were said to be magnificent. It would be so romantic if she got to watch the sunset with Ash. She once more began to blush.

"What are you thinking about?" Ash asked once he saw her red expression.

"Just about you and me," Serena answered automatically, forgetting to give a cover-up this time. She immediately realized what she said and blushed harder.

"Oh. Eheheheheheh," Ash laughed nervously as he blushed, as well. "I bet it was something nice."

"It was," Serena replied shyly.

"What was it?" Ash pressed.

Serena looked down. Should she really tell him that she was having a fantasy about him? She already slipped up by admitting what she was thinking about. She might as well go the full way to see what Ash would say.

"I was…thinking about maybe watching the sunset with you later if that's okay," Serena said in a small voice.

"That sounds like fun!" Ash replied while giving her a thumb-up, which caused Serena to look up at Ash in surprise. "I'll make sure to do that while we're here! Count on it!"

Serena beamed at Ash's response. "Oh, Ash! Thank you!" she said happily. She certainly wasn't expecting such a positive response from Ash. She expected him to get nervous and things be really awkward for a second, but he actually agreed! Maybe she should tell Ash her thoughts about him more often.

Behind them, Pikachu and Cubone gave a smile and nodded to each other.

* * *

><p>"The Seafoam Islands are a little more deserted than I thought they would be. Were we the only ones that got off here?" Ash wondered aloud as he looked around. The group didn't see any sign of other people here. The beach was completely empty.<p>

"That's because the Seafoam Islands aren't a tourist destination like Cinnabar Island," Brock explained. "They are a Pokemon habitat and only visited by Pokemon trainers who want to catch more water Pokemon or train."

"I guess we must have been the only trainers on the ship then," Ash figured.

"I actually prefer this way," Misty piped up. "With less people here, there are less likely to be any interruption while we are looking for Pokemon."

"So then, where should we start looking?" Serena asked.

"I hear most of the water type Pokemon appear in the cave over there," Brock replied while pointing to it a short distance away. "It may not appear big, but it goes down several floors."

The group was just about to start walking when something caught their eye about twenty feet away. The figure had been so silent and still that they had just now noticed it. Upon turning to see what the figure was, it showed to be a pink Pokemon with a long tail and four legs. It had a very spaced out look on its face. It was a Slowpoke.

"Oh, cool! A Slowpoke!" Ash exclaimed as he and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Slowpoke, the dopey Pokemon. Slowpoke are incredibly slow and sluggish. It can take them up to five seconds to feel any pain once attacked," the pokedexes explained.

"Hey, Serena. Why don't you try to capture that Slowpoke? It's a part psychic-type also so it would be a great addition in adding diversity to your team," Ash suggested.

"I guess so," Serena said as she looked at the Slowpoke. She couldn't tell if it was ready for battle or not. It was just standing there, looking at them. This thing was even more out of it than Psyduck was when they first met it.

"Maybe if you send out a Pokemon, that will prompt the Slowpoke to battle," Misty guessed.

"I'll try," Serena replied before sending out a Pokemon. "Go Nidorina!"

The poison pin Pokemon emerged from the pokeball and gave a cry before seeing who its opponent was. Once it saw the opponent was a Slowpoke, it raised its eyebrow in question before shrugging and got into a battle stance.

The Slowpoke, on the other hand, was completely unmoving, causing everyone to sweatdrop. It didn't even change expression! Did it even know that something was about to attack it?!

"Is that thing even alive?" Misty asked.

"It's definitely alive. Its breathing proves that much," Brock confirmed. "I've heard Slowpoke are pretty…well…slow, but I had no idea to this extent."

"It doesn't even look like it's going to attack you," Ash muttered as they continued to stare at the dopey Pokemon. He then addressed his yellow rodent. "Pikachu, go see if you can talk to Slowpoke."

"You, too, Cubone," Serena added.

Both Pokemon jumped out of their trainer's arms and went over to the Slowpoke. It didn't even seem to notice they were coming. Nidorina joined them, too.

"Pika Pikachu?" Pikachu asked Slowpoke.

"Cubone bone?" Cubone asked as well.

"Sloooow," Slowpoke mumbled after about five seconds.

The three Pokemon waited to see if Slowpoke would say anything else, but to no avail. The three then sighed before returning to their respective trainers. They just shook their heads at the humans when they returned.

"I see. So not even Slowpoke knows what's wrong with it?" Ash guessed.

"Pika," Pikachu confirmed, Cubone and Nidorina nodding their heads, as well.

"If Slowpoke isn't going to attack, why don't you just go ahead and throw a pokeball at it?" Brock suggested.

"Right," Serena

She then pulled out a spare pokeball before shouting, "Go, pokeball!" and threw it through the air. The ball connected with Slowpoke and sucked it inside. The pokeball landed on the sand and began to shake back and forth. The group thought it was going to be an easy capture, but to their surprise, the pokeball opened up, and Slowpoke was released back outside. It still had the same dazed expression on its face!

"So this thing is too lazy to battle, but it isn't too lazy to break out of a pokeball," Misty deadpanned.

"I would feel bad if I attack Slowpoke to weaken it if it isn't going to attack back. Maybe we should just leave it alone," Serena said sadly as she returned Nidorina.

"I can understand that, but don't worry. I'm sure there will be more Pokemon waiting for you find here," Ash reassured her as he placed a comforting hand on her back.

The group then turned to leave the Slowpoke alone and headed towards the cave. Serena gave one last look at the Slowpoke before they went into the cave. It still hadn't changed expressions or moved the entire time. She gave a sigh before entering the cave.

Once the group was out of sight, Slowpoke blinked and got a confused look on its face.

"Sloooow?" it wondered. Were there humans here just a little bit ago? Where did they go? Weren't there three Pokemon that were talking to it, also? It couldn't remember.

* * *

><p>"It's pretty dark in this cave," Serena commented as she clung onto Ash's arm for support.<p>

"Hey, Brock. Do you still have that flashlight in your backpack?" Ash asked him, trying to fight the urge to blush from Serena clinging to him.

"I do," Brock confirmed as he pulled it out and turned it on. He then added, "Maybe your and Serena's Charmeleon's can help light the way. The more light the better."

"Good idea," Ash replied as he released his Charmeleon. Serena released her Charla, as well.

"Okay, guys. We need to you to help light up this cave," Ash told them.

Both Pokemon nodded before holding their tails in front of their faces and walking ahead of the group.

As they were walking along, one thing the group noticed was that the Seafoam Island cave almost rivaled Mt. Moon in how complex it was. There were several corridors leading off in different directions so the group was having a hard time navigating the place. They only Pokemon they had seen so far were a few Zubat, but they were just passing through and had no interest in battling the group. After walking through the cave for about ten minutes, they began to get a little discouraged.

"I can't believe we are in the Seafoam Islands, and the only water-type Pokemon we've seen so far was a Slowpoke on the beach," Misty groaned.

"Wait. Do you guys hear something?" Brock asked as he cupped his hand to his ear.

The rest of the group listened, as well. It sounded like a swishing noise.

"It's running water!" Ash stated with a smile.

"I bet that's where all the water Pokemon hang out!" Misty figured as she clapped her hands together.

"Lead the way, you guys," Ash told Charmeleon and Charla with a smile.

Both Charmeleon nodded and began heading towards the sound of where the water was coming from. It wasn't long before the indoor river came into view. What was different about this part of the cave was that it wasn't as dark. There were several crystals embedded into the cave walls which gave it somewhat of a glow. The group could actually see pretty well.

"I guess this is as good a time as any to bring out my special Misty lure!" Misty exclaimed as she pulled out the lure in her image and proudly held in front of her.

"Go for it, Misty," Ash encouraged as she pulled out the rest of her fishing gear.

"I can't wait to see what I catch here," Misty said excitedly as she cast her line into the water and waited, and waited, and waited...

"Errrr...," Ash began, but stopped himself.

"Oh! I don't understand! How is it that I still haven't caught anything yet!" Misty complained after the group had been waiting ten minutes.

"Maybe they saw your face on the fishing lure and got scared," Ash joked.

"Hahaha! Very funny, Ash Ketchum!" Misty scowled at him.

"Misty does have a point, though. It is rather strange that we haven't seen many water Pokemon. The Seafoam Islands are supposed to be chock full of them," Brock realized.

As if on cue, Misty finally felt a tug on her line as her face lit up with excitement. "Awesome! I finally got ahold of something!"

She then gave a mighty hard pull as the Pokemon flew out of the water and into her hands. The first thing they noticed about the Pokemon was its long tongue. The Pokemon was covered by a hard purple shell that made it hard to see the inside of it. Two large eyes were all that could be seen inside of the shell with the exception of the tongue.

"Shellder!" the Pokemon cried in a high-pitched voice. It then gave Misty a curious expression before sticking out its long tongue and licking her across the face.

"Ewwww," Misty grimaced as she froze from the gesture and dropped the Shellder on the ground. She then hastily began to wipe her face with her shirt.

"So that's a Shellder," Ash muttered as he and Serena scanned it.

"Shellder, the bivalve Pokemon. Shellder has a super hard shell that can withstand many attacks. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open," said the pokedexes.

"Sounds good to me! A Shellder will make a great addition to my team of water Pokemon!" Misty said. "Misty calls….Starmie!"

The starfish Pokemon was released from its pokeball and stood in front of the Shellder, looking prepared to fight.

"Use Rapid Spin!" Misty called.

Starmie obeyed and began spinning through the air. The Shellder saw the attack coming and quickly withdrew into its shell to avoid damage. Starmie, however, was more powerful than the Shellder expected. It crashed into the bivalve Pokemon which sent it flying through the air and into the cave wall. It was slightly stunned but still relatively unharmed.

"Now finish with Water Gun!" Misty ordered.

Starmie shot a jet of water from its top point straight at the Shellder. The Shellder tried to avoid the attack but was too slow. The water sprayed right into it which sent it into cave wall again.

"Great job, Starmie. Go pokeball!" Misty yelled as she threw it forward. The pokeball flew forward and connected with the Shellder, which sucked it inside. The ball moved back and forth a few times before it dinged to show that Shellder had been caught.

"Alright! I got a Shellder!" Misty cried with delight as she went over to pick up her pokeball. She was rather pleased since this was the first Pokemon she had caught since Psyduck.

Misty then decided to get acquainted with her new Pokemon and released it from the pokeball. Shellder reappeared outside and looked up at Misty expectantly. Misty gave it a smile and knelt down on her knees to be more eye-level.

"Hey there, Shellder. I'm Misty! I'm sure we will make a great team together!" she introduced.

Shellder seemed to size Misty up before nodding its head. It then hopped over to her before licking her face again with its long tongue.

Misty grimaced while the others laughed.

"Well, I think you two will have no trouble hitting it off," Ash said in an amused tone.

"Do you think we should try to find another spot to fish at?" Serena asked. "I mean…I haven't seen very many Pokemon anywhere. Just look at how long it took Misty to even get one bite."

"I'm with Serena on this one. There are so much more water Pokemon to find here! Let's go!" Misty cried as returned Shellder and took off down the cave.

"I think we are rubbing off on her, Serena," Ash muttered. "It's normally you and me who take off running."

"Yeah. This place must be like a paradise to Misty," Serena agreed as the she, Ash, Brock, and their Pokemon tried to catch up.

The cave still continued to have glowing crystals along the wall so they were still able to see okay despite it being a little dim. Despite being as complicated a maze as Mt. Moon was, at least it wasn't as dark. While they were running after Misty, they weren't expecting the floor to begin shaking. It was shaking rather violently, as well, which was throwing them off balance. Several pieces of debris began falling from the ceiling and the cave wall, ranging from small bits of rock to sharp, jagged stalactites.

"Woah! Is this an earthquake?!" Ash asked as he tried to dodge the falling rocks.

"It can't be! There aren't supposed to be any around this area!" Brock answered.

"Chuuuu!" Pikachu cried as it was thrown around.

Then, just as quickly as the shaking began, it stopped. The group and their Pokemon took a moment to catch their breaths before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Is everyone okay?" Ash asked them with his hand over his chest.

"I think so. That was a really strange occurrence here. The Seafoam Islands are supposed to be pretty tranquil. I don't see any way how this cave could have been provoked to start shaking like that, and earthquakes are out, too," Brock wondered.

"I say we hurry up to find Misty and get out of here," Ash suggested as he and Serena returned their Charmeleons so they wouldn't be in danger anymore.

"I agree. Who knows if there could be any more quaking here. I really don't want to be the victim of a cave collapsing on us," Serena said.

"She couldn't have gotten far," Ash mentioned. He then cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled, "Hey, Misty! Can you hear us?!"

"Is that you, Ash?" the voice of Misty asked back from the depths of the cave. "Help me! I'm over here! Just follow the sound of my voice!"

"This way!" Ash motioned to his friends as he began to run in the direction of her voice.

After running for a couple of minutes, they came into a wide room in the cave that looked like it felt the effects of the shaking, also. They looked around and spotted Misty several yards away. They let out a gasp when they saw her predicament. She was lying down on the ground on her stomach with a rather large boulder pinned onto her right leg. She had a pained expression her face.

"Misty! Are you okay?!" Serena cried as she and her friends went over to her.

"I don't know," Misty moaned as she cast a glance at her leg. "The cave suddenly started shaking when I got to this clearing, and this boulder fell from the ceiling and fell on my leg. Now I can't move."

"Do you think we can push it off of her?" Ash asked.

"Bad idea," Brock disagreed. "If we try to push something that large off of her, we could wind up hurting her even more."

"Then what should we do?" Serena asked.

"My rock Pokemon can handle a job like this," Brock replied as he released his Graveler and Rhyhorn. He then gave them a serious look and said, "Okay guys. I need you to try to break that boulder to help Misty. Rhyhorn, use your Horn Drill. Graveler, use Mega Punch."

Both Pokemon nodded as they went to work. Graveler was punching the boulder as hard as could while Rhyhorn was trying to drill through the boulder to the best of its ability. It took a couple of minutes, but after Rhyhorn had drilled through enough of the large rock, Graveler was able to smash it to bits after another Mega Punch.

"Easy there, Misty," Brock said soothingly as he felt around her leg to see if it was broken.

Misty groaned in pain from Brock feeling her leg, but seemed to be okay. After about thirty seconds, Brock gave his report.

"Thankfully, it doesn't look like she has any broken bones, but her leg still looks bruised pretty badly. I have some bandages in my backpack to help keep her leg still so it can heal better," Brock told them.

Brock then reached into his backpack and brought out a roll of bandages. He then knelt down next to Misty and began to wrap them around the affected area. Mist hissed in pain but made sure to keep her leg immobile.

"So is she going to be able to walk?" Ash asked.

"I would recommend that she stay off of it for at least the next couple of days to make sure it heals completely. If she isn't careful, she could damage it further," Brock replied.

"Great," Misty groaned.

Once Brock was finished, he placed the bandages back in his backpack before going over to Misty and lifting her in his arms.

"I'll just carry you around until we can find someplace for you to rest," he told her.

"Um…okay," Misty said, a little embarrassed.

"Now that we know Misty is okay, I say we get out of this cave," Ash suggested.

The rest of the group nodded and was just about to start walking when the cave started shaking again, this time more violently than the last.

"Woah!" they all cried as they were rocked back and forth.

More debris started to fall from the ceiling, just narrowly missing the group. Cubone was thrown from Serena's arms and landed a short distance away.

"Cubone!" Serena cried as she hurried over to it and picked up.

As soon as she got ahold of it, a wide fissure began to open up in the ground below them due to the constant shaking. The river in the cave was being swished around rapidly before forming huge waves that were constantly being thrown out onto the dry ground, occasionally splashing the group.

"Watch out, Serena!" Ash yelled once he saw the ground opening up beneath her and Cubone.

Serena looked down, and her eyes widened in terror when she saw what was happening. She tried to run away from it, but the floor collapsed before she could make it. She fell into gap, but managed to grab onto the ledge with one her hands while the other one was holding Cubone.

"Serena!" Ash shouted in horror as he ran over to help her.

Unfortunately, more of the floor started to open up afterward, breaking apart and making it harder to reach her. Ash didn't let that deter him, though. He jumped over every crack and crevice to get to Serena in time.

"Be careful, Ash!" Brock yelled as he watched Ash putting himself in danger, also.

Ash ran over to the edge of the cliff and hastily bent down on his knees to grab Serena's arm.

"I've got you, Serena. Just hold on tight," Ash grimaced as he attempted to pull her and Cubone up.

"Right," Serena said fearfully. However, as soon as she looked into Ash's eyes and saw the full determination in them. She couldn't help but began to feel relaxed. It was like she knew Ash was going to save her, and everything would be okay.

Pikachu had come over as well and was pulling on Serena's pinky to help as much as it could. The only problem was the constant shaking of the cave was making it hard to get any progress done. Ash gritted his teeth as he struggled to pull her up, using all of his strength. Since he couldn't pull Serena up by both of her hands because one was holding Cubone, it was extra difficult.

"We're almost there," Ash said in a strained voice.

Ash was just about to have her pulled up far enough to where Serena could get a foot out of the hole when disaster happened. Another large rock had fallen from the ceiling right above where Ash was pulling Serena up. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw it coming closer, as if knowing what it was about to do. Ash tried to twist his body out of the way of the incoming rock. His sharp reflexes had definitely saved him from the rock landing on his back. However, it wasn't enough for Ash to dodge completely. The rock fell and struck Ash right on top of his arms. The force of the impact made Ash gasp in pain and release his grip on Serena. It was then that she and Cubone began to fall into the abyss.

"Ash!" Serena screamed once he lost his grip on her.

"Noooooo!" Ash screamed as she falling, completely ignoring the throbbing pain in his arms. He made a grab for her again, but missed as she was just out of his reach.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as well

Serena had a look of shock on her face as she falling and saw the edge of the cliff and Ash's face become further and further away. As panic set in, she realized that she was too far away for Ash to call out any of his Pokemon or to reach out again or save her in time, but there was still something she could do. She threw Cubone up with all of her might towards Ash. Then she hurriedly unclipped her pokeballs and threw them upwards, as well. Ash reached out and caught the lonely Pokemon in his arms and managed to catch her pokeballs, too, as he continued to watch in utmost horror.

Ash's brown eyes were locked onto Serena's blue ones as she fell. They harbored a deep sadness and heart brokenness as she watched him draw ever further away. There was nothing but an endless black below her. Serena seemed to mouth something to Ash as she was falling, but he couldn't make it out due to all of the shaking.

"Ash, I love you," were the words Serena had said as she was falling. She wasn't sure if he had heard her or not. Something was telling her that he hadn't. As she continued to fall, she couldn't help but have a huge feeling of regret. There were so many things she hadn't experienced yet. She was supposed to go on a journey and travel with Ash and meet great friends and Pokemon along the way. She never got to say goodbye to her mother, or Leaf, or Gary, or Brock, or Misty. Worst of all, she never told Ash how she truly felt about him. That was the biggest regret of all. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Serena let a lone tear escape her eye before closing them and allowing the darkness to take her.

Ash continued to watch as there was nothing he could do. He saw Serena close her eyes and then...he couldn't see her anymore. It had seemed like an eternity to watch her fall into the darkness, but really it had only been the span of a few seconds. She was gone.

The shaking of the cave finally stopped, but no one even seemed to notice. They couldn't tear their eyes away from the dark hole which had swallowed Serena. Out of all of them, though, Ash had been affected the most.

"Serena?" Ash croaked as he felt a lump in his throat. He couldn't believe it. This couldn't be happening. It was another bad dream, and he would soon wake up. Right? Ash pinched himself in a desperate attempt to get himself out of this horrible nightmare. Nothing was happening, though. Ash was still here, in the Seafoam Island cave, Brock and Misty still in shock, and the hole that Serena had fallen into was still there.

Unable to fight back his emotions any longer, tears freely began to fall from Ash's eyes as he continued to stare at the abyss below him. He began trembling violently back and forth. He felt unbelievably sick right now. One of the most important people in his life was now gone, and he had been powerless to save her. It was his fault Serena was gone. Ash had sworn to Serena's mother that he would protect her, and now he had been the one to let go of Serena. It was his fault she fell. Unable to hold back the feeling in his stomach any longer, Ash leaned over and vomited.

"Pikachu?!" the yellow rodent cried in an alarmed state when it saw Ash throw up.

"Ash, stay with us!" Brock yelled in fright as he hurried over as fast as he could while carrying Misty. He soon reached him as he gently set Misty down and grabbed onto Ash to support him. Despite this, he and Misty were really hurting, too.

Cubone, meanwhile, was staring at the abyss with a devastated expression its face. It had just lost another mommy that it had been unable to save, either. It had to sit back and watch once more while it lost one. Cubone then began to cry hysterically. It fell on its hands and knees as a river of water streamed from its eyes. It had gotten close to Serena in the short time it had known her, and now she was…

Pikachu was frantically looking back and forth from Ash to Cubone, as if trying to decide who it should go to first, but it really wanted to cry, as well.

"Come on, Ash," Brock tried as he continued to snap his fingers in front of Ash and occasionally shake him.

Ash didn't seem to hear him, though, as his tears soon dried. It then looked like he was going into a state of shock. His skin became ghostly white and his breathing in ragged, short bursts.

Brock and Misty were at a complete loss as to what to do. They were far away from any sort of civilization right now. Not to mention they weren't even exactly sure how to get out of the cave. Not knowing what else to do, they both began to shout.

"Help!" they both cried, even though knowing that it was futile.

Ash, meanwhile, wasn't even comprehending what was going on right now. All he could think about was Serena. Her lovely hair swaying in the wind when she walked, her captivating blue eyes, her beautiful smiles. He would never get to see them again. It was then Ash realized that he had never thought of Serena like this before. It was so strange. Sure, he had always playfully complimented her, but to actually think of her as beautiful?! He then thought of everything he and Serena had been through together. How he first met her in the forest of Pallet Town's summer camp, and he helped bandage her up and take her to the Nurse's office. She had been incredibly shy the first few weeks, but afterwards fit right into the Pallet Town gang. They had both started their Pokemon journeys together and did so many things together, both good and bad. They had watched each other's others battles, ate together, explored together, saved Silph Company together, and now…she was gone. Ash realized the old saying was true. You never knew how precious someone truly was until you lost them.

As Ash continued to dwell on what had happened, he felt something weird inside of him. It felt familiar yet so distant. What is that? It almost felt like he could sense something. As he began to concentrate, he realized it almost felt like that time he was connected to Pikachu at Saffron City gym. This time, however, it seemed like it was being used for something else. The strange feeling inside of him continued to manifest until he sensed something strange. It felt like a weird form of energy coming from deep within the Seafoam Island cave. Ash didn't know how to explain it, but it almost felt like he was sensing…Serena?

Ash's eyes instantly lost their ghostly look to them, and they were soon replaced by a fiery determination. Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Cubone instantly snapped their heads in his direction upon seeing the sudden change.

"She's alive," Ash muttered.

"What are you talking about, Ash?" Misty asked him in concern.

"Serena. She's alive," Ash repeated, a little stronger this time.

"Cubone?!" Cubone exclaimed hopefully, Did it just hear that its mommy wasn't really dead?

"How do you know Ash? What's going on?" Brock asked with a confused frown.

"Just trust me. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I can sense her. It's almost like that time when I was connected with Pikachu, only this time it's allowing me to pinpoint where someone is. I think it might be my hidden gift kicking in again," Ash said as he stood up off the ground.

"Really?!" Brock and Misty asked, completely shocked.

"I'm going to find her," Ash stated before he took off running at full speed down one of the nearby corridors. He didn't know if he was just blindly following a false dream or not, but he didn't care. If there was even a shred of hope that Serena was alive, he was going to take it.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu called as it hurried after his trainer. Cubone was right behind it. Like Ash, if there was even a slim chance its mommy was alive, it would do everything it had to see it through.

"Wait for us!" Brock yelled after them as he picked up Misty as carefully as he could and hurried after them, leaving the partially collapsed room behind them.

* * *

><p>Serena slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on her back and was still a bit dazed as to what had happened. The last thing she remembered was falling to her death into a seemingly endless hole. How was it that she was still alive? What was going on?<p>

Once Serena got a good look at her surroundings, she saw the familiar crystals embedded in the wall and realized that she was still in the Seafoam Island cave. This confirmed that the whole ordeal hadn't been a dream.

As Serena's senses began to fully return, she heard the most beautiful sound she had heard in a long time. It was even lovelier than her Jigglypuff's singing at its best. It was so calming and soothing. Serena then sat up and got a good look at her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was that she was in a very big room in the cave. The next thing she noticed was all the different types of Pokemon that were in the room. It was filled with them. There had to be hundreds of them, and they were all looking at one thing at the edge of the room.

Serena followed their gazes to where there was a large pool. There was nothing in the pool that had all of the Pokemon's attention, though. It was the creature above the pool, and it was the being that was producing the beautiful sounds. As Serena looked up, she let out a gasp.

The Pokemon was large in size and light blue in color. It had large, regal wings and a long, elegant tail of feathers. It had a cream underbelly and piercing red eyes. There was just something about the Pokemon that seemed to command respect, and for a good reason. Serena's eyes widened in surprise once she realized the Pokemon was one of the three legendary birds. It was Articuno.

"Oh my goodness," Serena muttered in shock.

* * *

><p>Ash was continuing to dart through the cave as fast as he could. Thankfully, there hadn't been any more shaking since the previous one, but Ash wouldn't have cared if the entire cave was collapsing around him. He was sensing that Serena was alive, and he wasn't going to stop looking until he found her. It was just so weird how knew. It was like he could sense her life force, and it was telling him where he needed to go to find her.<p>

"Ash! Are you sure you know where you're going?!" Misty called out to him from Brock's arms as they followed him.

"Just trust me!" Ash yelled back. "

Misty said nothing else as she looked back up at Brock with a confused expression on her face. Brock nodded his head back to her grimly as a silent gesture to just accept what Ash said for right now.

Pikachu and Cubone were following Ash, regardless. Like him, they weren't going to stop looking until they found Serena.

"_Just hang on, Serena. I'm coming," _Ash thought.

* * *

><p>Serena continued to stare up in awe at the majestic bird. It continued to make light cries as all of the Pokemon were crowded around it. It was then Serena realized that his must be where all the Pokemon of the Seafoam Islands had gone. They were down here in the same room as Articuno.<p>

She tensed up when Articuno suddenly lay its eyes upon her. It didn't take a genius to know that humans were probably not welcome here. It was little unnerving to be in the presence of one of the legendary birds in what was supposedly its private chamber. Serena suddenly found herself lifted off of the ground and floating towards the Articuno. The legendary bird had its eyes on her the entire time as it was guiding her closer. Once no more than a few yards away from it, she stopped. Serena noticed that Articuno was looking at her expectantly, and she realized it was waiting for her to say something.

"Were you the one who saved me, Articuno?" Serena asked timidly.

Articuno gave slow nod in and weak cry in confirmation.

Serena realized that Articuno must have seen her falling into the room and slowed her descent by using its powers, sort of like how she was floating now.

"I didn't enter in here intentionally," Serena explained. "I had fallen down a crevice in the ground. I was separated from my friends who were traveling in the cave with me. I don't mean you any harm. I promise."

The Articuno was studying her as if trying to size her up. It then nodded its head and gently set her back on the ground. Serena still couldn't tear her eyes away from the beauty of the Pokemon.

Serena figured it would be best to try to go find Ash and the others to let them know that she was safe. Not knowing what else to do, she gave a small bow to the Articuno despite feeling a little silly doing it. She was debating on whether to tell them her story when she found them. She didn't know if they would believe her or not. Only a few people have ever come face-to-face with Articuno in their lifetime.

She was just about to try to find the way out when she heard footsteps far off in the distance. Apparently, all of the Pokemon in the room heard them, too, as they all turned in that direction in alarm to see what was going on.

Serena's eyes widened once more when she was able to make out a lone figure running straight into the room with to smaller ones beside it. A short time later, she noticed another figure carrying someone else coming into the room, as well. It was at that time that she was able to make out who was running into the room, and she felt tears come to her eyes as her face broke into a wide grin.

"Ash!" she cried as she began running towards him as fast as she could.

Ash's eyes found her and he immediately altered his direction. He was sprinting towards her just as fast, Pikachu and Cubone behind him.

"Serena!" Ash yelled back.

The two continued to run to each other. The only thing they saw was the other. They were finally reunited! They didn't stop running until they collided into each other, almost knocking the other over. Instead, they settled for a great big hug.

"Serena, you're okay!" Ash cried, tears falling from his eyes. As soon as Ash made contact with Serena, that strange feeling of connection to her was gone, but he barely took notice of it. The only thing that mattered right now was that Serena was alive and that he had found her.

Pikachu was next as it leapt onto Serena's shoulder and nuzzled its face against her cheek. Cubone followed by leaping into the small opening between Ash and Serena's bodies and snuggling into Serena's stomach, hugging her as tightly as it could. It didn't lose another mommy, after all. Brock and Misty were last as Brock gently set Misty down before hugging Serena , as well. Misty managed to stay on her leg as she joined, as well. The six of them then went on for one great big group hug. It was like nothing could take away from their elation at the moment. After about thirty seconds, they broke off even though Ash embraced Serena a little longer once everyone else was finished.

"How are you…what happened?" Ash stammered once he and Serena finally released each other.

"I was…," Serena began, but was cut off by the sound of several cries behind the group.

Everyone spun around to see the hordes of Pokemon surrounding them, all staring at the group intensely. Needless to say, they looked less than pleased that there were more humans here. It almost looked like they were ready to attack. They then looked up at Articuno who also had a disapproving look on its face. It was then that the rest of the group noticed it for the first time since arriving in the room.

"Is that…Articuno?" Ash asked in amazement. Brock, Misty, Cubone, and Pikachu looking up in awe as well.

"Wait!" Serena cried as she jumped in front of the group and spread her arms out in front of them. "They are my friends! They were just trying to find me after we were separated! We aren't trying to disturb or harm you!"

Articuno continued to stare at the group of humans and two Pokemon in front of it before it finally gave a gentle chirp. The other Pokemon in the room, upon hearing Articuno, backed off and gave the group a little more space, but were still watching them.

"That was close," Misty breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was," Ash agreed before turning back to Serena. He was full of questions, but only one stuck out right now. "I don't understand, Serena. I thought you were gone. How did you survive?"

"It was Articuno who saved me," Serena replied. "It must have seen me falling and used its special abilities to lower my descent enough to where I would live."

"Articuno…" Ash muttered before he turned to the majestic bird. Not exactly knowing how to address a legendary Pokemon, he bowed to it. "Thank so much for saving Serena. She means so much to me."

Serena felt a great rush of affection for Ash once he said that about her. It seemed she meant just as much to him as he does to her, after all. She felt herself starting to blush again, but she didn't care.

Articuno nodded its head back at Ash before signaling the other Pokemon to gather back around it. All the Pokemon that were around the group once more began to make their way back to Articuno as it hovered in place above the pool.

"So this explains where all the Pokemon were in Seafoam Islands," Ash mused. "They were down here to see Articuno."

"I don't get it, though. What's going on?" Misty asked confusedly.

I've heard rumors that Articuno inhabited the Seafoam Islands, but few people have ever really confirmed it," Brock explained. "It is said that Articuno sleeps for a very long time and only awakens every ten years or if there is a crisis where it will be needed."

"So would this be the one time in ten years it is awake?" Ash guessed.

"I think Articuno awakening might have been causing all of the shaking we were experiencing above ground," Brock realized as he placed his fist in his palm. "Such a great force like Articuno coming out of a long sleep is bound to give an outburst of energy around it."

"That makes sense," Ash surmised as he glanced back at Articuno. "It also explains all of the Pokemon coming to its lair. They may only see it every so often, also."

"It's too bad Leaf isn't with us," Serena said with sad smile. "I bet having a legendary Pokmon in her pokedex would have definitely been useful."

"We'll just have to share our information with her when we see back in Pallet. She'll probably freak out!" Ash grinned.

"Hold on, Ash. It may not be a good idea to let everyone know we saw Articuno here," Misty advised.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"If we told anyone that Articuno was down here, it would attract a lot of unwanted attention from researchers to trainers trying to look for it down here…or even Team Rocket. With all of the spies they have everywhere, they're the last people we want down in the Seafoam Island cave," Misty explained.

"Good point," Ash said. He could only imagine the horrors Team Rocket would do to the Seafoam Island caves while trying to find Articuno.

They were interrupted by Articuno letting out another cry. Its voice sounded so powerful and commanding. The Pokemon in the room then began to dance in circles as Articuno began flapping its wings gracefully. The air itself seemed to sparkle.

"It looks like some kind of ritual," Brock muttered as he and the rest watched.

"What is it for?" Serena wondered.

"It's probably the Pokemon's way of asking Articuno to continue to keep watch over them in the Seafoam Island cave," Brock answered.

"It's so pretty," Misty said.

Pikachu and Cubone were watching as well. Their eyes sparkled as the watched the dancing which was so elegant.

It went on for few more moments as the Pokemon danced and Articuno continued to shower them with its blessing. Soon, the dancing slowed down until it stopped completely. The Pokemon then gave a cry of happiness to Articuno before leaving to go their respective directions.

"That was really neat to see something like that," Ash said in awe.

Articuno then looked once more towards the group and nodded its head before pointing one of its wings towards the exit of the room.

"I get it. It's time for us to go," Ash smiled sadly, receiving a nod from the legendary bird.

"We promise we won't tell anyone you're down here," Serena told it. "We understand your need for secrecy."

Articuno nodded once more before letting out another approving cry to send them off. It then closed its eyes and began to concentrate really hard. A small form of blue energy soon emerged from Articuno before the light began to make its way from its body and past the group. The light continued down the cave passageway until it stretched to where the group couldn't see it.

"I get it! You're showing us the way out of the Seafoam cave!" Ash realized, receiving a nod.

"We just need to follow the blue light, and it will take us straight out of the cave," Brock told the group.

The group then turned to give one last look at Articuno before departing.

"Thanks a lot for everything, Articuno. Good bye," Serena told it, the rest of the group waving.

"Oh! Wait! I almost forgot!" Ash remembered as he reached into his backpack before giving Serena her pokeballs. "I believe these are yours!"

"Oh!" Serena cried with delight as he received back the pokeballs and gave them a tight hug. She then hurriedly clipped them to her belt in excitement. What she didn't know was one spare pokeball wasn't properly connected in her haste…

They then turned around and began to make their way out of the chamber, each with many different thoughts running through their heads. They were in complete amazement they had been face-to-face with a legendary Pokemon. A lot of people go through their whole lives without even catching a glimpse of one. They had sworn they wouldn't tell anyone about their experience, though.

As Articuno watched the group leave, it figured it would be best not to let them know the real reason it had woken up. It was true the last time it was awake was ten years ago, but it had come out of its slumber for a different reason this time. It sensed that a great danger was going to threaten the Kanto region very soon. It had no doubt its brethren, Zapdos and Moltres, felt it and had awakened from their sleep, too. When the opportunity was right, they would be reunited once more to fight for their region. Even so, Articuno couldn't shake the feeling that the group of humans that were just in the cave would play a large role in it, as well. With those thoughts in mind, Articuno closed its eyes and began concentrating in order to contact the others.

* * *

><p>"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" Serena asked Ash as they watched the sunset. Currently, they were on the beach alone, and just as Ash promised, were in clear view of the sunset. Seafoam Island really did have the best sunsets. Brock, Misty, and their Pokemon were watching for the next ship to arrive to go to Cinnabar Island.<p>

"It sure is," Ash confirmed in awe. He then turned to her. "You have no idea how relieved I am that you are still alive."

"Ash, I'd prefer not to talk about it," Serena said as she looked at the ground. That had been really hard on her, but she didn't know how hard it hit Ash, also.

"I can't stop thinking about. When I saw you fall down that hole, and the fact that you probably were dead, I didn't know what to do. I couldn't even think straight," Ash said seriously.

"Really?" Serena asked as she locked gazes with Ash.

"Yes. I don't know how to explain it, but you are the most important person in the world to me," Ash continued as he gently grabbed her hands in his.

"I…I…," Serena stammered as she blushed heavily. She had never heard such genuine words come from Ash before. How was this even Ash talking at the moment?! Did _HE _even know what he was saying?!

"And then, I felt a strange power within me, like that connection I had with Pikachu. Only this time, it was telling me that you were alive," Ash told her.

"So that hidden gift allowed you to sense I was still alive?" Serena asked, amazed.

"Yes," Ash confirmed. "When I realized you were alive, I was suddenly filled with the determination I didn't know I had. I wasn't going to stop looking until I found you. And when I did find you I…"

Ash broke off there as he turned to the side and blushed in embarrassment. "Heheheheh. Sorry. I guess all this sounds really stupid and corny."

"No, not at all," Serena replied as she shook her head. "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. I…" it was then she who stopped mid-sentence.

Serena didn't know what to say. For once, it was her who was at a loss for words. In the snow cave, it was Ash. Now their roles had been reversed. Serena felt an enormous, warm feeling in her chest as she felt tears come to her eyes. Ash just told her that she was the most important person in his life, and she couldn't be happier at the moment.

"Serena," Ash spoke up, which caused Serena to give him her attention again. "Let's stay together forever. I don't ever want to be separated from you again."

"You…want to stay with me…forever?" Serena stuttered. She thought her heart just jumped into her throat.

"I do. I'll never let you go again like I did in the cave," Ash stated with determination. He didn't care if he sounded corny or stupid. He didn't even think he was capable of saying such things! Still, this is how he felt right now!

Serena's heart rate was speeding up to the max right now. She had really just had her breath taken away from the words Ash spoke to her. That settled it. She knew for a fact that Ash really did like her just as much as she liked him. The atmosphere was great, too. They were on a beautiful beach with the sunset in the background. It was the perfect time to say how she truly felt about Ash. It was time for her to confess to him. She almost missed that opportunity forever when she thought she was falling to her death, but no more. She wasn't going to delay any longer! She was telling him right now!

"Ash," Serena started as she looked him straight in the eye, summoning up as much courage as she could.

"Serena," Ash replied as he stared back at her.

They were unknowingly getting closer to each other, particularly their faces. This was it! And then…

"Slooooowwwww…."a lazy voice said beside them.

The two preteens fell forward slightly at the interruption and looked down to see Slowpoke standing there with a blank stare on its face. Did it even know where it was at the moment? Had it been there this whole time? Slowpoke must have been so quiet and unmoving that they just now noticed it when it said something.

Serena groaned that her perfect moment had been ruined by this thing. It was all going so well, too. When would she finally get to tell Ash that she loved him now that she was ready? A great opportunity was wasted!

"Do you think this is the same Slowpoke from earlier?" Ash asked as he studied it.

"I think so," Serena replied, still extremely disappointed, but tried her best to mask it. She then turned to Ash. "Can we go someplace else for a little bit?"

"Sure. Come on," Ash said as he and Serena turned to leave.

What Serena didn't know is that one of her spare pokeballs that wasn't attached correctly had come undone. It fell to the sand and rolled in front of Slowpoke.

"Oh, hold on. I dropped my pokeball," Serena stated as she went to pick it up.

As she grabbed it to bring it back to her belt, she took a quick glance at Slowpoke and saw it staring at her. Serena stared back it with a slightly freaked out look. To have such as spaced out Pokemon looking at you with seemingly no emotion was little creepy. Serena felt like the Slowpoke was staring into her soul.

'Uhhhh…." Serena stuttered. A strange thought then came to her that she decided to entertain to see what happens.

She held the pokeball out in front of her as close to the Slowpoke as she could. For a while, Slowpoke didn't move at all. It simply stared at the pokeball in her outstretched hand. After about thirty seconds, Slowpoke leaned forwards ever so slightly and touched the pokeball button with the tip of its nose. Serena's pokeball opened and transported Slowpoke inside in a beam of red energy. Her pokeball then immediately made the definitive 'ding' to show Slowpoke was captured successfully. It didn't even put up a fight this time.

"I…guess you just caught Slowpoke," Ash muttered from behind her.

"Yeah. I guess I did, too," Serena replied slowly as she stared at the pokeball in her hand now containing Slowpoke. What a weird way to capture a Pokemon! She felt terrible for thinking something like this but wondered if the Slowpoke even knew it had been captured by a Pokemon trainer. Shen then watched it teleport out of her hands, presumably to Professor Oak's lab. Since she now had more than six Pokemon, she would need to make sure to start rotating her team.

"Hey guys! The boat to Cinnabar Island is here!" Brock called to them across the beach.

Ash and Serena turned to Brock and nodded their heads before turning to look at each other. They both knew the conversation they were having earlier wasn't completed yet. There were so many more things they had to tell each other, but they were interrupted and ran out of time. The way they were looking at each other, however, led to a silent understanding between them. They would continue it in the near future. Very soon at that.

They then broke gazes with each other and turned back to Brock. "We're coming, Brocko!" Ash yelled as he began to run in the direction of where Brock was waiting for them and the boat.

As Serena followed Ash, she knew in her heart that words didn't need to be said about how they felt about each other. There was enough emotion in their facial expressions just now to tell them their true feelings. Still, Serena felt that a proper confession still needed to be done. She thought just now was going to be the perfect opportunity, but apparently it wasn't. It was then Serena remembered her eleventh birthday was in a couple of days. She realized that would be the perfect time to tell Ash. She would make sure to get alone time with him and confess her feelings then. She wasn't going to back down any more. She was done delaying. In a fashion not quite like her, she was determined more than ever to really tell Ash how she felt. Somehow, she believed that she knew Ash would return her feelings, too.

* * *

><p><strong>Oooooh, foreshadowing for things to come. Both good and bad.<strong>

**So Serena caught a Slowpoke (M) (lol) and Misty caught a Shellder (M).**

**Thank you all once again who reads this story and makes it worth continuing. I truly had no idea I would reach this many reviews or favorites when I started this story. I'm considering going back to redo a few of my earlier chapters (Gosh was I really that terrible), but we will see as a few of them really do need some tuning up.**

**Riley is coming up next chapter as the group lands on Cinnabar Island. I will see you all then with the update. It will be next Tuesday as always. **

**Chapter 39: Hidden Gifts**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Do you plan on doing March Of The Exeggutor Squad?_

_**No.**_

_Serena says she loves Ash will he say something down the line of my life is in your hands?_

_**I don't picture Ash saying that.**_

_Will Ash be getting another Pokémon soon?_

_**Yes. Aerodactyl from the Old Amber Fossil from Mt. Moon a loooong time ago.**_

_Will you use Dratini in the viridian battle or do like what ash did with Krabby in the Indigo League to "showcase" Dratini's true power?_

_**Ash won't use it in the Viridian Gym Battle. He may use it in the Pokemon League, though.**_

_Riley is going to at least tell Ash about Aura right?_

_**Absolutely. He will tell Ash about it and even reveal some of the special things he will learn from it. However, it won't be taught to Ash until much later when he is older. Riley will merely introduce aura to Ash next chapter. I have aura showing up at least one (possibly two) more times in the Kanto arc from Ash, but I think they are appropriate.**_

_Are any of the events from the 8th movie plot going to come into play at any point in this series?_

_**Yes. That is one of the movies I will be doing, but there will be many changes to it to fit my story.**_

_Will Ash do something for Serena's birthday?_

_**Yes.**_

_When Charla evolves into Charizard, will Serena give her a pink bow to distinguish her from Ash's Charizard?_

_**Maybe.**_

_In movies 6, 9, and 11, Brendan was shown to have a Shiftry (which he kept in a Repeat Ball), an Aggron (which he kept in a Luxury Ball), a Swampert (possibly his starter that he got from Prof. Birch), and Rhyperior. Will he have some of these Pokémon in your fanfic series?_

_**Maybe, but I haven't planned Brendan's team at all yet.**_

_Is Gary going to have ten badges again to show off by the time everyone gets to the Viridian Gym?_

_**No. I made it to where there are only eight gyms per region for easier handling. He will only have seven.**_

_How long do you think this whole project will take? Will each arc take around a year to complete?_

_**I'm not exactly sure. I'm hoping to complete the Kanto arc by the end of 2014 or at least early 2015. With the exception of the Orange Islands arc because it's so short, each arc should take roughly a year to complete. So going by that, I may have the series done in about four years. However, I have no idea what the future holds. My schedule may change drastically with work and I may end up with either more or less time to write.**_

_If Brock likes Suzy in this story, I'm pretty sure that he won't have his infatuation with Prof. Ivy. What are you planning for Brock's absence from The Archipelago?_

_**Brock had an infatuation with Suzy in canon also, though. However, in this fic, Brock will probably have a small crush on Prof. Ivy, but his main reason for staying will be so he can learn more about Pokemon. He will still return for Johto.**_

_At the end of Johto, when Misty leaves, is she going to go back to the gym on her own free will, or will her sisters do something stupid that forces her to return to the gym?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Are you able to tell us when Paul and Gary will meet and when that battle will take place?_

_**It is actually a spoiler if I tell you where they meet and battle. I will say that will meet before the Pokemon League, though.**_

_What about Leaf's and Paul's battle that you promised us?_

_**I don't recall ever promising a battle between Leaf and Paul. Just Gary and Paul. If I did, you may have to refresh my memory of when exactly I said that. Regardless, it don't see Leaf and Paul ever having a reason to have a true battle between each other.**_

_Will we be expecting another appearance by Calem again?_

_**Yes. Calem is set for one more appearance in the Kanto region.**_

_In the recent episode of Pokemon XY, Serena decided to try to be a Pokemon Performer (one that has no battles). Are you going to have Serena be a Pokemon Performer in your future stories?_

_**That's the plan. I'm thanking God right now that Serena finally has a canon goal that I can work off of. That being said, I know very little about how Pokevision and Pokemon Performers work right now. I will need to see more episodes of XY before I can understand them better and begin to create my own for Serena.**_

_When will Ash get a rock or ground type?_

_**Aerodactyl is a part rock type. He will get that. As for a ground type, it may not be until Phanpy in Johto.**_

_You are going to have the two Dratinis battle each other as Dragonites during Ash and Paul's Sinnoh League Battle. Am I Right?_

_**If it isn't the Sinnoh League, there will definitely be a showdown between the two Dratini at some point.**_

_Why hasn't Serena lost a Battle Chateau Challenge yet? Any reason?_

_**Serena will lose a Battle Chateau. You just simply haven't read it yet. I have a chapter where she loses already written that I haven't posted because it's still weeks away in my profile. Also, there are a lot fewer Battle Chateaus than there are gyms in Kanto. I have to compress the losses for Serena more than Ash due to this so they don't travel to several cities twice. The only exception is Saffron City when Ash goes against Sabrina again. If there were Battle Chateaus in every city and town like a gym, it would be easier to work around this.**_

_Will Ash keep he and Serena becoming a couple a secret from his mom to avoid embarrassment (even though he told her about the date)?_

_**No. He will tell her.**_

_If a new region is added while you're writing this fic, will you skip that and add another year to the Final Story?_

_**Probably something like that.**_

_When will Ash put Dratini in his team?_

_**He will rotate it out. The first time it will be on his team is Cinnabar Island.**_

_Paul actually beat Sabrina?_

_**Yes. And so did Gary. Ash almost beat her, too, until Abra evolved.**_


	39. Hidden Gifts

**A/N: Okay everyone. This chapter is a lot of talking and foreshadowing(and its shorter) so I apologize. However, I make it up to you by giving a few surprises in this chapter. The identity of Ash's father is revealed (!), and a secret surprise that you will read for yourself at the very end. The rising action with Team Rocket will start fairly soon if you go by the conversations near the end of the chapter. Just know that Cinnabar Island will be a very fun arc…behind all of the fun (and romantic feelings), however, is the calm before the storm.**

**There's a long author's note at the end that covers an apology that you will soon know about and a serious issue. Be sure to read it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It would be nice, though.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 39: Hidden Gifts<p>

The group could see Cinnabar Island in the distance. It seemed that what people said were true. It really did look like a huge tourist attraction. They could see all kinds of things even from the distance they were at. Several large resorts were lined along the huge beachside. There were several forests in the background which would no doubt be home to several hiking trails. They could even see a giant Ferris Wheel there. The thing that stood out the most to them, however, was the large volcano in the center of the island. It towered above everything else.

Despite all of the attractions at Cinnabar Island, they all knew they were here for other purposes. Ash would be challenging the gym leader here for his sixth badge. Also, it would be time for them to use the fossils they got on Mt. Moon in the resurrection machine. That was, of course, assuming it was ready by now. Serena's eleventh birthday would be tomorrow, also, so Ash, Brock, Misty had to start planning on what they could get for her. Well, Ash wasn't thinking about Serena's birthday at the very moment.

"Cinnabar Island," Ash muttered as he watched the island coming closer, Pikachu on his shoulder. "My mother's vacation would have ended yesterday. She should be back on her way back to Pallet Town. We just missed her."

"Do you think this vacation was enough to get Team Rocket's minds off of her?" Serena asked him while holding Cubone. "We haven't seen them since Lavender Town, after all."

Ash rested his arms against the railing of the ship before placing his head on them. "I don't know," he answered. "I would like to think that. I don't have an excuse to send her on another vacation without it sounding suspicious, not to mention I don't have enough money anyway."

"Pika Pika," Pikachu said while patting its trainer on the back.

"I say we don't spend any more time on this island then we need to," Ash said. "We see my uncle, drop our fossils off, and visit the gym leader. I'm not trying to rush us or sound rude, but I want to get to Pallet Town as fast as possible to check on my mom."

"We're behind you, Ash. It would be nice to be here for the beaches…and beautiful girls in swimsuits…but this is more important," Brock said while trying not blush as the naughty thought entered his mind.

"Are you nervous about seeing your uncle, Ash?" Serena asked him.

"I wouldn't say I'm nervous, but I don't exactly know how to greet an uncle I probably haven't seen in two years. Do I just walk right up to his door and say 'hi' or something," Ash replied.

Serena nodded her head in understanding. She herself had only met Riley once in her life when he was visiting Ash at his house. He did strike her as a little on the strange side, but that could have only been because he shares this hidden gift with Ash. Despite this, Riley didn't seem like a bad person by any means. Even so, what would be the best way to contact him? As far as she knew, Ash didn't even know where Riley lived on here.

"I guess we will just have to ask around," Ash decided after a moment's thought. "I'm sure at least someone on the island knows where he lives."

"The Nurse Joy on this island is bound to know something," Brock mentioned as his face turned a little red.

"Oh please, Brock. You just want to see Nurse Joy so you can ask her on a date like you normally do," Misty muttered while rolling her eyes. Her leg was still bandaged up, and she had a pair of crutches to help her move around easier while her leg was healing up.

It was then a voice sounded over the ship's loudspeaker. "Now approaching Cinnabar Island. Thank you for riding our ship line today. We hope you have a nice day and enjoy the beautiful beaches of Cinnabar Island!"

The ship then pulled into the dock and soon lowered its walkway so the passengers could get off. Thankfully, there weren't as many people on this ship so there wasn't as much pushing and shoving of each other in an attempt to get off faster. The group walked down the plank and onto the dock to take a good look around. Cinnabar Island looked a lot bigger up close than from a distance.

"I guess we should go ahead and visit the Pokemon Center to see if we can find out some information," Serena figured as they stepped off the dock.

"Speaking of visiting someplace, where do you suppose the gym is? I mean, I know that we are going to visit my uncle first, but I would still like to know for future reference," Ash said.

"You're looking for the gym?" a voice spoke up from behind them.

They spun around to see what appeared to be a middle aged man. He had long reddish-brown hair, a long, yet straight mustache of the same color, and his eyes were covered by sunglasses.

"Umm…yes we are. Do you know where it is?" Ash asked the strange man.

"I sure do. It's right over there," the man replied while pointing his finger to his right.

The group turned to the direction he was showing them and saw a most unexpected sight. The building was very dilapidated and looked like it hadn't been used in years. The garden was overgrown and weeds ran up along the walls. There wasn't even a sign that read this was the gym!

Ash raised his eyebrow in a confused manner and frowned. "You've got to be kidding me. This is the Cinnabar Island gym?"

"I guess I should clarify. This used to be Blaine's gym, but he got so tired of only battling tourists instead of trainers that he closed the gym." the man explained.

"I see. So where is it now?" Ash asked curiously.

"That is the question, isn't it?" the man asked rhetorically. "There is said to be a secret gym on the island somewhere. The only problem is Blaine only tells its locations to trainers he deems worthy to avoid the previous problem."

"Well, I have five badges right now. Does that mean I'm worthy?" Ash asked.

"I'm afraid Blaine isn't impressed with how many badges a person has. He only recognizes trainers who have done a notable achievement," the man answered while giving Ash an apologetic look.

"Like what?" Ash wondered.

"I'm afraid you are going to have to figure that one out yourself," he answered.

"Well, anyway, I'm Ash Ketchum, this is my partner Pikachu, and that's Brock, Misty, Serena, and Cubone" Ash stated as he pointed to each individual.

"I'll tell you what, Ash," the man began, "Since you are a Pokemon trainer, why don't you stay at my hotel while you're here. I always give trainers a special discount."

"Really?! That sounds great!" Ash exclaimed. "What's it called?"

"It's called the Big Riddle Inn," the stranger told them.

"So how do we get there?" Ash asked.

"This will show you how to get there," said the man as he handed Ash a card.

The group looked down at the card and read the words on it.

"_If you look near the swings, you can see my hands, or at least see my face. That's the Big Riddle Inn."_

"So it's a riddle?" Serena questioned.

"No offense sir, but wouldn't it just be easier to tell us directions?" Ash asked as he looked back up at him, but saw he was already gone.

"That was weird. I wonder how he just disappeared like that," Misty commented.

"So I guess if we want a good deal, we'll have to solve the riddle," Brock figured. "I say we go on to the Pokemon Center and find out where your uncle is. We can figure out the riddle after we see him."

"Good idea," Ash agreed as they turned to go towards it.

* * *

><p>"So you are looking for a man named Riley Gen Ketchum? I see him in here from time to time," Nurse Joy told the group once they were at the Pokemon Center. They were currently in front of her desk looking at her expectantly. Their Pokemon were in the back being checked upon.<p>

"Yes, but I've truly been looking for you, and now I've found you, Nurse Joy!" Brock cried as he leaned forward to take her hands in his.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Misty once more grabbed him by the ear. "My hand was looking for your ear…and found it," she muttered before dragging him away, though it was rather difficult since she had crutches.

"Not the ear. Not the ear," Brock said through pain. He was suddenly very embarrassed. He had been trying to resist the urge to flirt with beautiful women, but there was something about Nurse Joy that always made him go crazy. He was glad Vulpix didn't see that display.

"Try not to take him too seriously, Nurse Joy," Serena said apologetically while Brock hung his head in the background.

"Well…to answer your question, there is a man by that name who has taken residence up in the hills along the trail towards the volcano," Nurse Joy told them.

"_My uncle is a somewhat private person. That sounds like him to live in a remote part of Cinnabar Island,"_ Ash thought.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, the research lab is on the way to the mountain trails. It might be a good idea to go ahead and drop off our Pokemon fossils along the way," Brock suggested, joining the group once more.

"I agree with Brock. It may take some time for the fossils to revive. This way, we will have something to do while we are waiting," Misty added.

"Sounds good to me," Ash shrugged.

It was then that Chansey emerged from the backroom of the Pokemon Center with the group's pokeballs on a table. It nodded to the group and smiled before walking back through the doors.

"It seems all of your Pokemon are good to go," Nurse Joy smiled. "Make sure to take special care on the trails. The mountain roads can be pretty rough."

"We will, Nurse Joy," Ash said before turning to Pikachu. "Well, Pikachu. Are you ready?"

"Chuuuu!" the rodent responded.

* * *

><p>"So this is the research lab?" Ash muttered.<p>

The building the group was standing in front of was quite large. It was only a single story, but very wide. It made sense to go to this place first. The group had no idea how long they would be on Cinnabar Island and didn't know who long it would take for the fossils to be ready.

Ash tentatively took a few steps forward before knocking. He didn't know what else to do. Was this lab open to the public, or was it private? He felt weird, regardless.

The door soon opened to reveal a rather strange looking man with very large glasses and wild gray hair and was quite dirty. It looked like he didn't have a shower in a while.

"Yes? Can I help you?" he asked.

"Ummm…yes. We collected some Pokemon fossils while we were on Mt. Moon. We heard there was machine here that could possibly bring them back to life," Ash answered nervously.

The scientist continued to stare at them with an unreadable expression. His large glasses seemed to be piercing their souls. It was rather unnerving. Finally…

"Marvelous!" the scientist screamed, causing the group to jump at his sudden statement. "Please come in! Come in! This is marvelous!"

He then disappeared inside the building, leaving the door open for them to come in after him.

"Uhhh…," Serena mumbled.

"Don't say anything, Serena. We are all thinking the same thing," Brock muttered.

Once they were in, they followed the scientist through the hallway and passed various rooms. There were all sorts of research going on through the rooms. There were definitely a lot workers for this type of lab. As the group passed a particular room, they saw a Pokemon they had never seen before. It had a brown shell on its back that covered the whole top half of its body. All you would see were six yellow claws and red eyes.

"Is…is that actually a real Kabuto?" Ash asked in amazement.

"Yes! It is! Our resurrection beta machine has been a total success! We have just recently built the new machine! We are so excited for this breakthrough!" the scientist answered gleefully.

"That's incredible," Misty stated in awe.

"Of course it is! We are all very proud of our research!" the scientist cried with delight.

Brock took a quick glance at the dome fossil he was holding. If memory served correctly, a Kabuto would be the Pokemon he would get from this fossil.

"We are here!" the scientist announced. "Take a look at my resurrection machine! Isn't she a beauty?!"

The group took a look at the large machine. It had several levers and took up almost half of the room. It looked rather complicated. The only other piece of machinery in the room was a large computer, supposedly to run the resurrection machine.

"Well, don't just stand there! I need your fossils! Come now!" the scientist ordered eagerly.

Despite the man's pushiness, the group handed each him each of their fossils: the dome fossil from Brock, the helix fossil from Serena, and the Old Amber fossil from Ash.

"Yes! Marvelous!" the scientist cried again once he had the fossils in his possession. "Now I must ask you to leave. My wonderful machine takes a few hours…or a few days to revive them. Come back later! Oh! This is too exciting.

The group frowned at how rude this scientist was. Despite this, they figured it was wise to do this first, after all. This would give them plenty of time to finish everything else they had to do on the island. They couldn't believe they were actually here, about to receive Pokemon from ancient times. It truly would be a sight to behold. A living, breathing, fossil Pokemon.

* * *

><p>The group was now standing in front of what was supposedly Riley's house, if they followed Nurse Joy's directions correctly that is. The house was a little smaller than what they were expecting and situated along the lovely nature trails on the Cinnabar volcano. They had passed by many sorts of wild Pokemon, ranging from Geodude to Pidgey or Spearow, and they even passed by a few hikers along the way. It was no wonder so many people liked to hike here. The sights were beautiful. The path wasn't that rough either so it was better for Misty because of her crutches.<p>

Ash stood in front of the wooden door for a while. He was somewhat wondering if his uncle was even aware they were here. If the past was any indication, this supposed hidden gift was supposed to allow one to sense other people's presence as one of its qualities like Ash did with Serena back in the cave. At least, Ash thought it did. What was he supposed to say, anyway? Was Ash just supposed to tell his uncle that he heard he was living here by a friend of his and that he wanted to know about some supposed power they both had? The whole situation sounded really awkward.

"Ash, we aren't going to get anywhere if we just stand out here. Go ahead and knock," Misty urged gently.

Ash finally took a deep breath before knocking three times and waited for a response. After about ten seconds, the group heard the sound of keys jingling and the unlocking of a door. The door was soon opened, and the group immediately knew that this was not Ash's uncle who opened the door. Ash and Serena were still able to recognize the person, though. It was a small woman with blonde hair in a ponytail and brown eyes.

"Ms. Yellow?!" Ash and Serena exclaimed at the same time in surprise.

"Oh! Ash! Serena! It's good to see you two again!" the young woman known as Yellow beamed as she embraced the two. Pikachu hurriedly leaped off Ash's shoulder so it wasn't caught in the hug.

"So I take it you know her?" Misty asked as she watched.

"Yeah, we do. She is a friend of our families. I've known her since I was born," Ash responded as Yellow released them.

"And who are your friends?" Yellow asked as she looked them over.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Brock, and that's Misty," Brock introduced.

"It's nice to meet you all!" Yellow said as she then turned back to the inside of the house while still grinning broadly. She then and called out, "Riley, your nephew and Serena are here for a visit with a few friends!"

"Ash and Serena?" a voice the two immediately recognized as Riley's asked back. It didn't sound that surprised. It seemed Ash's mom had told Riley that he would be visiting, after all.

The group then heard footsteps, and soon Ash's uncle appeared at the doorway. He was a tall, slender man with spiky black hair that was even messier than Ash's. A lot of it was covered by a big blue hat he was wearing. It appeared he hadn't changed a bit since Ash last saw him.

"Hey, Uncle Riley," Ash greeted with a smile.

"Ash! What a pleasant surprise! Come on in!" Riley said with a smile as he motioned for Ash and the rest of the group inside with Yellow taking the rear.

As the group stepped into Riley's house, they took a small look around. It appeared to be only three rooms, including a bedroom, bathroom, and a living area with a small kitchen in the corner. Riley gestured to a couple of the open chairs and sofas to indicate the group to sit down.

"Would any of you and your friends like anything to drink? The water around here is some of the best in Kanto. It comes straight from the lakes in the mountains." Riley offered.

"That would be great! Thank you!" Ash responded with a smile as they sat down on a large sofa, Pikachu and Cubone sitting in Ash and Serena's lap, respectively, while Yellow sat opposite of them on a chair.

Riley went to the cupboard and pulled out four medium-sized glasses and filled them with water from the faucet. He then brought them over to the group and handed each one of them a glass before sitting on a nearby chair himself between Yellow and the group. Ash took a sip of the water and smiled. It really was good and tasted so clean.

"So, Ash? To what do I owe this visit to?" Riley asked.

Ash took deep breath as he thought of how he wanted to respond. At least him appearing at the doorway wasn't awkward like he was expecting it to be. His uncle and Yellow greeted them both warmly and invited them in. Ash looked at, Serena, Brock, and Misty for support while they nodded to him. Ash felt himself heating up when he saw Serena look at him but quickly turned back to his uncle. Now wasn't the time for that. He had no qualms about mentioning this to Yellow, either, since she was like family, too. He wondered why she was over here, but pushed that thought aside, for now.

"Uncle Riley, recently I've had some really unusual things about me," Ash began a little slowly. "I mean, they are good things, but…"

"Really? What kind of things?" Riley asked with an eyebrow raised. Yellow listened, as well.

"Well, I've always felt there was something strange inside of me, like a force I don't know how to make happen or use," Ash continued. "I think lately, it's been awakening inside of me. I was at the Saffron City gym, and for the briefest of moments, it felt like I was connected with Pikachu. I thought I heard its voice inside of my head. Just recently in the Seafoam Islands, we were separated from Serena, and I was able to find her by sensing where she was."

"And you thought the best person to come to was me?" Riley asked curiously.

"I mean…well…I was told by a man in Saffron City that you would be able to help me," Ash said lamely while rubbing the back of his neck.

Riley let out a chuckle. "I'm just kidding, Ash. You don't have to act nervous around me. I know exactly who you are talking about. It was right he pointed you to me."

"Right," Ash agreed, smiling at Riley's attempt to lighten the mood.

"So tell me, Ash. These strange instances that have been occurring, they just come out of nowhere and are gone just as quickly?" Riley asked as a glint appeared in one of his eyes.

"Yeah. It's so strange," Ash confirmed.

Yellow looked at Riley with a surprised look. "Riley, you don't think that Ash…"

"I do," Ash's uncle replied. He then leaned forward in his chair and gave Ash a serious look. "Ash, I believe I know what this power is you have been experiencing because I am a user of it myself, as well as your father."

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously.

"You have the gift of an aura user," Riley said. "This gift has been passed down through the Ketchum family for generations. It will skip a few family members sometimes, but it looks like you have inherited it, also."

"Aura user?! Ash?!" Misty gasped in shock as she looked at Ash with wide eyes, Brock and Serena doing the same.

"Me?!" Ash exclaimed in equal shock.

"But I thought that was just a myth. I haven't heard of any aura users for centuries," Brock pointed out.

"Just because you haven't heard about them, doesn't mean they don't exist, like me for instance," Riley said.

Ash figured like he needed to know the answer to this question. "Did you know that I was an aura user this whole time?"

"I did," Riley replied. "You see, experienced aura users have a way of being able to sense other's auras. Your father knew, too. We told your mother, as well. We weren't planning on telling you until you were a little older, but it seems that it awakened much faster than we anticipated, even if it is scarce."

Ash took few gulps of water to try to process this before bringing it down to his lap again. His mom never mentioned something like this to him. She was apparently really good at keeping secrets, for better or worse. Serena, Brock, Misty, and even Pikachu and Cubone were continuing to stare at Ash in surprise.

"_Ash is really an aura user?_" Serena thought. She didn't really quite know what to think right now. She didn't know if she was completely amazed or completely confused. Was this what everyone meant when they said Ash was special all these times?

"The legend of aura users traces all the way back to our ancestor, Sir Aaron," Riley told them.

"Sir Aaron was actually real?" Misty exclaimed. "No way!"

"What kind of person was Sir Aaron?" Serena asked curiously.

"He was considered a hero in his generation and the lead knight of Cameran Palace in Kanto," Riley explained. "There was once a war that threatened to destroy the entire Kanto region. Soldiers were fighting each other, and there were countless deaths and destruction. Knowing this, Sir Aaron used his every last ounce of his aura to stop the war. Unfortunately, it cost him his life, and he became a legend, then a myth. His descendants, such as you, your father, and me are the only proof he even once existed."

"Wow," Ash muttered in amazement. "I'm the descendent of a hero and can use aura."

"So what all kinds of things can Ash do with the ability to control aura?" Serena asked curiously.

"Right now, he doesn't know how to use it so virtually nothing. The times he has mentioned to me up to now have been sheer chance. Once he trains and properly learns how to control it, Ash will be able to read the minds and actions of others, view his surrounding area to see things others may not, and project his aura in order to create barriers or to attack."

"That's incredible," Misty muttered.

Ash mused to himself as he took all of it in. This hidden gift he had. I could be the key to getting rid of Team Rocket! He had to learn it!

With that in mind, Ash suddenly stood up from his seat, almost sending Pikachu toppling off of his lap. He then put on a determined expression that looked dead set he had made up his mind.

"Uncle Riley, will you teach me the ways of aura?" he asked seriously.

"Ash, slow down! You only just now learned about it!" Brock said in a startled tone.

"It doesn't matter. If I can learn how to use aura, it might be enough to get rid of some of the evil in this world…like Team Rocket," Ash uttered the last part.

"Ash…," Serena trailed worriedly.

Riley stood up from his seat and walked over to Ash before placing his hands on his shoulders. He sighed before saying, "Ash, your eagerness to learn aura is understandable, but you barely know anything about it at all. Fully mastering aura takes years of practice, and you are in the middle of your Pokemon journey right now. Not to mention, it is a lot of hard work that I don't think an eleven year old can handle. In due time, you will be taught. I promise. For now, you need to focus on what's in front of you."

"Oh," Ash muttered, slightly disappointed. His rodent partner came up to comfort him, but Ash soon lost his sullen mood. His uncle was right. He was just now learning about this power and wanting to jump headfirst into something without knowing what he was getting into. He was being hasty again and didn't want to go back to that.

"Besides, it was always planned for your father to teach you about aura. I would only occasionally pitch in," Riley added.

Ash suddenly got a sour look. "It would be hard for Dad to teach me considering he only sees me once a year."

"Don't say that about Red, Ash," Riley replied with a frown. "You know he loves you and Delia very much, but he is always extremely busy.

"To busy for my mom and me," Ash muttered.

Brock stared at Ash in slight understanding. It was really had to live away from your parents. Brock had lost contact with his parents for the longest time. I was only until recently that he was reunited with his dad. He didn't know the full story of Ash's father, but still felt sorry for him.

"I don't really even consider him my father," Ash mumbled somewhat bitterly. "All he does is travel around the world and stops by only when he says 'he was around the area'.

It was true. Ash very seldom ever saw his father. He used to be around all of the time when Ash was growing up, but ever since a few years ago, he was never home. What could be so important that he would never come visit his family more often. What kind of father did that? Ash couldn't help but be very bitter about the situation. Red was always a great father back in the day. Ash had vivid memories of the two spending time with each other when he was younger. One day, however, it all changed. His father said he had business to take care of and left, saying it was for the good of his family. Ash and his mom barely saw him after that. His mom seemed to know what the reason was but avoided talking about it.

"Oh, Ash. Red truly is such a great person. I owe him so much," Yellow told him with her hands clasped. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be the person I am today. It was him who taught me how to love Pokemon and use my psychic abilities to help them when we were teenagers."

"You have psychic abilities?!" Misty exclaimed. She just had two major blows of information. She didn't know how much more she could take. Yellow was nothing like Sabrina, though. It seemed Ash and Serena weren't fazed by this bit of information, however. She supposed she couldn't blame since they mention Yellow was a friend of the family. She and Brock felt out of the loop of everything, sometimes.

"Yes, I do," Yellow said apologetically. "That is the reason I am here visiting Riley, actually. He called me over so we can discuss how psychic and aura powers can complement each other in case the situation ever calls for it."

"Are you saying that you two sense something bad will happen in the future?" Serena asked worriedly.

Riley and Yellow glanced at each other before turning back to the group. "If one were to happen, it wouldn't be until a very long time from now. I wouldn't worry about it," Yellow told them cheerfully. She had said too much and her and Riley both knew it.

Ash stared at them both. They were definitely hiding something and refused to admit what it was. Ash could easily brush it off as them not wanting to worry him with something serious, but he had a slight suspicion it involved him. He didn't know why, though. It was a little weird. Was aura involved?

"Your mother came by a few days ago," Riley mentioned, changing the subject.

"She did?! How was she?!" Ash asked eagerly. He needed what happened when she was over here.

"She's doing well and told me it was her last day here. She told me that she was on vacation in Cinnabar Island because you paid for her trip to come. That was awfully generous of you considering how first year Pokemon trainers don't make a whole lot," Riley said suspiciously.

Ash gulped. His uncle had always been rather smart on picking up on things. "Well, she's my mother. She deserves the best," Ash said, trying to remain neutral.

"Ash, that trip probably cost you every last penny in your account. Unless you somehow won the Pokemon League in your first few months of being a trainer, you shouldn't have that much money," Riley told him.

Ash looked down towards the ground, avoiding eye contact with this uncle. He was afraid Riley would know something was up should this topic be mentioned. He wondered if his mother had mentioned to Riley that Serena, Gary, and he had raided the Silph Company.

"Ash," Serena spoke up. "Riley is an aura guardian and Ms. Yellow has psychic powers. They may be able to help your mother and us."

Ash looked towards Serena and nodded his head. She did have a point.

"I was trying to keep my mother safe from Team Rocket," he replied quietly.

"Team Rocket?" Yellow questioned.

"Yeah. You see, I've been getting into a lot of trouble with Team Rocket since I started my journey. I'm not doing it intentionally. My friends and I are just always in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ash explained.

"I get it now," Riley said grimly. "They warned you they would come after your family if you got in their way again, and you did."

"Yes. The strangest thing was their boss said he knew my mom and dad, and knows of me, as well" Ash recalled.

"You met their leader?" Yellow inquired curiously.

"Yes. Serena and Gary met him, too. It was while we were at Silph Co. He set his name was Giovanni. I can't understand how someone like him can exist," Ash said as his fist clenched at the thought of the man.

"Giovanni?" Riley questioned, clearly surprised. Yellow looked a little alarmed, as well.

This immediately got Ash's and his friend's attention. "Uncle Riley, do you know Giovanni?" Ash asked.

"If it's the one I'm thinking about, I do," Riley replied grimly.

"Please! You have to tell me what it is that Giovanni knows about my family!" Ash pleaded as he went up to his uncle and stood right in front of him.

"Ash…I'm not the right person to tell you that," Riley replied with a sigh, almost sadly.

"I have to know!" Ash argued, starting to raise his voice a little. He almost felt like shaking his uncle, but that would be very disrespectful.

At this, Riley closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. Everyone stared confusedly at what he was doing. Was he actually using his aura abilities on Ash right now? After a moment, Riley opened his eyes and gave Ash a sympathetic look. Riley couldn't help but pity Ash right now. He had no idea what the significance between his parents and Giovanni held right now. Ash wanted to know so badly, but after reading his aura, Riley determined Ash wouldn't be able to handle the truth if he ever found out.

"If there is one person to tell you this, Ash, it would be your mother, Delia. Not me, not even Red," Riley said seriously. He then added, "Even if your mother ever did tell you, I don't think you would be able to handle it. It's hard enough for even your father and I to grasp."

Ash cast his eyes downward to the ground again. It seemed like the situation was a lot more serious than he originally thought if his uncle refused to tell him the truth. He didn't fully understand, however. Why did it have to be his mother who would tell him what it is? He had just spent all of his money to get her away from Team Rocket's grasp, and it seemed like it was for a good reason. Ash didn't know if he had the heart to directly ask something like this from his mother, especially if he felt like she was in danger now that she was heading back to Pallet Town. He hoped Team Rocket would have forgotten about him by now. He certainly didn't have enough money to send his mother on another vacation.

"Ash, look at me," his uncle said to him, coming up with a solution. Ash looked right into Riley's eyes as he continued. "I will watch over Delia until this matter with Team Rocket is solved. I will be staying at your house from now on. I will protect her in case Team Rocket tries anything. If this is the same Giovanni that Yellow and I are thinking about, she is in trouble. I know you don't want her to know the danger she is in, but it will be necessary for me to tell her if I'm to protect her."

Ash grimaced at the thought of his mom knowing the type of trouble she was in because of him, but even so, Ash felt a huge wave of relief wash over him at his uncle saying that. Riley was an aura guardian and could probably take on any Team Rocket member if they attempted something. At least now he knew his mother would be in good hands for the time being.

"In the meantime, I will be trying to get the police involved. Knowing who the true identity of the Team Rocket boss will deal a huge blow to the organization," Yellow said. "However, there is not enough evidence yet to know for sure. I'll contact Rose and Blue. They have connections and will no doubt help in this investigation, especially Rose since she is so great at stealth."

Ash nodded. Leaf's mother, Rose, was an exceptional Pokemon trainer back in day, and Gary's father, Blue, was the champion of the Kanto region. Just knowing that they would be keeping watch over his mother made tears come to his eyes. The fact that Riley mentioned the possibility of Team Rocket falling made all previous bitter feelings about not knowing anything go away. They were replaced with a new sense of hope.

"Thank you so much," he said.

"There is no need for thanks, Ash. This is a serious matter, and the fact they we may know their leader's true identity will really help in taking Team Rocket down for good. It's time to take action," Riley said.

"I think we've all got a plan now, Ash," Brock smiled as he came up to rest his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Your mother will be just fine."

Serena was also happy to hear the news about how Mrs. Ketchum would be taken care of. It was almost like Team Rocket wouldn't be able to touch her now. As she looked on with a happy expression, just out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yellow was staring at her with a strange expression on her face.

"Ms. Yellow?" Serena asked curiously, turning to face her and raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry," Yellow smiled before averting her gaze.

* * *

><p>"I'd let you and your friends stay at my house while you're on Cinnabar Island, but I already have a guest, and there is no room in this small home for four people while I'm gone," Riley said apologetically. He then added, "I'll be heading to Pallet Town first thing tomorrow morning. That should be when your mother will be returning home. I'll call her and inform her of the situation."<p>

"Thanks for everything today, Uncle Riley," Ash said as he and his friends stepped out the door to Riley's house. "And don't worry about us finding a place to stay. A strange guy invited us to stay at his hotel during our visit, The Big Riddle Inn."

"Hmmhmm, the Big Riddle Inn, huh" chuckled Riley. He then addressed Serena. "Your birthday is tomorrow, isn't it, Serena. Happy early birthday to you,"

"Thank you," Serena smiled. It was then she remembered her mission tomorrow. She was going to finally confess to Ash how she really felt about him. Nothing was going to stop her this time. She was going to do it no matter what! She stole a quick glance at Ash and turned away blushing.

"Don't be a stranger," Yellow told them with a smile. "Next time you're in Viridian City, stop by my house for a visit. You guys are welcome any time."

"We will. Thanks, Ms. Yellow," Ash replied.

"It was nice to meet you two, as well," Riley said, addressing Misty and Brock, who gave a smile and nodded in response.

"I'll see you back in Pallet Town, Uncle Riley," Ash said as they turned to leave before he heard his uncle call after him. "Don't worry Ash. Your aura training will come soon enough. You will become a great aura guardian, just like your father and me."

"I still can't believe Ash is an aura user," Misty muttered as she adjusted her crutches.

Upon noticing her leg still hurt, Riley went up to her. "Pardon me, miss. Could you hold still for just a second?"

He then knelt down and held his hands over her bandaged leg. Riley's hands glowed blue for a second as the group watched curiously, wondering what he was doing. When he was done, he stood up and smiled while Misty let out a gasp.

"Wow! The pain in my leg is gone! How did you that?!" she exclaimed.

"Just a little trick an aura user can do," Riley smiled. "I transferred a tiny bit of my aura to you in order to heal your wound. It would only be harmful to me if I gave you a massive amount."

"Thank you so much, sir!" Misty said appreciatively.

Ash smiled to himself. He couldn't wait to one day learn the ways of aura. He gave a nod to his uncle before continuing on. The group waved goodbye until Riley and Yellow were out of sight. Ash was still worried for his mother, but felt a lot better after speaking with his uncle. Riley even added the fact that he would get Rose and Blue involved. There was no way Team Rocket could stand up to them once they figured things out. He was then snapped out of his thoughts by Brock speaking.

"I guess we should go on and check to see if our Pokemon fossils are ready. We've been here all afternoon" Brock suggested. "I can't wait to see a real live Kabuto and the other fossil Pokemon!"

"Oh! That's right!" Ash remembered. "I'm going to be the trainer of an Aerodactly."

"So Serena, while our fossils are at the lab, have you thought about what you want to do for your birthday?" Misty asked her.

Serena put on a thoughtful expression at the question. Cinnabar Island had all kinds of attractions, ranging from the beach to the Ferris Wheel. They would find something to do. What she really was looking forward to wasn't the presents or fun they would have. It was finally telling Ash how she felt. She was definitely going to do it.

Meanwhile, Riley and Yellow were still standing at Riley's doorway staring at the spot where the group had disappeared around the bin. They then felt a presence come up from behind them. The presence was actually in Riley's house the whole time but didn't show itself to the group of preteens. It was overflowing with aura ability before Riley heard a voice inside of his head.

"_Master, why didn't you mention anything to the girl_?" the voice asked.

"_It wasn't time yet," _Riley replied back in his head.

"Is it referring to Serena?" Yellow asked. "The feeling inside of her was so dormant. I almost missed it,"

"She's just like you, Yellow," Riley smiled. "I don't know how or when her abilities will awaken, but when they do, she and Ash will have an excellent combination."

"_I will be happy to help you in training the young Ketchum boy in his aura training when the time is right,"_ said the voice inside of Riley's head.

"Who will train Serena, then?" Riley asked.

"Leave that one to me!" Yellow replied with a grin.

"_I expect great things from them," _the voice stated.

The presence behind Riley and Yellow faded away into the background again when the conversation was over. The two were by themselves once more, each musing to themselves about Ash, Serena, and the abilities they possessed. Aura and Psychic, respectively.

* * *

><p><strong>One thing I'm going to address right now that I am going to get bombarded with comments about before they happen,<strong>

"**But FanaticLaguy, you said that Red wasn't Ash's father earlier!"**

**True. I did say that at the end of chapter 27. I originally was going to have Riley be Ash's dad and Red his uncle, but I switched their roles when I realized having Red be Ash's father would tell a better story with the things I have planned for him. I actually decided to do this….the second after I posted chapter 27. By the time I went and removed the comment in the author's notes about Red not being Ash's father, quite a few of you had already read the chapter while only the late readers didn't see that misleading comment. (It's been long gone since that day). Of course, I wasn't going to tell people who already read the chapter that I removed the comment, as that would just give away that Red WAS in fact Ash's father. Anyway, I apologize for misleading you. It wasn't intentional.**

**Now on to something else. Serena now has a goal in the anime. I am quite shocked to say that an overwhelming majority of you DO NOT like the idea of me having Serena be a Pokemon performer. A few of you have even criticized me for wanting Serena to be a performer but not a coordinator. Let me go ahead and say right now that my reasons for not wanting Serena to be a coordinator are completely different: we have enough coordinators (May and Dawn). We don't need another. **

**Seriously, though, we know very little about how Pokemon performing works so it might end up being very unique and not like contests at all. Still, I have heard (read) the voices (writings) of the people who really don't like the idea so I have created a new poll. It is quite simple really. Do you want Serena to be a Pokemon Performer in this story or not? Be sure to vote.**

**Note, however, that if you choose not to have Serena be a Pokemon Performer, I hope you have a different idea on something she can be. I can't carry the Battle Chateau idea over to the Orange Islands and beyond with the way I have it set up. I originally made it as a temporary fix until Serena's goal was revealed in the anime. Feel free to PM me with any ideas for what Serena can do if you don't want her to be a Performer because I'm kind of out of them right now. I'm nearing the end of the Kanto arc in what I've written, and I could develop some serious writer's block once I get to the other regions if I don't get an idea on what to do with Serena.**

**The next chapter will up next Tuesday and it's the one you have all been waiting for. Yes, you know what I'm talking about. See you all then.**

**Chapter 40: On Top of the World**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Do you know how many Pokémon Ash, Serena, Misty, and Tracey will catch in the Orange Islands?_

_**Somewhat**_

_About the Legendaries: how are you going to handle the numbers, meaning how many Articuno, how many Zapdos, Suicune, Darkrai, etc., exist here?_

_**A good question. After much thinking, I decided the best way to do this would be have 1 of the legendaries per region, with Kanto and Johto combined. Ex. 1 Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Suicune, Entei,Raikou, Lugia, Ho-oh, for Kanto and Johto. One of each for Hoenn, one of each for Orange Islands, 1 of each for Sinnoh, and so on. Does that make sense?**_

_**With that being said, there is ONLY ONE Mew, Mewtwo, Arceus, Dialga, Giritina, and Palkia (and possibly Kyogre and Groudon.) any legendaries 5**__**th**__** gen and beyond I haven't thought much about since I don't intend to do those regions.**_

_Since Serena's dream has been discovered will contests help her with it since the pokemon kind of perform in them?_

_**I'm not sure. Like I said before, there isn't enough information about performers for us to know how alike (or unalike) to contests they really are.**_

_Will Slowpoke evolve by Misty's Shellder biting its tail?_

_**No, it will evolve a different way Misty's Shellder, and it won't be evolving for a long while. I fully intend to have Misty's Shellder be a Cloyster at some point by the way.**_

_Will there be any hypnosis in this story at any point?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Ash and Serena won't break up will they? :(_

_**No, they won't. This series wouldn't be amourshipping if they broke up.**_

_Will you have Serena catching a Kangaskhan at some point?_

_**Maybe.**_

_When are Ash and Serena gonna have their first kiss?_

_**If you mean on the cheek, they already did that in Chapter 35 lol. If you mean on the lips, not until they are a little older.**_

_I assume something big will happen with team rocket and the legendaries will happen right?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Slowpoke ever become less dumb?_

_**It will pretty much retain its clueless personality until it evolves.**_

_Will Serena finally confess her feelings to Ash on her birthday?_

_**Well, since you all want spoilers, yes, Serena will confess to Ash next chapter. The question is if Ash will return her feelings. =O**_

_Will there be another dark/ torture scene like what happened to charmander/charmeleon in the kanto arc?_

_**There won't be any more torture scenes in Kanto, but there will several more extremely intense action or emotional moments.**_

_You said that Ash would use his older Pokemon in later Pokemon Leagues. Will Serena also use her older Pokemon later?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Brock attempt to avoid falling for every beautiful girl result in a hilarious failure?_

_**Sometimes.**_

_Will the group get anymore Pokémon in this arc?_

_**Just the fossil Pokemon. After that, there won't be any more until Orange Islands. There are a couple of evolutions left, however.**_

_Is Slowpoke Psyduck's new best friend?_

_**Hahaha yeah. Those two will have several funny moments together.**_

_Will Serena have Slowpoke evolve as a Slowbro or a Slowking?_

_**We will just have to see, but it becomes a Slowbro, it won't be by Misty's Shellder biting its tail.**_

_Are you going to make more jokes about Butch's name as a comedy relief for your story?_

_**Yes, it will be a running gag.**_

_Will we see Serena angry? As in I-Am-Going-To-Burn-You-With-My-Fire-Pokemon-Blazing-Hot angry?_

_**She might, but the only thing that could ever get Serena angry like that would be if it involved Ash's well-being. Did I just spoil something?**_

_Do you plan to let evolutionary stones to be reusable or single use?_

_**They are a single use.**_

_Can you please have someone get a Ponyta/Rapidash?_

_**Perhaps, but it won't be soon.**_

_What chapter will the group get their fossils Pokemon revived?_

_**In Chapter 41.**_

_When Brock returns for Johto, will he turn blue at the mention of Ivy?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Gary Oak be in the Orange League this time?_

_**No, but I have a reason he won't.**_

_Will there be an actual purpose to the gs ball this time?_

_**Oh yes. Very much so.**_

_Will Ash and Serena's second date be on her birthday?_

_**It will sort of be like a date. They will be with the others but have several moments of alone time together.**_

When Ash challenges Sabrina again, is that going to be before the Viridian Gym or after?

_**It will be before the Viridian gym and after the Cinnabar Island gym.**_

_How far would you say the plot-line of the story will diverge from the anime's plotline?_

_**About as much as it is now. I'm sorry if this wasn't the answer you were looking for but I don't know how to answer it.**_

_Will any of the main characters get the above pokemon? Absol?_

_**Maybe. **_


	40. On Top of the World

**A/N: CONFESSION CHAPTER! CONFESSION CHAPTER! CONFESSION CHAPTER! **

**I hope you all enjoy it. It may or may not have the results you all desire, but Serena's feelings will be out in the open to Ash, nevertheless. How does he react? Well, read on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. **

* * *

><p>Chapter 40: On Top of the World<p>

"So where is this Big Riddle Inn supposed to be again?" Ash asked as they looked around the main area of Cinnabar Island where all the resorts were at.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu sighed.

The group had been searching Cinnabar Island for over an hour and still hadn't found the hotel they had been invited to. One would think that one hotel wouldn't be that hard to find on an island, but Cinnabar Island was apparently a lot bigger than it looked. When combined with the number of tourists and other resorts the island had, it made a pretty tough find.

"Why couldn't that man have just told us directly where it was?" Serena asked with a sigh.

"Can I see that card he gave us again, Ash?" Misty asked.

"Sure," Ash replied as he reached into his pocket to pull out the Big Riddle Inn card and handed it to Misty.

Misty took the card from Ash before holding it in front of her to read it again. "If you look near the swings, you can see my hands or at least my face."

"How convenient. Do you think these are the swings he was talking about?" Serena asked as she pointed to their right.

The group turned, and sure enough, there was a ride next to them called "The Swings". People were going around and around in circle while hovering in the air. There was a long line of people waiting to ride. Along with the Ferris wheel, the swings were a popular ride, as well. This place almost seemed like an amusement park sometimes rather than just an island.

"I don't know. I don't see the man's hands or face. This is really confusing," Ash muttered as they continued to look in all directions.

Misty folded her arms and looked deep in thought. She realized since this was a riddle, she would have to think outside the box. She loved to solve puzzles when she was a lot younger and was really good at it. She hoped she could decipher this one, too. She was getting the distinct feeling that the man wasn't talking about a person in the riddle. So what else had hands and a face besides a human or Pokemon? It suddenly hit her.

"I've got it!" Misty exclaimed as she stuck her index finger in the air. "It's a clock!"

"A clock?" Serena asked as she looked at Misty.

"Yes. If you can't see my hands, you can at least see my face. He's referring to a big clock," Misty confirmed.

"Ah! That makes sense. Look up there," Brock pointed.

The group looked to where Brock's finger was pointed and saw large clock on the top part of a building. It was rather hard to see because it was in the middle of many trees on a hill, but visible nonetheless.

"We are near the swings, I we can see a clock from here. It all fits. That must be the Big Riddle Inn," Brock deduced.

"Alright. Way to go, Mist," Ash praised as they began walking towards the building in the distance.

* * *

><p>"And Misty has come up with the correct answer!" the man exclaimed once they arrived at the hotel. The hotel they were at proved to be fairly nice.<p>

"That was an easy one," Misty smiled.

"As a reward for figuring out the riddle, I'll let you stay at the inn for free while you're on Cinnabar Island," the man said as he folded his arms and grinned at the group.

"Wow! That's really generous! Thanks!" Ash replied before his stomach growled.

Everyone else got a guilty look on their face when their stomachs started growling, as well, even Pikachu and Cubone's. They looked up at the man expectantly to see if he possibly had a cafeteria here.

"Oh, hahahaha, you want dinner, too," the man stated.

"If you would be so kind," Ash replied, a little embarrassed. "We haven't eaten anything all day. We were kind of busy with a few things."

"Well, that won't be a problem. Follow me," the man said as he began to lead them down one of the hallways.

The group looked around at the hotel's features as they followed the man and realized this would be a pretty decent stay. It certainly wasn't the fanciest hotel on Cinnabar Island, nor did it seem the prettiest or most expensive, but it had their essentials, which was a room, a cafeteria, it was clean, and the man even offered they could stay there for free. They weren't going to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth.

"Here is the cafeteria. Feel free to help yourself to the buffet, and eat as much as you want," the man said with smile.

"Awesome! Thanks a lot, sir!" Ash exclaimed. He immediately ran to the buffet to get a plate and began to dig in. Pikachu was on his shoulder looking at the various types of food, but it was specifically looking for things with ketchup.

"Hmmm, well, he sure is eager, you three but don't hesitate dig in, either," the man commented with a light chuckle as he left the cafeteria.

The group took the strange man's advice and began to pile up on the various types of foods the cafeteria offered. Ash got the most, of course. They were all seated down in a booth now, eating their supper. Despite the amount of food on her plate, Serena didn't seem to be eating much. She was just picking at it and appeared to be giving much of it to Cubone. Despite appreciating the amount of food it was given, Cubone still knew something was up.

"Cubone?" it asked as it gave a curious look at its surrogate mother.

"Oh? I'm fine, Cubone," Serena replied as she attempted a smile. The truth was, though, she was thinking about how she was going to tell Ash about her feelings tomorrow. She was determined to do it, but the high she was on during the Seafoam Islands had faded away, and she was nervous again. She needed another girl's advice for this.

"Hey, Misty. Can I talk to you outside for moment?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Of course," Misty replied as she put her fork down on the plate and stood up.

"You're sure everything is okay, Serena?" Ash asked as he turned to face her.

"Everything will be fine, Ash. We'll be right back," Serena answered as she stood up, as well. The girls then walked out of the cafeteria, out of sight.

"It isn't like Serena to be brooding like that the day before her birthday," Ash commented to Brock.

"Well, you know how girls are, Ash. She trusts you with her life, but sometimes there are just things a girl can't talk to a guy about," Brock replied. He had a pretty good idea what was on Serena's mind considering how much time he and Serena have spent together when he was teaching her how to cook and clean, but decided not to tell Ash about it.

Ash gave a sigh as he turned back to his food, but spotted Pikachu about steal Ash's fries with ketchup. The rodent gave Ash a sheepish look that it was caught red-handed. It had been so close!

"Hands off the food, Pikachu," Ash said dangerously with narrowed eyes.

Pikachu sweatdropped and immediately went back to licking its ketchup from a bottle.

* * *

><p>"What did you want to talk about, Serena?" Misty asked curiously once the girls were out in the lobby. "Is it something about your birthday tomorrow?"<p>

"No," Serena replied. "I've done a lot of thinking lately, and I think I finally realized that Ash likes me just as much as I like him. I was going to tell him how I really feel tomorrow."

"That's so great! I'm proud of you, Serena," Misty said happily as she clapped her hands together.

"Yeah. It's just…I don't know how I should tell him. Even if I'm pretty sure he likes me back just as much, he still may not realize it," Serena muttered.

"Serena, I'm confident that you will get a positive response from Ash. You just have to be brave and make your move because God knows Ash won't," Misty told her.

"I know. How would you tell a boy how you felt if you were in my position?" Serena asked.

"If I was in your position?" Misty repeated and blushed in embarrassment before composing herself. "I think the best way to do it is when you two are alone and have some privacy. You don't want to tell it to him all at once. Just gradually let each of your feelings out one by one so it doesn't overwhelm him. If it seems like he is being receptive to everything, so ahead and let the rest of your feelings out. If Ash seems uncomfortable, just leave it at that."

"How am I going to find privacy tomorrow with it being my birthday?" Serena asked. "I want to spend it with you, Brock, and my Pokemon, too, but I want to it to be a special day like tomorrow when I tell Ash."

"Don't worry about that, Serena. We'll all have a blast together tomorrow. As for your alone time with Ash, just leave that to me!" Misty said with a wink.

"Thanks a lot, Misty," Serena smiled. For all of her quirks, when it came to girl stuff, Serena could always count on Misty for support since Leaf wasn't around as much, anymore. It was like the two had a special "3 A.M" advice friend type of relationship even though they didn't always act friendly to each other.

"You got it!" Misty replied. "If Ash doesn't respond favorably to you, send him to me, and I'll beat some sense into him!"

Serena laughed at that. "Hahahaha! Okay!"

* * *

><p>"Cubone! Cubone!" Cubone said as it tried to shake its surrogate mother awake.<p>

"Mmmm…," Serena mumbled as she turned the other way and pulled the covers tighter around her. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep the previous night because she had been too busy thinking about her birthday. She was aware that she should be getting up now, but when she was tired, she could be as big a sleeper as Ash.

"Bone!" the lonely Pokemon yelled this time as it tried to nudge her out of bed. It really wanted to celebrate its mommy's birthday but couldn't if she was just going to sleep! It knew her friends were probably already waiting for her.

"Not right now, Cubone," Serena yawned tiredly.

Cubone sighed as it realized she wasn't going to get out of bed unless she received a little push to help wake her up. It looked at the small piece of bone in its hand then at Serena. It sighed and gave its mommy a mental sorry before whacking her right in the side.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Serena screamed from the pain as she fell out of bed, taking the covers with her.

Cubone walked to the edge of the now coverless bed and peered over the edge to see a huge lump struggling frantically underneath the covers on the floor. Despite the fact that it gave Serena a rude awakening, Cubone still found it humorous how comically she was acting right now. Soon, Serena's head emerged out of the covers, and she glared up at Cubone.

"What was that for, Cubone?! That really hurt!" she complained.

Cubone gave another sigh before pointing at the clock on the wall to show its mommy that it was past time for her to get up. It was her eleventh birthday, and she shouldn't want to miss her special day.

"Alright, Cubone. I see your point. I'll be ready in a second," Serena muttered as she got up from the floor and went to the bathroom to change. She couldn't stay in bed forever even if she was tired or else that would be rude to the others. Perhaps the excitement of her birthday will snap her out of it.

Cubone then spotted Serena's pokeballs on a nearby table and knew they would want to be a part of Serena's birthday as much as possible, too. It went over and released them one by one: Charla, Nidorina, Jigglypuff, Gloom, Eevee, and Hitmonlee. The Pokemon all nodded to Cubone before waiting for Serena to exit the bathroom. They were trying to keep as quiet as possible so they could surprise her.

A couple of minutes later, she emerged from the doorway and was immediately tackled by her Pokemon, sending her to the floor once more. Even the normally calm Hitmonlee joined in in tackling her.

"Thanks a lot, everyone," Serena laughed as she was smothered by them.

Once they were finished they each got off of Serena and proceeded to open the door and head down to the first floor of the Big Riddle Inn. Two Pokemon held back for a second, however. Serena was just about to walk out the door when she was tugged on her sleeve by Charla. She turned and saw Charla and Cubone hadn't followed the crowd and gave them an inquisitive look.

"Oh? What is it, you two?" Serena asked.

"Char Char Charmeleon?" Charla asked.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone added.

Serena got the gist of what they were saying and gave them a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten my vow to tell Ash how I feel. I'm still going to do it today."

Charla and Cubone gave a satisfied nod as they began to walk with her out the door.

"_At least, I hope so…," _Serena thought.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday!" Ash, Brock, and Misty shouted as soon as Serena entered the main hall of the Big Riddle Inn.<p>

Sure enough, her friends and their Pokemon were anxiously waiting for her to show up. Pikachu had been keeping watch for when Serena would come while Ash, Misty, Brock and their Pokemon helped set up. The strange man had been kind enough to let them use his lobby to celebrate Serena's birthday and even helped out himself to set it up. He was invited to join the festivities, but he man politely declined and told them he had some business to take care of, but they were still free to use the lobby as long as they wanted.

Serena gave a grateful smile as she looked around at all they had done. There were party balloons of a variety of colors, confetti, and long string that went across the room. Hanging on the string in big, bold, colorful letters were words 'Happy Eleventh Birthday Serena'! Her friends must have worked really hard on setting her party up this morning.

"Thank you so much, everyone!" Serena cried in happiness as she felt tears come to her eyes. She could be so emotional sometimes! It could be a bit embarrassing. No one seemed to mind, though. They were just glad that she was pleased with the decorations right now.

"No problem, Serena!" Ash said with a smile as he went over to her. "Why don't you come open your presents so you can see what we got you!"

She was then led over to a small pile of neatly wrapped gift boxes of varying shapes and sizes. She stared at them while her eyes shined with happiness. How had her friends been able to do all this when she wasn't around?

"Go ahead and open mine first!" Misty urged as she picked up a medium-sized present and handed it to Serena.

Serena took the colorful box from Misty's hands and started to unwrap it. There was just a plain white box underneath the wrapping that was taped up. Serena was able to pry open the box though Misty told her to do it gently. Serena smiled at the purse she took out. It had several pockets and would be useful for carrying all sorts of things like her accessories or make-up. It sure beat trying to haul it around in her backpack!

"Thanks a lot, Misty!" Serena smiled as she gave a friendly hug to the other girl.

"You're welcome!" Misty replied as she returned it. "You're becoming an older girl now so you need something better than a backpack to carry around your essentials!"

"Definitely!" Serena agreed as she put the strap around her shoulder to test it. It was comfortable but not too loose. Misty did a great job with this one.

"Here's mine next. I think you will find it useful," Brock told Serena as he handed his box to her.

"Something useful?" Serena repeated to herself as she unwrapped it. Her eyes lit up with excitement when she saw what it was.

"A cookbook?!" she exclaimed as she held it out in front of her.

"Not just any cookbook," Brock corrected. "That in your hands is from the world famous Poke-Chef. There are all kinds of recipes in that book ranging from special types of food for your Pokemon to special dishes for people." He then leaned in and smirked. "As a bonus, I even wrote in a few of my own recipes in the back of the book, including my stew. You'll be cooking like the Brockster in no time!"

"That's so great! Thank you, Brock!" Serena said happily as she hugged her older friend. She had been studying hard to learn how to cook from Brock the past couple of months. Now it seemed she had improved a lot so Brock recognized her enough to give Serena her very own cookbook. Brock was even generous enough to put his own original dishes in there. She couldn't wait to try it out the first chance she got!

Serena was about to go for the next present when something was held in front of her face. She looked down and saw Cubone was holding a rather large piece of cardboard paper in its hand and was looking at her expectantly. Pikachu was helping keep the paper steady since it was pretty bulky.

"Oh?" Serena questioned as she took the piece of paper from Cubone, wondering what it could be. As soon as she looked at the picture, a warm smile crossed her lips.

It was drawing of Serena and all of her Pokemon standing on what was apparently a grassy hill with a blue sky and the sun smiling down upon them. They were all holding hands and smiling in the picture. Even Serena's newer Pokemon were drawn in there like Scyther and Slowpoke! To top the picture off, all of Serena's Pokemon's footprints or handprints were on the page depending on which Pokemon it was. It was such a good reminder to how she and her Pokemon were such great friends. It was then something occurred to Serena.

"Wait a second, how were you able to get Scyther and Slowpoke's footprints on her?" she wondered.

"Well, I made a phone call to Professor Oak early this morning," Brock answered while he crossed his arms and grinned. He then pointed to a certain part of the room that Serena hadn't looked at yet.

Serena turned to where Brock was pointing and let a cry of happiness as she saw her two newest Pokemon emerge from the corner. Well, Scyther did anyway. Slowpoke was still standing there.

"Oh?! You guys are here, too!" Serena exclaimed as she went over to greet them. She realized they haven't really had a chance to bond with each other yet so now was as good a time as any.

"Scy," Scyther muttered. Birthdays weren't really its thing, and it didn't know its trainer well, yet, but it figured it could hang around for a little bit. It then cast a mischievous look at Ash. The raven-haired boy noticed its look and backed away slowly, but Serena stepped in.

"Now I need you to behave, Scyther," Serena said a little sternly.

Scyther turned back to Serena before giving a slight glare but soon relented. It realized this was Serena's birthday so it would control itself.

Serena then went over to Slowpoke who still hadn't moved from the spot it was 'hiding' in.

"Hey there, Slowpoke. Would you like to join us in the party?" Serena asked in a friendly tone.

Slowpoke just stood there. It wasn't even looking at Serena. It just seemed to be staring off into space with a dazed look on its face. Serena was beginning to wonder if Slowpoke even heard her. Psyduck certainly had its moments of being a little slow in reaction time, but this Slowpoke made Psyduck seem to have the world's fastest reflexes. After a while, Slowpoke finally responded.

"Slooooooow," it mumbled.

Serena let out a sweatdrop but smiled, nonetheless. Needless to say, there was clear difference in her relationship with Scyther and Slowpoke. She would have to correct that by making sure to spend time with them. Perhaps she would keep them around with her for a while after the party. The unfortunate thing was she would have to send two of her other Pokemon to Oak's lab. She would make sure to be fair, though, so everyone could have an equal time with her.

"Thank you for the picture, guys," Serena told all of her Pokemon.

The Pokemon grinned in return. They had each chipped in to make that for Serena. It had been Cubone who actually drew the picture, though.

Now that Serena had gotten a present from Misty, Brock, and her Pokemon, that only left one person: Ash.

"Well, here you guy, Serena. I hope you like it," Ash said nervously as she handed Serena a rather small present.

Serena smiled as she took it. She didn't know why, but Ash had always been nervous about giving her gifts for as long as she's known him. Maybe he didn't think he was a good gift giver, but if that was the case, he was sorely mistaken. Ash got Serena her favorite pink hat last year, after all.

Serena began unwrapping the present and saw a thin white box underneath the wrapping. She opened the box easily since it was taped shut and gasped.

Inside the box was a beautiful necklace. Its chain was thin and made of platinum with a small golden heart in the middle. She found she was able to open the heart and inside was an ever so tiny picture of Serena and Ash. It was hard to make out but still there, nevertheless.

"I'm not really good at looking for necklaces," Ash said as she rubbed the back of his head. "I almost asked Misty to help me. I kind of got the idea of the photo from your birthday gift to me, so…"

Ash was cut off as Serena ran forward and gave him a big hug.

Their friends and Pokemon were staring at the necklace in Serena's hands while she was hugging Ash. They didn't know how a boy like Ash could find something so meaningful without even thinking that hard about it! How did he do it?! It's almost like he clearly didn't know the value of the gifts he gave.

"Ash, don't say that. I love the necklace. It's beautiful," Serena said as her voice choked.

"Really?" Ash breathed as he sighed with relief. "I was worried that you wouldn't like it."

"How could I not?" Serena rhetorically asked as she let go of Ash. "The necklace itself is lovely, but it's the picture inside that holds the most value. It reminds me how we will always be together until the end, like that promise we made on the Seafoam Islands not long ago."

"Heheheheh. I meant it to. I don't ever want us to be separated like that again," Ash chuckled as he felt his face heat up. There it goes again. He was getting those strange feelings around Serena.

"Thank you so much, Ash," Serena repeated. "Will you put it on for me?"

"Oh, sure," Ash replied as he took the necklace from Serena.

Ash then undid the necklace before walking behind Serena. Serena moved her hair to the side so Ash would be able to get to her neck easier. He brought it around Serena's neck and clipped it before standing back.

"So how do I look?" Serena asked everyone.

"You look amazing!" Misty replied.

"A real beauty!" Brock agreed.

"Cubone bone," Cubone commented. It thought that necklace looked really good on its mommy.

Serena turned towards Ash and stared at him for a good while with a smile on her face. She was staring right into her eyes and Ash was staring right back. It was like they couldn't break away from each other.

It was then Brock made a light cough. "Excuse me. Not to be rude guys, but what do say we get on with the celebration?"

"Hahahaha! Of course!" Serena said hurriedly as she finally tore her gaze away from Ash him doing the same.

They were both a crimson red.

* * *

><p>It was now late evening time on Cinnabar Island. The sun had just shown its last bit of light for the day, only to be replaced by the moon as it rose to the sky ever so slowly. Serena could definitely say she had an excellent birthday so far. The celebration at the hotel, followed by the swings, and spending the whole day with her friends and Pokemon doing all sorts of fun activities made for a great day. They were now all about to ride the giant Ferris wheel on the island. It was completely lit up with bright colors now that it was dark outside. They say the Ferris wheel was so tall, you could even see the Seafoam Islands if you squinted, possibly even the mainland of Kanto if it was light outside. It would be like one was on top of the world.<p>

The group had just bought their tickets and were standing in line.

"There certainly is quite a line here," Ash commented as he looked at the crowd of people. He was at the front of the group.

"I guess it's to be expected. It's one of Cinnabar Islands many attractions aside from the hot springs," Serena said, just behind Ash. She was starting to get a little nervous. Misty had told her earlier that this would be the best spot on Cinnabar Island to tell Ash her feelings for him. It beat out all the beaches and sunsets by a long shot. The view would be great.

Serena soon felt a nudge behind her back and saw Misty and Brock give her a nod for confidence. She had told Brock what she was finally planning, and he was fully supportive of it. He said the best way would just be to lay it on Ash slowly, but don't be too vague, otherwise, the point may just fly right over his head. It's true he had lost a very small amount of his cluelessness from when Brock first met him, but this was still Ash they were talking about. Serena figured that made sense and was especially glad Misty and Brock's advice coincided rather than contradicted each other.

After waiting for about thirty minutes, the group was finally ready to ride the Ferris wheel. They handed their tickets to the operator. It was then Ash noticed something.

"Uh, I think these carts can only hold three people each. That means we all can't get in the same one," he muttered.

"That's no problem at all, Ash!" Misty spoke up hurriedly. "We can just each ride two per cart. You and Serena go in one, and Brock and I will go in the other!"

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess it's just you, me, Pikachu, and Cubone," Ash said to Serena. "They can sit in our laps.

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu said to Ash while pointing to Brock and Misty.

"You're saying you'll ride with Brock and Misty this time?" Ash asked the yellow rodent on his shoulder.

"Chu," Pikachu nodded before giving a smirk.

"Cubone," Cubone said as it hopped out of Serena's arms and went over to where Brock and Misty were standing.

"Well…I guess that's okay that you want to spend time with Misty and Brock, too," Ash told them.

"We'll take great care of them, Ash! You two enjoy yourselves!" Brock said as he and Misty each climbed into a cart, along with Pikachu and Cubone.

Serena and Ash suddenly felt their pokeballs shake and were surprised to find Charmeleon and Charla had both come out their pokeballs. The two Pokemon looked at each other and blushed before beginning to climb into a cart but were stopped by Serena and Ash.

"Wait, we didn't buy tickets for you two!" Ash called in an embarrassed tone.

"Meleon?" Charmeleon questioned as it looked at Ash. It then seemed to get a pleading expression which looked quite out of place considering Charmeleon had an intimidating face naturally.

"It will be fine," the operator said as he waved them off. "I'm in a good mood tonight. I won't tell if you don't."

"Oh, thank you, sir," Ash said in surprise. He then turned to the two Charmeleon and gave them a smile. "Carry on."

Charla wasted no more time in pulling Charmeleon into the cart. It almost fell over due to Charla's eagerness. They finally got themselves situated and looked quite content that they were on the Ferris wheel together.

Ash gave a light chuckle to himself before turning back to Serena who hadn't really said anything for a while. She was looking at Ash, but he couldn't quite make out what it looked like. It was like a strange combination of nervousness and…adoration? He realized he didn't need to take any longer as everyone was now waiting on Serena and him to get in their own carts

"Well, shall we?" Ash asked as he held out his arm to escort her.

Serena strange expression was soon replaced with a smile. "Why thank you," she replied as she took his arm.

The two eleven year olds climbed into the Ferris wheel cart and sat opposite of each other. As Serena looked at Ash, a million thoughts were running through her head, and her chest began to feel really tight. Judging by Ash's expression of excitement, he clearly had no idea what she was going to tell him while they were on the ride. From behind Ash, Serena saw Misty, Brock, Serena, and Pikachu give her a thumbs up from their vehicle. Ash noticed Serena staring behind him and turned around. By then, the four had turned their thumbs up to merely a wave, which Ash returned.

The gears on the Ferris wheel soon began to turn, moving the carts along with it. Ash and Serena's cart began to loop upward, taking them with it.

"Are you excited, Serena? This is going to be fun!" Ash told her.

"Mmm hmm! It sure will!" Serena agreed with a smile despite how nervous she was. She wasn't exactly sure when she would tell him, but the time would come. The opportunity would speak for itself.

They stopped about halfway up the Ferris Wheel and looked out at the view. To say that the view was great was an understatement. They were only halfway up, but they could already see a good portion of Cinnabar Island. The volcano in the distance blocked the other part, but for what they could see, it was spectacular.

"It sure is pretty, isn't Ash?" Serena asked a little timidly.

"You bet!" Ash agreed as he looked down. "Everybody looks so small from up here, and we aren't even halfway up!"

They then sat in silence for a small bit. Serena began wondering what she could do to start up a conversation that might lead into what she wanted to tell him, but what could she do? To her great surprise, it turned out to be Ash was the one who started the conversation.

"So Serena, now that you are eleven, what has been your favorite part of your Pokemon journey so far?" he asked.

"My favorite part?" Serena repeated.

"Yeah. I mean…surely there has to be something that has stood out to you the most," Ash elaborated.

"Well," Serena began as she looked deep in thought, "I have been able to explore the entire region of Kanto and seen places and cities I've never seen before. I've also received the best Pokemon a girl could ever ask for. I'm a Duchess at the Battle Chateau now. I've also met great new friends in so many people."

"I hear you," Ash replied with a smile. He then got a questioning look. "But none of those are your favorite part?"

Serena took a deep breath before continuing on. Here it goes. "No. My favorite part of being on this journey has been…traveling with you."

"Really?" Ash asked in a surprised tone. There went those weird feelings in his chest again. How was it Serena was always able to do that to him when she talked like that?

The Ferris wheel's mechanics then began to churn once more as it turned again, bringing Ash and Serena's cart higher up still. It then stopped turning, and as luck would have it, Serena and Ash were at the very top of the Ferris wheel. With as high up as they were, it really was like they on top of the world.

"Yes," Serena confirmed. "Traveling with you and just being with you in general has been my favorite part. That is the reason I started my journey the same day as you, Leaf, and Gary even though I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at the moment. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't get to go with you on your journey. You just mean too much to me. You're more than just my best friend. I don't ever want to be separated from you."

Ash was taken aback, to say the least. He felt his pulse began quicken once Serena said these things to him. She had just confirmed what he had suspected for a while. Maybe they really were more than best friends. These were somewhat like the talks they had in the snow cave and Seafoam Islands. For some reason, Ash felt that nothing was going to interrupt this moment. There was still one thing Ash didn't understand, though.

"Serena…how could I mean this much to you?" Ash asked between breaths.

"Ash, you are the nicest boy I've ever met," Serena replied as she took his hands in hers. "My life has become so much better ever since you entered it. It started out small at the summer day camp when I first met you, but since we started traveling together, my feelings for you have grown tremendously."

"So…what is it you are trying to say?" Ash questioned slowly. He was blushing furiously right now.

"Ash," Serena said as she looked him straight in the eye, and her heart began to go into overdrive. Here it is. "I…like you. Not like a friend, but more than that. I really, really like you."

Serena breathed another sigh of relief once she said it. She had finally told Ash her true feelings for him, and the world didn't end. She felt that if this wasn't the perfect time, she didn't know what would be. As she watched Ash, she saw he had an unreadable expression right now so she couldn't tell exactly how he would take it or what he was thinking. She would be absolutely crushed if he didn't reciprocate her feelings.

Serena was completely bursting with emotion and couldn't hold herself back any longer. She leaned over across the cart and kissed Ash on the corner of his mouth as delicately and tenderly as she could. If her words didn't clearly tell Ash how she felt about him, this certainly would. Tears came to her eyes at this joyous moment. She finally did it.

Ash, meanwhile, was pretty shocked, not returning the kiss but not rejecting it, either. He didn't exactly know what to make of the situation. Serena liked him as more than a friend? Was this why they always had those strange instances together? Like when Serena would compliment him, or be nervous around him? Ash then began to think about all he and Serena had been through and said to each other. There were several.

XXX

"_Never give up until the end!" a seven-year old Ash said as he offered an outstretched arm to Serena. He ended up pulling a little too hard, though, and they ended up in a hug. Ash didn't really think anything of it at the time. He did notice Serena and how a strange look of surprise on her face when they let go of each other, however. Was that blushing?_

_XXX_

_ "Okay, everyone. Let's play house. Ash will be the daddy and I will be the mommy. Leaf and Gary can be the kids" a seven-year old Serena declared._

_ It had been a few months since they were all at Pallet Town Summer Camp. Serena had now began regularly playing with Ash, Leaf, and Gary. She had fit fight into their Pallet Town group and was completely over her extreme shyness by now._

_ "No fair! How come Ashy-boy gets to be the daddy?!" Gary complained. "That means he gets to tell me what to do!"_

_ "It's because Ash and I will be married when we grow up!" Serena answered with a bit of indignation. "We have to practice!"_

_ "Ooooh! Ash and Serena sitting in a tree!" Gary teased._

_ Ash, meanwhile, was watching the situation with a questioning look on his face. What did Serena mean by saying they had to practice? To be a couple? What did Serena mean by they would be married when they're older? He then turned and saw Leaf staring at him with a knowing smile on her face before she started giggling uncontrollably. What was that look for?_

_XXX_

_ Serena finished wiping her tears and gave Ash a very tender look and took one of his hands in hers. "You don't have to do this by yourself, Ash. Remember, we are all here for you. Remember the promise we made earlier? We are in this together until the end."_

_ Ash stared at how Serena was holding his hands. He could honestly say she had never done something like this before. A girl had never held his hands with such tenderness. It was a really weird change of pace from the norm to him. He then looked up. Was Serena blushing? It was then Ash felt his face began to heat up, as well. Was this situation causing him to blush, too?!_

_XXX _

_ "Would you like to dance, Serena?" Ash asked her nervously. _

_ "I'd love to Ash," she replied._

_ Ash felt he was being a horrible dancer so far, but despite that, Serena didn't seem to mind at all. He could imagine most people being slightly annoyed at his two left feet, but not Serena. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying the dance. Ash had a feeling that no matter how he danced, Serena would have enjoyed it anyway, just because it was with him. Why was that? Why was he special?_

_XXX_

"_Then how about Gary, Pikachu, and I go to Silph Company while Serena, Misty, and Brock go with secretary?" Ash suggested._

_ "No. I'm going with you, Ash," Serena said firmly._

_ "I don't agree with that, Serena," Ash replied. "I'm beginning to think going to Silph Co. really is too dangerous, and I don't want to put you in that sort of danger."_

_ "I don't care!" Serena cried as she shook her head. "Don't you know that I'm just as worried for you as you are for me?!"_

_ "That's exactly why I don't want you to come!" Ash argued. "At least I'll know one of us will be safe if you don't go with Gary and me!"_

_ "That isn't going to work! I'm tired of standing by on the sidelines while you rush into danger! I still remember the time you were almost killed by a flock of Spearow on our first day as trainers! I'm not letting you do something like that again while I'm around! We are in this together until the end, remember!?" Serena shouted._

_ Ash couldn't remember the last time he ever saw Serena get this upset about anything. It was all because she was worried about him, too. This was another moment that showed how much Serena truly cared about him. She didn't want him rushing into any more danger unless she was by his side. It really did seem like no matter what, she would stay with him through thick and thin._

_XXX_

_ "Will you help me take care of Cubone, Ash?" Serena asked him._

_ Ash was pretty surprised by that question. Here he was, totally reckless most of the time, and just recently decided to do better at it, and Serena wanted him to help care for Cubone? It wasn't like he didn't want to, but did Serena have a hidden motive? Taking care and acting as parents to things were something couples did. Oh…._

_ It was just like Serena said all those years earlier._

_XXX_

_ As Ash finished reading the letter, he was…touched…to say the least. He always knew that he and Serena were best friends and would do anything for each other, but to read something so heartfelt from her was…he felt his cheeks go a deep red. He didn't quite know what to say._

_ "Serena, I-I mean that much to you?" Ash stammered as he turned to look at her gorgeous face staring back at his._

_ "You really do. I meant every word in that letter," Serena answered softly as she stared back into his eyes to show her sincerity._

_ "I'm really…grateful to hear you say that. To hear that someone really cares that much about me, especially because it was you," Ash said quietly. His chest was feeling very tight right now._

_ "Ash, just know that no matter what happens…I'll…always be on your side. That's a promise. I'll always be here for you," Serena told him gently as she took her hands in hers._

_ "Serena, I…" Ash trailed. He was at a complete loss for words when he felt Serena's now warm hands holding his own. Could this be what Brock, Misty, and all of his other friends meant when they said there was more to him and Serena then friendship? As Ash suspected, he definitely felt more than a close friend to Serena sometimes. _

_XXX_

_ Taking a deep breath, Serena walked up to Ash before leaning over, kissing him on the cheek._

_ Ash stood completely still in the lobby for a while after Serena had left. His hand was holding the spot on his cheek where Serena had kissed him. He was as red as a tomato. He was at a complete loss right now with his feelings for Serena. He could no longer tell if she was just his best friend or something much more. He hoped he would realize these feelings soon._

_ "Wow, Serena. What is going on with you and me?" Ash mumbled to himself._

_XXX_

_ Serena and Ash were watching the sunset on the Seafoam Islands together. They were staring at each other, and Ash didn't quite know what to make of the situation. It just felt right._

_"Ash," Serena started as she looked him straight in the eye, summoning up as much courage as she could._

_ "Serena," Ash replied as he stared back at her._

_ They were unknowingly getting closer to each other, particularly their faces. This was it! And then…they were interrupted by Slowpoke._

_Were he and Serena really going to…kiss just then?! What was she about to tell him?_

_XXX_

As Ash thought about all of these instances, it all became so clear. Serena really did like him as more than just a friend. How could he not have seen it? The instances that stood out the most to him were in the snow cave and their recent talk on Seafoam Islands. He should have known at those times, but he never thought of a concept like that before. Serena confessing that she liked him seemed to make all of her actions fit. It made perfect sense now. However, Ash knew that there was one last obstacle Serena needed to overcome. How did he feel about her? As Ash stared in her gorgeous face, he saw her hands were clasped as her eyes sparkled while she looked at him with a hopeful expression. The last thing he would want to do is hurt her feelings. Though, Ash would respond how he truly felt at the moment. He noticed Serena was still holding her place and hadn't let up on her kiss yet.

"Serena," Ash began as he gently broke away with a deep breath, "There is no doubt I care about you more than anyone else in the world right now. However, I don't know if I can return your feelings at this very moment."

The look in Serena's eyes after Ash said those words were enough to make his heart break. They showed nothing but complete devastation. He regretted saying what he said already just so he wouldn't have to see her look like that. If only it weren't the truth.

"You…don't like me back?" Serena asked as her voice cracked. She just poured her heart out to him! She had been so sure he would respond in the positive! How could this have happened!? It was so wrong!

"No, no. I didn't mean it like that!" Ash quickly defended. "I meant I'm not sure if I like you back yet or not. I have no doubt that what you feel for me is love, but I don't know what that feels like yet! I don't want to say that I like you back and not mean it!"

A lump formed in Serena's throat once Ash began telling her this. She only felt slightly better after hearing him say that, but only slightly.

"I..see," Serena mumbled as she looked away and began sniffing.

"That doesn't mean that I don't want to try to like you back," Ash continued, which caused Serena to look at him again. "Every time we hold hands, or have these important conversations with each other, I have this really weird feeling inside of me. No other girl has this effect on me except you."

"Really?" Serena asked as she felt a small hope return to her. Ash felt funny when they were with each other?

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "It's just I don't know what love feels like yet, but I want to know, and I want you to help me realize if these feelings I have for you are love also."

"But what do you want me to do?" Serena questioned.

"I want to stay together with you at all times," Ash answered. "I want to do more things with you like going on dates and having more personal talks with you. If we continue to do those things together, I may be able to return those feelings to you one day. It just isn't…tonight."

Tears began to fall from Serena's eyes as she began sniffling. It wasn't a full cry, but there were still a few drops that managed to escape her eyes. Ash didn't totally reject her feelings, but he didn't return them either. She suddenly felt herself pulled into an embrace by Ash as the Ferris wheel began to move again. This time it was on a downward circle.

"Please don't be upset, Serena," Ash soothed. "I want you to know that there is hope. The last thing I would want to do is hurt you."

"I know, Ash," Serena responded as she hugged him back. "I had just been anxiously preparing for this for a while, and I only told you because I thought you liked me back."

"I may very well like you back," Ash replied as he tried to comfort her. "It's just I'm not sure yet. That's why I want to do more things with you from now on so I do realize my feelings."

"So what do we do then?" Serena asked, still much emotion in her voice.

Ash gave her a smile in return. "We can start by enjoying this Ferris wheel ride together."

Serena turned to look at Ash and saw how inviting his eyes were. His eyes were one of his best features, and they always had a calming effect to her. Though still hurting, her bitter feelings were able to evaporate under them, and she once more found herself smiling again.

"That sounds good, Ash," she replied as they turned to look at the view. The Ferris wheel was once again going upwards. They once more found themselves on top of the world. It was then Serena decided to try something. She turned towards Ash and asked. "Ash, would you mind if I leaned against you while we are here."

"Of course not," Ash answered as he put his arm around and she snuggled into his side. It was so comfortable. Serena felt so safe right now, like nothing bad would happen.

They continued to stare off into the view while the Ferris wheel went around a few more times before it finally stopped, and the ride was over.

* * *

><p>"Welcome back, everyone," the strange man greeted. "You kids sure were out late."<p>

The group was now finally coming back through the doors of the Big Riddle Inn. It was almost ten thirty so it was getting pretty late. They were getting pretty tired after the eventful day they had for Serena's birthday.

Serena had told Brock and Misty the words Ash had told when she told him her feelings. They nodded their heads in understanding and agreed with Ash that it might be the best course of action what he said. They, Cubone, and Pikachu, were secretly hoping Ash would have accepted them immediately, but also knew one couldn't force someone to like the other. It would just be in due time. At least Serena didn't have to be shy about her feelings any more now that they were out in the open.

Misty let out a huge yawn before saying. "Well, I'm about ready to hit the sack. How about you guys?"

Ash was about to respond that he was ready to, but stopped. The song music he heard playing in the lobby of the Big Riddle Inn right now sounded a lot like the song they danced to on their first date in Fuchsia City. Was it just a coincidence?

"Hey, Serena," Ash said, which grabbed her attention. "Do you recognize this song?"

Serena listened to the music for a moment before her face broke out into a wide grin. "I do," she responded.

"You wouldn't…care for a quick dance for your birthday, would you?" Ash asked.

Serena was delighted. Ash really did seem to want to give his feelings with her a shot, after all. He was really asking her to dance on his own free will without any push. "Of course I would," she answered sincerely.

"Well, we will leave you two alone for a moment," Brock spoke up. He then addressed Pikachu, Cubone, and Misty. "C'mon guy. Let's head back to our rooms."

"Good night, you guys," Serena told them as they watched them turn to go.

"Enjoy yourselves," Misty smiled.

"Piki pi!" Pikachu waved good night.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone said as well just before they rounded a corner and were out of sight.

Ash then went over to the man at the check in counter and said. "Excuse me, sir. Will you turn up the music for a little bit?"

"No problem," the strange man answered with a smile as he went over to a few switches and adjusted them so the music was louder. He then left the room to give the two some privacy.

Ash then walked over to Serena and held his hand out to her which she graciously accepted. He then pulled her in close as they began to dance in tune to the music. Serena immediately noticed just how much better Ash had gotten in such a short amount of time.

"Wow, Ash. It's like you've become a natural at slow dancing," Serena commented.

"Heheheheh, well I have had some practice with you," Ash replied.

Serena smiled before deciding to lay her head on Ash's shoulder, which he didn't pull away. It wasn't long before the two became lost in the moment. There wasn't anything else in the world right now. There wasn't an evil Team Rocket that they had to worry about. There wasn't a journey with deadlines or anything of the sort. It was just Ash and Serena having their time together.

Serena didn't feel upset anymore about the situation. It was true that Ash didn't reciprocate her feelings, but he didn't reject them, either, and wanted to learn to like her back. That means there was still hope for her that they might be together in the future, after all. She supposed that was the best answer she could get at the moment. Regardless, she had finally told Ash about how she felt and didn't need to be shy of her feelings anymore. Ash even encouraged it. Maybe one day, he will return his feelings to her, but in the meantime, she will enjoy their time together, especially now, and help Ash realize what he felt for her, too. Serena truly felt on top of the world.

* * *

><p><strong>In order to keep Ash in character as much as possible, I found it best that he didn't return Serena's feelings completely right away. He wants to give them a chance, however, and make sure he really likes her like that before saying "I love you" to her. He knows he cares for a her a lot and that she is extremely important to him, I think that is perfectly believable for Ash to say he doesn't know what love feels like yet, and I hope you readers feel the same way. Expect more amourshipping moments in future chapters as Ash tries to sort out his feelings for Serena. Hopefully, you guys won't have to wait too long for Ash to return Serena's feelings.<strong>

**On a different note, if you haven't voted in the poll, please do so. I am still accepting suggestions from anyone who has an idea for something Serena can do other than a Battle Chateau if they don't like Pokemon Performing. There is still some time left, but it will be closed when I complete the Kanto arc.**

**The next chapter will come out next Tuesday and I will see you all then. Please enjoy the rest of your week.**

**Chapter 41: Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon!**

_**Answering the Questions:**_

_Will it actually be explained why Prof. Ivy turns Brock blue instead of never ending suspense?_

_**If I can think of something believable, then yes.**_

_When Ash gets possessed in the Battle Frontier, will Serena be the most affected by this?_

_**I never said Ash would be possessed by the King of Pokelantis in this story, but if he does, then sure.**_

_Will Ash's aura powers be shown when his emotions get big, like say if he gets very anxiety or angry?_

_**Emotional highs are the only ways Ash can awaken his aura powers since he can't control them properly yet. I'm not sure about breaking things, though.**_

_Isn't Red supposed to be training on Mt. Silver?_

_**This is fanfiction. Red can be wherever I desire him to be. He might be on Mt. Silver, he might not be. Despite this, his absence is explained later on.**_

_How likely is it that a member of the group will get a Gardevoir?_

_**I'd say there is a pretty good chance in Hoenn that someone in the group gets a Gardevoir.**_

_How many more of the heroes' Pokemon will evolve by the end of this arc?_

_**Ash: 3**_

_**Serena: 1**_

_**Brock: 0**_

_**Misty: 1**_

_So will we see a confrontation between Ash and Gary when they are preparing for the Pokémon league?_

_**The two are on better terms now than in the anime so not a confrontation, maybe some small teasing in classic Gary Oak style, though.**_

_Will we get the story from Ash's mother and will it result in tension between them?_

_**The story will definitely be revealed before long. It will not be in the way you expect, however. As far as tension between the two, you will just have to see what it is and how Ash reacts to it.**_

_Do you have any plans on Ash catching a Legendary?_

_**Nope. Not yet. Just befriending them.**_

_Can Serena get an Absol?_

_**Absol is a cool Pokemon so someone might definitely get one in Hoenn.**_

_Are you going to change some of the outcomes in the Pokemon movies?_

_**For some, their overall outcomes might remain the same, but some will be changed a little bit. I already have two in mind where I change the ending slightly.**_

_Will some of the Pokemon evolve in a hilarious setting in your stories?_

_**I'm not sure yet. The concept is definitely funny and interesting. I just have to find a proper Pokemon and proper setting.**_

_Do you plan to have Serena learn about her psychic abilities in an epic way like Ash discovered his?_

_**I suppose that depends on what you mean by "epic". She will definitely discover her powers under a very special and intense occasion.**_

_If you can design a Pokemon game or change just one thing from the anime what would it be?_

_**Oh my goodness, I can think of several things I would change about the anime, but if I had to just pick one, Ash would not be a perpetual ten year old. On a different note, try to leave questions like that in a PM rather than a review as it has nothing to do with the story.**_

_Will a psychic master like Sabrina or Anabel help Serena with her new psychic abilities?_

_**Yes, they will. However, Yellow will still be Serena's main trainer.**_

_When Serena masters her psychic abilities, although that would be WAY off in the future, will she get a psychic pokemon that will act in the same relation that Riley would have with his Lucario, or that Ash would have with the Lucario that he MIGHT get?_

_**Yes, that is a strong possibility. I even think I know which psychic Pokemon to get for her if I choose to do that.**_

_Is there any particular reason why you can't continue Battle Chateaus beyond Kanto because I see no reason why you can't?_

_**The way I have the Battle Chateau in my story is have it introduced as a very new concept. At the beginning of the story when Serena first discovered it, it was said to have only been around for six months and started in Kanto with the first set. With Kanto only being the trial versions of it, it would take a few years to start to take off in other regions so they simply won't be in other regions as they haven't been built yet. They will pop up occasionally in other regions, but won't be as big as in Kanto by the time the group gets there. The biggest reason why I'm not doing the Battle Chateau, however, is because I'm getting rather bored of writing about it. It was quite difficult for me to write Serena's latest Chateau challenge because I'm running out of ideas for it. I need something that can change the pace of the same old "dress up, battle in a tournament" formula. If I carried this into the other regions, I have no doubt that you readers would get bored of it eventually also, even though you aren't yet. I'm not as worried about this with Ash's gym challenges due to how fleshed out many personalities of the gym leaders are to keep them interesting, and I'm not worried about this with May or Dawn with how versatile contests can be, and they have some pretty interesting rivals, namely Harley. I'll have a blast writing about him when I get there eventually. The only rival Serena has right now is Calem who I also don't plan on doing the Battle Chateau either as he makes later appearances in the series. She has already made peace with Miette so they don't have a super rivalry anymore. I need something that can stay dynamic for Serena and not the same stagnant formula. Honestly, I think Pokemon Performances seem very versatile and can keep me entertained as I write about them which will, of course, keep you awesome readers entertained, as well. Regardless of whether the polls turn up yay or nay with Serena being a performer, I simply can't carry out the Battle Chateau idea anymore without yawning so it will have to be something else. Not to mention, a lot of Pokemon I have gotten for Serena fit perfectly with Pokemon Performing: A Charmeleon that likes fashion, a graceful Gloom that eventually becomes a (COUGH), a playful, energetic Eevee, and a singing Jigglypuff. That being said, if Serena does do Performing, there will be some battle tournaments to do on the side for her so the battling won't be completely abandoned. I hope you all enjoyed this long-winded explanation.**_

_Is there going to be a chapter soon that has Ash and Red meeting, and shows just how damaged their relationship is? Will Red ever redeem himself for neglecting Ash?_

_**There might be. ;) It's a surprise.**_

_If Ash gets a glalie will Serena get a frosslass?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Do you not yet know what Pokémon everyone will get in the regions, or are you just saying 'maybe' to all the "Will 'this person' get 'this Pokémon'?" questions to avoid spoiling the story?_

_**A bit of both actually. Most Pokemon people ask me to get when I'm late in a region like this won't happen because I already have the roster set up so that leads to the next region. Some Pokemon I just simply haven't thought about them getting yet while a few select others they will get, but I don't want to spoil the story. I prefer it to be a surprise about which non canon Pokemon the group gets.**_

_Will someone get a Makuhita?_

_**Ahahahahahahahaha! As you expect the answer is "Maybe".**_

_Will Miette make another appearance in Kanto or some other time in the future?_

_**She will have a brief cameo in Kanto, and there is a "very" slim possibility of her having an appearance in Johto, but don't hold your breath. She and Serena's rivalry has been pretty much laid to rest.**_

_When will Serena discover her "special gifts?"_

_**It's a secret. **_

_Will Ash be aura training in the other arcs?_

_**Yes, but his real training won't begin until the Sinnoh Arc. He will still have sporadic bursts of his aura appearing. Ash taps into his aura two more times in the Kanto arc, and will have it happen once or twice in Orange Islands. After that, it's not for certain.**_


	41. Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon!

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm glad all of you enjoyed the confession chapter! It's all downhill from here with Serena. What on Earth could possibly cause Ash to realize his feelings for her? Future chapters will tell. **

**On a different note, I'm quite proud with how this chapter turned out as it is quite action packed. Please enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 41: Attack of the Prehistoric Pokemon!<p>

"Serena," Ash gently whispered as he pulled her close and looked her straight in the eye. "You are the girl of my dreams. Every moment we spent together have been the most precious moments of my life."

"Really?" Serena asked. She was at a complete loss at what to say right now. She felt utterly breathless. She then looked at the scenery they were in. They were in a flowery field with several grass-Pokemon slow dancing. There was a gentle breeze, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was shining and smiling down upon them. The weather was perfect.

"Yes," Ash confirmed. "I don't know how I could have missed it before. Serena, I love you."

Serena immediately got an overjoyed expression on her face once Ash said that. Serena never thought she would hear those words come from Ash's mouth, but here he was! He finally realized his feelings for her, as well! She had been waiting for this moment for a very long time! This was the happiest day in her life!

"Oh, Ash! I love you, too!" Serena squealed with delight as she embraced him tightly in a hug.

She then looked at Ash while he stared back at her. They were suddenly alone with no one else or any Pokemon there. The weather was still fantastic, though. Ash then leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. Once his lips made contact, Serena thought she was in heaven, like she could reach the moon! This was like a dream! She felt herself fainting and everything was black…

"Serena, wake up," Ash said gently.

Serena felt like she couldn't. She wanted to say in Ash's arms.

"Serena, wake up," Ash said gently again. Wait. Was that even Ash's voice?

"Mmm," Serena mumbled. "Ash…"

"Ash?" the voice asked. "I'm not Ash! I'm Misty!"

"Huh?!" Serena exclaimed as she opened her eyes and saw Misty staring back above her. She wasn't Ash!

"Heehee! It seems you was having a fantasy dream about a certain someone," Misty giggled.

Serena looked around at her surroundings and saw she was at the Big Riddle Inn. She let out a pouting look when she saw Ash was nowhere in sight and blushed in embarrassment. No wonder it felt like a dream to kiss Ash! That's because it was only a dream, after all! Couldn't Misty have let her sleep just a little bit longer? Well, at least Misty didn't have a bone club to hit her with in order wake her like Cubone did yesterday.

"You sure have been a late riser lately," Misty commented with a smile.

"I suppose I've just been tired," Serena yawned as she sat up in bed. It was then she was joined by Cubone hopping on the bed before running over to give its mommy a good morning hug, which she returned. It wasn't like that was lie. The past few nights she had been up later than normal. Two nights ago she was thinking hard about her birthday and how she would tell Ash her feelings, and last night she was up late dancing and talking with Ash. They had stayed in the lobby until almost midnight.

"Anyway, I was waking you up because I just got a call from Brock," Mist informed her. "He said the scientist at the research lab called him and said the fossils are almost ready. He wants us to be witnesses to the creation of them."

"Really?!" Serena asked excitedly, now fully awake. Her Helix fossil was almost ready!?

"Yep!" Misty confirmed with a smile. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Serena hastily got out of her bed before getting her clothes and going to the bathroom to change. This was going to be so exciting!

* * *

><p>"This is going to be so cool! A prehistoric fossil coming to life as living, breathing Pokemon!" Ash exclaimed as they trekked towards the Cinnabar Island lab.<p>

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed.

"I can't wait to see what kinds of foods and training techniques my Kabuto will respond to," Brock added.

The group was at the research lab within the next few minutes. They were just about to knock on the door when the mad scientist from before burst the doors open, completely startling them. Did he have visions of when they would arrive or something?

"Ah! Welcome! Welcome! I was worried you wouldn't get here in time! This way! This way!" he cried as he practically dragged them in.

"Easy!" Misty said as she was pulled along.

"No time! The fossils are almost ready! You don't want to miss this!" the eager scientist responded quickly as they hurried to the resurrection room.

They soon came upon the room where the resurrection machine was at. There were several workers at the lab already in room, waiting in anticipation for what was about to take place. The group felt really lucky that they would be among the first to ever see this machine work. They were actually going to see a Pokemon from prehistoric times come to life!

The large machine, meanwhile, was making all kinds of weird noises. It shook a little, and steam blew from the top. It actually looked rather cartoonish the way the machine was moving around so weirdly. It was almost be comical if it wasn't for the ground breaking discovery taking place.

"The Dome Fossil will be ready first! This is it!" one scientist at the computer announced.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a conveyor belt began sliding forward as the dome fossil rolled out from it. The conveyor belt stopped…and the Dome Fossil was exactly as it was before.

"Uh…is it supposed to do that?" Ash muttered. Talk about a dud.

"Hush, young man! Just be patient! The beta machine worked. This one will, too!" the scientist told him as he motioned his arms up and down to quiet him.

A few seconds later, the dome fossil began to glow and change shape. It grew slightly larger as claws began to form from it. The shell on the fossil was becoming more pronounced as the fossil continued to mutate.

"Amazing," Serena whispered as she and the others watched in awe.

The dome fossil stopped glowing, and what stood in its place was living, breathing Kabuto!

The group was dumbfounded, to say the least. It wasn't like they weren't expecting the machine to work. It was just actually seeing something like this in person was completely overwhelming. The machine actually worked!

The Kabuto blinked a few times before settling down on its six legs, hiding its face. It looked rather confused by all the people around it.

For a while, nobody said anything and then…

"Oh! This is marvelous! Simply marvelous!" the head scientist exclaimed joyfully as he burst into a fit of crying. "My machine actually worked. My life's study finally paid off! That Kabuto is so beautiful! It's flawless!"

"This is incredible! Well done, doctor! We did it!" another scientist smiled while the others began to clap and shake each other's hands

"Where is the young man who gave me the dome fossil again?" the head scientist asked with glee.

"Um…right here," Brock said timidly. He was just as excited as everyone else at the moment, but the head scientist's eccentricity was rather intimidating.

"Don't be shy! Come this way! Meet your new Pokemon!" the scientist said as he reached out and dragged Brock by the arm over to the Kabuto still on the conveyor belt.

Brock looked down and inspected the Kabuto while it was still hiding its face under the dome shell. It was so unreal to see something like this for the first time. Deciding to put his Pokemon breeding skills to the test, Brock figured he would make the first move.

"Hello there, Kabuto! My name is Brock! It's nice to meetcha!" he introduced with what he believed to be an inviting smile.

The Kabuto looked up from underneath its shell and gave Brock a curious glance with its glowing, red eyes. It didn't seem to know what to make of the situation.

"Let me be the first to give you warm welcome to the modern world!" Brock said as he picked up the dome Pokemon.

The Kabuto, however, didn't take to kindly to being picked up like that. It then clamped down on Brock's index finger with two of its six claws in retaliation.

"Yeowwww!" Brock cried as he shook his finger in an attempt to make Kabuto let go of his finger

The shellfish Pokemon soon relented and quit pinching Brock's finger. It fell to the floor where it once again hid its face from view of everyone.

Brock rubbed his sore finger before deciding to try again. He then knelt down and gave another smile at Kabuto. "Sorry about that Kabuto. I guess this whole situation is a little overwhelming for you. Why don't we start over? Like I said, my name is Brock, and I look forward to all the adventures we will have together!"

The Kabuto once again peered out from underneath its shell as it stared at Brock curiously once more. It then crawled over to Brock before staring more. It then reached out and lightly poked Brock with its claws, almost as if it were testing to see if he would attack or not. It then looked up at Brock again before nodding its head.

"Kabutoooo," it muttered in its low voice.

"There you go!" Brock smiled. He was about to get to know his Pokemon more but was interrupted by one of the scientists crying out once more.

"The Helix Fossil is coming out next!" he yelled as he watched what was going on inside the machine from the computer again.

Everyone turned in anticipation for the next Pokemon to be revived from a fossil. The Helix Fossil soon rolled out like the Dome Fossil before it. The people in the room once again eagerly awaited once the fossil began to glow and change shape. It grew larger, and what looked like tiny tentacles and a body emerged from the shell. The Helix fossil quit glowing, and an Omanyte was now its place.

"Omm," the newly revived Pokemon uttered, also in a low tone.

"Oh my goodness! How wonderful! This is amazing!" the hyper scientist cried again. He then turned to Serena and made a grab for her. "Come here, young lady! Meet your new Pokemon!"

"That's okay! I can walk there myself!" Serena quickly said with a sweatdrop as she recoiled from the scientist's attempted grab to pull her like he did to Brock.

"Well, come on then!" the scientist replied anyway as he hurried over to the Omanyte with Serena behind him.

The Omanyte continued to stare at its surrounding until its eyes landed on Serena. It was rather uncomfortable at the moment, almost like it had awoken from an extremely deep sleep, and found itself in unfamiliar territory.

Despite this, Serena attempted a gesture of friendship to the Kabuto. "It's nice to meet you, Omanyte. I'm Serena. I hope we can be great friends," she said.

The Omanyte stared at Serena appraisingly for a moment, but not doing much else. Then, without warning, it leaped into the air much faster than one would expect from a being with a large shell on its back. It then turned sideways and clung itself onto Serena's face with its tentacles, almost completely covering her head.

"Aaaah!" Serena cried as she tried to pull the Omanyte off of her face. It felt really slimy, and those tentacles felt really creepy on her face. Ash went over and attempted to help her, but the Omanyte held firm.

"Bone Bone!" Cubone began yelling at the Omanyte.

"Well, I guess Omanyte and Serena will be bonding just fine," Misty muttered as she watched the display. Maybe it was for the best that she chose not to have one of the fossils, after all.

Ash and Serena were finally able to pry Omanyte off where Ash then gently set it down on the floor. Serena was rather disgusted at the moment. She didn't mind Pokemon touching her, but to have something like that on her face with those tentacles was just…eww.

Serena was handed a paper towel by one of the scientist's so she could wipe her face clean. She then felt the tentacles upon her again and saw Omanyte was clinging to her leg this time. Well, at least it wasn't her face again.

"I guess that's just Omanyte's way of saying it likes you, Serena," Ash guessed.

"Yeah," Serena muttered as she watched the affectionate Pokemon. It certainly wasn't how she would expect something like a prehistoric Pokemon to act.

Cubone, meanwhile, glared at the Omanyte for being what it considered too…attached to her. Serena was ITS mommy. It was about to go up to Omanyte and smack it with its bone, but was quickly held back by its big brother, Pikachu. Cubone snorted in defeat once it saw that it would be a losing battle against the rodent. It would be keeping a jealous eye on the Omanyte, though.

"Everyone! Come quick! The Old Amber Fossil will be coming out shortly!" one of the scientists at the computer called once again.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Misty asked the head scientist. She had read about how terrifying an Aerodactyl was. There was also the fact that it was a carnivore. There were many people in this room…and…

"Nonsense! Of course it is!" the scientist replied. "We have our own Aerodactyl we received from the beta machine that we have had no problems with! It's only natural that this one will be okay as well!"

The machine was making a lot more noise than it had been with the Helix and Dome fossils. After a short while, the old Amber fossil rolled out on the conveyor belt like the previous ones.

"Ash," Serena nervously said as she clung to his arm for support. She was pretty apprehensive all of the sudden. She remembered how she read about them in the museum. The words Ash said to her about it fresh in her mind almost like it was yesterday.

"_Don't worry, Serena. This Pokemon is long gone. It's not like we will ever meet a real one face-to-face!" Ash had said._

Well, that statement just went flying out the window.

"It will be okay, Serena," Ash assured as he rubbed her arm soothingly.

Pikachu was back on Ash's shoulder as it watched with an intense expression its face. It would be prepared to protect everyone if necessary. One could never be too careful when it came to dealing with something as unpredictable as an Aerodactyl was supposed to be.

All eyes were glued on the Old Amber fossil as it began to glow and change form. It began to grow much larger than both Omanyte and Kabuto were combined. What looked like huge, scaly wings emerged from the fossil as it continued to take shape. Soon, the fossil quit mutating, and an Aerodactyl was now in its place.

Serena took a step back at how frightening the Pokemon looked. The picture that was in the Pewter Museum didn't seem to do the real thing justice. It was much more intimidating in person. Pikachu sparked its cheeks as it was prepared to protect everyone in case something went wrong.

Aerodactyl gave a huge yawn as it if were waking up from a deep sleep. It then looked at all of the people whom were staring at it, as if watching it to see if it would make a move. Its eyes then landed on a raven-haired boy whom was giving it a very serious look. What was that expression for? The Aerodactly looked away from the boy and continued to stare at its surroundings before it did something everyone completely wasn't expecting. It smiled?!

"Uh…what?" Ash questioned as he and everyone else in the group sweatdropped. Out of all of the outcomes that could have happened, they weren't expecting that!

"This is wonderful!" the scientist exclaimed once again! "This is truly greater than I ever could have hoped for! Is my machine amazing or what!? I'm the greatest ever!"

"He sure knows how to brag about himself," Misty muttered in slight disgust at the scientist's arrogance.

Aerodactyl took a tentative step off of the conveyor belt and stretched its wings. This place felt rather small for it to freely roam. Despite this, it gave everyone a…friendly…expression as if to greet them.

"Aeroooo," it cried happily.

"I guess it's safe to go over and meet it?" Ash guessed as he made his way over to it. He then turned to Serena. "Do you want to come?"

"Umm…no thanks, Ash. I'm good," Serena replied nervously.

"Serena, I'm here. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," Ash told her as he held his hand out to her.

Serena stared at the open gesture for a moment before she was suddenly reminded to the summer camp. Every time Ash held his hand out to her, whether it be for a dance, or just to hold it, it was like that was Ash's way of saying "Trust me". She smiled and nodded her head before taking ahold of it. She was already comforted by Ash's touch. They both began to make their way towards the seemingly friendly Aerodactyl, but it was impeded slightly as Omanyte was still clung to Serena's leg, which made it slightly hard to walk.

They approached the Aerodactyl who stared at them with an interested expression. Not knowing what else to say to the Pokemon, Ash introduced himself.

"Hi."

"_Lame," _everyone else thought in deadpan tone and a mental eye roll.

Aerodactyl tilted its head in wonder before nodding back at Ash. Feeling encouraged, Ash decided to extend his hand in friendship towards the prehistoric Pokemon. Knowing it would be impossible for Aerodactyl to shake his hand back since it only had wings, Ash figured the Pokemon would know it's the thought that counts. As if reading Ash's mind, the Aerodactly once more nodded its head to Ash.

"Young man. That is very impressive," one of the scientists commented, "Being able to become friends with such a supposedly dangerous Pokemon."

"See, Serena? Everything was okay, after all," Ash told her. "Why don't you try saying hello to Aerodactyl?"

Serena took a slow step forward and gave a nervous smile at the Aerodactyl. It actually gave her a smile in return. As Serena and the Aerodactyl looked at each other, she was thinking she really misjudged the prehistoric Pokemon. Maybe they were actually a lot less terrifying than the archeologists and historians made them out to be, particularly Aerodactyl. She was expecting a ferocious, wild, man-eating Pokemon, but Aerodactyl was acting completely the opposite. Maybe her fears were misplaced. It would be possible to live in a world with Pokemon of the past, despite their initial intimidating appearance.

It was then Aerodactyl began stepping towards the scientists that were in the room right now. They were hastily writing down notes on a notepad. Besides occasionally looking down to see what they wrote, they weren't taking their eyes off of the Aerodactyl. The real machine working was a scientific breakthrough. This would make worldwide news! No one seemed to notice how close Aerodactyl was standing to the main computer. One giant flap of its wings could destroy it.

As Serena was contemplating these thoughts, the Omanyte that was clung to her leg began to crawl further upward. It was going up much further than what was Serena's comfort level. She began to pull on Omanyte once again, trying to get the affectionate Pokemon off of her. She was glad that Omanyte was friendly, but it couldn't be stuck to her forever.

Cubone's glare intensified greatly. This Omanyte was trying to steal its mommy's affection, but she was saying no! It still was continuing to bother her, though! It would show this Pokemon! Cubone tightened its grip on its bone before throwing it straight towards the mollusk-like Pokemon. Serena turned and let out a shriek when she saw Cubone's bone spiraling towards her. She spun out of the way as it continued on forwards. The bone began to arch upward. It was going further and further, straight towards the main computer.

The scientists let out a gasp as the bone struck the motherboard of the computer, causing several sparks of electricity to fly out. They then began to strike Aerodactyl continuously due to its close proximity to the short-circuited machine. Aerodactyl let out a cry of pain as it tried to get away from the computer, but then the computer let out a huge jolt of electricity which caused everyone else in the room to duck in order to avoid it. Aerodactyl, however, got the full force and was engulfed in electricity.

"Aeeeroooo!" it screamed in anguish. The prehistoric Pokemon then collapsed onto the ground, causing a loud thud due to its size. The computer then quit emitting sparks and was still.

"Aerodactyl!" Ash shouted as he ran towards the fallen Pokemon, Pikachu on his heels.

There was bit of chaos going on in the room. A few scientists were in a desperate attempt to fix the main computer which powered all of their machines. A few had left the room in order find a suitable place for Aerodactyl to rest, while others were trying to find various medicines to give it to help it recover from the shock.

Cubone, meanwhile, looked down in slight shame at the trouble it had caused. It was becoming too jealous and just caused trouble for everyone else in the room and hurt that big Pokemon in the process. It then looked and saw Omanyte was now off of Serena's leg and was just simply standing there with Kabuto, observing the happenings.

Serena, meanwhile, walked over to Cubone and picked it up. Cubone stared up at its surrogate mother in sadness about what she may do, but it never came. A noise from the Aerodactyl caused everyone to turn their eyes back towards it.

"Aerodactyl, are you okay?" Ash asked once the Pokemon began to stir slightly.

Aerodactyl then opened its eyes and looked at Ash, but there was a completely different look in its eyes now. No longer did they harbor the friendliness or curiousness they once held. The look in its eyes now showed anger, wildness, and…hunger.

"Um…Aerodactyl?" Ash asked with wariness as he took a step back at the Pokemon's sudden change in attitude. Pikachu ran in front of Ash defensively.

"Ash, get back!" he heard Brock warn.

As soon as Brock said that, Aerodactyl sprang to its feet and let out an earsplitting screech, causing everyone to cover their ears at the loud noise. It then gave a mighty flap of its wings which destroyed the rest of the main computer.

"We need to get out of here!" Misty screamed as she and everyone else made a dash for the exit.

Aerodactyl then let out another mighty screech and fired a Hyper Beam at the ceiling, completely destroying the area around it.

"How could this have happened?" the head scientist muttered to himself as he watched the disaster taking place. "This wasn't how it was supposed to be."

"Sir, we have to get out here!" one of his assistants yelled frantically as he tugged on his master's sleeve in effort to get him to move.

Seeing how the head scientist wasn't moving, another assistant had to come and help the other pull him along to the exit. He was just in too big of shock to move by himself. His life's work and creation, completely snuffed out because of one mishap. It was devastating to him.

Aerodactyl then fired a Hyper Beam at the resurrection machine which immediately blew the contraption to bits. It then spotted Ash who was one of the last ones leaving the room, and its eyes narrowed. It then flapped its scaly wings once more and began stomping towards Ash, completely ignoring the debris that was now falling around it from the half destroyed ceiling.

"Look out, Ash!" Serena screamed.

Ash turned around as his eyes widened when he saw Aerodactyl coming right for him. He then began to make a mad dash for the door, but the prehistoric Pokemon was gaining on him fast.

"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"Pikachuuuu!" the rodent screamed as it leaped off of Ash's shoulder and launched the electric attack.

Aerodactyl gave a roar of pain once the electricity connected with it. It wasn't extremely injured, but it was stunned enough for Ash to make it the rest of the way out of the room. He and the rest of the group and scientists continued to hurry towards the exit. Brock was holding Kabuto while Serena held Cubone. Omanyte was clinging to her back this time, but she hardly paid it any mind. The building continued to shake at the havoc Aerodactyl was causing in the large back room.

Once everyone made it outside, they breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they had gotten away from the Pokemon. It would eventually wear itself out, and they could go back in. That was until the saw another Hyper Beam launch through the air, creating an even bigger hole in the roof. Just because it was too big to fit through a normal door didn't mean it couldn't find a way out of the building somehow. Everyone gasped once Aerodactyl flew from the new hole seconds later. It then stood on the roof and let out another earsplitting scream.

The noise caused by the Aerodactyl alerted all the people nearby. They turned towards the noise and started screaming and pointing at the Aerodactyl as it stared menacingly at all of its surroundings. It then took flight and began flying towards all of the people below it.

"Look out!" Brock yelled as he and everyone else ducked to avoid Aerodactyl's clawed feet.

It then swooped back into the air and shot another Hyper Beam towards the ground, causing everyone to jump out of the way from the large explosion. A regular Pokemon wouldn't be able to launch so many Hyper Beams in a row, but Aerodactyl was so unstable from just being resurrected that it didn't know it needed time for rest, also. That could end up being dangerous for its health, as well as everyone else.

"We've got to stop Aerodactyl before it hurts anyone!" Ash said as he stood back up. "Pidgeotto, Charmeleon, Haunter, I choose you!"

"Charla, Scyther, Jigglypuff, go!" Serena cried.

"Go, Golbat!" Brock yelled.

"Misty calls Staryu and Starmie!" Misty yelled as she released the two starfish Pokemon.

"Okay, guys! We need anyone who can fly to try to stop Aerodactyl. Everyone on the ground needs to keep shooting long-range attacks at it to keep it from moving," Ash yelled the plan.

The Pokemon nodded before doing their respective duties. Despite the number of Pokemon it was now facing, Aerodactyl didn't seem the least bit intimidated. If anything, it only appeared to get even more fired up. It screeched again and launched another Hyper Beam at its opponents. The aerial Pokemon flew out of the way and began launching their attacks at it. Aerodactyl was an extremely quick Pokemon, however, and skillfully dodged every attack aimed at it.

By now, a huge crowd was beginning to form now that the news had gotten around the island that a wild, prehistoric Pokemon was on the loose. Everyone was having mixed reactions to the situation. Some were terrified for their life, some were videotaping it, while others could do nothing but stare in awe at the prehistoric Pokemon.

Officer Jenny soon pulled up to the scene in her motorcycle accompanied by a few other police officers. "Everyone, find shelter! We will take care of this threat!" she stated.

"What are you going to do to it?" Serena asked.

"We are going to tranquilize it, and take it away to a secured place to keep it under surveillance until it's stable," Officer Jenny answered as she drew her gun. The police officers behind her pulled their special tranquilizing guns after her.

Everyone took Officer Jenny's warning and began to flee from the scene. The group called off their flying Pokemon so they would be out of the line of fire from the tranquilizing cartridges. Ash couldn't help but feel sorry for the Aerodactyl as he, his friends, and Pokemon ran away from it. The Pokemon had started off so friendly, but its lack of rational feelings yet got the better of it so it went on a rampage once it felt threatened.

Officer Jenny and the other police officers took aim at the Aerodactyl as it continued to fly around wildly in the sky. They would have to make a perfect shot due to how quick it was.

"Fire!" Officer Jenny cried as they shot their first round at the rampaging Pokemon.

The tranquilizing cartridges soared through the air. Many of them missed, but a few were able to connect. Unfortunately, the ones that hit were only able to get it in the wings. Since there was only skin where Aerodactyl's wings were, the cartridges weren't able to do a thing. Aerodactyl yelled in pain before glaring at the needles in its wings. It then yanked them out with its mouth and flung them into the air before roaring in anger once more. Officer Jenny was about to order another round of fire, but Aerodactyl launched another Hyper Beam at the group of police officers. They managed to get out of the way of the actual blast, but shock still knocked them off of their feet.

"Officer Jenny!" Brock cried once he saw her fall and hit the ground in pain.

"Uh..," Officer Jenny groaned once she stood up. She turned towards her tranquilizer and gasped when she saw it was busted due to the force from the Hyper Beam and slamming onto the ground. It was no good anymore! She then pulled out a walkie talkie and began yelling into it.

"Everyone! Get away! I declare a state of emergency for Cinnabar Island as long as this thing is loose! Call in reinforcements from other towns! We need to keep Aerodactyl contained at all costs!" she yelled, her voice blaring over various intercoms on the island.

Aerodactyl once more dove towards the ground again, heading for the police officers. They dodged its attempted attack as it swooped to the sky. It then flew onto a nearby building and began panting heavily. It was beginning to get tired due to its unstable body and amount of Hyper Beams it was using.

Ash decided this was a good time to try to attack it again while it was being still. The group's Pokemon then dove after it while a few other trainers who were nearby released their Pokemon as well. Aerodactyl took to the sky once more and swatted at the Pokemon with its scaly wings. They weren't going to back down though and launched their various attacks at it. Aerodactyl was much slower to dodge this time around so a few of the attacks were managing to hit it.

Ash's Charmeleon then ran to where Aerodactyl was and delivered a perfectly aimed Flamethrower at it. The training with moving targets it had as a Charmander were really paying off. Aerodactyl roared in pain once more as the attack hit its midsection. It then gave a death glare at Charmeleon before dive bombing straight for it, completely knocking the other flying Pokemon out of the way in rage despite their attempts to stop it.

"Get out of the way, Charmeleon!" Ash warned, but the stubborn Pokemon held firm.

It launched another Flamethrower at the prehistoric Pokemon, but it was quick to dodge it. It then collided right into Charmeleon which knocked it several yards back and onto the ground. It then stood over Charmeleon and prepared a Hyper Beam to hit it at point black range. Charmeleon's eyes widened in terror at what was about to happen.

"Charmeleon, no!" Ash yelled in worry. "Help it Pikachu!"

Pikachu leaped off of Ash's shoulder and began running to help its friend as fast as it could.

Seeing the peril its boyfriend was in, Charla dashed over faster than a one could think a Charmeleon could run. It reached Charmeleon before Pikachu and delivered a Metal Claw to Aerodactyl while its back was turned. The Pokemon screamed in agony before knocking Charla away with its large tail and taking to the sky once again.

"Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash yelled to it once it was underneath Aerodactyl.

The yellow rodent unleashed its electrical attack. It seared through the air and struck the Aerodactyl head on. The Pokemon screamed once more from the super effective attack. It then began panting heavily once more as it began to fall through the ground. Everyone watched as the predator continued to spiral through the air until it hit the ground where it didn't move. The rampaging Pokemon had finally stopped.

People slowly began to emerge from their hiding spots once the Aerodactyl had fallen silent. Its unstable body must have finally given in to the stress of the attacks before it finally fainted from clear exhaustion. A weak body would normally be unfavorable for a Pokemon, but it worked in everyone's advantage as it seemed to be the only way to finally stop.

"Is it…over?" Serena asked timidly.

"I think so," Ash replied as he breathed a sigh of relief.

The group was soon joined by their Pokemon as they stood by their trainers to observe the fallen predator. They hadn't faced an opponent that tough in a while. It wasn't so much that Aerodactyl was the strongest as it was the wildest and most violent thing they had faced.

"We need to contain the Aerodactyl," Officer Jenny said as she turned to her fellow police officers. She then addressed the few trainers who had helped out in the Aerodactyl fight. "Does anyone have a spare pokeball they are willing to part with?"

"I do," Ash responded as he handed her one. It was supposed to be his Pokemon, but it looks like unforeseen circumstances had changed that.

"Thank you, young man," Officer Jenny responded to him before going over to the Aerodactyl.

Ash followed her over to the Aerodactyl and looked down at it. He felt pity for the Pokemon. He didn't know if it once lived as a Pokemon before or if this was its first time at life. Regardless, it still wouldn't have a chance to fully live out its life because of how dangerous it was. As Officer Jenny prepared to use the pokeball, they didn't seem to notice Aerodactyl's wing move slightly beside it.

Serena did, however. "Ash!" she screamed as she shot forward to get to him, alerting him and everyone else surrounding them.

The moment's distraction was all Aerodactyl needed to knock the pokeball out of Officer Jenny's hand with its wing. Officer Jenny screamed in pain as her hand was almost taken off by the powerful swipe. Her hand had three deep gashes in them and was bleeding profusely. It then jumped to its feet, and its attention then shifted to Ash at it made a lunge for him with its clawed feet.

Ash stood frozen in fear as he saw Aerodactyl reaching out to grab him. He didn't know quite what to do. Even if he would attempt to run away, Aerodactyl would still get him. What's worse is if Ash moved, Aerodactyl's aim would be off, and it would slice him open rather than just grab him.

Just before Aerodactyl's claws reached Ash, he felt himself shoved out of the way rather forcefully. As he turned in surprise, he found the force was Serena. He continued to fall backwards until he hit the ground as his eyes widened in terror. Serena had a relieved look on her face for just split second until Aerodactyl grabbed her in its claws. The whole event seemed to happen in slow motion when in reality, it had been less than three seconds.

"Serena!" Ash cried as Aerodactyl took gave powerful flap of its wings and attempted to head for the sky again.

It hadn't captured Ash, but this was an okay substitute for it. Ash wasn't about to let Aerodactyl get away though. As Aerodactyl flew from the ground, Ash grabbed onto its tail and was brought along for the ride, as well.

Aerodactyl gave another screech and turned in anger when it saw Ash was hanging onto its long tail. It arched its body sideways and attempted to snap at Ash with its big jaws. Ash saw the attack coming and swung himself out of the way using Aerodactyl's tail. The prehistoric Pokemon snapped at Ash once again, but Ash was able to dodge that one, also. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever, though. Aerodactyl then began to fly off Cinnabar Island over the ocean.

"Cubone!" the lonely Pokemon cried in despair when it saw its parents being carried off.

"Red Alert! Two people have been captured by that Aerodactyl! Do whatever you have to do to bring it down!" Officer Jenny yelled into her walkie talkie despite the intense pain she was in from her bleeding hand.

"Go Goldeen!" Misty yelled as she released the fish Pokemon before addressing Staryu and Starmie Pokemon out of their pokeballs. "Chase after that Aerodactyl! Don't let it get away!"

Her Pokemon nodded and shot after the Aerodactyl as fast as they could swim. The flying Pokemon that were out of their pokeballs went after them as well. The two Charmeleon and Pikachu decided to come along, as well. Serena's Scyther carried Charla while Brock's Golbat carried Charmeleon, and Haunter carried Pikachu.

The trainers and police officers then gathered around the beach of Cinnabar Island to watch the events take place.

Aerodactyl turned and cried out in anger once again when it saw the other Pokemon were still chasing it. It launched another Hyper Beam at the Pokemon which created another explosion in the sky. Once the smoke cleared, they were nowhere to be seen. Thinking it had lost them, Aerodactyl flew to a large rock sticking out of the water for a rest. It then glared menacingly at Serena while its mouth watered. Serena stared fearfully back. It looked like her being eaten by a prehistoric Pokemon wasn't that far out of a possibility, after all.

"Unhand Serena, Aerodactyl!" Ash yelled as he let go its tail and ran up to it.

That was a bad idea. Aerodactyl immediately kicked Ash with its clawed feet, which knocked him onto the rocky surface.

"Ash!" Serena screamed, but got no response.

Aerodactyl then shifted its attention back to Serena. The honey-blonde haired girl couldn't help but feel this was it. She frantically looked towards Ash and saw him lying there unconscious. Was this really where it all ended?!

"Please, Ash! Wake up!" Serena screamed again, but Ash was just as motionless as he was before.

Aerodactyl lunged forward to devour Serena. The girl shut her eyes tight and braced herself, but it never came. She heard several yells nearby and cracked her eyes open to see all of the flying Pokemon coming towards them. Charla and Charmeleon both launched a Flamethrower from the backs of the Pokemon who were carrying them while Pikachu let loose a Thunderbolt. Aerodactyl dodged and had no choice but to turn away its focus from Serena to deal with these Pokemon again.

The flying Pokemon dropped Charla, Charmeleon, and Pikachu from over head while they continued to circle the rock to keep Aerodactyl from escaping. The two Charmeleon landed on the rocks on their feet. Pikachu went to help Ash while Charla and Charmeleon stood in front of Aerodactyl and glared at it.

"Char…," Charla growled in a warning manner. It wasn't going to let this Pokemon harm its trainer.

"Aerooooo!" Aerodactyl yelled response. It then let go of Serena and stood over Charla and Charmeleon. Serena meanwhile, joined Pikachu in trying to wake Ash.

Charla launched another Flamethrower at Aerodactyl, but the predator Pokemon flew out of the way flew in at Charla to use Wing Attack. Charla leaped out of its range before grabbing its tail while Charmeleon grabbed Aerodactyl's back and used Metal Claw. Aerodactyl yelled in pain and knocked Charmeleon away again with its wings. Charmeleon hit the ground in pain and stared up defiantly at the Aerodactyl while Charla used another Flamethrower at Aerodactyl.

"Uhn….," Ash groaned as he stirred.

"Thank goodness you're awake," Serena sighed

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Pikachu? Serena?" Ash questioned as he sat up and rubbed his head. He then turned and saw Charla and Charmeleon fighting and remembered the situation he was in.

Charla and Charmeleon continued to duel the Aerodactyl. They were getting some good attacks in, but the Aerodactyl would always counter with a much stronger attack. It finally had enough and charged straight at both Pokemon completely surprising them. It grabbed both Pokemon with its clawed feet before slamming them both down on the rocky surface.

Ash and Serena gasped as they saw the brutality of the attack. Charla and Charmeleon gasped in pain from the impact. It was then Aerodactyl grabbed them both again and flung them off the edge of the large rock.

"Charmeleon! Charla!" Ash and Serena screamed as they ran to the edge of the rock and saw their Pokemon groaning in pain on a smaller rock about twenty feet below. They were glad there was more surface underneath them instead of falling in the water, but still knew they both were in great pain.

"Aeroooo!" Aerodactyl cried once again causing their attention to turn back to it. It then lunged at Ash and Serena.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as it leaped at Aerodactyl to prepare a Thunderbolt. Before it was able to launch the attack, Aerodactyl swiped at it with its large, scaly wings like a fly. Pikachu was sent toppling over the edge like Charla and Charmeleon were before it.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried as he watched it fall.

Aerodactyl then looked down at the Pokemon below it to make sure there was no way they could get back up. It was panting heavily and very tired from the energy it's used so far. Charla and Charmeleon had stood back up from the impact and were glaring at the Aerodactyl. They were injured but were still willing to fight. They both blew fire out of their mouths to show their strength and stared back at Aerodactyl indicating they still wanted to battle.

Aerodactyl, meanwhile, wasn't in the mood to fight anymore. It made what seemed like a taunting face at the two weaker Pokemon before turning back to Ash and Serena. It was finally going to enjoy a snack.

Ash and Serena grasped each other tightly. If they were going to die, they were going to die together. The promise they made stood even in the face of death.

Charla and Charmeleon, on the other hand, didn't take too kindly to being mocked by the Aerodactyl. Just because Aerodactyl thought it was stronger than them, it thought it could just blow them off like that?! The two then saw Aerodactyl had once again turned back to Ash and Serena. They had to save their trainers! They weren't about let that Pokemon harm them! They both blew forth a Flamethrower in an effort to get Aerodactyl's attention back to them. The two Flamethrowers struck Aerodactyl in the back. It screeched in anger and turned to glare at the Charmeleon again. It was really getting tired of those two. Maybe if it broke their necks, they would finally leave it alone.

Aerodactyl then took flight and flew towards the two Charmeleon once again with the intent to kill them this time. The two Charmeleon made a sideways glance at each other before nodding. They weren't going to let this Pokemon terrorize anyone any longer! It was then they both began to glow a shining white, startling the Aerodactyl which forced it to stop midflight and hover in confusion.

"Charla and Charmeleon are actually evolving at the same time," Ash said in awe as he and Serena watched from above.

"That's amazing," Misty said as she and Brock watched from the shoreline of Cinnabar Island.

"Piiii," Pikachu muttered as it watched from the side.

The two Pokemon began to grow larger as an extra horn grew on their heads and wings sprouted from their backs. When they finished glowing, two Charizard stood in place where they were! They let both let out a mighty roar and narrowed their eyes at the Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl let out another roar of anger as it once again charged the two Charizard now that the bright light was gone. Its jaws were open and heading straight towards their necks. What it wasn't expecting was the two Charizard to duck underneath it. They grabbed Aerodactyl by its wings and slammed it onto the ground.

While Aerodactyl was stunned, Charla grabbed Pikachu before flying up to save Ash and Serena while Ash's Charizard stayed behind to hold it off. Charla landed in front of Ash and Serena and gave them a nod.

"You've become a Charizard, Charla," Serena breathed in amazement as she stared up at what was once a small salamander when she first got it. Now it was a fully evolved dragon. It truly was an amazing sight to see.

Charla smiled at Serena before turning around and signaling for them to get on. It would bring them out of harm's way. Ash then looked down and saw his own Charizard was still dueling the Aerodactyl. They were trading blows and appeared to be evenly matched. Ash wasn't going to leave his Charizard to battle Aerodactyl alone, though. He was aiming to be a Pokemon Master! What kind of trainer would he be if he ran away from every Pokemon that threatened him?!

"Go on with Pikachu and Charla, Serena," Ash told her. "I'm staying here. I'll fight Aerodactyl with Charizard."

"Ash, are you sure?" Serena asked worriedly.

"Definitely. I'm going to tame that Aerodactyl for sure," Ash answered with determination. He then called out, "Hey, Charizard! What do you say we fight Aerodactyl together?!"

Charizard looked up at Ash before smiling and giving him a thumbs-up. It then made its claws glow and swiped Aerodactyl with another Metal Claw. The prehistoric Pokemon screamed and began panting heavily again. While the Pokemon was distracted, Charizard flew up to the rocks where the others were and stood in front of Ash.

"I'll be fine, Serena. I promise," Ash said sincerely.

Serena felt there was no way she could ever doubt Ash after hearing those words from him. He still had so many things he told her he needed to experience…including his feelings for her. She then looked at Ash's Charizard.

"Promise to keep him safe," she told it.

Charizard gave a light roar in response. Serena nodded her before going up to Ash who stared back at her with slight confusion. Blushing a crimson red, she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good luck," she said. She then got on Charla's back, and she, Pikachu, and Charla were off to get Serena back to the mainland.

Ash blushed in return and held the spot where she kissed him. It was like her kiss was a huge surge of encouragement for him, like he could do anything! Who knew that something like that could energize him so much…or maybe it was just Serena in general.

He then gave her a thumbs-up before climbing on Charizard's back. By that time, Aerodactyl had recovered and screeched angrily before glaring at Ash and Charizard. Ash glared right back the Aerodactyl. This Pokemon was being a danger to everyone and would stop at nothing until the all of Cinnabar Island was destroyed at this rate. His Pokemon trainer status kicked in overtime. It was partly his fault this Aerodactyl had been born. It was now his responsibility to take care of it.

"Let's do it, Charizard!" Ash yelled to it.

Charizard gave a roar of approval before soaring into the sky, Aerodactyl following it.

Ash felt this was a truly amazing feeling to be riding on his Pokemon's back right now. He had never experienced anything like this before. Airplanes had nothing on this. It felt like he was the one flying rather than just riding Charizard. The ocean breeze felt incredible against his face as he breathed it in. He knew he couldn't dwell on this for long, though. There was still a battle to take care of.

Aerodactyl hovered in front of Charizard and prepared to launch a Hyper Beam at it, but the two were ready.

"Counter that Hyper Beam with your Flamethrower, Charizard!" Ash yelled.

The newly evolved Pokemon complied and blew the most powerful Flamethrower Ash had seen from a Pokemon in person. It was like Charmeleon's strength had almost doubled once it evolved into Charizard. The two attacks collided in midair which caused an explosion. A huge debris cloud filled the air, but Charizard quickly blew it away with its wings.

As a few of the other Pokemon began to come in to attack Aerodactyl, Charizard signaled them to stay back and just make sure it didn't get away. It and Ash were taking it on by themselves.

Aerodactyl once again tried to charge at Charizard's throat, but the fire dragon flew out of the way and got behind it.

"Use Flamethower!" Ash yelled.

Charizard blew forth another scorching hot flame that struck Aerodactyl right in the backside. Aerodactyl grimaced at the pain once more, but they weren't done yet. Charizard flew straight at Aerodactyl and delivered what looked like a Metal Claw crossed with an uppercut to Aerodactyl's jaw. By now, the preshistoric Pokemon couldn't take much more. It attempted to get away but was stopped by the other Pokemon surrounding it. It had nowhere to go. It then then turned around and faced Charizard and Ash in anger.

"Aerodactyl! You have to calm down! We were getting along just fine before at the lab, remember?!" Ash tried to reason with it. He could tell how exhausted the Pokemon was and just wanted to stop the fighting

Aerodactyl didn't appear willing to listen, however, It unleashed another Hyper Beam at Charizard and Ash who dodged it once again.

"We aren't out to get you, Aerodactyl! What happened at the lab was a freak accident! We want to be your friends!" Ash yelled again.

"Aerooooo!" the prehistoric Pokemon screeched again before summoning a lot of rocks from seemingly nowhere before blasting them at Charizard.

"It's Ancient Power! Look out, Charizard! Break them up with Metal Claw!" Ash yelled.

Charizard held its arms out in attempt to shield it and Ash from the brunt of the rocks. It then started busting as many rocks as it could. It still really stung, however. Charizard grimaced in pain from the attack, but what could have been a super effective attack was reduced greatly in power by Ash's quick thinking.

As Ash stared in to Aerodactyl's eyes, he didn't see the fiery anger or crazed look anymore. He saw weariness, exhaustion, and…pain. Ash gave a sigh as he realized there was no way he could reason with the Aerodactyl to get it to stop. He hated to do this, but he knew he had to use force. He looked at Charizard to see what it thought. Charizard nodded its head back at Ash, as it agreed it was the only way.

"Okay, Charizard," Ash said as he turned his hat backwards. "Let's get that Aerodactyl! Use Fire Spin!"

Charizard inhaled before letting out a large stream of fire from its mouth. Rather than just going forward, however, it began to circle around Aerodactyl until the Pokemon was trapped in a spiral of flames. Charizard kept blowing, however, and it was soon turned into a fiery vortex that completely consumed Aerodactyl. Ash bit his lip as he heard the pained screams of Aerodactyl from inside the Fire Spin, but he knew he couldn't let up.

As the flames stopped, Aerodactyl was barely able to keep flight anymore. It had one more attack up its sleeve, though. Its eyes seemed to glow what for a second before what looked like ice-blue flames shooting from its mouth.

Ash's eyes widened as he saw the powerful attack coming towards him. He wasn't sure if Charizard's Flamethrower would be enough to counter it, but he had to try. Ash was just about to order it use Flamethrower, but he noticed a strange look in Charizard's eyes. Its eyes were glowing white just like Aerodactyl's was before it. It then emitted an identical attack to Aerodactyl as the two attacks raced towards each other.

"That's incredible, Charizard! You just learned Dragon Rage!" Ash cheered.

The two attacks soon met and began to fight each other for dominance. They appeared to be equally matched. Ash's eyes burned with determination. He believed in the strength of is Pokemon. It was then Charizard's Dragon Rage began to push Aerodactyl's back ever so slightly. It then started to get faster and faster until it pushed through Aerodactyl's Dragon Rage and made a beeline straight for the predator Pokemon.

Aerodactyl let out a surprised gasp as it saw its attack was no match for Charizard's. That was probably in part due to its bad shape right now. Nonetheless, the Dragon Rage struck Aerodactyl right in its midsection, a direct hit. Aerodactyl yelled out again in agony as the attack continued to damage it. The Dragon Rage attack finally ended, and Aerodactyl's eyes drooped. It couldn't take it anymore. It was just too beat up and too tired to go on. It let out a weak cry before beginning to fall towards the ocean in complete exhaustion. It didn't even care if it died from the fall. It just wanted to sleep…

Ash wasn't going to just let Aerodactyl fall into the ocean, though. He was going to capture it like he was supposed to in the first place. "Pokeball, go!" he yelled as he threw it at the fallen Aerodactyl.

The ball connected and sucked Aerodactyl inside. Charizard swooped down and caught the pokeball so it wouldn't fall also before handing it back to Ash. The pokeball continued to shake back and forth in Ash's hands.

"_Come on," _Ash thought. Then to his great relief, the pokeball 'dinged', and he let out a sigh.

Aerodactyl had finally been defeated and captured. It was over.

* * *

><p>"Ash! That was a great battle, buddy!" Brock exclaimed once Ash returned to shore and got off Charizard.<p>

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried as it leaped into Ash's arms and gave him a hug, Cubone joining it.

"You know, Ash. You were pretty cool up there," Misty said with admiration.

"Thanks guys!" Ash responded before he spotted Serena standing a little farther back. He gave her a big smile while she returned it.

Serena then ran forward and gave Ash what she thought the biggest hug she thought she had ever given him. He really pulled it off and was able to take care of the wild Aerodactyl. That was so amazing! Ash truly was the boy of her dreams. There was no one else she would have rather poured her heart out to than him!

Ash hugged her back, and the weird feelings returned once again. Man, he just couldn't control his feelings these days around Serena! Maybe he really did like her the way she liked him. It was just he wasn't sure what it felt like yet. He had to be sure before he said it.

Meanwhile, Charla had gone over to Ash's Charizard and blushed with hearts for eyes. Its boyfriend was so strong! Charizard gave a light grunt in response while scratching its cheek in embarrassment. It was a rather comical sight to see two big fire breathing lizards be affectionate to one another.

"Thank you so much for saving our island, Ash," Officer Jenny said as she saluted with her good hand. Her other one was bandaged up at the moment. "We can't thank you enough for getting the Aerodactyl under control. Our police force salutes you."

"Eheheheh, you're welcome," Ash responded as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He had been getting a lot of compliments from the police lately. He then added, "Charizard and Charla deserve some thanks, as well."

Charizard gave light roar in approval and shot a Flamethrower into the air. Charla smiled at Charizard showing its strength to everyone.

"Officer Jenny!" Brock cried as he ran forward. "You look hurt right now! Please allow me make you feel better!"

"Excuse me?" Officer Jenny asked in confusion, before something unexpected happened.

Brock was jabbed in the stomach by…Kabuto?

"Uhn…" Brock groaned as he fell to the ground in pain once Kabuto released one of its claws from Brock's stomach.

"Ka-ka-Kabuto?" Brock said in surprise.

"I can take it from here," Misty said before clearing her throat. "I bet Officer Jenny will feel a lot better if I pull you away from her."

"_I think Kabuto and I will be a great team in keeping Brock under control," _Misty thought with a smile.

"It looks like Kabuto doesn't like Brock's flirting, either," Serena commented.

"Anyways, be safe kids," Officer Jenny continued before leaving with the other police officers

"So what are you going to do with Aerodactyl?" Serena asked Ash once the police left.

"Its pokeball just got transferred to Professor Oak's lab," Ash reported. "I made a quick call to Professor Oak on my Pokegear on the ride back and warned him not to open the pokeball. I want to be the first one to talk to Aerodactyl. I think I'll make a Pokemon swap soon."

"I think that's a good decision, Ash," Brock agreed as he placed his hand on Ash's shoulder, recovering from Kabuto's stomach jab. "Judging by today, if anyone can tame that Aerodactyl, it's you."

"Thank you, Brock," Ash responded. It was then he was approached by the head scientist. He still looked upset with the situation but had recovered a little bit.

"Young man, that was very impressive to be able to capture Aerodactyl like that. I thank you so much for what you did," said the scientist in a normal tone rather than his crazed eagerness.

"What about your life's work?" Ash asked.

The scientist looked down at the ground. His eyes still showed intense sadness for his loss before he looked up at Ash again. "My machine can be rebuilt, and so can the research lab, but the lives of a human are most important. For that, I thank you."

The group stared at him in surprise. This was the most normal they had ever seen of the head scientist since they met him. Up until now, it was like he was an eccentric, overeager, crazy person. It was a rather shocking change.

"In fact, I think you would be the right person to take this," the scientist said as he pulled something out of his lab coat and presented it in front of the group.

"It's a Pokemon egg?" Ash questioned as they looked at it. The egg was white and had different designs of red and blue on it, almost like a toy design.

"Indeed. We found this egg in the depths of Cinnabar Island a while back and have been researching it…Oh! We've been taking care of it, too!" the scientist quickly defended once he saw the group give him a disapproving look when he said they were researching it.

"So what Pokemon is inside of it?" Serena asked him.

"Ohohoho! That's a secret," replied the head scientist with a knowing look. "Anyway, we got the information we needed from it, but due to the current condition of the research lab, it will be unfit to care for the Pokemon. You seem to be the right trainer for it."

"Well, I'll take it, in that case. Thank you," Ash responded as he took the egg from the scientist.

"Pika," Pikachu smiled as it looked at the egg.

"How about that, Pikachu? We'll have a new Pokemon to join us soon," Ash told it.

Cubone looked in slight wariness at the egg. Another baby Pokemon would mean someone competing for its surrogate parents' affection. Despite a small feeling of jealousy, Cubone forced itself to relax. It was growing up and needed to stop being so clingy. There would come a time when it would be more independent and be able to battle, also. Maybe this egg coming into play was a sign it should start to help itself, too. Cubone's actions did almost cause a disaster, after all, because it was jealous.

"That Pokemon egg looks so cool," Misty commented.

"I can't wait to see what Pokemon is inside of it," Serena said.

"Yeah. I bet we can all help take care of it," Ash replied.

"Ash, that was really awesome. I saw the whole thing," a voice said behind them.

The group spun around and saw the strange man in sunglasses from the Big Riddle Inn, standing there with his arms folded.

"Oh, thank you, sir," Ash said in slight surprise.

"In fact, I believe that you are the sort of person Blaine looks for in battling an opponent," the man continued. "Accomplishing a feat like saving the island and stopping a supposed extinct Pokemon more than qualifies you for a gym match."

"Really?!" Ash exclaimed. "Do you happen to know where Blaine's gym is?!"

"I do," the man responded as he held his index finger up. "It's in a place where firefighters will never win."

The group fell over in disbelief after that statement.

"Another riddle?" Ash groaned as they got up.

"Yep! You can think on it while you are soaking in the hot springs," the man stated.

"But those are little expensive," Serena began.

"Don't worry about that. I'll pay for the appointment. It's a little thanks for saving the island. You all deserve a little relaxation," the man said.

"Great! Thanks a lot!" Ash smiled.

"Oh! I can't wait to soak in a relaxing hot spring," Misty said as they followed the man.

Serena began to walk with them, but felt a weight on her leg again. She turned and saw Omanyte was once again clinging to her leg.

"Omanyte! Please get off of me!" Serena cried out, which caused the others to laugh.

As the group was following the man to the hot springs, a sudden thought occurred to Ash. How did this man know where Blaine's gym was located at? Furthermore, who was he to judge whether or not Ash was worthy to challenge Blaine or not? He seemed to know a lot for a guy who simply owned a hotel. Ash couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this man than meets the eye. Just who was he?

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you all enjoy the little quirks I gave Omanyte and Kabuto. Aerodactyl will normally be a friendly Pokemon but extremely unstable and quick-tempered. Ash will have to train hard in order to get it fully under his control. Oh, and Togepi's egg finally makes an appearance! It will hatch much later than canon (after Ash has 8 badges), but it will still hatch before the Pokemon League.<strong>

**Please do not complain on how Aerodactyl was able to shoot so many continuous Hyper Beams without resting as that was already explained. It was extremely unstable and didn't know the danger of using so many in a row. Think back to the Red Gyarados in the Lake of Rage episode and how many Hyper Beams it used. It's sort of the same thing.**

**This marks the beginning of Cubone trying to mature a bit. It will start to try out battling soon and will become a full member of Serena's fighting team in the near future. It would be quite a mess with two baby Pokemon in the group (Togepi and Cubone) now, wouldn't it? Cubone may even be like big brother to Togepi like Pikachu is to it. We'll just have to see.**

**The Cinnabar Island gym battle is up next and will be up on Tuesday evening as usual. I will see you all then and have an awesome week!**

**Chapter 42: Blaine, The Red Hot Gym Leader!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_If you don't do Kalos or Unova, will the gym leaders Ash made friends with make an appearance at any time?_

_**I didn't really watch the Unova series a lot. You will have to refresh my memories on any gym leaders Ash befriended there.**_

_Will Tracey still catch the elder Scyther in your series, despite the fact that Serena has a Scyther?_

_**Yes.**_

_By the end of this fanfiction, will ash reach omnipotent levels of pokemon and aura mastership and _become the best trainer in the world, or just a small minority of the best champion level trainers around_ ie in the top 5 with red and blue, or maybe only be able to win pokemon leagues but never/rarely manage to defeat the elite 4s?_

_**He will be a Pokemon Master by the end of this fic. That is the best answer I can give you. My definition of a Pokemon master is in one of the author's notes in an earlier chapter.**_

_Will there be a similar incident to the episode in the XY anime where Ash ends up in another dimension separated from Serena?_

_**Probably not.**_

_For how long is Cubone going to remain a baby? Is he going to start training in the next arc, before or after?_

_**Cubone's starting to grow up as of this chapter. If it hasn't finished training by the end of Kanto, it will definitely be in the early Orange Islands arc.**_

_Will Serena participate in at least one pokemon contest before deciding what she's actually gonna do for the Hoenn arc?_

_**For the last time, SERENA WILL NOT DO ANY TYPE OF CONTEST IN THIS STORY! Unless it is something completely random that I decide to throw in to add a challenge for May or Dawn like Ash did one time. Please do not mention this to me again.  
><strong>_

_How many more chapter until Ash says, "I love you too, Serena!"?_

_**I don't want to reveal something like that. I prefer to surprise people with something like that.**_

_Will you do an adaptation of the scene where the path to the gym is revealed at the cost of putting misty (and Serena) in a *ahem* situation?_

_**What do you mean? What gym? What situation?**_

_Will you do a scene where the boys are experiencing their worst nightmare of all time: SHOPPING!_

_**I think there was already something like that at the beginning of Chapter 14. I'm not sure if there will be another one.**_

_Is Scyther going to be the mischievous yet protective type Pokemon?_

_**It will definitely be mischievous. It will receive a few…behavior modifications courtesy of Serena in the future because of its attitude towards Ash.**_

_Are you going to do a karaoke scene and everyone has to sing? I heard Brock singing "Two Perfect Girls" and it was amazing!_

_**Probably not anytime soon, but I do love Brock singing that song. It's hilarious!**_

_So when will their feelings fully surface?_

_**They already have. It's just Ash doesn't know what it is yet.**_

_You think Serena or Misty will be giving Marina some love advice in terms of Jimmy?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Ash return to saffron for the psychic badge after returning to pallet or will something happen in between?_

_**Ash will go to Saffron City first. As for what happens after that…well…you will have to wait and see.**_

_You say 3 of Ash's Pokémon will evolve, along with one Pokémon of Serena's and Misty's. Would I be correct in my assumption that Ash's Charmeleon, Pidgeotto, and Krabby will evolve into Charizard, Pidgeot, and Kingler soon? And can I assume that Serena's Charla will evolve from Charmeleon to Charizard, and Misty's Magikarp evolves into Gyarados?_

_**You are correct in those assumptions. However, I completely forgot about Krabby when I made that list so technically four more of Ash's Pokemon will evolve in this arc rather than three.**_

_Also, how will you handle the Mewtwo problem?_ _I get the feeling that Ash may have to fight him in his Gym Battle against Giovanni._

_**I'm revealing nothing about Mewtwo or Ash's eighth gym battle. Ash may not even battle Giovanni for his final badge. The first movie will definitely still happen, though. I will say that.**_

_Will you include some of the creepier moments of the games? You know, like the ghosts in the Old Chateau, the Ruins of Alph, and even some of the pokedex entries?_

_**If I feel I can adapt them well into this story, then yes. At the very least, the Ruins of Alph will almost definitely appear.**_

_So I'm guessing that Ash will understand love once the real second date begins, when is that by the way?_

_**He might understand on their second date, or he may understand it because of something else entirely. As far as when their next date is, you will just have to see.**_

_Is it possible that Sabrina is the one that informs Serena about her psychic powers?_

_**Sorry. It isn't Sabrina, but she will notice them in the group's next encounter with her.**_

_If you decided to give Ash just one legendary Pokemon, which would it be and why?_

_**If you PM me that question, I will be happy to answer it. That question doesn't have anything to do with this story.**_

_Will Leaf ever travel with Ash's group around a region or will she remain a recurring character throughout the arcs?_

_**She will travel with the group briefly in the Orange Islands before going on her own way. I'm not sure about any time after that.**_

_Will Serena hairstyles change as the story goes on? I know you said both Ash and Serena's clothes will change._

_**Yes. Their clothes will definitely change as the series goes on. As far as Serena's hairstyle, I'm going to say maybe? As most people get older, especially girls from my understanding, they like to change their hairstyle at some point. Serena might do it, or I may just have to where her hair stays long. In all honesty, though, after seeing those pictures of Serena with short hair, I personally think she looks better with long hair.**_

_Will HM's also be taught to certain Pokemon to help overcome obstacles?_

_**No because that's too…video game-like…is the best way to describe it.**_


	42. Blaine, the Red Hot Gym Leader!

**A/N: Hey everyone! Happy Thanksgiving break to you all! Please enjoy this the Cinnabar Island Gym battle. This is the last peaceful…never mind. Just enjoy the chapter! And yes I have heard about the exciting date episode coming up in XY for Ash and Serena. We just need to wait until February, but there seem to be several good episodes until that time, also.**

**Someone asked what gender the fossil Pokemon the group received were. They were all male. And yes the egg was Togepi's egg.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

><p>Chapter 42: Blaine, the Red Hot Gym Leader!<p>

The group was now soaking in the hot springs the man had generously paid for. The events from earlier in the day had still taken a toll on their bodies. The hot springs were extremely relaxing and allowed the group to focus on what the answer to the man's riddle could be. They were standing in a circle around each other as they thought. They were in their bathing suits so there was no need to be in separate springs from each others. All of their Pokemon were currently at the Pokemon Center getting some nice treatment and rest. They certainly deserved it.

"Hmm…a place where a firefighter would never win," Ash muttered to himself with his arms folded.

"I've heard that Blaine raises some really awesome fire-type Pokemon. The answer to the man's riddle must have something to do with fire, and lots of it, if a firefighter could never win," Brock reasoned. He rubbed his chin while he thought about it. This riddle was pretty tough.

"Lots of fire," Misty mumbled. She then decided to look around at all of their surroundings. What was on Cinnabar Island that had a lot fire? Her eyes then began to trail farther off in the distance until something tall caught her eye. It had been visible the entire time and was one of the first things they noticed on Cinnabar Island as they approached it from the sea.

"What is it, Misty?" Serena asked, noticing her gaze.

"The volcano," Misty answered slowly as she pointed her index finger to the large mountain top.

The others followed her finger and raised their eyebrows in surprise when they saw where she was looking. The volcano stood majestically in the distance. It looked so peaceful on the outside, but it didn't take a genius to know that it was probably a death trap inside of it. There is no doubt a firefighter could never win inside of volcano, but that was just absurd! Why on Earth would a gym be built inside of volcano? Was that really the answer to the riddle? It was inside of the volcano?

"I dunno, Misty," Ash replied in an uneasy tone. "It makes perfect sense as an answer, but the thought of battling inside of a volcano seems really dangerous."

"Now that I think of it, that may be why the gym is inside of a volcano," Brock spoke up. "Blaine would want his gym to be hard to find if he only accepts certain challengers. The volcano would be the perfect place to hide it because no one would think to look there."

"How are even supposed to get inside the volcano?" Ash asked. "We can't just simply jump in the cone hole at the top!"

"I say we sleep on it and check the volcano out tomorrow just in case. Even if the gym isn't there, it's not like we have anything to lose," Brock suggested.

"So once we do find the gym, have you thought of which Pokemon you will use?" Serena asked Ash.

"I'm not sure, exactly. Both Squirtle and Krabby would be ideal to battle fire-types, but also very predictable. Being a gym leader, I'm sure Blaine has a counter for them so I'll need to think of something else, too," Ash replied while looking deep in thought.

"I agree with you on that one, Ash. Blaine's been a gym leader for a very long time. You won't be able to beat him by just using water-types. Misty and I would know as we were gym leaders, too," Brock said.

"Hmmm…I think I'll make a call to Professor Oak tonight for a couple of transfers," Ash mused.

"You will do fine, Ash," Serena stated as she extended her arm.

Ash then felt something grab is leg, and he yelped in alarm before looking through the bubbles of the hot water to find it was human hand. He followed it up to find the culprit was a furiously blushing Serena.

"Uh…," Ash muttered as he turned as red as Serena.

"Sorry. I meant to grab your hand and missed," Serena squeaked.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day and the group was now trekking up the mountainside once again on Cinnabar Island. Only they had no idea where to look. Where would an entrance to a volcano be anyway? They were going to ask the strange man this morning if he would have any leads on the possible answer to his riddle, but he mysteriously disappeared. They didn't see him the whole time they were there today.<p>

They were having a strange sense of déjà vu as they were following the same road used to go to Riley's house. As they passed by the trail that would take them to Ash's uncle, Ash realized it would have been convenient if they were able to ask Riley about a possible secret entrance. There was no doubt he would know something about it, but Riley had left two days ago to get to Ash's house in order to protect his mom. He said it would take him roughly two days to get there so he needed to hurry. That would mean Riley would be arriving to Ash's house any time now.

"We've been searching this mountain for over two hours!" Ash yelled in frustration. "How do we even know if Blaine's gym is in the volcano?"

"I don't like it, either, but it's the only answer that fits," Misty replied. "If you have another answer that makes sense, I would love to hear it."

"Okay, you've made your point," Ash sighed. "It's just we have no idea where to look since that man wasn't there this morning."

"I've just thought of something Ash," Brock spoke up. "Did we ever get that man's name?"

"No. Why do ask?" Ash answered.

"I just think it's rather strange how he knows so much about things that wouldn't concern a normal innkeeper," Brock said.

"Now that you mention it, I thought of those things yesterday while we were going to the hot springs," Ash said.

"He even knows where Blaine's gym is, and it was like he was speaking for Blaine when he said you were worthy to challenge him. He also disappeared this morning when we told him we were going to look for Blaine's gym last night," Brock pointed out.

"So do you think this guy is a friend of Blaine?" Serena asked.

"I don't know, but can we stop and rest on those sets of rocks?" Misty asked as she pointed to a large pile against the side of the mountain.

"Sounds good," Serena agreed. "My feet are killing me."

The group then made their way over to the pile of rocks and sat down. Ash took this opportunity to take the newly acquired Pokemon egg out of his backpack and give it a good clean. He then took a piece of soft cloth from his backpack along with the egg, and began to shine it.

"Heehee. It's a Pokemon egg, Ash, not a priceless artifact," Misty giggled.

"That doesn't matter. I want to make sure this egg is in tip top condition when it hatches," Ash responded as he rubbed it back and forth.

As Serena watched Ash shine the Pokemon egg, she though it was very admirable how much he wanted to take care of it. He had taken a lot of unnecessary things out of his backpack in order to make room for the egg so it could fit snuggly. He also always made sure there was a nice soft padding in his backpack to make sure it was always cushioned. She believed that Ash would take great care of the Pokemon no matter what it turned out to be. She blushed as it also was a showing point he would make a good husband and father someday. She and Ash together being together.

"Pikaaaaachu," Pikachu said as it climbed on Ash's lap and held out a cloth, also.

"Oh, you want to help, too, Pikachu?" Ash asked with smile.

"Pika!" the yellow rodent responded as it began to scrub it.

"Not so rough. Do it like this," Ash said gently as she showed Pikachu the proper way.

As Cubone watched the two, it felt as though it was going to be a big brother soon itself. This could probably be the first step in helping it grow up. Rather than act selfish and want its parents to itself, it could try to help take care of the baby Pokemon, too, starting with its egg. It was just about go to help when Brock spoke up.

"Hey guys. What do you suppose this is?" he asked as he pointed to a space in between a couple of rocks.

"What's up, Brock?" Ash asked as he looked up from the egg to see where he was pointing.

"One of these rocks really looks unnatural compared to the others," Brock said as he began to lift up the various rocks around the space to get a better look.

"What do you mean by unnatural?" Serena asked as she and the others went to look.

"It's almost like it is fake. You know, it just doesn't match with the rest of the rocks," Brock said as he stared at it.

"Hmmm," Ash mused as he felt around it before giving his conclusion. "This definitely doesn't feel like a normal rock.

He then picked up the rock and was surprised to find what looked like a button on the bottom of the rock. Okay, these sets of rocks were clearly here to disguise this abnormal rock. The best way to hide a suspicious rock was to use a pile of rocks. What was the purpose of this button, though?

Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Ash pushed the button on the rock and waited to see if something would happen.

"Are you sure you should just go around pressing every button you see?" Misty asked with a hint of worry in her voice.

"It should be fine. What's the worst that could happen, Misty?" Ash scoffed slightly. "For all we know, it may have something to do with finding a way into the volcano.

As if to answer the group's curiosity, they felt a slight rumbling noise against the volcano. It soon began to shake so violently that Serena actually fell over from the rock she was still sitting on. Ash noticed the egg was being bounced around and quickly grabbed it so it wouldn't break.

"I hope you didn't cause an earthquake, Ash!" Misty yelled as the whole group wobbled around despite the ridiculousness of how it sounded. What button would cause an earthquake?

The group then heard what sounded like creaking from the volcano. They then saw a small section of the side of the volcano slide to the side, revealing an entrance. As soon as the door had finished opening, the rumbling stopped.

"A secret passageway," Brock mumbled.

Ash went over to Serena and held his hand out to Serena before giving her a smile. "Sorry about that Serena. You aren't hurt, are you?"

Serena stared at Ash's hand and was instantly reminded of the day at summer camp. She had been getting a lot of those lately. Here he was offering his hand to help her up while she was on the ground. Serena grabbed onto Ash's outstretched hand, and like before gave a mighty pull to help her up. As Serena was being pulled up, a sudden idea came to her. This time, she purposely fell forward against Ash. They once again appeared to be hugging each other, and Serena felt her cheeks go red.

"This is almost like a summer camp, isn't it?" Ash mumbled in her ear.

"Yep," she whispered back in bliss

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?" Ash deduced. Serena detected a bit of playfulness in his voice.

"I might have," she answered back with a giggle.

"Guys, I hate to interrupt, but are we going to see what's down that passageway?" Brock asked with a slight cough.

Ash and Serena quickly broke away from each other. Both of them had a cheesy grin plastered on their faces.

"Yeah, we're coming," Ash answered as they began to make their way to the apparent secret entrance to someplace.

The group looked down and saw a staircase that went downward, leading deeper into the cave. There were a few dim lights that were built into the rock walls. Despite this, it was still fairly dark and did look a little intimidating.

"I bet you if the answer to the man's riddle is a volcano, Blaine's gym should be down this staircase," Ash figured as he took the first step down, the rest of the group following suit.

It turned trekking down the staircase was taking a lot longer than what the group originally anticipated. As they went further down, they noticed that it was steadily getting hotter with each step. This cave could sure use some fans, despite how silly it sounded.

"Phew, I hope we reach the end soon. I don't know if I can take it getting any hotter," Misty commented as she fanned herself with her hand.

"It's okay. I have some bottled water in my backpack," Brock mentioned as he brought out five bottles of water and handed them out. He gave the extra one to Pikachu and Cubone to share.

The bottled waters were still pretty cold from that morning and hadn't heated to room temperature so it was still rather refreshing.

A few minutes later, the group finally made it to the end of the staircase. A large set of metal double doors was blocking their path from the entrance to the next room. The temperature had to at least be over one hundred degrees right now.

Ash looked warily at the door handle. He had a feeling he shouldn't try to open the door on his own. If he did, he might end of losing his hand from third degree burns. How else were they supposed to get in, though?

Luckily, that question was soon answered as the double doors seemed to swing open by themselves, making a loud creaking noise as they did so. The group curiously stepped into the room and gasped in surprise at what they saw.

They were in a large sized room with what was apparently a gym floor in the very center. There were no sides to the gym area so it made falling off a definitely possibility. It was suspended in the air by several chains attached to the rock walls of the volcano. Below it was a huge pool of boiling magma. That was apparently the source of the extreme heat right now.

"It's Blaine's gym," Ash muttered.

"It looks like you were right, Misty. A firefighter never could win in here," Serena said.

"So if this is supposed to be Blaine's gym, where is he?" Ash wondered aloud.

Just then, another set of double doors swung open from the other side of the room. A person stepped in, and the group was pretty surprised to see it was the strange man in sunglasses!

"Greetings, everyone. I see you found Blaine's gym. Well done," he complimented.

"So what are you doing here? Are you the referee for the gym?" Ash asked.

"It isn't a hat, but it keeps your head dry. If you wear it, it's because you already lost it," the man answered with a riddle.

"Another riddle," Ash mused as he tried to think despite the heat.

"I've got it! The answer is a wig!" Misty exclaimed.

"And once again Misty has gotten the correct answer!" the man said with a smile. "Wig is correct!"

He then took off his sunglasses and what was apparently a wig and fake mustache. It was revealed to be an older man with very little gray hair on the side of his head. He was completely bald on top. The group let out a gasp. Blaine was in front of them this whole time!

"So you were Blaine this entire time?" Ash realized.

"Indeed I was," Blaine answered as he crossed his arms and nodded. The group noticed his voice had a lot more power to it than it did when he was disguised before he continued. "Ever since this island became overrun with tourists, I've had nothing but hobby trainers battle me rather than serious trainers. I then figured the only way to avoid this problem was to relocate my gym and test any trainer who wanted to challenge me. I've realized now that you really are a serious trainer competing for the Pokemon League and have shown great skill with Pokemon when I saw you battle Aerodactyl. I would be pleased to have a match with a trainer like you."

"That's great to hear. In that case I would like to make it official," Ash stated. "Blaine, I'm Ash Ketchum from the town of Pallet. I'm here to challenge you for a Volcano Badge!"

"I accept your challenge, Ash!" Blaine answered.

"Be careful, Ash. Blaine apparently trains in this volcano. He must have some really strong fire-type Pokemon," Brock warned.

"Right," Ash answered as he went to stand on what would be his side of the arena. Pikachu followed him.

"Wait!" Serena called after him, causing Ash to turn towards her. She then ran forward and placed a kiss on Ash's cheek, completely surprising him.

Brock, Misty, and even Blaine thought that was rather bold of Serena to do that. It was a huge change from being completely shy of her feelings like at first.

"That was for good luck," Serena whispered in Ash's ear.

"Eheheheh. Th-thanks, Serena," Ash stuttered. Ash felt a weird jolt go through him when Serena kissed him on cheek. His skin felt very tingly for a bit.

Ash turned away from Serena and made his way back over to his side of the gym. Pikachu was snickering at Ash's facial expression, causing him to turn red.

"Stop it, Pikachu. We need to focus on the match," Ash reminded it.

Pikachu immediately wiped off its smirk and turned to face Blaine with a determined expression on its face. Despite being in a fiery hot volcano, they would pull off a win and Ash would earn his sixth gym badge, the Volcano Badge.

"So what are the rules?" Ash asked Blaine.

"We shall have a three-on-three match with no time limit. You may make substitutions if you wish. As the gym leader, I may not. Is that acceptable?" Blaine answered.

"You bet! Sounds good to me!" Ash responded.

"In that case, I will choose my first Pokemon! Arcanine, go!" Blaine yelled as he threw the ball forward.

The pokeball soared through the air before landing on the gym floor and opening up to reveal a very large dog-like Pokemon. It was orange in color and had black stripes with a white stomach and beard.

"Arrrrr!" the dog Pokemon called.

"So that's an Arcanine," Ash muttered as he and Serena took out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Arcanine, the legendary Pokemon and the evolved form of Growlithe. They are known for their majesty and high speed. The fire that blazes wildly in this Pokemon is the source of its power," said the pokedexes.

"Be careful, Ash. Arcanine are very strong physically. You might want to choose your first Pokemon carefully." Brock advised.

Ash thought carefully about which Pokemon he had with him at the moment. He called Professor Oak last night and made a few swaps. He now had Pikachu, Squirtle, Hitmonchan, Charizard, Tauros, and Haunter. The most obvious choice would be to select Squirtle first because of the type advantage, but Blaine was expecting it, and Ash wasn't going to be that predictable. Not to mention, he didn't think Squirtle had the massive strength to take on Arcanine. He still remembered his battle with Gary against his Growlithe. It had been a really close match, and Squirtle had definitely become stronger since then. Even so, Ash figured the best way to deal with a large, powerful bodied Pokemon like Arcanine would be to use a strong Pokemon against it. That left Tauros or Hitmonchan. After staring at the way the gym was suspended by chains, Ash figured a Pokemon like Tauros wasn't suited for stomping and running and causing it to shake. With that in mind, Ash made his choice.

"Hitmonchan! I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw the pokeball forward.

The pokeball burst open and Hitmonchan came out of the pokeball looking very prepared for its first gym match. It may have lost against Hitmonlee a while back, but those two had been training together. It was determined to win this time. To the surprise of the group, it took a deep breath and appeared to be concentrating for a second. That was quite a change from the eager, hot-blooded Pokemon that had battled last time.

"So you've chosen a Hitmonchan? This should be interesting," Blaine commented from the other side as he crossed his arms.

"Hitmonchan and I can do it!" Ash answered.

"The battle will begin at your leisure. I'm red hot and ready!" Blaine stated.

"Fine with me! Hitmonchan, use Mach Punch!" Ash began.

Hitmonchan ran up to Arcanine at lightning speed and gave it a solid punch across the face, but all Arcanine did was shake itself and smirk at Hitmonchan.

"So you decided to go in close against Arcanine? Big mistake, kid! Arcanine, use Fire Fang!" Blaine countered.

"Hurry and use Thunderpunch, Hitmonchan!" Ash tried.

Hitmonchan swung its fist forward, but didn't have enough time to finish the attack before Arcanine chomped down on its boxing glove with its fiery mouth. Hitmonchan grimaced at the pain and tried to use its other fist to punch Arcanine with, but Arcanine was quicker. It lifted Hitmonchan off of the ground with its mouth before slamming it onto the gym on its back.

"Chaaan," Hitmonchan groaned in pain from being slammed.

"Use Flamethrower before that Hitmonchan can recover!" Blaine ordered.

"Watch out, Hitmonchan!" Ash tried to warn.

Hitmonchan's eyes widened when it saw the flames beginning to build up in Arcanine's mouth. They began to grow larger and larger until they almost ready to be blown out. Hitmonchan's mind wanted to begin to panic, but it then remembered its training with Hitmonlee. What would that Pokemon do in this situation? It always seemed to keep a calm and cool head during battle which is why Hitmonchan hasn't been able to beat it yet. If Hitmonchan was going to win this, it needed to remain calm. It took a deep breath and tried to sense Arcanine's movements of when the flames would shoot forth. It could hear Ash calling for it to move, but it wasn't time yet. The moment that passed seemed like an eternity but was really less than five seconds.

Hitmonchan then felt the heat from the flames and made its move. It quickly rolled out of the way and the flames just missed it, spraying the gym floor. Hitmonchan could have sworn it felt its arm singed slightly. Its timing wasn't perfect, but more practice would prevent that in the future.

"Way to go, Hitmonchan!" Ash praised. "Use Sky Uppercut!"

Hitmonchan jumped from the ground while rearing its fist back. It then brought its fist up in an uppercut and delivered it right into Arcaninie's underside. The dog Pokemon was knocked into the air into an arc and fell back down near the edge of the gym floor. Hitmonchan must have hit pretty hard to make such a large Pokemon fly through the air like that.

"Ah! That wasn't bad! Now things are really going to heat up!" Blaine said as Arcanine got back up from the ground.

"You said it!" Ash responded.

From the sidelines, Brock smiled as he leaned in towards Serena. "You know, it looks like Hitmonchan has been taking lessons from your Hitmonlee," he said.

"I can tell. I thought those two would make great training partners for each other after they had their battle," Serena replied. Hitmonlee was at Professor Oak's lab right now after she swapped it out for Scyther. Next time she saw it, though, she would need to thank it for taking the initiative to help out with Hitmonchan being overeager for everything.

"Arcanine! Use Flame Charge!" Blaine yelled.

Arcanine became enveloped in a fiery flame as it began to run towards Hitmonchan at full speed. Hitmonchan went to jump out of the way, but it wasn't counting on Arcanine to turn with it. Its arm was singed once again from the attack again even though it managed to avoid it for the most part. Hitmonchan then felt its left arm be hit by an intense burning pain. It fell to its knees and grimaced.

"It looks like your Hitmonchan's arm has been burned by continuous exposure to Arcanine's flames," Blaine smirked.

"Hitmonchan! Are you still up for battle?" Ash called.

"Chan," Hitmonchan replied with a nod at Ash before grimacing once more as pain shot through its left arm.

"Great! Use Comet Punch!" Ash yelled.

Hitmochan ran forward and began to deliver a series of punches to Arcanine at quick speed. It was moving its fists at such a quick speed that Arcanine was unable to get to retaliate. It wasn't nicknamed the punchy Pokemon for nothing!

"Arc! Arc!" Arcanine cried as it was bombarded by the series of weaker, yet extremely fast punches.

"Finish that barrage with Mega Punch, Hitmonchan!" Ash hollered.

Hitmonchan reared its fist back to deliver its most powerful punch yet to the stunned Arcanine, but it was at that moment that pain shot through its arm once more due to its burn. It grimaced at the pain and had to halt its attack.

That hesitation was all Arcanine needed to recover, and Blaine took that chance.

"Use Flare Blitz, Arcanine!" Blaine called.

Arcanine became enveloped in a very large flame, even larger than when it used Flame Charge. It gave a mighty roar and crashed right into Hitmonchan, sending the punchy Pokemon flying backwards a good distance.

The group gave a gasp of horror as they saw Hitmonchan topple over the other side of the gym floor. Since there were no sides, it was heading straight for the lava. Ash immediately went to retrieve his pokeball to return Hitmonchan. He pressed the button to make the red beam shoot out, but it missed.

"Hitmonchan!" Ash cried. He then knelt down and frantically looked around for any sign of the fighting Pokemon. He didn't see it anywhere. That meant that it couldn't have fallen into the lava because he would still see it falling. That meant that it was still around. Ash and Pikachu hurriedly ran to another part of the gym where Hitmonchan had gone over the edge. He then saw Hitmonchan dangling over the edge of the gym floor. It had managed to grab on before it could fall in. Ash was relieved Hitmonchan hadn't fallen completely but still knew the danger it was in.

Arcanine went over to where Hitmonchan was hanging on and stood over it.

"End this with Flamethrower now that Hitmonchan can't go anywhere, Arcanine!" Blaine told it.

Ash knew he had to think of something quick. This wasn't like last time when Hitmonchan could roll out of the way. It was completely trapped right now and was just a sitting duck awaiting the finishing blow. There had to be something he could do! Should he really return Hitmonchan before it was too late?

As Ash saw Hitmonchan struggling to hold onto the edge, he could see Arcanine preparing for the attack. If only Hitmonchan could get just a second of spare time, it could get back onto the platform. What could cause a slight distraction? Ash then noticed that Arcanine was standing within arm's reach of Hitmonchan and hoped that might do it.

"Use Thunderpunch on the ground, Hitmonchan!" Ash yelled.

Hitmonchan let go of the edge with its good hand pounded its fist into the floor. It crackled with electricity once it did so. A few sparks were emitted from the electrical punch and began to shock Arcanine due to its close proximity to the attack. Arcanine gasped from the sparks and took several steps back from reflex to get away from them.

Hitmonchan saw its chance while Arcanine was distracted and gave a mighty tug before pulling itself back on the gym floor. It was panting, but at least it was okay.

"Great job, Hitmochan! Use Sky Uppercut once more!" Ash yelled.

Hitmonchan ran forwards before knocking Arcanine into the air once again.

"Leap after it this time, Hitmonchan!" Ash called it.

Hitmonchan jumped into the air as well and matched Arcanine in height. Arcanine had recovered by that time as well. Hitmonchan looked back towards Ash and they nodded their heads at each other. They both knew what they were going to do.

"Use Mega Punch to knock Arcanine back to the ground!" Ash yelled.

"This again?! Use Fire Fang to stop Hitmonchan's attack!" Blaine ordered.

Hitmonchan bought its fist forward to hit Arcanine, but Arcanine once more bit down on Hitmonchan's glove. Hitmonchan winced at the bite, but then reared back the fist it was really going to hit Arcanine with. Arcanine's eyes widened in surprise and quickly let go of Hitmonchan's other fist to bite down on the other, but it was too late for it.

Hitmonchan smashed its fist right into Arcanine's face, and the dog Pokemon was sent sailing straight towards the gym floor. It made a loud crash as it hit and gave a groan of pain. Hitmonchan landed on the ground shortly after on its hands and knees. Arcanine didn't get back up.

"Arrrrrr…," the large dog Pokemon groaned.

"Heh! Arcanine isn't able to battle anymore! You were able to beat it. That was pretty good, Ash!" Blaine said.

"Way to go Hitmonchan!" Ash cheered before he noticed something was wrong. "Hitmonchan?"

Hitmonchan once more felt the pain of the burn shoot through its body. It doubled over in pain and began panting heavily.

"Poor Hitmonchan. It fought so hard, but the burn is getting to it," Serena said sadly.

"I want you to take a good rest, Hitmonchan. There isn't any need for you to battle any longer. You did really well," Ash told it as he held up his pokeball. He knew Hitmonchan was extremely tired and wouldn't last much longer anyway because of its burn.

Hitmonchan gave a sigh but realized Ash was right. It slowly nodded its head before grimacing in pain once more. The red beam came out of the pokeball and returned the punchy Pokemon back to it. Ash gave a smile to it once it was back in.

"Thank you, Hitmonchan. That was a great victory," Ash said.

"It seems you care a lot for your Pokemon's well-being, Ash. My praise to you," Blaine said. He then added. "You don't ever have to worry about your Pokemon falling in the lava here. I have a special something that will save your Pokemon every time that isn't a fire Pokemon should they fall. Your Hitmonchan would've been fine even if it didn't hang on to the edge."

Ash was very relieved that Blaine was prepared for a possibility like that to ever happen. At least he would know his Pokemon were safe from a fiery doom now. He didn't know what the "special something" Blaine was talking about, but something was telling Ash it was something in the lava itself.

"I will now choose my second Pokemon!" Blaine declared as pulled out another pokeball and threw it. "Rapidash! I choose you!

A strong fiery horse-like Pokemon emerged from the pokeball and gave a loud neigh in response to being summoned. It then pawed at the ground and gave a light snort to show it was ready to fight.

"Woah! A Rapidash!" Ash exclaimed as he pulled out his pokedex once again, Serena, as well.

"Rapidash, the horse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Ponyta. This Pokemon is extremely fast and can reach top speeds of 150 mph after only ten steps," stated the pokedexes.

"Another strong fire-type," Ash muttered as he stared at it. He considered using Haunter against it, but Rapidash didn't look like it would fall for Haunter's tricks so easily. Ash supposed it was time for the obvious choice. He just hoped the tiny turtle could pull off a win.

"Squirtle, I choose you!" Ash called as he released it.

Squirtle came out of the pokeball wearing its sunglasses. Upon seeing it wasn't outside and the opponent in front of it, it quickly removed them and gave a hard stare at the Rapidash.

"A water-type. How predictable. It will take a lot more than a type advantage to take down Rapidash!" Blaine said.

"Squirtle and I have got a few tricks up our sleeve to match your Rapidash's speed, don't we Squirtle?" Ash asked it.

"Squirtle Squirt!" the tiny turtle Pokemon answered with a nod.

"Very well. Show me your best!" Blaine declared.

"Use Water Gun, Squirtle!" Ash started.

"Heh! Counter that with your Flamethrower, Rapidash!" Blaine shouted.

The two attacks came out of their respective Pokemon's mouth as fire and water made contact. Ash was expecting the Water Gun to easily overpower the flames from Rapidash, but was in for a big surprise as the flames pushed through Squirtle's stream of water. The flames roared forward towards Squirtle as it had to halt its Water Gun.

"Quick! Withdraw, Squirtle!" Ash yelled.

Squirtle quickly hid in its shell as the flames engulfed it. Once they were finished Squitle's shell appeared a little on the blackened side, but it emerged looking relatively okay.

"Blaine's fire-type Pokemon must be really strong," Misty said. "Rapidash was even able to overpower Squirtle's Water Gun," Misty said.

"Use Take Down, Rapidash!" Blaine ordered.

The fire horse Pokemon began to charge forward straight at Squirtle. The tiny turtle Pokemon got a nervous look on its face as it saw Rapidash's long legs and diamond-hard hooves coming closer to it. The Pokemon could easily trample it to death with its power. It would be too slow to dodge due to Rapidash's speed.

"Use Rapid Spin to get out of the way, Squirtle!" Ash yelled.

The light bulb went off in Squirtle's head at that moment. Rapid Spin was the key to it being quick on the battle field. It was too slow on foot, but Rapid Spin would help rectify that. It then got inside its shell once more and began twirling very fast. It soon shot to the side out of the way of the incoming Take Down.

"Impressive," Blaine commented once he saw that.

"Turn it into a Spinning Tackle, Squirtle!" Ash commanded next.

Squirtle soon began flying through the air from its spinning tackle. Rapidash stopped running and turned to look in confusion at the spinning turtle shell.

"Use Flamethrower, Rapidash!" Blaine told it.

Rapidash shot another Flamethrower from its mouth. Squirtle was able to dodge it this time due to its speed. It then spun forward and smacked Rapidash on the head. The fire horse Pokemon gave a snort of pain before taking a few steps back.

Squirtle landed on the gym floor and gave smirk of satisfaction.

"Use Horn Attack, Rapidash!" Blaine commanded.

Rapidash then began charging towards Squirtle with its horn outstretched, but Ash knew what he do.

"Spin out of the way with Rapid Spin like before, Squitle!" Ash yelled.

"Not so fast! Use Fire Spin, Rapidash!" Blaine countered.

As soon as Squirtle began to spin around, Rapidash blew a stream of fire from its mouth which immediately made its way around Squirtle, engulfing it in a fiery vortex. This didn't particularly worry the tiny turtle Pokemon as it knew that Rapid Spin would just blow the Fire Spin away. It didn't count on Rapidash jumping through the flames and stabbing it with its horn before Rapid Spin could take effect. Squirtle was sent sailing out of Fire Spin and onto the gym floor where it gave a groan of pain.

"Are you okay, Squirtle?" Ash asked in worry.

"Squirtle Squirt," Squirtle moaned as it pushed itself off the ground. Rapidash's horn did more damage to it than it thought it would.

"That Rapidash is really fast," Brock commented. "It was able to attack Squirtle before it could spin away the Fire Spin. That attack slowed Squirtle down just enough to where it couldn't get away."

"It's going to be hard beat a strategy like that," Misty added.

Serena, meanwhile, had her hands clasped while she watched Ash's battle. She knew how hard Ash had been training all of his Pokemon for their latest gym battles ever since Saffron City. She really didn't want all of that training to go to waste.

"_Come on, Ash. I know you'll think of something," _she thought.

"Use Take Down once more!" Blaine shouted.

"Try to get out of the way with Rapid Spin!" Ash shouted again.

"Ha! You're trying that one again? Use Fire Spin, Rapidash," Blaine said as Rapidash was charging towards Squirtle.

Just like before, Rapidash shot a stream of fire from its mouth which encircled Squirtle before it could get away. Rapidash then jumped through the flames and delivered a viscous Take Down. Squirtle was knocked backwards on the ground again, this time on its back.

Squirtle began struggling to get back up from being on its back. It was waving its arms and legs back and forth, trying to get up, but was unsuccessful. Its eyes grew wide when it saw Rapidash run up and stand over it.

"Finish this with Stomp, Rapidash!" Blaine yelled.

Squirtle saw the Rapidash rear up on its hind legs and grimaced at what was to come. Those diamond-hard hooves would be more than enough to instantly knock Squirtle out should it be hit.

"Quick! Use Bubblebeam, Squirtle!" Ash yelled.

Squirtle quickly shot as many bubbles from its mouth as it could in the short amount of time it had. They struck Rapidash on the other side. The bubbles forced Rapidash to cancel its Stomp attack and take several steps back once again, snorting in pain. Despite this, that didn't change the fact that Squirtle was still unable to get up. It was still a sitting duck.

"See if Rapid Spin will help you get back up Squirtle!" Ash tried.

"Use Fire Spin to trap it once more and then use Take Down!" Blaine countered.

Squirlte craned its neck up to look over its shell and saw the stream of fire coming to surround it just like before. It knew Rapidash wouldn't be too far behind those flames and deliver another Take Down. This time, Squirtle was close enough to where it could be knocked off of the edge if it was hit hard enough. This wasn't a good situation.

Ash was thinking along the same lines as Squirtle. He knew that if Squirtle took another Take Down, it could go flying off the edge. Even though Blaine assured Ash that it would never fall into the lava, it would still be an automatic loss for Squirtle because it had to be saved. There had to be something he could do!

The Fire Spin once again wrapped around Squirtle as it struggled to get up. Rapidash charged forward and crashed into it, sending the turtle Pokemon flying over the edge of the gym. Ash grimaced as he saw Squirtle wasn't able to grab onto the edge like Hitmonchan was.

Squirtle, meanwhile, was struggling to be able to spin in its shell in order to get some height so it wouldn't fall any further. It was just falling too fast and there wasn't anything Squirtle could use. As it felt the heat of the lava come closer, Squirtle decided to try something crazy. It started shooting water out of its shell while it was spinning. The jets of water from it shell began striking the rocky walls of the volcano which were giving it a significant push horizontally. Squirtle then decided to tilt its shell ever so slightly to the side. It then begin shooting upwards back towards the gym floor.

Everyone was very surprised at what the tiny turtle Pokemon had just accomplished. It was going higher and higher above the gym floor as more water spun from its shell. Then everyone let out a gasp of surprise as the water was soon replaced by a shining light.

"What's going on with Squirtle?" Serena wondered as Squirtle's turtle shell began to turn a shiny white as well.

"Squirtle's evolving," Ash said in awe.

Sure enough, the turtle shell was appearing to get a lot bigger as it was spinning and engulfed in the white light. The glowing finally stopped and Squirtle's shell was replaced by a darker shell with a different pattern. The shell then landed back on the gym floor, and a new Pokemon came out of it. It resembled a turtle like Squirtle before it, but it was larger and a darker shade of blue with huge ears and a fluffy white tail.

"Wartortle!" the new Pokemon said with smirk and crossed its arms

"That's so cool, Squirtle…I mean Wortortle! You evolved!" Ash cheered.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered as well for its friend.

"Wartortle!" it replied with a thumbs up directed at Ash and Pikachu.

Serena's eyes sparkled as she saw the new Pokemon. Wortortle was undoubtedly a much stronger Pokemon than Squirtle. They now might have what it takes to beat Rapidash. She then pulled out her pokedex along with Ash to scan it.

"Wartortle, the turtle Pokemon, and the evolved form of Squirtle. It uses its huge ears and fluffy tail to maintain balance and speed while swimming. This Pokemon is known as a symbol of longevity," the pokedexes announced.

"What do say we turn this around, Wartortle?" Ash asked with a smile.

"Wartortle Wartortle!" the turtle Pokemon agreed.

"Heh! Your Pokemon evolving only gave you a slight advantage. It still isn't enough to beat Rapidash," Blaine informed them as he crossed his arms.

"Let's try to prove you wrong, then!" Ash fired back. "Use Water Gun, Wartortle!"

"Counter it with Flamethrower," Blaine said.

The attacks of fire and water once again met in the middle and tried to overpower the other. This time, however, it appeared Wortortle's Water Gun was overpowering Rapidash's Flamethrower. It soon pushed passed the fire creating a lot stream. Rapidash's eyes widened as it saw the much stronger jet of water flying towards it. It was struck dead on and pushed back along the gym floor before skidding to a halt. It shook it and began snorting in tiredness. That attack had done a lot of damage.

"Great! Follow that up with Skull Bash!" Ash ordered next.

Wartortle got a running start before leaping into the air and soaring towards the Rapidash with its head facing forward to collide with it. The faster turtle Pokemon then crashed right to Rapidash with its head, and the horse Pokemon was sent flying backwards once again.

"Let's try to trap Wartortle again by using Fire Spin!" Blaine yelled.

The huge ring of fire once more came out of Rapidash's mouth and surrounded Wartotle, but it knew what to do this time. It would use the same strategy it used to get back onto the platform. It began to spin around very quickly while shooting water out of its shell once again. This extinguished the flames of the vortex on all ends until there was nothing but steam left.

Rapidash was once again was charging towards Wortortle for another Take Down, but had to halt in its tracks once it saw the Fire Spin was gone.

"It think Wartortle was able to learn Hydro Pump while it was falling," Brock realized. "That was two good things to happen to it!"

"That's great, Wartortle!" Ash smiled. "Use Hydro Pump!"

Wartortle then began shooting across the gym arena as a spinning projectile of water. Rapidash saw the incoming attack and tried to run away, but Wartortle actually managed to overtake the fast Pokemond due to the boost in speed the water was providing. Wartortle then smashed into Rapidash, continuing to shoot jets of water from its shell at the fire horse. Rapidash was yelling in pain and reared up on its hind legs.

It was then Wartortle made the mistake of getting underneath Rapidash because it had a hard time seeing where it was going because it was spinning so fast, and the water blocked its eyesight a little. As soon as Rapidash saw Wartortle get underneath its hind legs, it smashed its hooves down as hard as it could on the Wartortle's shell. Wartortle immediately quit attacking and let out a gasp of pain before collapsing onto the gym floor in a heap. Those hooves really hurt.

Unable to take any more pain, as well, Rapidash fell to the gym floor on its side.

"Wartortle, can you stand?" Ash asked in worry.

"Waaaaar," Wartortle moaned. It had taken too many attacks as a Squirtle, but that Stomp from Rapidash had really done it in. Rapidash didn't get up, either.

"Both of our Pokemon are unable to battle!" Blaine judged. "That match was a tie!"

Ash let out a sigh as he looked at Wartortle. It had just worked so hard to learn Hydro Pump and then evolved. It had started out at a huge disadvantage and withstood a lot of attacks. It was only natural that it was low on power despite receiving a boost in energy from evolving. He returned Wartortle to its pokeball while Blaine returned Rapidash before giving it a smile.

"Thank you, Wartortle. You did great. You overcame the odds of Rapidash outmatching you in strength and managed to knock it out. I'm proud of you."

"I guess this proves that not even water Pokemon can stand up to Blaine's fire-types. It's no wonder Blaine only accepts challenge from people he considers worthy. He would crush a hobby trainer," Brock said.

"You have done very well so far, Ash. You have knocked out two of my Pokemon. I can see now that you are very serious with your career as a Pokemon trainer and very worthy, but I still have one Pokemon left, and it will be the hardest to defeat yet!" Blaine declared.

It was then the group noticed the magma pool below them began to swish around more violently than usual. It began to create waves as more and more bubbles arose from it.

"In fact, this Pokemon is too hot to handle!" Blaine smirked.

"Ugggh! It's getting too hot to solve riddles!" Ash groaned as he held his head in frustration.

"I choose Magmar!" Blaine announced as he spread his arms out.

The lava pool then shot out a stream of fire that seemed to fall onto the gym floor. Once the fire cleared, a Pokemon that looked to be on fire itself appeared. Its whole body matched that of a raging inferno. It was red, orange, and yellow in color with sharp claws on its hands and feet and a duck-like bill for a mouth.

"Magmar?" Ash questioned as he and Serena scanned it.

"Magmar, the spitfire Pokemon. With a body temperature of close to 2,200 degrees, it is always burning with orange flames," said the pokedexes.

The Magmar took a step forward. Once it did so, the floor around it even seemed to heat up substantially as it turned red. It seemed that everywhere this Pokemon went was turned to fire. It shouldn't have been that surprising, this Pokemon did just emerge from a pit of lava in a volcano, after all. Ash briefly wondered if Magmar was the something Blaine was talking about that would save his Pokemon should they have come to close to the lava but pushed that aside for now. He needed to figure out which Pokemon could battle Magmar.

Ash knew he needed to choose his Pokemon carefully. He only had one Pokemon left and couldn't tie with Blaine again like he did with Hitmonchan and Wortortle. He wasn't sure if Haunter or Tauros, or Pikachu would be enough to take out the fire Pokemon. In order to face a Pokemont this hot, he would have to use a hot Pokemon himself. He then looked at Pikachu to see what it thought. The rodent gave a nod that is okay for Ash to pass it up on this gym match. It was with that thought Ash made his decision.

"I'm going to fight fire with fire, as they say!" Ash declared. "Charizard, I choose you!"

The fire-breathing dragon emerged from Ash's pokeball and let out a roar before flying over to the gym floor to stand in front of Magmar. It then tilted its head at Magmar as if appraising how worthy of an opponent it would be. Magmar stared back at Charizard as they locked gazes.

"Magmar," the Pokemon uttered.

Upon hearing that, Charizard nodded its head and got into a battle stance. It then turned around and nodded at Ash to signify it was ready to battle.

"Chu?" Pikachu questioned the odd behavior.

"Hey, what was up with Charizard acting like that?" Ash wondered.

"It almost looked like Charizard didn't want to battle at first," Serena added.

"I think I understand," Brock said as he crossed his arms and appeared in thought. "Now that Charizard is a fully evolved Pokemon, it naturally thinks higher of itself than it once did. It no longer wants to battle any Pokemon. It only wants to fight Pokemon that it considers a worthy opponent."

"Really?" Ash asked in surprise as he looked back at Charizard. "You mean to say if Charizard didn't think Magmar was a worthy opponent, it wouldn't have battled?"

"I hate to say it, but that is a possibility," Brock confirmed. "I would be careful about using your Charizard against everyone from now on, Ash. If you choose wrong, Charizard may not battle which is considered an automatic loss for the trainer."

"Oh," Ash muttered. He was so happy when Charmeleon evolved into Charizard, but now it looked like things would be a little different right now. There was no doubt Charizard still held love and respect for Ash as it allowed Ash to ride it and fight with it during the battle with Aerodactyl. He just needed to be careful for a while about which Pokemon for Charizard to battle until they got some more training in. He considered himself lucky Charizard gave the go ahead with Magmar.

Deciding to push those thoughts away for the moment, Ash got a determined look on his face. "You ready to win that sixth badge, Charizard. Let's have a great battle!"

Charizard gave a roar of approval before turning back to Magmar.

"Heheheh! I look forward to see how you have raised your own fire-type Pokemon!" Blaine said. "This will be quite the heated battle!"

One of Serena's pokeballs shook, and to no one's surprise by now, Charla popped out of its pokeball. It gave a roar and smiled at Charizard.

Charizard gave a roar of happiness in return and blushed. It was going to show its girlfriend how strong it had become now that it was fully evolved. Charizard was super pumped. This would be its first real match as a Charizard. It couldn't wait to really test out its strength against a fellow fire-type.

"Let's begin! Magmar use Fire Punch!" Blaine started off.

"Use your Fire Punch, as well, Charizard!" Ash shouted back.

Both Pokemon wound up their arms before their fists became enveloped in fire. They then charged forward and swung at each other. Each of their fists made contact with the other one, causing an eruption of flames to break out between them, shielding the two Pokemon from their trainer's view. Once the flames died down, they could see Charizard and Magmar grappling with each other, trying to get an edge over the other. Despite Charizard being a little bigger than Magmar, that didn't prove Magmar was any less strong.

Magmar actually used this to its advantage as it suddenly dropped down and slid underneath Charizard's legs, surprising the fire dragon. Magmar then appeared behind Charizard and hopped onto its back. Charizard turned in surprise at the Pokemon, and Blaine made his move.

"Use Fire Blast, Magmar," Blaine smirked.

Magmar took a deep breath and blew a massive fire attack from its mouth. Charizard was hit at point-blank range and roared in pain despite the attack not being very effective. Magmar jumped off Charizard's back while Charizard clawed at its face in pain. Fire Blast to its face really hurt.

"Use Fire Punch again, Magmar!" Blaine smiled.

Magmar charged up its fist before running forward and striking Charizard right in the stomach with no interference this time. Charizard gave another gasp of pain before doubling over and holding its stomach, panting.

"_Blaine wasn't kidding when he said Magmar would be hard to take down. Even Charizard is having a tough time with it,"_ Ash thought.

Charla frowned in disapproval that its boyfriend was being beaten this badly. It began to roar encouragingly at Charizard to give it support. Charizard heard Charla's roars and stood back up to face Magmar and shook its head for good measure.

"Great way to shake it off Charizard! Use Wing Attack!" Ash shouted.

Charizard took flight and began to fly full speed at Magmar with its wings outstretched. It then flew into Magmar and slashed at with its wings. Magmar was knocked to the side by the attack but used that opportunity to hop onto Charizard's back again. Charizard turned to Magmar and began frantically shaking itself in midair in an effort to get Magmar off.

"Use Flamethrower, Magmar!" Blaine commanded.

Realizing it needed to get Magmar off of it quickly before it suffered another fire attack to its face, Charizard reached back its arms and grabbed Magmar before hurling it back towards the ground as hard as it could.

As Magmar was falling, it still managed to shoot the Flamethrower from its mouth. The flames traveled through the air and managed to hit Charizard in its midsection. At least it wasn't at point blank range and in its face again, though. Magmar then crashed into the ground on its back. It then got back up on its feet and stared defiantly at Charizard, who stared right back.

"Use Fly, Charizard!" Ash yelled.

Charizard gave a mighty roar before divebombing Magmar, who just stood there. Ash couldn't understand why Blaine wasn't issuing a command. By now Charizard was too close to where Magmar would be able to dodge Fly in time. Any fire attacks used Charizard could just fan out with its wings because of the speed at which it was going. It looked like it was going to be a direct hit, but what Magmar did next completely surprised the group.

"Use Psychic, Magmar," Blaine said.

"Psychic?!" Ash cried in alarm.

To everyone's amazement, Magmar began to shoot powerful Psychic waves from its body, completely catching Charizard off guard. It was blasted by the powerful attack, and thrown backwards out of the air onto the ground where it skidded several yards before stopping.

"A Magmar can learn Psychic?" Misty asked in amazement.

"They can, actually," Brock answered. "It isn't very common, and it's not as powerful as a psychic-type Pokemon's attack, but still good for catching an opponent off guard like that."

"Can you stand, Charizard?" Ash asked in worry.

Charizard gave soft roar to affirm its will to still fight and stood back up. It couldn't fall for any more of Magmar's tricks.

"Use Fire Punch again, Magmar!" Blaine commanded.

"Counter with Slash, Charizard!" Ash shouted. He wasn't planning on letting Magmar get the upper hand again.

The two strong fire-types once more ran at each other with their arms drawn back. Magmar gave fiery punch while Charizard extended its claws. Magmar punched Charizard in the stomach once more. Charizard grimaced from the pain like last time, but it still managed to swipe at Magmar with its sharp claws. The attack connected and Magmar took several steps back from the stun. The two Pokemon then charged at each other and entered another grappling contest.

Not wanting to let Magmar slide under Charizard's legs like last time, Ash issued a command. "Charizard, flip Magmar over your head!"

Charizard gave short nod before lifting Magmar off of the ground with the intent of slamming it into the ground behind it, but to everyone's surprise, Magmar skillfully adjusted its body so it was facing Charizard and grabbed on to its back like last time to avoid being slammed. Charizard growled at Magmar for having a bad habit of doing that.

"You know what to do Magmar, let's finish this match," Blaine told it.

Magmar then pulled at Charizard so it was facing the edge of the gym floor and thrust itself forward, which pushed Charizard to edge. Charizard looked down and saw the fiery pool of lava below it. It turned back to Magmar who let out a smirk at Charizard. Magmar then grabbed onto Charizard's wings so it would be unable to fly away.

"Watch out, Charizard!" Ash yelled in worry. He knew that since Charizard was a fire-type, it was not part of the rule that saved other types of Pokemon from going into the lava. That didn't mean that it wouldn't still be very painful for the fire breathing dragon.

Charizard began to struggle against Magmar's attempts to push Chariard over the edge. Finally, Magmar caught one of Charizard's legs with one of its own. That was all that was needed for Charizard to lose its balance and fall over the edge of the gym.

"Charizard!" Ash cried in horror as he watched it and Magmar fall towards the lava.

There was a big splash as Charizard made contact. There was a painful roar from Charizard as it began sinking. Then just a second later, both it and Magmar were gone.

"Charizard," Ash muttered after he saw the display.

"Pika pi," Pikachu mumbled as it looked for any sign of Charizard.

"Oh, poor Charizard," Serena said sadly as tears came to eyes.

Charla, on the other hand, gave a roar of anger and looked like it was about to dive into the lava after Charizard, but was held back by Serena.

"Don't Charla!" Serena cried. "You don't stand a chance in the lava any more than Charizard does! I don't want you to be hurt because of it!"

Charla roared once again, and for the first time ever, shoved Serena of it. Ash, Brock, Misty, Cubone, and Pikachu looked on in shock as Serena fell to the ground on her bottom and looked up at Charla in surprise and hurt. Charla had never disobeyed Serena like that before.

Upon seeing what it had done, Charla immediately got a look of regret on its face before sighing and helping Serena back to her feet. It seemed like Ash's Charizard wasn't the only Pokemon whose personality changed after evolving. Ash and Serena both knew from now on that things wouldn't be quite the same with their two fully evolved Pokemon anymore. They would just have to accept their differences now.

"You have put up a fine fight and are definitely a great trainer, Ash!" Blaine called from across the room, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "However, it looks like my Magmar has won this battle. If Charizard isn't out of the lava within the next ten seconds, I will call the match, and victory will go to me. Magmar, meanwhile, will bring out your defeated Charizard."

The group then looked down in anticipation to see what would happen as the seconds ticked by. Charla was having a strong urge to go back into lava again to save its boyfriend, but Serena's logic had won it over. She was right. It wouldn't really stand a chance in the lava for too long despite being in perfect condition right now.

Just then, the lava began to stir once again. Everyone watched in curiosity to see what was about to happen. Thinking it was Magmar, Blaine let out a smirk, but was surprised when Charizard burst out of the lava a high speed with Magmar still on its back! Charizard gave a roar as it zipped past the gym floor and continued to ascend higher in the volcano.

"Oh no!" Blaine cried.

"Oh yes!" Ash cheered. "Way to go, Charizard!"

Charizard gave a might roar again as it slammed its back against the rock wall of volcano. Magmar let out gasp of pain and let go of Charizard's back from the force of the impact. It then began to fall back towards the lava, but Charizard and Ash weren't going to let it off that easy.

"Use Fly, Charizard!" Ash yelled.

Charizard dove after Magmar until it was at an even level before slamming into it in midair. Magmar yelled out in pain as Charizard grabbed on it from the front this time and began zipping around the large room in circles.

"I don't understand how Charizard was able to withstand that lava. That was amazing!" Misty commented as Charizard continued to fly around the room.

Magmar, meanwhile, was becoming extremely dizzy. It wanted to let go of Charizard for once, but the fire dragon held firm. It wasn't going to give Magmar any chance for a counterattack to what it was about to do.

Ash, as if reading Charizard's mind, gave his next command. "Use Seismic Toss, Charizard!"

Charizard gave another roar as it began to fly as high as it could in the volcano. Considering how large it was, this was still a considerable distance. Once Charizard got as high as it could, it dove downward at breakneck speed, taking Magmar with it. Then Charizard let go of Magmar with one of its hands and hurled it as hard as it could back towards the lava. Magmar shot through the air as it let out a cry before striking the lava extremely hard. It almost looked like there was bright flash once Magmar made contact with the lava due to hitting it at such high speed. It was then followed by an explosion. Thankfully, it didn't reach the group above due to the magma pool being far below.

Charizard landed back on the gym floor and awaited to see if Magmar would resurface. That attack look like it had done a lot of damage.

Everyone awaited anxiously to see the outcome. About five seconds later, Magmar jumped out of the lava before landing back on the gym floor in a battle stance.

Blaine let out a triumphant smile while the rest of the group gasped. How was Magmar still able to fight after taking such a powerful blow?! That was unbelievable! Here Magmar was, however, looking no worse for the wear. It almost seemed to have a smirk on its face as if asking "What now?" to Charizard. The fire lizard glared back, however. It would finish this fight to the end.

Ash and Blaine were about to issue commands but didn't have to. Magmar's legs suddenly gave way, and it collapsed onto the gym floor with swirly eyes. It didn't get back up.

"Maaaagmar," it choked out.

For a while, no one said anything. They just stood there in utter shock. Then Ash's face broke out into a huge grin.

"Alriiiiiight!" he shouted in pure delight.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered as it leaped into the air.

"You did it!" Serena cried happily as she ran forward and crashed into Ash with a big hug, almost knocking him over. Misty, Brock, and Cubone soon followed to congratulate him, as well.

"Well, my Pokemon and I did it," Ash replied with a blush while Serena was hugging him. He could get used to this after every win he did.

Charla flew over to its boyfriend and wrapped it up in a hug, as well, for its great victory. Charizard gave a roar of approval at the affectionate gesture before shooting out continuous Flamethrowers as a show of its strength. It conquered its first opponent as a Charizard and was feeling very pleased with itself.

"That was very well done, Ash!" Blaine said with a bow. He then walked over to Ash "You are definitely a skilled Pokemon trainer. There aren't too many Pokemon out there that can beat Magmar."

"Thanks a lot, Blaine!" Ash replied before saying, "I just have one thing to say after this victory."

"What's that?" Blaine asked.

"Can we please leave the volcano now? This heat is getting to me," Ash replied with a sheepish look and rubbed the back of his head.

Everyone else fell over at that comment.

* * *

><p>The group was now standing outside of the mountain path they used to enter the volcano. Charizard had since returned to its pokeball. It was a slight struggle for Ash, though, as it wanted to stay out and celebrate longer. It seemed that Ash will have to earn Charizard's full obedience again, but he was fine where they were at right now.<p>

"I have one last riddle, Ash. "What is that is always red, and has no words? Ha! The answer is a Volcano Badge!" Blaine said with a smile and held up the flame shaped badge for the group to see.

"Hahaha! Thanks, Blaine!" Ash replied as he took the badge and looked at in his outstretched palm.

"Pika!" Pikachu said happily.

"Would you look at that, Pikachu? We've got six badges! We only need two more to qualify for the Pokemon League!" Ash told it.

"You're almost there, Ash. You only have the Saffron Gym and the Viridian Gym left. Have you figured out which one you will do first?" Serena asked him.

"I have," Ash answered. "I've decided to have a rematch with Sabrina. I think I've gotten a lot stronger since I last faced her. I'm confident we can do it! After that, we can head back to Pallet Town and meet up with Leaf and Gary. We could go to the Viridian gym together after that. It would be a great reunion!"

"I like that idea, as well!" Serena chimed in. "I can't wait to tell Leaf the good news!"

"Oh, you mean…?" Ash began.

"Yep!" Serena confirmed as she grabbed Ash's hands.

Brock and Misty let out a sigh at this. Were those two going to be doing this all the time, or at least be more private with this type of stuff?

"So how are we going to get back to Saffron City?" Misty asked once Ash and Serena let go of each other.

The group looked deep in thought. The idea of sailing back to Fuchsia City, going through Lavender Town, and then back to Saffron City didn't seem tempting. That would take over a month and would be more counterproductive than anything.

"Well, you're actually in luck if you are heading to Saffron City," Blaine spoke up once he saw the group's dilemma.

"How so?" Serena asked.

"There is actually a blimp that flies regularly between Saffron City and Cinnabar Island," Blaine mentioned. "Being that Saffron City is the largest city in Kanto and Cinnabar Island is such a tourist destination, it's only natural that they have some mode of transportation between them."

"That sounds great!" Ash exclaimed. "When does the next blimp leave?"

"Tomorrow at ten in the morning sharp," Blaine replied. "In the meantime, I'll let you stay at my hotel for another night for free since you've been such great guests. I haven't had a group as promising as you four in a while!"

"Thanks a lot, Blaine!" Ash smiled. He then looked towards the rest of the group. "We'll rest up today and head to Saffron City tomorrow. That seventh badge will be ours."

"Hold on, Ash," Misty interrupted. "I love your enthusiasm, but didn't Sabrina's father also want us to help her instead of just win a badge? How do plan on doing both?"

The group fell into silence at that. They had almost forgotten about Sabrina's robotic and monotonous lifestyle. They also remembered how critically injured Pikachu was the last time they faced her. What was stopping her from doing something like that again? Suddenly, the cheerful and optimistic mood had died down quite a bit. It would be a huge struggle Ash would be facing with Sabrina, but he knew he had to do it. He was going to be praying for a miracle.

* * *

><p><strong>Not really too much too say after this chapter. Just expect things to start heating up (hahahahah pun) pretty soon. <strong>

**The next chapter will be up on Tuesday and will be the last Battle Chateau chapter for a while because there are several other things that need to be solved before we get back on track with them. Serena's a Duchess now, so how will she fare next chapter? **

**WOW! Over 1500 reviews!? I'm absolutely amazed! Thank you all so much for making this story the success that it is!**

**Chapter 43: The Chateau Chatelaine!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Do you plan on having Miette return? And also is Red ever going to make an appearance?_

_**Probably not to the first question and yes to the second question.**_

_Will togepi be going to misty again this time around or will it stay with Ash when it hatches?_

_**Misty won't have it. It will be Ash and Serena's.**_

_Would I be correct in assuming that Riley's Lucario will appear during the Sinnoh saga?_

_**Of course it is, but it might appear sooner than that (hint hint)**_

_Can you please make a chapter based off of malamar episode?_

_**I don't know. It depends on if it's relevant to the plot in the future.**_

Will Marina have a Jigglypuff like she does in the anime?

_**Yes.**_

_I think I may know some full names you could give Jimmy, Marina, and Vincent- Jimmy Gold, Marina Crystal, and Vincent Jackson._

_**That won't work for the first two as Gold and Crystal already appear as characters in this story. They are Jimmy and Marina's parents, respectively.**_

_You said Ash will not get any more pokemon in this arc. So, will this egg hatch in the next arc?_

_**I should have clarified when I said the group wouldn't get any more Pokemon this arc. I meant for battling. Togepi's egg will still hatch in this arc (after 8 badges but before the Pokemon League)**_

_So when will Dratini be making its reappearance?_

_**I was planning on it appearing on Cinnabar Island, but couldn't make it fit. That being said, Dratini won't make another physical appearance until a few more chapters, the same with Aerodactyl.**_

_So Serena's a psychic. How does one become psychic?_

_**I'm no expert, but my understanding from cartoons is that you are born with them, and they are dormant until you discover them. And just to build suspense, Serena's mother, Grace, apparently isn't a psychic, so who did Serena get her psychic powers from?**_

_Will the movies be stand alone stories or part of the arcs?_

_**The first movie will at least be part of the arcs.**_

_Can we expect a Mega-Rayquaza close to the end of the Hoenn arc?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will May sport her original outfit or her ORAS outfit._

_**At first it will be her original outfit, but it will change to ORAS as the series and arcs progress.**_

_Will Omanyte keep grabbing Serena's face everytime it comes out of its Pokeball?_

_**Sometimes her face, sometimes her arm, sometimes her leg…you get the picture.**_

_Will Deoxys's appearence in the story be like his appearence in the emerald episode of ORAS, or will his appearence be more like Destiny Deoxys?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Are the charizards going to have a rivalry or some type of hatred towards aerodactyl?_

_**No, they won't hold a grudge.**_

_Will Gary help Ash realize his feelings for Serena?_

_**No, it won't be Gary…or Leaf for that matter.**_

_How many Legendary Pokemon will actually be in your stories?_

_**I'm planning on all of them at least at some point.**_

_Can Serena get a Milotic?_

_**Possibly, but not until Hoenn.**_

_Going from arc to arc, will you skip a period of time?_

_**No, the only time skip will be between Sinnoh and the final story.**_

_Do you have the team of 6 Pokemon Ash will use in the Pokemon League and the Elite 4? Or will he constantly switch his Pokemon after every battle._

_**He will be switching his Pokemon out.**_

_Since Tracey's Scyther is rather elderly, and therefore more mature, why not have it be the one to teach Serena's Scyther how to behave?_

_**That is certainly a possibility.**_

_When will the rematch again Sabirna happen and would she use more than one Pokemon?_

_**It will be Chapter 44 and be a two on two gym match.**_

_How long in between arcs will you take to gather your thoughts for the next arc?_

_**Maybe close to a month.**_

_When you say Aerodactyl will at times be unstable, does this mean that Aerodactyl has some sort of multiple personality disorder or something? Or perhaps mood swings?_

_**It will be moody at first but mellow out once Ash fully gains its trust. It won't try to kill anybody again, at least.**_

_Will other girls compete with Serena for Ash's love?_

_**Yes, but be unsuccessful.**_

_Will Ash or Serena use Togepi in battle?_

_**I'm not sure yet. If they do, it probably won't be for a very long time if they do.**_

_You said Hitmonchan was eager and very hot-blooded. Could you describe the personalities of the other noncanon Pokemon you've given our heroes?_

_**Omanyte: Affectionate and a little oblivious, but nowhere near the level of Psyduck or Slowpoke.**_

_**Kabuto: Sort of like Croagunk**_

_**Aerodactyl: Friendly by nature, but Ash has to work with it.**_

_**Hitmonlee: Calm**_

_**Eevee: Playful**_

_**Nidorina: Loves to eat and is a bit of a glutton**_

_**Charla: Trendy and likes fashion, but not as into it now that it's a Charizard.**_

_**Dratini: Very shy and cautious**_

_**Rhyhorn: No nonsense and a little serious. Doesn't like help from others.**_

_**Shellder: A bit of a prankster and will make great use of its tongue in taunting others**_

_**Scyther: Very mischievous and sort of mean…until Serena and possibly Tracey's Scyther takes care of it.**_

_**Slowpoke: Dopey and extremely slow until it evolves where it gets more serious.**_

_I know you won't say when and what but could you say who will get the first pseudo legendary?_

_**Ash has a Dratini, remember?**_


	43. The Chateau Chatelaine!

**A/N: I'm glad you all enjoyed the battle between Ash and Blaine. ROFL I was so tempted to put in the infamous "AIM FOR THE HORN" line or at least reference it, but ultimately decided not to.**

**Wow. It's almost been seven chapters since the last Battle Chateau challenge. Expect the next gap of a Battle Chateau chapter to be even longer. Why? Well….just read on. There will be some things that need to be taken care of. The chapters I am writing right now in the story have by far been my most fun to write, and I expect you to like them also! For now, please enjoy this chapter.**

**One more thing: I beg of you. PLEASE make sure if you ask a question in my story. PLEASE review what you thought of the chapter also. I take great time and effort in writing these chapters to ensure they are worth reading (hopefully) and always want to hear feedback. For instance, when I write a chapter about Ash's seventh gym battle and receive a review that has nothing to do with a chapter like "Will Max travel with Ash's group in Hoenn?" AND NOTHING ELSE, it's pretty upsetting. So if you guys are going to ask me a question, please make sure to review the chapter, also. That's what that white box at the bottom of the page is there for in the first place. To review. Not ask questions.**

**Now, I know there are many of you who already actually review my chapters and ask questions at the end…that is perfectly fine and I am happy to answer them. This message was for everyone else who just asks a question and nothing else in their review**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon…still.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 43: The Chateau Chatelaine!<p>

The group was only a few minutes away from Saffron City right now. What would have taken over a month on foot was only taking about five hours on the blimp. It was a surprisingly comfy ride the whole way. There was good food, a few movies that played, and it was extremely smooth, as well. It was a little on the expensive side, but it was definitely worth it.

The group couldn't really complain due to how little money they spent on Cinnabar Island. Blaine really extended his generosity to them by letting them stay at the hotel for free their entire time there. He even led them to the place where the blimp took flight to see them off in the blimp that morning and wished them the best in all of their endeavors. The group, in turn, wished him luck with his gym and finding more worthy challengers. They definitely had an unforgettable experience on Cinnabar Island with all that happened, but now that part of their journey was behind them. It was time to move forward and return to Saffron City.

Ash looked out the nearby window of the blimp from his seat and was able to see a large city in the distance which he knew to be Saffron. Pikachu hopped up from Ash's lap to his shoulder to get a good look out the window, too. Serena was sitting next to him while Brock and Misty were in the row ahead of them. Serena was watching Ash with a look of worry as Saffron City came closer. She was wondering what his feelings were upon coming back to the large city.

"Saffron City," Ash muttered with an unreadable expression as he began to recall the events that happened last time

Like with Cinnabar Island, the group had an unforgettable experience in Saffron City the last time they were here. However, it was because it was filled with many negatives rather than positives that made it unforgettable. Last time they were here, Team Rocket had been attempting to take over the entire city by raiding the Silph Company. The group had been able to stop them from completely taking over, but it wasn't without its consequences. Team Rocket still got away with the blueprints for the Master Ball, and that is when they declared Ash a personal enemy of Team Rocket, and there would be consequences should he see them again.

Not to mention, Ash had absolutely been destroyed by Sabrina when he was last here. His poor buddy Pikachu had been critically injured that time and even suffered a broken arm. It was true they were much stronger than last time, but what if Sabrina had gotten stronger, too? Ash was so fired up about returning to challenge Sabrina again, but now that he was almost back in Saffron, it was like his fire had disappeared. For the first time, he was extremely worried about an upcoming gym battle. He frowned and let out a sigh.

"Ash," Serena asked once she saw his troubled expression.

Ash turned back from the window and gave Serena small smile, but she could tell it was forced. "I'll be fine Serena. I guess I'm a little nervous about coming back here."

Serena grabbed Ash's left hand with her right and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I know. You went through a lot last time you were here. It's only natural you feel apprehensive about returning."

"I just wonder if I have what it takes to beat Sabrina. I know my Pokemon are strong enough to beat Sabrina, but am I strong enough?" Ash asked with a sigh.

"Ash, you ARE strong enough. You are one of the strongest people I know. If you want an example of how strong you are, I can tell you one that happened just a few days ago. There aren't too many people out there who could take on an Aerodactyl face to face like you did. That takes a strong person to be able to do something like that and capture it. Not to mention, you have Pikachu, your other Pokemon, Cubone, Brock, Misty, and of course me to support you," Serena said seriously.

"Haha yeah. I do a lot of crazy things, don't I?" Ash asked with a light chuckle.

"You do. Just know that I'm here for you, ready to jump in those crazy things with you or to be your support," Serena told him before leaning against his arm.

Ash felt his face heat up once again when Serena made contact with him. It was normally the other way around with him trying to reassure her. It looks like the relationship works both ways, also. Ash could always count on Serena to make him feel better, just like she could with him. He finally flashed Serena genuine smile.

"You're right, Serena. I can do this. With you and everyone else by my side, I can pull through," he said.

Serena looked up from Ash shoulder to his face and smiled back. "That sounds more like the Ash Ketchum I know."

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added. It gave Ash a determined look and sparked its cheeks. It was ready to get a piece of Sabrina again.

"You said it buddy! We're going to win this time!" Ash shouted as he stood up from his seat and pumped his fist in the air.

Ash then noticed everyone around him in the blimp was staring at him with a confused frown. It looked like he had said that a little too loudly. Brock and Misty were looking away with slightly embarrassed looks while Serena was watching him with a small smile like she wanted to giggle. Pikachu and Cubone were both snickering at Ash's embarrassment. It seemed Cubone was starting to take on Pikachu's characteristics. The flight attendant made her way over to Ash and gave him a slightly stern expression.

"Sir, I must ask you to please remain seated for the remainder of the flight since we are about to land," she said.

"Eheheheheh, sorry about that," Ash muttered awkwardly as he sat back down.

* * *

><p>The group stepped off of the plank from the large blimp and drew in their surroundings. Even though this was their second time here, it still blew them away with how large it was. The skyscrapers were just as amazing this time as the last. Luckily this time, they knew their way around the city so it wouldn't take them forever to find their destinations.<p>

"Hey guys, I was thinking about something as we landed," Ash spoke up.

"Oh really? Like what?" Misty asked.

"I just had a gym battle with Blaine yesterday. My Pokemon are still probably a little tired from such a tough battle like that. I don't want to push them so I think it would be best if I didn't have a rematch with Sabrina today," Ash explained.

"I think that is a rational decision, Ash," Brock agreed with a smile. "You don't want to push yourself or your Pokemon. It would be good to get a nice rest so you are charged up for the next battle."

"In that case, what should we do today?" Misty questioned again.

"Well," Ash said as he gave a knowing smile at Serena. "If I recall, a special someone has reached the rank of Duchess at the Battle Chateau and can challenge the Chatelaines there. I think it would be cool to check that out."

"Ah! That's right! Serena still has to compete for her title of Grand Duchess," Brock remembered. "Do you feel up for it, Serena?"

"I don't know. It sounds like a big jump. It's almost like it's the Battle Chateau equivalent of the Pokemon League, only you already know who you are facing," Serena said nervously.

"Serena. Remember what you told me on the blimp? You have all of us and your Pokemon supporting you. We all know you can do it. You don't even have to face the Battle Chatelaines all at once. Just go at your own pace," Ash encouraged.

Serena stared back at Ash and gave him smile. You're right. Thank you, Ash."

"I have a question about these Battle Chatelaines," Misty spoke up with a thoughtful expression. "I hear there are four Battle Chatelaines, and five Battle Chateaus, how do they know when to face a challenger or where to be at?"

The group exchanged glances with each other upon hearing that. It seemed like they couldn't come up with a decent response.

* * *

><p>The Battle Chateau of Saffron City hadn't changed a bit since the group last saw it. This was where Serena had gone up against Miette in the final tournament. Her Eevee had its first taste of battle here, and Jigglypuff had finally overcome its extreme stubbornness. Now however, they were here for a different reason. Serena wouldn't be participating in a tournament today. No. She would be facing off against one of the leaders of the Battle Chateau, a Chatelaine.<p>

"Welcome to the Battle Chateaus, beaus and dames!" Hennessy greeted as usual once he caught sight of them.

"Hello again, Hennessy," Serena smiled as the she and the rest of the group approached them.

Who will be competing in the tournament today?" the older gentleman asked politely.

"Actually, I've finally achieved the rank of Duchess. I would like to try for the chance of challenging one of the Chatelaines," Serena answered as she showed him her symbol and title card in the case as proof.

"That is truly excellent, madam. Allow me to congratulate you personally on achieving such a feat. You are actually in luck today. We do have a Chatelaine visiting today. Nita is her name. I shall have one of my maids inform her at once!" Hennessy said with a smile. He then snapped his fingers to one of the maids behind him who nodded her head and quickly hurried off to where the Chatelaine supposedly was.

"Is there anything special that I need to do to get ready?" Serena asked once the maid had left.

"Yes, madam. For now, however, just get ready as you normally would. I will escort you down to your changing room. Please follow me," Hennessy said as he began to make his way down the hall, the group following suit.

Deciding to get an idea of how tough the chatelaines were, Serena decided to ask, "So how many people so far have faced the Chatelaines? Has anyone ever beaten them all?"

"Indeed. There have been a few people who have managed to beat them in the past. They were very exceptional trainers indeed. Our most recent winner was a young man by the name of Calem Xavier. He was a very exceptional trainer indeed. Our chatelaines are no pushovers and will definitely be one of the hardest trainers you have ever fought against. An inexperienced trainer could never win," Hennessy explained.

"Calem Xavier?" Serena inquired, having her interest piqued by the name. That must mean he reached the rank of duke. She had wondered what her native Kalos friend was up to, lately.

"Ah, yes. You must know him, I take it," Hennessy continued. "He is a very polite and fine young man."

"That he is!" Serena agreed with a light giggle.

Unbeknownst to her, Ash made a slight frown on his face after hearing the name and Serena giggling about it. He then had a frown from confusion this time. Why was he acting this way when Calem was mentioned again?

"Yes. He was one of the few trainers who managed to best Nita," Hennessy said.

"I see," Serena muttered. She was briefly wondering what Hennessy meant by "a few". The Battle Chateau hasn't been opened that long, but how many people have been able to win that fabulous prize that they have mentioned if you manage to conquer it. Did Calem manage to beat all of the Chatelaines?

"Come on, Serena! You can do it. I don't know how strong these Chatelaines are, but you can do it!" Ash encouraged Serena while giving her a thumbs-up and take the subject away from Calem.

Hennessy then reached the intersection where different changing rooms split off and asked the rest of the group to wait while Serena got ready. A maid quickly came and escorted Serena off to her changing room while the rest of them waited. Ash decided to watch Cubone while she was away briefly.

As Serena was being lead down the hallway, she had many thoughts running through her head. What kind of person was the Battle Chatelaine here? How should she treat the leader? Does she curtsey? Does she get down on one knee? Does she salute? Furthermore, which of her Pokemon should she use against the Chatelaine. There was no doubt the Chatelaine used strong Pokemon so she would need to use some of her stronger Pokemon also. Charla, Jigglypuff, Scyther, and Hitmonlee were all good candidates, but Nidorina, Gloom, and Eevee weren't bad choices, either. She didn't feel Slowpoke or Omanyte were ready for a huge battle like this yet. Argh! These decisions were so hard!

* * *

><p>"Lovely as always, Serena!" Brock commented with a smile once Serena returned.<p>

"Definitely! A real princess!" Misty added.

"Heehee! Come on guys! These are the clothes I normally wear when I'm here!" Serena giggled.

Ash, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off Serena. She was right. These were the clothes she always wore. Why was this time any different? Maybe Ash never really took the time to notice how beautiful Serena looked, especially when she was dressed up. Was it the way her long her moved as she walked? Was it her lovely blue eyes? Was it her…okay…he won't go there, but this was the first time he was actually taking in her appearance. It felt really weird, yet so right.

"Ash?" Serena asked once she saw him staring at her. It wasn't like she minded because she had always wanted Ash to look at her like that. She knew she had to snap him out of it eventually, though.

A jolt seemed to pass through Ash once Serena called his name. "Huh?" he asked stupidly.

Pikachu and Cubone began to burst into a fit of laughter. Ash Ketchum, the dense boy who started out this journey without a clue in the world, is finally starting to notice girls. This was too good to pass up. Pikachu had to laugh at its trainer's expense. It seemed that Cubone was finally starting to loosen up, too. Pikachu had taught it well these past few months.

"Laugh it up, fuzzball," Ash muttered as he glared at the yellow rodent.

"Attention beaus and madams! We now present, the Battle Chatelaine that is visiting here today, Nita! Please show your utmost respect!" Hennessy announced.

All the people, trainers and Chateau workers alike, instantly stopped what they were doing and immediately entered into a bow or curtsey. The group quickly started doing the same so as not to look foolish. It really did seem these Chatelaines required a great deal of respect. As they looked around, they could see two maids walking on either side of a person in the middle who they assumed was the Chatelaine. As they got closer, the group could began to make out the Chatelaine's features. She was dressed in a yellow and black tank top with black pantyhose and pale yellow high heels. She had on a massive olive green dress that surround her middle and opened up slightly towards the front. Lastly, she wore black gloves on her hands and a big orange hat on her head.

The group resisted the urge a raise an eyebrow at this. She was dressed in quite a bizarre fashion. Even Ash, who had no sense of style, knew this was a rather strange choice of wardrobe.

As she entered the room, the group could she was a small lady, but not as small as Yellow. She had curly yellow hair that went down the side of her face and stopped just below her cheeks and yellow eyes. She seemed to have a very big smile on her face. The maids then began to lead her in the direction to where the group was standing. She would give a slight nod to the maids, butlers, and trainers as she passed, but not much else.

The Chatelaine soon stopped in front of Serena while the young girl continued to curtsey, not knowing what else to do. She began looking at Serena in an appraising manner which was starting to make her feel a little nervous. It was like the Chatelaine was judging if she was even worth battling. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke. The group was expecting formal, elegant words to come from her mouth like Hennessy talked, but instead…

"Hello! How are ya? Are ya in good form? I'm Nita! Welcome to the Battle Chateau, pet!" she greeted with a heavy accent.

The group exchanged glances with each other. They certainly weren't expecting one of the leaders of the Battle Chateau to sound like that! She was rather…quirky.

"Umm…pleased to meet you, Ms. Nita. My name is Serena Gabena. I would like to request a match with you," Serena said with another curtsey, trying to keep her composure.

"Sure! That sounds like smashing good fun! It's been a while since I've had a battle!" Nita replied eagerly with her hands on her hips. She then added, "I may be the youngest of us four Chatelaine sisters, but I'm still a class trainer. My sisters are always on to me about that and getting stronger."

"_So all of the Chatelaines are sisters?"_ Serena thought to herself. She briefly wondered if they all acted same or had completely different personalities.

Misty, however, happened to catch what the Chatelaine said and immediately spoke up.

"Oh! You have three older sisters of status, too? I know just how you feel!" Misty said as she clasped her hands together.

"Oh? And who might you be, pet?" Nita asked while raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Misty! I'm one of the sensational sisters at the Cerulean gym. I'm the youngest of four sisters, too, and they are always getting onto me about not being as good as them!" Misty replied. "It's so tough being the youngest!"

"It is, isn't it!?" I'm always catching it from my sisters whenever I don't battle hard enough, particularly my eldest. I always feel like I have a lot to live up to!" Nita added while looking at Misty with a smile.

"I think Misty just found a new best friend," Ash muttered to Brock and Serena so Misty couldn't hear.

"I hope you put up a great match so you can really show your older sisters you are just as good as them!" Misty continued.

"Misty, not to cut in to your conversation, but shouldn't you be rooting for Serena?" Brock reminded.

"Oh. Hahahaha! Right!" Misty replied with a nervous laugh while rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, if we are done with this lovely chat, I'd like to begin our match," Nita said a little eagerly.

"Yes, ma'am!" Serena hurriedly said.

"Hennessy! Be a gent and lead us to the battle room!" Nita said while turning to him.

"Right away, madam!" Hennessy replied as he turned around and began to lead them. Nita took the front while the group walked behind her. They figured it was the appropriate thing to do.

The group noticed that Nita definitely seemed to carry an air of authority around her in the way she walked, despite the way she talked and dressed. She wore her head high with one hand on her hip while the other one moved in tune to her steps. Her hips swayed side to side as she walked.

Brock was unknowingly turning red from staring at the woman's backside. It seemed he found another girl to be attracted to, but he forced himself to be in check for Suzy and Vulpix. Not to mention he could have sworn he felt Kabuto's pokeball wiggle a little bit. Only Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny seemed to make him go gaga anymore. Brock wanted to be a one woman man, but there were three perfect girls for him right now. He couldn't decide!

Once they arrived at the battle room, Nita made her way over to the other side while Serena stayed on the entrance side. A judge was already waiting in the center. The room they were in was a little different compared to the one used for tournaments. It was a lot larger for one thing, and there was only one entrance compared to the normal two that were used on each side. The group figured it made sense that battles with the Chatelaines were held in other places so as not to disrupt the normal tournaments going on that day.

Nita stood confidently on the other side of the room with her hands on her hips, awaiting for the rest of the group to watch from the side and the judge to start the battle.

"Okay, Serena! You've got this, and you're a Duchess. You've come this far! I know you can do it!" Ash told her with a thumbs up.

"Cubone bone!" Cubone added as it hugged Serena's leg.

"We're behind you the whole way!" Brock said with a smile.

"Maybe you could…never mind. Good luck!" Misty said cheerfully. "You know I really want you to win!"

Serena nodded her thanks as she went over to stand where she was supposed to, but Ash stopped her.

"Hold on," he said, grabbing Serena's attention. She turned back towards him and blushed when he took her hand and planted a delicate kiss on it.

"That's for luck," he said with a smile and turned to head back to the sidelines.

Serena blushed heavily. It was like he was mimicking her motions that she did during his Cinnabar gym match. Sure, it was on the hand rather than the cheek, but still. That was the first kiss Ash ever gave her, anywhere! She felt like she could faint! Just that alone gave her a huge surge of confidence while a huge smile spread across her face. She turned away as well to continue to her place, now with a new found sense of determination. Ash actually kissed her!

Once Ash made his way back he saw, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Cubone staring at him with a knowing smile on their faces. Ash then blushed a cherry red.

"Eheheheh! Well, Serena wished me luck in the Cinnabar gym by kissing me. I figured I would repay the favor by doing the same for her, even if it was on the hand," he said.

"Sure, Ash. Whatever you say," Brock replied with a sneaky grin.

"Kn-knock it off, guys," Ash muttered as he turned away to hide his red face, however unsuccessful it was.

Once Serena stood in her designated area, the judge made his announcement. "This will be a special match today! We have Serena Gabena facing one of our Chatelaines, Nita. Rather than a one-on-one battle, it will be three-on-three! There will be no time limit! May the two madams please curtsey to one another!

As Serena did her curtsey to Nita, she couldn't help but feel a little strange once Nita did one, too. Were the Chatelaines not excluded from the typical curtsey before a battle even though they were the leaders?

"You may now choose your first Pokemon!" the judge declared.

Serena thought hard about which one she could use first. She knew Scyther had been itching to battle ever since she caught it. Maybe using it would be able to calm it down a little bit. It would certainly help if it would stop going after Ash all the time. She's had to call it off multiple times since she's had it.

"Go, Scyther!" she yelled she threw the ball forward.

The mantis Pokemon appeared and began viciously swinging its blades back and forth, slashing at invisible enemies. It gave a dark smirk at Ash as a glint appeared in its eye before turning to face which Pokemon Nita would send out. Ash couldn't help but gulp. That Scyther really made him nervous, almost like it was out to get him.

"Go Clefable, dear!" Nita shouted as she threw the ball forward.

Everyone gasped once they saw the extremely rare fairy Pokemon appear. That was quite an achievement to have such an elusive Pokemon. They remembered they saw a few at their trek across Mt. Moon a while back, but to see a trainer actually have one was pretty impressive.

"Each trainer will use a total of three Pokemon! They will each battle until one of them is unable to battle anymore. Then the next two Pokemon will take their place. The dame with the most victories will be declared the winner," the judge explained. "Are you ready?"

"Let's make this a smashing good battle, pet!" Nita called to her.

"I agree!" Serena answered back.

"Grand! Let's do it!" Nita said.

"You may now begin!" The judge announced.

"Okay, Scyther! Let's start things off with your Agility and follow with Wing Attack!" Serena yelled.

Scyther immediately took off from the ground and started speeding around the room. It was almost like Scyther was teleporting due to how fast it was moving. It then began to move towards Clefable and stretched its wings to get a good hit in.

"A smashing good way to start a battle, but Clefable and I have tricks of our own! Disarming Voice!" Nita yelled.

Clefable then let out a loud cry. The sound waves seemed to blast across the whole room as even the group had to cover their ears. Scyther got the brunt of it though as it had to halt its Agility and tried to cover its ears also.

"Disarming Voice is a move that never misses. It's perfect against a fast Pokemon like Scyther," Nita smirked.

"_Scyther's speed is its greatest asset. If Nita is going to use Disarming Voice every time it uses Agility, I'm going to need to think of something else,"_ Serena thought.

"Use Moonblast!" Nita shouted, snapping Serena out of her thoughts.

"Quick! Dodge it, Scyther!" Serena yelled as a large beam came from Clefable.

The mantis Pokemon immediately shot out of the way and dodged it just in time. That Moonblast was a much faster attack then one would think.

"Fly high into the air and use Razor Wind!" Serena yelled.

Scyther then flew as high as the large battle room would allow it and began manipulating the air around it with its wings. It began to spiral it around before shooting towards Clefable. It was as if the air itself was a blade like its arms.

"Dodge it Clefable, my pet!" Nita shouted.

Clefable jumped out of the way but still caught the force of the explosion as the Razor Wind hit the floor. It lost its balance and landed ungracefully on the floor while Scyther closed in for another attack.

"Air Slash!" Serena ordered.

Scyther brought its blade-like arms up before slashing at the air around it to send a sharp column of air directly at Clefable. The Fairy Pokemon was hit directly by attack and blown into the air again where Scyther could get to it easier.

"Fly over to it and use Wing Attack!" Serena shouted.

The mantis Pokemon did so and outstretched its wings before knocking Clefable to the ground. The fairy Pokemon landed on its back with a painful cry as Serena decided to deliver the finishing attack.

"Finish this off with X-Scissor!" Serena commanded.

Scyther closed in as it drew its blades into an X shape as they began to glow. It looked like victory was going to be for Serena as Clefable was doing nothing to get out of the way. That was until something completely unexpected happened.

"Clefable, use Gravity," Nita said.

"_What's that?_" Serena wondered.

Clefable's eyes glowed blue for a moment as Scyther was almost upon it. The mantis Pokemon suddenly felt that the air was extremely heavy for no apparent reason. It was like an invisible force was weighing down on top it and pulling downward at the same time! Unable to stay in the air any longer, Scyther sunk to the ground extremely quickly. Its X-Scissor attack faded from the shock, and it hit the ground before skidding to a stop right in front of Clefable.

"Moonblast, pet!" Nita shouted.

Clefable once more shot the large beam from its hands which blasted Scyther back a good distance. It hit the ground with a painful groan. It attempted to stand up and take flight again, but was unable to because the air felt so heavy.

"Why isn't Scyther able to fly anymore?" Ash wondered aloud.

"That's because Clefable used the move Gravity," Brock said with a frown. "It makes the air extremely heavy around its target so it's unable to fly. That's really bad news for Scyther because on top of not being able to use its speed, it can't even fly now."

"Come on, Scyther! Try to fight it!" Serena encouraged.

Scyther was really struggling to take flight again. Its body wasn't made to be very fast on the ground like it is in the air. If it was going to make progress, it would need to fly again.

"Try Air Slash!" Serena yelled.

Scyther tried to slice at the air with its arms, but the force of the gravity immediately made the column of air sink to the ground immediately. Not even its flying type moves were working! There was only one other option despite being a long shot.

"Use Double Team to try to confuse it!" She yelled.

Scyther immediately split into several images of itself and began moving as fast it could run around the room. Clefable, meanwhile, didn't seem too fazed.

"Use Disarming Voice to find the real one!" Nita yelled.

Just like before, the Clefable let out a loud cry which immediately spread around and hit Scyther, instantly making its copies disappear.

"Use Moonblast one more time!" Nita commanded.

The large pink beam was blasted from Clefable which shot across the room and struck Scyther right in its midsection. It was knocked backwards on the ground where it fell again and didn't get up.

"Scy…," it muttered. It was extremely frustrated that it couldn't pull of a win for its first match.

"Scyther is unable to battle! The winner of that matchup is our Chatelaine, Nita," the judge said.

"That was smashingly good, Clefable, no guff!" Nita praised the fairy Pokemon as she returned it.

"Poor Scyther. It was doing really well and managed to get an advantage, but the second Clefable used Gravity, everything changed," Misty noted.

"Return, Scyther," Serena said as she recalled it. She then gave it a sad smile. "Thanks for a terrific battle. That was great."

Now who could she use? These Battle Chatelaines were clearly on a whole other level from the trainers she has faced so far in the Battle Chateau, even Brock, and he used to be a gym leader! She had traded out Hitmonlee and Nidorina for Slowpoke and Scyther in an attempt to know them better, but those two were also some of her strongest Pokemon, but they couldn't be used right now because they were at Professor Oak's lab. She, of course, couldn't just halt the match to get them, but she felt Slowpoke wasn't ready to fight yet. She had a choice between Charla, Jigglypuff, and Gloom. After some thought, she made a decision.

"Jigglypuff, I choose you!" Serena yelled as she released the pink puffball.

Jigglypuff appeared from the pokeball, but unlike usual, it didn't wave to an invisible crowd and pretend to be a star. It really looked like it wanted to win for Serena right now. It looks like it really was ready to listen from now on, after all.

"Ah! A wee little Jigglypuff, eh? Let's see how they do against Hypno! Go, pet!" Nita shouted as she released the psychic Pokemon. It stood on two legs and resembled a tapir. It was pale yellow in color with white fur around its neck and carried a pendulum.

"Hypno?" Serena questioned as she pulled out her pokedex.

"Hypno, the hypnosis Pokemon and the evolved form of Drowzee. The pendulum it carries has the power to hypnotize anyone in a short amount of time," said the pokedexes.

"Your wee Jigglypuff can't beat Hypno!" said Nita.

Serena and Jigglypuff couldn't help but let out a smirk. That was a big mistake to underestimate Jigglypuff's strength just because it wasn't fully evolved and cute looking. It beat opponents many times bigger than it several times. Even if it didn't win, Hypno certainly wouldn't walk out of this battle unscathed.

"Hypno! Use Hypnosis!" Nita yelled.

"Hyyypno," Hypno said in a sleepy voice as it began to emit purple waves from its body that moved towards Jigglypuff.

"Counter that with your Hyper Voice, Jigglypuff!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff then let out a very loud cry as sound waves burst from its mouth to counter the hypnotic waves from Hypno. It then inflated itself and took to the sky so it could fight better now that Gravity was no longer in effect.

"Use your Pound, Jigglypuff!" Serena ordered.

"Counter with your Pound, Hypno!" Nita yelled.

Jigglypuff descended upon Hypno with its fist while Hypno prepared to attack as well. Both of the Pokemon's fists collided with each other and began to compete for dominance. Jigglypuff let out a strain and pushed through it before smashing its other fist right into Hypno's stomach. The psychic Pokemon stumbled backwards several steps before doubling over in pain.

"What? How was your wee Jigglypuff able to overpower Hypno?!" Nita exclaimed in shock.

"Jigglypuff is a lot tougher than it lets off. We're not going to let another Pokemon outmatch its strength. Isn't that right, Jigglypuff?" Serena asked.

"Jiggly!" it responded with a giggle.

"That won't be a problem! Use Poison Gas, Hypno!" Nita yelled.

"Hypno then began to emit a foul-looking brown cloud from its mouth that began to cover Jigglypuff. It started to cough violently due to how nasty it was.

"Hold your breath, Jiggypuff! Try to get out of the thick cloud!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff began to look frantically for a way out of the brown cloud, but it was so thick. It then saw a dark figure appear inside the cloud, and its eyes seemed to glow. Even though Jigglypuff knew it was Hypno, it still made a frightening presence.

"Use Psychic!" Nita hollered.

Psychic waves then burst through the cloud of gas before slamming into Jigglypuff and knocking it off of its feet. Jigglypuff rolled a short distance in front of Serena but quickly stood up. The attack wasn't particularly effective, but it still took Jigglypuff by surprise.

"That's okay, Jigglypuff! We can still pull through!" Serena encouraged.

"Is that so? Use Poison Gas again, Hypno!" Nita retorted.

A toxic brown gas once again came from Hypno and began to surround Jigglypuff. The pink puffball began to hold its nose to in an attempt to keep from being poisoned. This gas was so disgusting, however, that made it hard. Plus, it knew it would have to breathe sometime. It once more saw the dark figure of Hypno emerge into the cloud of gas. Jigglypuff wasn't going to let it attack first this time, however. Fortunately, Serena wasn't going to, either.

"Use Pound, Jigglypuff!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff hurried forward with the attempt to smash Hypno again, but it did something unexpected. It held up its pendulum and began swinging it back and forth. Jigglypuff halted its attack and began following the pendants movements before stopping completely to watch. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. It was so captivating.

"Oh, no. Hypno's got Jigglypuff under its control through its pendulum," Brock muttered to the side.

"Can it break free?" Ash asked.

"It's possible, but it would be extremely hard. Think back to whenever Pikachu was under Kadabra's Confusion attack," Brock replied.

Ash grimaced as the thought returned to him. He still remembered how much agony the yellow rodent was in. It looked almost impossible to break free of. It managed to get out of Abra's through sheer luck when his aura came to him, but the second time…

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked its partner.

"I'm fine, buddy. I was just thinking about something," Ash answered.

Pikachu didn't buy it but decided to let the matter slip. It turned back to watch the battle to see how it would turn out. It hoped Jigglypuff would find a way out of it.

It wasn't before long that Hypno began to emit psychic waves from its pendulum that struck Jigglypuff continuously. Despite not being very effective, the constant barrage was beginning to take its toll. Jigglypuff was still transfixed with Hypno's pendulum as it watched its movements, though. It was like it was completely oblivious to taking damage. If this kept up, Jigglypuff would be knocked out without even knowing what hit it!

"Jigglypuff! Snap out of it!" Serena yelled to her Pokemon.

"Puuuuuufff," it muttered as it watched the mysterious movements of Hypno's pendulum. It was so alluring. It thought it heard a girl's voice screaming out to it from far away, but it wasn't really important, was it? It then looked at Hypno's face, and the psychic Pokemon pointed its finger to its pendulum to keep Jigglypuff focused on it and not Serena

"Come on, Jigglypuff!" Serena yelled again.

What was that sound Jigglypuff was hearing? It sounded familiar. The voice sounded very worried. What was it worried about? Staring at the pendulum was so…relaxing. It felt like its body was getting weaker, but it didn't know why. All it knew was if continued to stare at the pendulum, all of its problems would go away…

Wait! What kind of logic was that?! It felt like it was beginning to hurt all over! It wasn't getting more relaxed by watching the pendulum! Jigglypuff saw waves being constantly emitted from the pendulum. It was those waves that were harming it!

Seeing that it was losing control, Hypno began to swing its pendulum faster in an effort to get to watch again, but Serena didn't let that happen.

"Jigglypuff!" Serena screamed again.

This time, the dazed look on Jigglypuff's seemed to snap back to a normal look as it blinked in confusion. What was it doing? No, that wasn't important. What was important was it had a battle to win! Hypno, meanwhile, stumbled back at losing control and looked temporarily stunned. That was Serena's chance.

"Use Mega Punch, Jigglypuff!" Serena yelled.

Jigglypuff inflated itself before flying forward and smashing its fist right in Hypno's face this time. The psychic Pokemon stumbled backwards again and tried to shake itself from the pain. For such a cute looking Pokemon, Jigglypuff hit a lot harder than it looked like it could.

"Use Hyper Voice!" Serena ordered next.

Sound waves once more blasted from Jigglpuff's mouth as the Hypno covered its ears with its hands in an effort to drown out the noise. It liked nice and quiet things. It couldn't stand loud noises

"Follow with Rollout, Jigglypuff!" Serena continued.

Jigglypuff began to spin extremely fast in midair before shooting forward and colliding with Hypno once more. Hypno was knocked off its feet this time and soared through the air before landing in front of Nita where it didn't get up. It had been knocked out.

"Hypno is unable to battle! The winner of this matchup is Jigglypuff!" the judge announced while waving his flag in Serena's direction.

"You did it, Jigglypuff!" Serena said happily as Jigglypuff turned towards her and nodded its head. It looked exhausted but otherwise okay.

"I guess Jigglypuff was able to fight through Hypno's control by Serena constantly getting its attention. Serena's bond with Jigglypuff was stronger than Hypno. That's really impressive," Misty smiled.

"Yeah," Ash muttered. He could probably learn something from those two for his future match against Sabrina. Jigglypuff was able to break free because of its bond with Serena. It reminded Ash of how Pikachu was able to break free of Abra's control the first time because it and Ash had connected through aura. If he could find a way to connect with Pikachu again, it mind be able to resist Confusion.

Nita returned Hypno and smirked at Serena. "That was smashingly superb, Serena. I see now that you are definitely worthy of your rank as Duchess. There aren't too many lads and lasses out there that can defeat any of my Pokemon. We are tied now, and you need to defeat my last Pokemon. Are you ready?"

"I am!" Serena stated as she returned Jigglypuff to give it a good rest.

"Crackin' good! Go Dragonair!" Nita shouted as she released it.

"Dragonair?" Serena asked in surprise as it came out of the pokeball.

Dragonair was a long, slender, dark blue Pokemon that resembled Dratini. It was a lot longer, however, and had a horn on its head and what looked like wings for ears. It gave a shrill cry to signify it was ready for battle.

"Woah," Ash muttered in shock that a Chatelaine would have another of such a rare Pokemon. Were all the Chatelaines like this?

Serena took out her pokedex to scan it to learn more. "Dragonair, the dragon Pokemon and the evolved form of Dratini. It is a mystical Pokemon that exudes a gentle aura. It can change the climate conditions," informed the pokedexes.

Serena took a deep breath as she thought of what Pokemon could go against it. Gloom and Slowpoke would be at huge disadvantage against the dragon Pokemon. With Scyther and Jigglypuff already having battled so far, there was only one other option. Her first Pokemon.

"Go, Charla!" she cried as she released the fire Pokemon.

Charla gave a mighty roar once it was released and stomped the ground. It was prepared to win its first fight as Charizard just like its boyfriend was! As if on cue, one of Ash's pokeballs wiggled and Charizard came out. It gave an encouraging roar at Charla before giving it a thumbs up. It seemed to have adopted that trait from Ash.

"This is definitely going to be an intense fight," Brock noted

"Begin!" the judge yelled.

"Quick Charla! Use Fly!" Serena yelled.

Charla gave a mighty roar before taking flight and shooting upwards into the sky.

"Heh! Trying to stay out of the way of Dragonair's attacks, are ya? That is fine. We will just prepare when we can attack. Use Dragon Dance!" Nita shouted.

"Dragon Dance?" Serena questioned.

Dragonair began to do strange movements with its body as it started to glow. Serena didn't noticed much of a difference until Brock shouted out to her.

"Careful, Serena! Dragon Dance is a move that increases the user's attack and speed! You don't want to let Dragonair do too many of those!" he warned.

Upon hearing that, Serena decided to act. "Go ahead and attack Dragonair, Charla, before it can use Dragon Dance again!"

Charla gave another roar before dive bombing Dragonair at top speed.

"Use Hyper Beam!" Nita shouted.

"Neutralize it with Flamethrower!" Serena countered.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks at one another. They collided in midair and began to compete for dominance. All the while, Charla continued to fly forward in an effort to push the Hyper Beam back and get an advantage, but it was proven quite difficult due to the power of Hyper Beam. The attacks finally created an explosion in midair as a tie, but Serena wasn't going to let up.

"Use Metal Claw while Dragonair can't move!" she shouted.

Charla flew forward with in the smoke and lit up its claws for a Metal Claw before slashing at the immobile Dragon Type. It then grabbed Dragonair by the tail and slammed it down on the ground like a whip. The dragon cried out in pain as it got its senses back before shaking itself.

"Aqua Tail!" Nita shouted.

Before Charla could fly away, the long bodied dragon-type caused the end of its tail to be enveloped in water. It then swung its tail forward and crashed it right into Charla's stomach. The fire dragon roared in pain before soaring backwards several yards and landing on its back from the super effective hit.

"Are you alright, Charla?" Serena asked with worry.

Charla gave a low growl before standing back up to still fight.

"You know that Aqua Tail had to do a lot of damage, especially after being powered up by Dragon Dance," Misty said.

"Heh! Your Charizard is pretty quick, but not quick enough to escape Dragonair! We still need to match it in power. Use Dragon Dance again, Dragonair!" Nita said.

Knowing that she couldn't let Dragonair get another attack like that in, Serena had to give a quick attack to stop it, preferably a long range move since Charla was a good distance away.

"Use Flamethrower!" Serena shouted.

Charla quickly charged up its flames and released them as fast as it could in an effort to stop the Dragon Dance. The attack succeeded in hitting its mark as Dragonair was enveloped in fire, but it still completed Dragon Dance by that time, raising its attack and speed even more.

"Use Dragon Rush, pet!" Nita yelled.

At amazing speed the group didn't think was possible for such a long creature, Dragonair shot forward and crashed into Charla extremely hard. Charla gave a roar of pain as Dragonair hit its stomach before reaching its arms out and catching Dragonair to keep it from getting away. It once again took serious damage, but still held fast.

"Use Metal Claw, Charla!" Serena yelled.

The fire dragon once more prepared to slash at Dragonair, but it was quicker this time.

"Use Wrap!" Nita countered.

Before Charla could react, Dragonair redirected its body skillfully and began to wrap around Charla, effectively cutting off its Metal Claw. Dragainair's long body was tying it completely up! It was covering its arms, legs and even face to where it was completely immobile!

"Try to break free, Charla!" Serena frantically yelled.

Charla was trying to wiggle free with all of its might, but it was no use. Dragonair had left it to where it could hardly move, and it as just getting tighter. If this kept up, Charla would lose consciousness, and she would lose the match. There had to be something she could do.

"_Think Serena!"_ she told herself. What were all of Charla's moves that might make Dragonair let go? It couldn't use any physical attacks for sure. So what were some special attacks? Flamethrower might lack the coverage to fully make Dragonair let go. Also, she doubted that Charla would be able to get any attacks out of its mouth anyway…wait! There was one other move that might work!

"Use Inferno!" Serena yelled.

After some struggling, Charla soon became engulfed in an intense fire, taking Dragonair with it. Dragonair tried to keep hold but that fire was really intense. The blue dragon cried in pain before quickly letting go of Charla do to the heat, and Serena once saw an opening.

"Use Fire Punch!" she yelled.

Charla reared its fist back and punched Dragonair with a fiery fist as hard as it could, sending the Pokemon soaring backwards across the room. As it weakly got back up, Dragaonair seemed to grimace in pain and double over. It had been burned due to Inferno's automatic secondary effect!

"That's awesome! That really put Serena at an advantage now that Dragonair has been burned!" Ash commented.

Charizard gave an approving roar before giving a thumbs up to Serena and Charla.

"Yeah. Normally Inferno is an inaccurate move, but since Dragonair was completely wrapped around Charla, the move was sure to hit," Brock explained.

"Great job, Charla!" Serena smiled.

Charla gave a tired nod before turning back to Dragonair. Just because it got an advantage, it still had taken heavy damage.

"This isn't over yet! Use Twister!" Nita yelled.

Dragonair seemed to concentrate before spinning extremely fast which caused a bunch of wind to whip up around it. It wasn't long before the wind seemed to become a full damaging vortex. Dragonair then pushed it forward as it began spiraling towards Charla.

Charla grimaced as it saw the twister approaching. It would be almost impossible to avoid due to having nowhere to fly in the closed room. If it was an open stadium, it might be able to fly away, but not here. Such were the disadvantages of battle rooms. Nita must have known this.

Serena knew there was only one thing she could do: try to outmatch the Twister itself.

"Flap your wings as hard as you can, Charla!" Serena yelled.

Charla took a deep breath and began flapping its wings very quickly in an effort to break apart the winds from the Twister. It didn't seem to be working as the vortex continued to ruthlessly come towards Charla. Seeing as how that wasn't working, it began to grit its teeth and sweat as it flapped its wings harder than it ever has before. It was making huge gusts of wind that everyone in the room was beginning to feel and roaring while doing so as symbol to how hard it was working. Still, the Twister continued to come towards Charla. The fire dragon shut its eyes for what looked like the end, but something unexpected happened…the twister actually changed direction!

"What a croc!?" Nita exclaimed.

Charla opened its eyes and smiled to see the vortex was now going towards Dragonair this time. The blue dragon, meanwhile, had an extremely shocked look on its face as it saw the vortex coming to it now.

Deciding to add power to the vortex, Serena smiled and shouted, "Use Fire Spin on the twister, Charla!"

Charla blew a series of flames from its mouth that began to spin around quickly before entering the vortex of wind. Soon the Fire Spin and Twister became one deadly move as it was now spinning massive vortex of fire. Charla then continued to flap its wings faster to speed up the twister's movement.

Dragonair could do nothing but watch as it drew closer and closer. Even though it had used Dragon Dance twice, it still wouldn't be fast enough to get out of the way in time. The fire twister soon met its mark and a big explosion took place. Everyone had to shield their eyes from how big it was. Dragonair was soon shown blasting into the air covered in various burns, flipping several times, and Serena knew now was her chance to finished this.

"Go and grab Dragonair while it's stunned and use Seismic Toss!" she cried while smiling.

Charla roared and shot forward into the sky as the long bodied dragon began to fall back to the ground. It then caught it and began taking it as high as it could into the room and spun around to pick up speed. This was it!

The group began watching in anticipation as Charla began coming back towards the ground at high speed as it prepared to throw Dragonair. It looked like Serena was about to win the match, until Nita said her next command.

"Grab that Charizard around the neck, Dragonair," she yelled.

Dragonair once more repositioned its body just before Charla was going to throw it. It then wrapped its long body around Charla's neck and began to choke it, taking it completely by surprise. Charla struggled to breathe, and it had loosen its grip around Dragonair and stop the Seismic Toss so it could try to pry Dragonair off of it, and that's the opening Dragonair needed. It soon swung its body in an upward arc, taking Charla with it. It then released Charla for a throw of its own. The fire dragon went soaring towards the ground, and Charla slammed onto the ground and roared in pain. It then looked up and saw Dragonair descending with its tail becoming enveloped in water, and its eyes widened as it saw what was about to happen.

"Aqua Tail!" Nita ordered.

"Counter with Metal Claw!" Serena yelled.

The Aqua Tail slammed into Charla just as it swung its glowing claws upward and they connected with Dragonair, knocking it backwards. Dragonair landed a short distance away and slowly pushed itself back up, Charla doing the same. Both Pokemon were panting heavily, not able to take any more hits. They were both glaring at each other as if silently daring the other to give in first. Finally unable to stand any more…Charla fell to the ground defeated. About five seconds later, Dragonair fell over due to its burn.

Serena lost the match by five seconds.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! Due to Charizard falling first, Dragonair is declared the winner! The match goes to our Chatelaine, Nita!" the judge announced.

Serena simply stood there, absolutely crushed that she had lost, and she was so close, too! She distantly heard her friends approach her but didn't pay much attention to them. She gave a huge sigh as she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She turned around in the embrace and saw that it was Ash. Despite losing, just having Ash show that affection to her made her feel at least a little better. She leaned in to the hug and just stood there resting her head on Ash's shoulder.

Charizard made its way over to Charla and held its claws out to it for it to take. Charla strained as it took Charizard's claws and was pulled to its feet. Charizard then dusted it off before growling encouraging words for it. Charla didn't look so convinced, however. It slowly looked off to the side, embarrassed. It really wanted to win in front of its boyfriend but wasn't able to.

"That was a smashing good battle, pet!" Nita said as she made her way over to the group. "I haven't had a match that exciting in a good spell! You almost beat me! Your rank of Duchess is definitely deserved. If you are at another Battle Chateau I'm visiting, make sure to let me know! I would be honored to battle you again!"

"Oh. Thank you, Nita," Serena replied as she shook the Chatelaine's hand. As she did so, she couldn't help but wonder that if all of the Chatelaine's were this tough, would she be able to beat all four of them? They were on a completely different level of trainer from the other trainers she faced in the past, and it showed, too! She would have to get a lot better if she hoped to beat them.

* * *

><p>"Don't look so down, Serena. It was really close," Misty tried to encourage as they left the Chateau.<p>

Serena smiled at Misty to let her know she would be fine, but a weird thought suddenly occurred to her. What if she actually did manage to beat all of the Chatelaines and conquer the Battle Chateau? What would she do then? Was the Battle Chateau something she could continue for the rest of her life like becoming a Pokemon Master? She finally found something she liked, but how long would it last now that she was close? Deciding to push these thoughts away for now, Serena turned to address the group.

"Hey guys. What do say we head back to the Pokemon Center? Ash has a rematch with Sabrina that he needs to prepare for," she said.

The group nodded as they left. It may not have ended favorable for Serena, but they hoped to turn things around with Ash. He wasn't about to let a repeat of what happened last time.

As they walked, Cubone stared up worriedly at its surrogate mother's loss. It wished it was able to fight, too! Then it could give that mean old Dragonair a good beating for making its mommy lose! It wasn't satisfied with just sitting on the sidelines anymore. Its mommy had done so much for it, and now it was time that it repaid the favor. It wanted to fight, too! Cubone would definitely be talking to Pikachu later to teach it the basics of battling.

* * *

><p>Riley Ketchum was now at the home of Delia. It fairly late at night, and Delia had gone to bed a short while ago, but Riley wasn't ready to go to sleep yet despite how tired he was. It had been an extremely exhausting day. He had arrived at his sister-in-law's house yesterday morning after traveling for two days to get there as fast as he could. Delia, of course, had been surprised to see him on short notice, especially after she visited him on Cinnabar Island recently. Riley's grim expression immediately told her it was something serious, and she let him in without any more questions.<p>

Riley sat down on the sofa in the living room and let out a sigh as he thought back to earlier. It was an extremely difficult thing to tell Delia that she was in danger at the moment. This immediately drove her into many questions about how and why. Riley hated to do it, but he had to tell her the truth that Team Rocket was after her to keep Ash out of their way.

Naturally, this upset Delia a great deal, she had cried for over an hour. Not because she was worried for herself, but because she was scared for Ash and how he got mixed up in the schemes of Team Rocket. At first, Delia had said that if taking her was what needed to be done to keep Ash safe, then so be it. Riley had told her that Ash would never forgive himself if she was harmed because of something he did. It was then Riley assured Delia that he would be here to protect her as long as she needed to. He then gave comfort to her by adding that Yellow, Rose, and Blue were in the middle of investigating Team Rocket in an effort to discover that Rocket Boss's true identity and take them down.

Riley leaned back on the sofa as his eyelids began to droop. He was supposed to be hearing from Yellow sometime tomorrow to report if they found out anything. Then they could make their move. Rose had informed him earlier that day that Team Rocket appeared to be working on a top secret project but was unable to provide any information about it due to trying to stay out of sight. To this day, Riley still didn't know where that woman could possibly get her information from.

He supposed he would find out more tomorrow, though. For now, he just had to protect Delia. Team Rocket's fall would come soon after. Riley decided to make himself more comfortable on the couch as he brought out a book to read before going to sleep himself. Reading was one of his favorite things to do in his spare time when he wasn't training or traveling. He picked up the book and was just about to continue where he left off last time when he stopped.

Something wasn't right. He sensed something. It was a presence that shouldn't be here. There also was something extremely unfriendly about that presence. His eyes snapped up in the direction of where Delia's room would be. That's where he felt the uneasy feeling the most.

"_Do you feel it, Master?" _came a mysterious voice in his head from a dark corner of the room.

"_I do," _Riley confirmed as he stood up from the couch. "_Keep your guard up. I'm going upstairs to check on Delia."_

"_Understood. I am prepared,"_ the mysterious voice responded.

Riley left the living room and turned to make his way up the staircase. Maybe it was nothing that he felt at the moment, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. It didn't help matters that his partner had felt it, too.

Before Riley could contemplate the matter further, there was a loud crash upstairs. It sounded like a window was being shattered. It was followed by a scream that was almost certainly Delia's.

Abandoning all forms of caution, Riley immediately darted up the rest of the stairs as fast as he could and bolted to Delia's bedroom door. He reached her room and heard a lot of commotion before kicking it open. He entered the room as his eyes narrowed. It was just as he suspected.

A Team Rocket grunt was holding Delia against his chest from behind as a shield while two other grunts were preparing to leave by jumping out the window. Upon seeing Riley, they let out a smirk.

"Well, well, look what we have here," one of the Rocket members said.

"Let Delia go right now," Riley uttered threateningly.

"Riley!" Delia choked, but was slapped in the face by the grunt holding her.

"Shut up! If you keep quiet, we may take you back to headquarters in one piece!" the Rocket member barked.

"Don't you dare harm her," Riley growled.

"Heh! You think you can take us on by yourself? We're Team Rocket. You clearly don't know who you're dealing with," the third Rocket member smirked as he pulled out a pokeball with the rest following him.

"I should tell you the same thing!" Riley replied as he began to glow blue. He then brought his palms close to his hands, and a small blue orb formed in them. He then launched it at the two Rocket members who weren't holding Delia. It created a small explosion which blasted them back into the walls where they slumped over.

"He-he-he's an aura user. That's impossible," one of the two defeated grunts muttered in surprise.

Riley then turned to the Rocket who had Delia but stopped. He now had a gun pressed up against her head. Delia was struggling to get free, but every time she did, the grunt seemed to tighten his grip.

"Go on. Try to attack me. It will be the last thing this woman ever sees," the grunt said with an arrogant smirk.

Riley hesitated. He connected his mind with his partner and called out. "_Lucario! Now!"_

A strange being burst into the room before suddenly appearing behind the grunt holding Delia. It was a bipedal canine-like Pokemon with black and blue fur with a long snout and ears that stood on its toes rather than feet and had four black appendages on its head. The grunt was so surprised that he didn't have time to react before before the Pokemon known as Lucario charged up its fist and struck the Rocket grunt with a Force Palm.

The Rocket grunt gasped in surprise before slumping to the ground in a heap, releasing his hold on Delia.

Delia fell forward as the Rocket let go of her but was caught by Riley. She looked up at him with pure terror in her eyes. Riley knew that Delia was no longer safe at her house. If Team Rocket came after her once, they would come after her again. He would have to relocate her.

"Oh my gosh, Riley!" Delia began to sob. "How did this happen?! I'm so worried for my son right now!"

"_Master. We shouldn't stay here long," _Lucario warned

Riley nodded his head and moved to lead Delia out of the house. The evil presence hadn't left yet. There had to be more than three Rocket grunts. He motioned for Delia to stay right by him as they left. They rushed down the stairs and through the living room, all the while keeping on alert or any more Rockets that might have made it into the house. Once they got outside, he would release his Pidgeot, and they could escape that way. Riley pulled open the front door and his eyes grew wide as he was met with a gun pointed right at him.

_Bang!_

Delia screamed as Riley fell backwards in shock as fresh blood poured from the new bullet wound in his stomach. He couldn't believe something like this had just happened! He should have known better and had Lucario scout the outside before attempting to leave! How did he not sense a Rocket was on the other side of the door?! He truly did underestimate the criminal gang. He fell to the ground and looked up to see the one who shot him.

"Heh! I'll be taking the woman. Thank you very much," the fourth grunt said as he grabbed Delia and pulled her over to him

"You…won't…,"Riley coughed out.

"Huh?! Sorry! I can't understand you. I'm going to be too busy killing you!" the grunt mocked as he brought up his gun again.

A sphere of aura came from seemingly nowhere, speeding straight for the grunt. His eyes widened as the Aura Sphere connected and blasted him off of his feet and he fell down, letting go of Delia in the process.

Lucario was standing on the foot of the stairs with a look that could kill. It looked like it was charging up for another Aura Sphere.

"Curse it all!" the grunt wheezed as he pulled out his pokeballs. "Weezing! Golbat! Take care of that thing!"

The two Pokemon were released from their pokeballs and began to duel Lucario while Delia went to help Riley. Lucario was trying to make it over to Riley, too, but the two Pokemon it was facing made it impossible.

"Delia…you have to…run. Get out of here," Riley panted while sweating profusely.

"But you could die! I can't just leave you!" Delia cried.

"I'll be…fine. I have…aura. The most important thing…is keeping you safe. Just run to Professor Oak's lab and contact Blue. He'll…know what to do," Riley grimaced.

Delia looked like she wanted to protest, but the look on Riley's face was telling her he wouldn't accept no for an answer. With tears in her eyes, Delia sprinted from her living room door and into the night, leaving the severely injured Riley with the Rockets.

"_What is going on here? What will happen to Riley? What will happen to Ash?"_ Delia thought frantically as she ran. As soon as she reached the end of her driveway, a figure stepped in her way, and she bumped into it. She looked up and saw a tall man with teal hair, and slanted eyes, but the rest of his features were hard to make out in the dark.

"You'll be coming with us now," Proton said in deadly calm as his eyes narrowed.

Lucario then heard Delia scream again from outside and charged up its most powerful Aura Sphere yet before blasting back the Weezing and Golbat with all of its might, stunning them. It then darted out the door and frantically looked around for Delia, but there was no sign of her. It turned on its aura senses, and its head fell in dismay as it realized how far away she already was.

Team Rocket had gotten away with Delia.

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. Not even poor Riley can stand up to the power of a bullet if he doesn't see it coming. Don't worry. He survives because of his aura so don't flame me.<strong>

**Team Rocket finally accomplished their goal of capturing Delia. Don't be too suprised. I was foreshadowing it all along with how Team Rocket was keeping tabs on her. What is going to happen now? Well, expect things to get crazy in these next few chapters! A lot of explanation and a lot of surprises are in store for you guys. I will see you all with the next chapter on Tuesday as usual. It's going to finally be the rematch between Ash and Sabrina! Thanks for all the reviews and support!**

**If you haven't voted in the poll, please do so. I'm approaching the final 10 chapters of this story in where I'm at and need to know the direction I'm going to take it as far as Serena goes.**

**Chapter 44: The Forgotten Smile**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Is Giovanni ever going to use his Persian in battle?_

_**Yes. It will battle at some point. It is also a very strong and capable battler in this story. It isn't just used for pampering.**_

_Will Sabrina's Kadabra be an Alakazam in chapter 44?_

_**No. It will still be Kadabra.**_

_Will Steven Stone's Metagross will be a shiny and be able to Mega Evolve? And will Cynthia's Garchomp be able to Mega Evolve too?_

_**Almost certainly to both of those questions.**_

_In this story is Paul still from Sinnoh and is Torterra still his Starter Pokemon?_

_**Paul is from Sinnoh and his starter is Turtwig. However, Turtwig won't make an appearance in the Kanto arc. It will be explained that his brother Reggie has it right now.**_

_Are you going to have Misty use her Starmie more often than in the anime?_

_**Probably not in all honesty. It will battle of course and will battle alongside Misty's other Pokemon in situations, but it won't be featured any more prominently than Misty's other Pokemon.**_

_Will Ash get a Beldum in recompense for freeing Sabrina?_

_**No.**_

_Will there be a chapter where is all about the Pokemon? Like how in every start of a movie, there are special segments just about the Pokemon's adventures without their trainers?_

_**It's a possibility. If I do something like that, it will just be one or more fun little one shot fanfiction spinoffs that are not part of the main series.**_

_If Serena were to be a Pokemon Performer, do you know which Pokemon she will get for those performances?_

_**I have a few in mind. Right now she already has four that are ideal for performing. **_

_Can there be another 2-legged walking, talking Meowth but a much cooler and nicer version than Team Rocket in this story? It is just not the same without Meowth._

_**I understand where you're coming from. I'm a two-legged walking, talking Meowth fan myself. However, since Team Rocket isn't in every chapter like they are in episodes with the anime, our favorite Rocket trio has to take a backseat a lot of the times, including Meowth. For you Meowth fans, there will be a few more chapters where he appears in this arc, and you will see his little quirks, also, despite being a more serious villain.**_

_Will you have primal revision in the story?_

_**I'm not sure yet.**_

_Will they meet Zapdos or Moltres next or at the same time?_

_**At the same time…I think.**_

_Is Ash still going to catch a Lapras? And is he going to keep it?_

_**Yes. Ash will definitely still get Lapras. I'm not sure if he will keep it yet or not.**_

_When do you plan to evolve Bulbasaur?_

_**It is definitely a long ways off. It may not even be evolved until Sinnoh or the final story. At the earliest Hoenn, but even that's being generous.**_

_What other girl will compete for Ash's love?_

_**Well, we'll just have to see, won't we? It wouldn't be any fun if I revealed something like that.**_

_Will there ever be a case where the group is asked to help someone like Sabrina in the upcoming arcs?_

_**If I can think of something, then yes.**_

_Will Meowth still be lovesick over Skitty? For that matter... Who's gonna get Skitty?_

_**Meowth or the rest of Team Rocket may not even be in Hoenn as I've said before, and May will still get Skitty.**_

_You said that there are only eight Gyms to a region. However, some of the trainers in the League are really weak, not to mention there are hundreds, maybe even thousands of them! You mean to tell me that eight Gyms would be enough to handle that crowd, or that a Leader like Blaine would even entertain the ides of battling so many challengers? Don't you think that there should be at least one or two more Gyms?_

_**I've been through this before, but for the sake of those who might have missed it, I shall repeat myself.**_

_**The Pokemon League is an extremely high honor to attend and is NOT for any trainer. The fact that the anime has weak trainers in the League really burns my Pidgey. That is NOT how the League is supposed to be and it will be not done like that in this story. Every participant in the League in this series will be skilled, good at battling, and deserve the honor of being in the Pokemon League. There will most certainly not be hundreds or thousands of participants like in the anime, maybe 100 at most, if even that. With that into consideration, and the fact that the Pokemon League is only once a year, it is perfectly believable that the gyms can handle that many people and destroy any run off the mill trainer. You NEED hard gym leaders like Sabrina and picky gym leaders like Blaine because that really excludes the limit of people who deserve to get into the Pokemon League. IT SHOULD BE A VERY HIGH HONOR TO ATTEND AND EXCLUSIVE TO GREAT TRAINERS and these types of rules of limiting to only eight gyms and needing to conquer them all ensures that.**_

_I've just read you're making an interlude, between Chapters 44 & 45. What's it gonna be about?_

_**I was wondering when someone was going to ask that question. Part of it will be about Mewtwo and lead up to the events of the first movie, and the other part will set the stage for what is to come in the following chapters with (can't say because it's a huge spoiler). Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock, Pikachu, and Cubone will not appear in the interlude. It will be all that is happening with other characters while the group is on Cinnabar Island and the beginning of Saffron City. I made that interlude so there won't have to be so many breaks and explaining to do at the end of each chapter following this.**_

_Who is Ash gonna face for the 8th gym badge?_

_**Not telling.**_

_Will the three johto starters evolve into their final forms?_

_**It's a possibility.**_

_Do you have plans on incorporating the ORAS storyline (Delta Episode included) now that it has come out, or will you stick to the original/Emerald storyline? Or will you mix the two?_

_**Probably mix the two. As far as Team Aqua and Team Magma are concerned, they will be more like their ORAS selves than their anime versions.**_

_Will cinnibar's volcano erupt and destroy the island like it did in the games?_

_**No, or at least not any time soon.**_

_When will Charizard fully be obedient towards Ash or will the other Pokémon have a talking to it?_

_**Charizard already respects Ash and still listens to him in battle. It hasn't forgotten how Ash saved its life. Both Charizard and Charla will still obey Ash and Serena except when they are on a strong emotional high (Like when Charizard fell into the lava). It just believes that now that it is a Charizard, it believes that battling weaker opponents is an insult to it and very beneath its skills. Charla feels the same way. As to when they are fully obedient, only time will tell, but it shouldn't be too long.**_

_**And no, there will never be any Flamethrowers to the face.**_

_Do you plan for Serena to catch a miltank in johto?_

_**Not at the moment, but I won't rule it out. I haven't fully planned Serena's team yet in Johto or beyond.**_

_Will you plan to have ash and Serena do a tag battle in the future?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will any of Brock's Pokémon evolve during his team with Prof. Ivy?_

_**No.**_

_Will Shellder and Haunter plan pranks together at any time?_

_**They will definitely be the jokesters of the group. I might get them to meet at some point to see what kind of havoc they can cause together.**_

_With Ash and Serana get more Pokemon that will fall in love with each other like the Charizards?_

_**It's certainly possible.**_

_In the orange Islands Arc, when we get to the battle with Rudy, will you have him ask Misty to stay on the island with him or do what he did in the Japanese Dub and pop the question to her? If so with either one, will you change Misty's response up a bit so that you don't accidentally recreate that Pokeshipping moment?_

_**He will just ask if she can stay on the island with her, but his intentions are still clear that he wants to be with her. And yes I will change the response to avoid a pokeshipping moment.**_

_Will Ash evolve his Togepi into Togetic and finally into Togekiss?_

_**It will definitely be Togetic much later on. As far as a Togekiss is concerned, I'm not sure, but it might be fun to pair it with Dawn's Togekiss eventually. Not all Pokemon romances have to reflect their trainers, but who knows?**_

_Will any non-there in the original movie (bar Serena) trainers be at New Island during movie 1?_

_**Yes. **_

_How will Ash and Serena get both of their Charizards to respect them and battle with them again? Will it be through training, kindness, or both Charizards losing a battle to get over what opponents they face?_

_**All of the above, but mostly training.**_

_I recall you saying that you'd keep the gag of Victreebel biting James, but I don't remember actually seeing it in any chapters._

_**That gag was briefly mentioned back in chapter 29 for like one sentence. It won't feature prominently in this story to keep Jessie, James, and Meowth more serious, but it will happen from time to time, or maybe James will teach Victreebel not to bite him at all.**_

_Would it be since it's almost Christmas (Huzzah!) Do you think you could give your readers a present by posting two chapters on Christmas week?_

_**I'll try, but I'm not making any promises. I'm going to be even busier than normal during Christmas week.**_

_How many mega evolution Pokemon do you think you will have Ash and Serena use?_

_**I have no idea. It depends on which Pokemon they catch in other regions and which Pokemon I think will be most effective by mega evolving.**_

_Will some type of mistake happen and then everybody blames it on Ash but then it turns out it wasn't him?_

_**That seems to be along the same lines as a "betrayed" fanfic. There won't be anything like that in this series, or at least in the foreseeable future.**_


	44. The Forgotten Smile

**A/N: Here it is! The rematch between Ash and Sabrina! I tried to make it as exciting as possible and one of the best gym battles yet, especially the last part. Please let me know what you thought of it in a review (and don't just ask a question after this chapter as I mentioned before or I probably won't answer it). That being said, please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ash, Misty, Brock, Serena, Haunter, Pikachu, Cubone, Sabrina, her psychic Pokemon, or anything else related to Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 44: The Forgotten Smile<p>

It was now late at night at the Pokemon Center in Saffron City. It was a few minutes past midnight to be exact. The lights were now completely off as all the trainers staying there had since gone to bed. Of course, just because all of the trainers were in bed didn't mean they were all asleep.

Ash Ketchum, in particular, was wide awake at the moment. He was lying down in his bed with his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. Pikachu was lying down right beside him as it couldn't fall asleep, either. They were both thinking the exact same thing: the rematch against Sabrina tomorrow.

"Pikachu, do you feel as if we are ready to take on Sabrina again?" Ash whispered to the rodent so as not to wake Brock, who was fast asleep in the bed next to Ash.

"Chuuuu," the rodent replied quietly. If Pikachu was completely honest with itself, it was a little apprehensive about facing Sabrina again, too. It still remembered how Kadabra had made a total fool out of it last time. It was completely helpless while under Kadabra's Confusion attack.

"I see," Ash replied. "It's strange. I was so fired up about going against Sabrina again, but now that I'm going to, I'm a little afraid. It's one thing to say I'm ready and act determined, but it's completely different to actually be ready, you know."

"Pi?" Pikachu asked as it gave a questioning look to the raven-haired boy.

"I mean…I'm still going to face Sabrina tomorrow, but…I need some fresh air," Ash replied as he slowly got out from underneath his covers and off the bed. He then took his black T-shirt off of the night stand and slipped it before finding a pair of athletic shorts in his backpack and put them on over his boxers. He then slipped on his shoes before heading towards the door.

"Pika," Pikachu whispered as it followed Ash.

"Yeah, come on, Pikachu," Ash replied as the yellow rodent hopped onto his right shoulder.

Brock was still sleeping away as Ash quietly opened the door and crept outside, making sure to be as silent as possible. One would think Brock is an extremely heavy sleeper due to how much work he does, but he was actually a pretty light one. It must have been from having to take care of his younger brothers and sisters for so long that made Brock able to wake up at any sound above a whisper so he could care for them in the middle of the night if the need arrived.

Ash gently shut the door to his room and made his way down the hallway. Despite there being no lights on right now, there was still plenty of moonlight that shown from the window and lights from Saffron City to where he could see where he was going. He made his way into the dark lobby and out the back door where there was the open field. He remembered the last time he was on this field. He had battled Gary and his Growlithe with Squirtle. Come to think of it, Ash realized he hadn't seen Gary at all, or even talked to him since his last time in Saffron City. He wondered how his rival was doing. Did he have all eight badges yet? It probably wouldn't hurt to call Gary on his Pokegear soon to see what he had been up to.

As Ash walked to the bench that was outside the Pokemon Center, he was surprised to see someone was already there. Actually there were two others already there. One was a honey blonde-haired girl with beautiful blue eyes, and the other occupant was a small brown Pokemon with a large skull on its head who was sitting on the girl's lap. They didn't appear to be doing anything and just staring at the open expanse of land in front of them.

"Serena? Cubone?" Ash questioned as he made his way over to them and stood to their right.

The two quickly turned their heads in the direction they heard the voice and smiled when they saw it was Ash and Pikachu.

"Oh. Hey, Ash," Serena greeted

"Mind if I join you?" Ash asked with a smile of his own.

"Not at all. Please sit down," Serena replied as she motioned her hand to the spot next to her.

Ash complied as he sat down and occupied the space next to them. He then gave a sigh before turning to face Serena.

"I take it you couldn't go to sleep, either," Ash guessed.

Serena brought her head down and stared at the ground. "No, I wasn't. I couldn't stop thinking about the battle earlier with Nita."

"Is it because you lost? That was a really close match," Ash reassured.

Serena shook her head. "No, that wasn't the only reason. I was also just thinking about the Battle Chateau in general. What if I'm not able to beat all the Chatelaines the next time I visit a Battle Chateau? It may take me a long time to beat them all."

"Why is that a problem?" Ash asked in a confused tone.

"Well, you're almost done with your journey in Kanto. You only have two badges left and then the Pokemon League. Have you thought about what you are going to do after that?" Serena asked.

"Well," Ash said as he seemed to be deep in thought, "There are other regions besides Kanto that I'm sure have their own Pokemon League. It might be fun to explore other regions and see the Pokemon that are found there."

"That's why it's a problem for me," Serena pointed out. "The Battle Chateau Chatelaines are only at a particular building for a few days at a time. It isn't meant for something that is supposed to take only a year like the Pokemon League. I may end up separated from you in traveling if I can't beat the Battle Chateau in time."

"But you can't think like that," Ash told her. "You have to believe you will be able to beat all of the Battle Chatelaines and conquer the Battle Chateau. I know you can do it."

"Even if I do conquer the Battle Chateau, what do I do then?" Serena asked.

"What do you mean?" Ash inquired.

"Even if I do conquer the Battle Chateau, I wouldn't have anything to do after that. You have a lifetime goal of becoming a Pokemon Master. I thought the Battle Chateau was something I could do for a while, but I'm trapped both ways. If I don't conquer it soon, I would risk not being with you while you went to different reasons. I could never ask you to stay in Kanto because of me. On the other hand, if I win, I will have nothing to strive for again. I will be just like I was when we started our journey together," Serena explained sullenly as she rested her face on her palms.

"So that's what you're really worried about," Ash realized.

"Yes. I really want to stay with you Ash, but it looks like the only way I can do that is if I stop doing the Battle Chateau and leave it as a Duchess. That isn't bad, is it? I still haven't found a goal I can do for the rest of my life," Serena said.

"Serena, look at me," Ash said.

Serena knew by now that when Ash said that to her, he was being completely serious. She looked up from her gaze to the ground to meet his eyes once more. She saw the warm sincerity in his eyes that she always saw. She felt like she could just get lost in them. She truly did love Ash's eyes. She was also surprised when Ash took her hands in his and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

"Everything will be okay," he told her. "I know it. No matter what happens, we will always stay together. I promise things will work out, even if we don't know how right now. They will. Trust me."

Was it really that simple? Just Ash telling her everything would be okay and to just trust him? Can she really just leave things in the air like that? There were so many things she was worried for, and she still didn't know what she wanted her lifetime goal to be whether she beat the Battle Chateau or not. Could she count on an opportunity to just present itself to her when she didn't expect it like what happened with the Battle Chateau? Good things have happened so far when she just waited. They haven't come across that stage of their journey yet. Ash hasn't even entered the Pokemon League yet so who knows? Something may come along by then. It didn't make sense to worry about it now since she hasn't run out of options yet.

"You're right," Serena finally said. "Thanks for talking with me, Ash. I can always count on you to be there for me."

"You bet," Ash replied.

Serena then surprised him when she leaned over and gave him a hug. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Then again, Ash did tell her to not be shy about her feelings towards him. He just needed a little more time himself. He happily returned the affectionate gesture she was giving him before they broke apart. Pikachu and Cubone smiled at the two as they watched.

"You know," Ash spoke up, "Just talking to you made me feel a lot better about my match against Sabrina tomorrow."

"You're nervous about it?" Serena asked.

"I was, but after talking to you, I remembered that we are always there to support each other. We've got Pikachu, Cubone, and all of our other Pokemon, too," Ash replied.

He really meant it, too. Serena was always telling Ash that he had a calming effect on her. It seems the reverse was holding true, as well. There was no one he trusted more to tell his problems with than Serena.

"I know you will do great tomorrow, Ash. You and Pikachu have gotten so much stronger since you last faced Sabrina. You've defeated a gym leader who had a recommendation for the Elite Four, and another one who has been a trainer since before we were born. You definitely have what it takes," Serena encouraged.

"Cubone," Cubone added. It wasn't there when Ash first went up against Sabrina, but it had heard the stories by now. That was how its big brother Pikachu had its broken arm when they first met in Lavender Town. Even it could it tell the two had gotten stronger since the time it's been with them. It believed in its "daddy's and big brother's" strength.

"Thank a lot, you two," Ash said gratefully. "We CAN do this." He then turned to address Pikachu. "Are you ready to get that seventh badge, buddy?"

"Pika Pi!" it responded enthusiastically before letting out a sudden yawn with a sleepy expression.

"Hahaha! It is getting pretty late, isn't it," Ash asked as he rubbed the back of his head. "We better get to sleep so we have enough energy for tomorrow."

Ash and Serena then stood up from the bench and put their arm around each other as they walked back with Pikachu and Cubone behind them. The two didn't realize they were holding each other's hands with their free one. It just seemed to come automatically now.

* * *

><p>"Here we are, Pikachu. Back at Sabrina's gym," Ash stated solemnly as he looked at the building.<p>

"Chuuu," Pikachu replied as it stared up, as well.

It was now the next day as the group stood in front of the building that housed so many bad memories the last time. Granted, it was when Ash fully realized his power of aura, but the bad outweighed the good by a long shot. Now they were back, ready to give another try, and the outcome would be much different this time. They could feel it. After Ash and Pikachu talked to Serena and Cubone last night, they were just as determined to win now as they were before. They could do this.

"So I see you're back, son," a voice said behind the group, startling them.

They spun around to see none other than Sabrina's father standing there. He had a serious expression on his face as he looked at Ash expectantly.

"Uh, yes. I am, sir," Ash replied. "I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we met. I know I have what it takes to beat Sabrina this time. It isn't like last time when it was just my pride talking. I truly do believe it this time."

Sabrina's father seemed to concentrate for a moment as if he were deep in thought. He gave a hard stare at Ash. It was a little unnerving to have the man looking at him like that. Still as he studied Ash's aura with his own psychic powers, he saw nothing but a fiery determination and power. Maybe he really could save Sabrina.

"I see you are," the man finally said. "Go now, and win. I believe you can do it, also."

"You're not coming with us?" Misty asked.

"Oh no. I'm not allowed to go inside there," the man replied with sigh. "The second that Sabrina sees her mother or me, she will immediately cast us out. She doesn't want anything to do with us."

"That's so sad," Serena mumbled.

Tears began to run down the man's face as he continued. "I just want my old daughter back. The one who loved everyone and was always happy. I miss her terribly."

The group couldn't help but feel great sympathy for Sabrina's father as they watched him cry openly in front them. It must be such a heart wrenching thing to lose your daughter like that. They couldn't possibly imagine what he must be going through right now.

"I promise you, sir. I'm going to do my best to help Sabrina," Ash stated seriously. "You helped me discover my aura abilities so I need to repay you. No, even if you didn't tell me of them, I would still help you. No man deserves to go what you have gone through."

"Thank you very much, young man. You have my support," Sabrina's father said between tears, and then with a bow, he teleported away.

The group stared at the spot where the man was for a few seconds before turning around to enter the Saffron gym. It looked just the same as it did the last time they were here, only now, they knew what to expect. Round Two was about to begin, and they were determined for the results to have a different outcome.

The group passed by all of the various rooms as they made their way back to the gym room. Just like last time, there were people in each of the rooms who were presumably practicing their psychic powers. There wasn't a single sound in the entire place. It was like absolute silence was necessary for these people to concentrate. Nothing seemed to have changed from this gym since the last time they were here.

Once Ash got to the set of double doors that led to the gym room, he paused. This was it. Once he entered, there would be no turning back.

"Ash?" Serena questioned once she saw he wasn't going in.

"Nothing. Let's go," Ash sighed. Then taking a glance at Pikachu, the two nodded towards each other and pushed open the doors to go in.

The room was once again pitch black as they entered. If they didn't know better, the group would think Sabrina is some kind of vampire with how much she was in the dark. Even her side of the gym was relatively dark compared to Ash's side when they battled last. Now that they were in, they just had to wait for Sabrina to show herself since they knew she would already be in here.

Sure enough, the room was soon lit up again as they group saw a figure towards the back in the shadows. They knew that to be Sabrina by now. Sabrina levitated off of her chair like last time and floated towards the group. She soon landed on the floor and looked as emotionless, as ever. The group would even assume she would give no sign of them ever meeting if it wasn't for her next sentence.

"You are back," she mumbled.

"I am!" Ash declared, trying to sound as brave and determined as possible. "I, Ash Ketchum, am here to challenge you again for a Marsh Badge!"

"You cannot win," Sabrina deadpanned.

"Things will be different this time! I've gotten a lot stronger since you last saw me! I can stand up to your Pokemon and your psychic powers!" Ash stated.

"Don't challenge her like that. She isn't one to show mercy," Brock warned.

As if to answer Ash's statement, Sabrina's eyes glowed blue for a moment, and Ash felt himself on the receiving end of Sabrina's psychic powers this time. Ash was enveloped in a blue energy, and he felt himself crudely pushed to the ground by Sabrina's powers. He landed with a painful thud as he tried to get back up but found he was unable to. It felt like she was keeping him from moving.

"Ash!" Serena cried as she, Pikachu, and Cubone went to help him, but Ash held them back.

"Don't…help…me," Ash grimaced. If he was going to prove to Sabrina that he was worth battling again, he had to overcome her psychic powers.

Sabrina was relentless, however. In addition to keeping Ash from moving, she seemed to be causing him physical pain. He began to yell out from the torture Sabrina was giving him. Serena looked like she wanted to smack Sabrina square across the face for doing this to Ash, but Ash told her to stay back each time. He needed to overcome this.

With a huge cry of defiance, Ash gave a mighty push and was soon on his knees rather than on his stomach. The rest of the group let out a surprised gasp that Ash was able to withstand this onslaught of psychic energy. Ash groaned as he struggled to stand up again, but that was easier said than done. It was hard enough to just get on his knees. He very slowly began to crawl towards Sabrina, who didn't let up on her stony gaze as she watched him.

"I…won't…falter," Ash stated as began to sweat.

He managed to get one foot planted on the ground as he used his hands to start pushing himself up, gritting his teeth the entire time. Serena couldn't bear to watch Ash be in pain like this. Tears came to her eyes as she saw how badly Ash was straining himself. She wanted Ash to win a Marsh Badge, too, but she didn't want to see him hurt to get it. She was powerless to stop it, though. She just had to pray that Ash's will was stronger than Sabrina's psychic powers.

With one last scream, Ash forced himself the rest of the way up. He then gave Sabrina a serious look that showed nothing but determination. He did it. He beat her in a contest of will.

Sabrina's eyes stopped glowing blue while she narrowed her eyes at Ash. Ash was immediately released from her psychic hold once she did that and let out several pants that it was over. Just because he won didn't mean it didn't take a lot effort. Serena immediately ran over to help support him while Pikachu stared worriedly at its trainer to make sure he was okay. It seemed their contest had come out with Ash as the victor. Sabrina had to accept his challenge now.

"That was amazing. I didn't know Ash had it in him," Misty stated with a shocked expression.

"That's Ash for you. He's just full of surprises," Brock replied.

"Impressive," Sabrina said, but her expression and stony expression seemed to show she was anything but that. "I will accept your challenge."

"Th-thank you," Ash panted. He wasn't going to let her get the best of him this time. He had all of his friends and Pokemon for support.

"We shall have a two vs. two match this time. Do you find that acceptable?" Sabrina asked him.

This surprised Ash a little bit. He was expecting her to say another one on one match like last time. It seemed Sabrina really wanted to test that Ash had gotten stronger by using more than one Pokemon. Now, he would have more than Kadabra to deal with this time.

"I accept!" Ash declared.

"Pikachu Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Come out Mr. Mime," Sabrina said in monotone as she presented a pokeball.

It levitated off of her hands and opened up to reveal a very odd-looking Pokemon. It was somewhat humanoid with a round white body and light pink arms. Its body parts seemed to be connected by white spheres. It had black feet that curled upward and what looked like blue growths for hair extending from the sides of its head.

"Mr. Mime?" Ash questioned as he and Serena pulled out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Mr. Mime. The imitation Pokemon. Its fingertip can harden the air around it to create an actual wall. It is skilled at miming from birth," the pokedexes stated.

I think I've got a great counter to that," Ash declared. "Let's go, Haunter!"

The ghost Pokemon appeared from its pokeball, laughing merrily as usual. It then floated in front of Ash and looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, Haunter. This is Sabrina, the really strong psychic type trainer I told you about. I really need your help to defeat her so I can win a Marsh Badge. Can I count on you?" Ash asked.

"Haunt Haunt!" Haunter replied as it pounded one of its disembodied fists in its other palm.

"Great, Haunter! Let's do it!" Ash yelled as he pointed his finger forward.

Haunter flew onto the battle field,and for once, gave a serious expression at the Mr. Mime in front of it. If Ash said to take this trainer seriously, then it would do so. Despite its playful and joking nature, it could cast all that away when the situation really called for it.

"A Haunter. So you have captured a ghost Pokemon," Sabrina stated.

"You bet, and we are going to win this time!" Ash shouted. "Ready when are, Sabrina!"

Here it goes. He wasn't going to lose this time. He could do this.

"The battle will now begin," Sabrina muttered.

"Alright, Haunter let's start things off with your Shadow Ball!" Ash yelled.

The ghost Pokemon formed a black orb in its hands before firing it towards the mime Pokemon, but it simply stood there like it was going to take the attack.

"Light Screen," Sabrina mumbled.

Mr. Mime held its hands out, and what looked like a glowing glass wall appeared in front of it. The Shadow Ball made contact with the wall where it was immediately absorbed. Mr. Mime groaned slightly from the impact, but other than that looked relatively unharmed.

"So special attacks are no good, eh?" Ash asked. "That's fine because Haunter has physical attacks, as well! Use Shadow Punch!"

Haunter threw its hands in the ground to prepare for the never miss attack, but like before, Mr. Mime stood calmly as it seemed to await the attack.

"Use Reflect," Sabina muttered.

Mr. Mime held its hands out once again before the Shadow Punch could hit its mark. A wall once again formed around Mr. Mime. The purple fist erupted from the ground but instead collided with the wall where it bounced off. Mr. Mime still had a light jarring effect because the attack never missed, but received very little damage from it.

"_Mr. Mime has set up both of those walls. Now what am it supposed to do?"_ Ash thought.

Before he could think of a strategy, Sabrina ordered her attack.

"Psychic, Mr. Mime," she uttered.

Mr. Mime leaped into the air and threw its hands out once more before emitting psychic waves that shot towards Haunter.

"Quick, Haunter! Dodge it!" Ash yelled.

The ghost Pokemon quickly turned invisible as the attack passed by where it once was. It then quickly reappeared on the other side of Mr. Mime but was surprised to see another psychic attack heading for it. The psychic waves collided with the ghost Pokemon as it was thrown backwards. It was still able to hover in the air, but the attack still clearly hurt a lot. Sabrina and Mr. Mime must have used their psychic abilities to pinpoint where Haunter would end up. That alone gave them a huge advantage. There was nowhere for Haunter to hide.

"You need to be careful, Ash," Brock warned. "Even though Haunter is a ghost-type, it is also part poison-type. Psychic attacks are super effective against it!"

"Right. I know," Ash replied.

He realized sending out Haunter against Sabrina's psychic Pokemon would be a mixed bag. He knew Haunter would be weak to psychic attacks but also knew her Pokemon would be weak to its attacks, as well. He figured that would have been the only way to handle Sabrina, but that was just made super hard because of the Reflect and Light Screen Mr. Mime has set up.

"Use Confusion, Mr. Mime," Sabrina ordered next.

Mr. Mime's eyes glowed blue as it tried to take control of Haunter, but the ghost Pokemon wouldn't allow it. It quickly disappeared to escape Mr. Mime's psychic grasp and reappeared on the other side of the battle field. Once it appeared, the ghost Pokemon saw a Psybeam coming towards it and quickly had to disappear again to avoid it.

"That must be Sabrina's strategy," Ash muttered. "She's making Haunter disappear and using an attack to throw at it before it can collect itself after reappearing. I have to counter that and then attack."

Mr. Mime once more tried a Confusion attack, but Haunter quickly disappeared again even though it knew an attack was coming as soon as it appeared again. As expected, a Psybeam was heading straight for it after it materialized, but Ash was ready.

"Counter it with Shadow Ball!" he yelled.

Haunter summoned the black, glowing orb as fast as it could and shot it forward before the Psybeam could hit. The two attacks connected and caused an explosion in midair, and it was at that moment Ash figured out an attack he could use against Mr. Mime. It was a move that wasn't affected by any type of barrier.

"Follow with Night Shade!" Ash yelled.

Haunter shot a steam of black energy at Mr. Mime through the smoke from the explosion, taking it by surprise. The Night Shade passed through the Reflect and Light Screen before striking Mr. Mime right in the chest, causing it to stumble backwards.

"Go after Mr. Mime while it is stunned, Haunter!" Ash yelled.

Haunter flew after Mr. Mime as fast as it could before the imitation Pokemon could recover. It then grabbed onto Mr. Mime and did its trademark smirk.

Knowing that physical and special moves weren't going to have much effect, Ash changed his strategy. "Use Confuse Ray, Haunter!"

Haunter's eyes began to glow as bright light flashed over Mr. Mime, causing it to shield its eyes from the brightness. Haunter then flew away to see the effects. As expected, Mr. Mime was now stumbling around the battle field with a dazed look on its face now that it was confused.

"Great job, Haunter!" Ash cheered. "That should give us a great advantage!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

"Fools," Sabrina uttered as her eyes glowed blue once again.

Once she did so, Mr. Mime's eyes glowed blue, as well, and then the Pokemon shook itself and returned to normal. Sabrina had actually cured Mr. Mime's confused state with her psychic powers! Was that even legal?!

Ash gritted his teeth at the situation. It seemed even confusion wasn't going to work in his battle with Sabrina. He knew he couldn't win by only using Night Shade. There had to be something else he could do!

Before he could think of anything, Mr. Mime had launched another Psychic attack at Haunter. As Ash saw the waves come closer to Haunter, he quickly thought of something that Haunter may have that could combat those psychic waves. It was different, but it might work.

"Use Hypnosis!" Ash yelled.

Haunter nodded and unleashed sleep inducing waves at the mime Pokemon. The two attacks met in midair and began to compete for dominance. It was Mr. Mime's Psychic vs. Haunter's Hypnosis. It was two different forms of psychic waves struggling to overtake the other. After competing for a while, Mr. Mime's Psychic was starting to push the Hypnosis backwards. Ash knew that if Haunter took another strong Psychic attack, it might not make it.

"Use Night Shade!" he called to quickly counter it.

Haunter quit emitting the Psychic waves and quickly used Night Shade. The two attacks met each other and ended in a draw.

"Now use Hypnosis!" Ash yelled.

Because Haunter was faster, it was able to shoot out the hypnotic waves faster than Mr. Mime was able to use another attack. They passed over the imitation Pokemon as it began to feel droopy. Haunter floated closer to the Mr. Mime to get its sleep inducing waves to work faster. Finally, Mr. Mime was unable to stay awake any longer and fell asleep.

Ash knew he had to act fast because he had no doubt Sabrina would try to wake Mr. Mime up from its sleep very soon. "Haunter! Use Nightmare!" he called.

Haunter's eyes glowed once again as what looked like a black wave emitted from it and passed over the Mr. Mime. The Mr. Mime began to have a troubled and pained look on its face while it was sleeping, and Ash knew it must be taking plenty of damage.

"Finish with Dream Eater!" Ash yelled.

Once again, Haunter held out its hands and what looked like a black light came from its mouth and passed over the Mr. Mime. Haunter then drew its breath in and sucked the light back in, and when it was completed, Mr. Mime was laying down on the gym floor. Instead of it being asleep, however, it was knocked out.

"Excellent, Haunter!" Ash cried. He had actually just won his first match-up against Sabrina. Haunter's ghost-typing really did help out, after all.

"Way to go, Ash!" Serena cheered.

"Cubone!" the lonely Pokemon added.

They knew it was too early to celebrate right now, however. Sabrina had declared a two-on-two battle. Despite one of her Pokemon knocked out, the group noticed she had the same stoic expression on her face as she wordlessly returned Mr. Mime. There was still one Pokemon of hers left, and the group had a pretty good idea of what it was.

"Are you still up to battle, Haunter?" Ash called to it.

"Haunt!" the Pokemon responded in the affirmative.

"Alright then. Let's…"Ash began, but was stopped when he felt a tugging on his pants leg. He looked down to see it was Pikachu doing it.

The yellow rodent shook its head before leaping next to Haunter and sparking its cheeks.

"Pikachu? You want to battle? Even though it might be Kadabra?" Ash asked, suddenly a little worried.

"Pi!" Pikachu responded. It wasn't going to lose this time.

"Is that okay with you, Haunter?" Ash asked the ghost Pokemon.

"Haunt Haunt Haunt!" it laughed in response before giving a thumbs up to Pikachu and floating back to where Ash and the rest of the group was.

"Come out, Kadabra," Sabrina mumbled as she brought out another pokeball. It then levitated off of her hands and revealed the inevitable psi Pokemon.

Ash and Pikachu both clenched their teeth when they saw Kadabra appear. It loomed over Pikachu in an almost menacing way as if it was ready to totally wipe out Pikachu again. They were determined not to let it be a repeat of last time. The Kadabra would fall…

"We knew Sabrina was going to use Kadabra, Pikachu. Are you up to challenge it?" Ash asked, even though he already knew the answer from its previous statement.

"Chu!" Pikachu nodded and sparked its cheeks. It was going to show this Kadabra what's what!

"Alright! Let's do it, Pikachu! Let's show Sabina just how much stronger we've gotten!" Ash yelled.

"The battle will began now," Sabrina muttered.

"Let's get the jump on Kadabra by using Agility, Pikachu!" Ash began.

"Pika!" the yellow rodent cried as it tore across the floor. It was going to show this Kadabra how much better it was this time.

Kadabra was watching Pikachu zoom around the room. Pikachu was definitely a lot faster than it was the last time the two had faced each other. Well, it could fix that.

Sabrina's eyes glowed blue once again as she began to issue commands to Kadabra through her mind. That put Ash at a serious disadvantage this time.

Ash saw Kadabra's eyes glow blue as well and thought it was going to do a Confusion attack, but there was a different shade of blue this time. Ash had made sure to read up on all of Kadabra's attacks before he came here and studied the warning signs. It looked like Disable!

"Pikachu, Kadabra's about to use Disable! I know it's important to know where Kadabra is at all times, but you can't look at it!" Ash warned.

Pikachu reluctantly tore its eyes away from Kadabra so it wouldn't be affected by the Disable. It then began to blindly run around the room in hopes it could find some opening to attack, but Sabrina and Kadabra had other plans.

Kadabra instantly vanished from where it was and couldn't be seen anymore. It had used Teleport!

"Be careful, Pikachu! Kadabra just teleported! It could come out anywhere!" Ash called.

Pikachu nodded as it continued to run but was surprised when Kadabra reappeared right in front it, but the yellow rodent narrowed its eyes and wouldn't run away this time. That was probably exactly what Kadabra wanted so it could get Pikachu in its psychic control again. Ash must have been thinking the same thing. They will show it.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu increased its forward to speed to its max before jumping into the air and slamming into Kadabra's midsection. It completely took the psi Pokemon by surprise as it stumbled backwards a few steps. It was expecting Pikachu to run away, but the rodent boldly leaped right into danger and made contact.

As soon as Pikachu landed, it darted away, and Kadabra teleported once again. So Pikachu liked to attack directly now, did it?

Pikachu continued to dash around the room, looking for any sign of Kadabra. Suddenly, the psychic Pokemon appeared in front of Pikachu again. It had an intimidating look on its face that seemed to be daring Pikachu to try Quick Attack again. Pikachu wouldn't be scared of it so easily, though.

"Use Quick Attack again, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

As soon as Pikachu picked up speed, Kadabra held out its hands, and its eyes glowed blue again. Pikachu was stopped dead in its tracks and appeared to be immobile. Kadabra had successfully used Disable since Pikachu had been looking at it. The rodent would have been trapped whether it ran away or not.

Psychic waves then shot out of Kadabra's hands and struck Pikachu, knocking it backwards several yards where it landed on the ground in pain. Now that it was weakened, Sabrina and Kadabra took this opportunity for a Confusion attack. Its eyes glowed blue and Pikachu was lifted off of the ground. The yellow rodent instantly got a panicked expression on its face once it saw Kadabra was controlling it again.

"No, Pikachu!" Ash cried. He couldn't let this happen. He was determined to not let it be a repeat of last time.

Just like before, Kadabra began to contort Pikachu's body into many kinds of awkward positions, causing it to yell in pain each time. Pikachu could swear it was having one of its muscles pulled each time Kadabra did that. It hurt so badly!

"_No, not again!"_ Ash thought desperately. This couldn't be happening! Was it really right to use Pikachu again?

Once Kadabra was done twisting Pikachu's body, it pointed its index finger at the ceiling. The rodent went flying up where its back slammed into it, causing it to scream in pain. It was then dropped to the floor where it screamed again.

Ash's teeth clenched as tears came to his eyes. He couldn't believe this! His best buddy was getting tortured again by the same Pokemon, and it was his fault! He was so sure they were strong enough to take on Sabrina again. Should he call off the match before something bad happened like last time? It would be the smart thing to do. Sabrina's father was counting on him to save Sabrina from herself, and he knew she wouldn't be willing to listen unless he actually won.

"Ash, I hate to say it, but…," Brock trailed. He didn't have to finish as Ash knew what he meant.

Ash wished there was a way he could fight with Pikachu as one. If they were to fight together, they would be an unstoppable team. If only for a moment, he desired to be linked with Pikachu however briefly. He wanted to feel the power of Pikachu's attacks. He wanted to be linked to Pikachu like Sabrina was to Kadabra. They were a team and needed to act like it!

"Pikachuuuuuuuu!" Ash screamed.

As soon as he screamed that, a jolt seemed to pass through him. He suddenly heard Pikachu's voice inside of his head this time rather than through the outside. It was so strange. Ash quickly became alert when he realized his aura had awoken again.

XXX

"_Young man, you have something that can combat Sabrina's psychic powers," the man said._

"_What is it?" Ash asked curiously._

"_That is not for me to tell you. You will learn of it in due time," Sabrina's father responded._

_XXX_

"_Ash, you have the gift of aura," Riley stated._

"_What?!" the group exclaimed, completely surprised by the statement._

_XXX_

_Your aura powers haven't completely awoken yet as you are not ready to learn. However, when you need them most, you will find they will help you out," Riley told Ash._

_XXX_

Now must have been one of those times. He desired to fight with Pikachu and be connected as one mind and was granted it. Pikachu still had a pained look on its face as it was thrown around the room, but once Ash looked at it, Pikachu looked straight into Ash's eyes and nodded its head. It felt the connection also, and they were going to make use of it. He didn't even notice that he and Pikachu were glowing blue. There were apparently different ways to use aura as he couldn't hear Pikachu's voice like last time, but they still felt as one.

Serena, Brock, Misty, Cubone, and even Haunter let out surprised gasps as they saw what was happening.

"Is that what I think it is?" Misty asked in awe.

"It is," Serena confirmed. "Ash has connected with his aura again."

"Booone," Cubone muttered. It had never seen this before like the others. So this is what aura was when its surrogate parents discussed it that time.

Once Ash linked with Pikachu through aura, the Pokemon began struggling extremely hard against Kadabra's psychic control. Sabrina and Kadabra, upon realizing this, began to concentrate harder to keep Pikachu in check, but they were slowly losing their control.

It soon became a battle of wills as it was Ash and Pikachu's aura vs. Sabrina and her Kadabra's psychic powers! Pikachu was slowly beginning to get control over its own body once again as Kadabra had to quit throwing Pikachu around just to maintain focus.

"_Come on, Pikachu!"_ Ash thought. _"When you and I work together, there is nothing we can't do!"_

He knew Pikachu could hear his thoughts as the rodent nodded its head and seemed to fight even harder. The blue psychic energy around Pikachu began to flicker in and out as it struggled to gain control over its body again. It was so much harder than when Kadabra was an Abra like last time.

In an effort to push even harder, Ash and Pikachu yelled as loud as they could in their heads and the blue energy that was surrounding Pikachu burst apart, completely shattering Kadabra's hold on Pikachu. Unlike last time though, Ash's connection with Pikachu didn't go away. It stayed.

"That was awesome, Pikachu!" Ash yelled to the rodent.

"Pika Pi!" it responded as it gave a thumbs up back to Ash.

The rest of the group continued to watch in amazement. That was definitely some bond those two had if they were able to fight against Sabrina's psychic energy like that! They might be able to win after all!

"_Hey, Pikachu," _Ash spoke through his mind. _"__What do you say we win this one together?"_

"Pikachu!" the rodent responded with a nod.

Even though he couldn't hear Pikachu's voice this time in his head, he could now fight just like Sabrina. He could issue attacks through his aura like she could through her psychic powers. The battle ground was completely even now. Ash had stood up to Sabrina's psychic powers, and Pikachu had stood up to Kadabra. Ash and Pikachu weren't ever going to fall victim to those powers ever again!

Despite the complete amazement of the situation, Sabrina still maintained her emotionless expression and looked as bored as ever. She really was incapable of showing her feelings. Her eyes simply glowed blue again as she ordered a Psychic attack from Kadabra.

The psychic waves were again shot towards Pikachu, but they were ready this time.

"_Leap out of the way, Pikachu!" _Ash thought.

The group watched with interest as Pikachu flawlessly dodged the attack, and they hadn't even heard a command from Ash. He really was fighting as one with Pikachu by using aura!

Pikachu was now off to the side of Kadabra as it turned and prepared to use the Psychic attack once more, but Pikachu leaped out of the way again. It was dodging Kadabra's attacks perfectly. That's when the psi Pokemon disappeared once more. It was teleporting again.

_"Okay, Pikachu. We've got the advantage of aura on our side right now. We just need to try to sense where Kadabra is going to end up. As soon as it appears, give the biggest Iron Tail you can do," Ash thought to it._

Pikachu nodded as it closed its eyes and concentrated. It had a feeling that Kadabra was going to appear somewhere close by as it normally did to gain an advantage, but it would be in for a rude awakening. Pikachu felt a whoosh immediately to its left and charged up Iron Tail out of instinct. Kadabra soon appeared where Pikachu sensed it would and the yellow rodent dove towards it before Kadabra could even collect itself. Pikachu swung the Iron Tail around with all of its might. It crashed right into Kadabra's midsection, sending it flying backwards into the gym wall.

_"What a shot! That was great, Pikachu!" _Ash mentally yelled, even though he knew it was too early to celebrate yet. _"Use Thunderbolt!"_

"Pikachuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted as the massive electrical attack flew from its cheeks.

The electricity traveled towards Kadabra, but the psi Pokemon held out its hands and actually dissipated the attack in thin air! It didn't try to take control of it as usual. It seemed it had learned its lesson when it tried that as an Abra.

_"Hmm, no good. It looks like we will have to stick to physical attacks," _Ash told it, to which Pikachu agreed.

It was a strange sight for the others as they watched the battle. To any normal person, it looked as though the Pokemon were battling on their own while the trainers merely watched from the side. However, they knew that there was furious battle going inside both of the trainers' heads right now.

Sabrina mentally ordered Kadabra to use Psybeam. While the Pokemon began charging up for the attack, Ash ordered his Pikachu to counter the psychic attack with Thunderbolt. Both Pokemon unleashed their respective attacks which collided in midair and caused an explosion. Smoke filled the middle of the gym, and that's exactly what Ash wanted.

"_Go after it, Pikachu! Use Agility!" _Ash yelled as the rodent tore across the floor at breakneck speed and leaped into the smoke now that Disable had worn off to ban it from using Agility.

Though Ash couldn't physically see Pikachu, he could sense where it was by using his aura. He could sense where Kadabra was, too, and was telling Pikachu where to go through his mind. It was then he sensed an attack had just come from Kadabra.

_"Heads up, Pikachu!" _he warned.

About a half a second later, a blast of psychic waves burst into the smoke where Pikachu was running. The rodent leaped out of the way just in time, but the attack still grazed on the side. Pikachu grit its teeth at the pain but was happy the majority of the attack missed.

_"Use Quick Attack!" Ash thought._

Pikachu shot forward out of the smoke, and to its fortune, Kadabra was just outside the cloud. It didn't have time to dodge or Teleport as the yellow rodent rammed into it once more, causing it to stumble backwards in pain. It then did something Ash or Pikachu wasn't expecting. Before Pikachu get away, Kadabra grabbed ahold of Pikachu and curled its fingers around its neck!

Pikachu gasped in pain as the Kadabra began to literally choke poor Pikachu. It then emitted a Psychic attack while it was holding onto Pikachu. Now the rodent was feeling double the pain. Kadabra not only had a strong hold on Pikachu's neck, it now had to withstand Psychic.

"This must have been what Sabrina wanted," Brock realized. "She knew Ash wasn't going to use special attacks anymore so she lured him in with physical attacks and made her move when he and Pikachu got comfortable."

"We aren't giving up yet!" Ash yelled. "Our will to win is much stronger than Sabrina's could ever be! I'm not giving up until the end this time!" He then added in his mind, _"You can do it Pikachu!"_

Pikachu struggled immensely as it was suffering incredible damage from Kadabra at the moment. It then felt strange, like it was receiving a power boost from Ash. It felt incredible!

Pikachu began struggling once more against Kadabra as a blue light surrounded Pikachu again, taking the psi Pokemon by surprise. It then intensified the strength of its Psychic attack in an effort to knock Pikachu out faster, but Ash and Pikachu would have none of it. Pikachu then closed its eyes momentarily, and when it opened them, they were a dark blue instead of black.

_"Do it, Pikachu! Thunder!" _Ash mentally yelled.

Pikachu charged up despite Kadabra's grip around its neck and unleashed the biggest electrical attack anyone in the room had ever seen, and it was actually glowing blue! Not only had Pikachu just learned its most powerful electrical attack, it was powered by Ash's aura!

"Wow! Pikachu just learned Thunder! What an attack!" Serena muttered in awe as she watched the enormous electricity destroy what was around it.

Kadabra, meanwhile, had the shock of its life as the electricity engulfed its entire body, making it immediately release its hold on Pikachu. The rodent fell to the floor as Kadabra continued to cry out in pain from the super charged Thunder. Once the attack ended, Kadabra was charred completely black as it twitched from the bits of electricity still in its body. Its eyes were replaced by swirls, but Ash and Pikachu knew that didn't mean anything. They needed to end this before it could use Recover like last time.

_"Give it an Iron Tail with everything you've got!" _Ash commanded.

Pikachu nodded its head and leapt high into the air as it charged up its most powerful Iron Tail yet. It then fell towards the ground and began somersaulting thought the air to pick up momentum. Pretty soon, it was going so fast it looked like a spinball shooting towards its target. Pikachu extended its tail and smacked Kadabra as hard as it could, but it wasn't done. Because it was spinning so fast, Pikachu had the momentum to twirl around and hit Kadabra with another Iron Tail, and another, and another!

Finally, Pikachu gave one last hard slap of its tail of iron, and Kadabra was immediately blown of its feet and crashed into gym wall, actually creating a crater inside of it! Bits of plaster flew from the wall and created a cloud of dust from the impact. Pikachu landed on its feet and stared at the cloud in determination, the rest of the group doing the same.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the dust cloud parted. Everyone was shocked to see that Kadabra was revealed to be deeply embedded into the wall due to how fast the Pokemon struck it. It would be impossible to pry it out unless returned to its pokeball, but it didn't matter anyway even if it could get free from the wall. Kadabra wasn't moving and was clearly knocked out for good this time.

They did it. They really did it this time. Sabrina had been defeated in a two on two match. There was only one thing that Ash was feeling right now: pure joy.

"Yeeeeaaaaahhh!" Ash cried in sheer delight as he pumped his fist upward and leaped into the air as high as he could.

"They really did. Amazing," Misty muttered with wide eyes.

"That was really well done," Brock muttered in equal awe.

Serena felt tears of joy come to her eyes as she saw Ash's victory. He had actually defeated Sabrina this time! He had been able to tap into his aura, even though it was unintentional, and use it to combat Sabrina's psychic powers. Ash truly was the most amazing person she had ever met in her life. As much as she wanted to give him the biggest hug of her life right now, she knew to let Ash see his Pokemon first.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed as he ran towards his partner, it doing the same.

They continued running towards each other until they finally reached their target. Pikachu leaped into Ash's arms, and they hugged each other as tight as they could. While he was embracing Pikachu, Ash felt the aura and his connection with Pikachu fade away completely. It seemed he still couldn't control when his aura could come and go yet. Even so, he was really happy it came along when it did. Riley promised to teach him one day, so until then, Ash was completely content with what he could do right now.

Pretty soon, Haunter joined the two as it laughed merrily that its trainer won a victory. It had heard that this was an extremely important match for Ash and really wanted to help win it for him. It was glad it had helped out.

Ash vaguely saw Sabrina return Kadabra out of the corner of his eyes as she began to walk, and not float, towards him. Once she reached him, Ash stopped embracing Haunter and Pikachu and stared up at her with a questioning look. Sabrina continued to stare back with a stony expression until she finally held out a circular yellow badge for Ash to take in her outstretched palm.

"Your badge," she mumbled.

"Oh, thank you, Sabrina," Ash replied as he took the badge. He then stared as the badge twinkled back at him before grinning broadly once again. "Take a look guys! The Marsh Badge!"

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.

"Haunt Haunt!" the ghost Pokemon added happily.

As Ash looked back up at Sabrina, he realized something. Sabrina was acting no different than she usually was. Despite him winning, Sabrina still had the same emotionless expression she always wore. He was supposed to save her from herself! He promised her father! Despite winning the Marsh Badge, Ash still felt a small defeat in some way. As Ash stared into Sabrina's cold, emotionless gaze, he felt great pity for her. She seemed so unhappy on the inside. It truly was a sad story.

Brock, Misty, Serena, and Cubone must have realized what Ash was thinking, as their overjoyed expressions soon turned to sadness. They made their way over towards Ash and put their hands on his shoulders for support. They had wanted to save Sabrina, too, but it looked like that wouldn't be possible now.

Haunter, meanwhile, saw Sabrina's stoic expression and decided she could use some cheering up. It floated over until it was just in front of her face and began making goofy faces at her.

Sabrina, however, appeared completely unaffected and just stared back at Haunter with an ice cold gaze.

"The battle is over," Sabrina deadpanned.

"It isn't battling. It is just playing around, so what's the harm in that?" a new voice asked.

The group turned and let out a gasp of shock as they saw Sabrina's father standing right next to them. When did he appear?!

"You've returned," Sabrina muttered to her father, but said nothing else.

However, before Sabrina's father could answer, Haunter once again appeared in front of Sabrina and did several funny tricks. Despite Haunter's best attempts, Sabrina still showed no sign of any emotion. Seeing how none of its jokes were working, Haunter tried its ace in the hole. It pulled out a small bomb.

The group let out a gasp and hit the floor with their hands over their heads as the fuse continued to get shorter and shorter.

Sabrina showed the first almost sign of emotion when she opened her mouth slightly while Haunter continued smile in a goofy manner.

"Haunter, wait!" Ash cried, but it was too late.

The bomb exploded, sending bits of debris everywhere. The group and Sabrina's father were pelted by small bits of rubble, and they quickly looked up to see the damage done. They saw Haunter and Sabrina almost completely covered in black soot. They were completely messy. Despite this Sabrina still had her mouth open in slight shock at what had just happened.

The group sweatdropped as they now feared for their lives. They thought Sabrina was going to go on a psychic rampage and kill everyone in sight, but too their great surprise, she did just the opposite.

Slowly, but surely, Sabrina's mouth curled upward from a frown to smile.

"Oh, my! She smiled!" her father gasped in surprise.

It didn't stop there, however. Sabrina's smile soon got so wide that she couldn't contain herself anymore. She began to giggle. Louder and louder her giggle got until it evolved into full, mirthful laughter. Haunter, upon seeing Sabrina start laughing, immediately smiled its biggest yet and began joining her in the laughter.

"Sabrina's actually…laughing," Ash commented as he and the rest stared with a dumbfounded expression.

"Ever since she started training her psychic powers, I've never seen Sabrina laugh like this," Sabrina's father said as tears began to stream from his eyes. "She's remembered how to to smile! I've never seen her so happy in my entire life!"

The group continued to stare at Sabrina and Haunter as they continued to laugh together. It was true, there was no sign of any cold emotionless girl that was left in Sabrina. All there seemed to be was a joyful, laughing girl. It was truly a sight to see.

"I'm so glad you came back, young man!" her father continued as he clapped a hand on Ash's back. You and your Haunter have helped Sabrina rediscover her heart. You've helped her learn how to smile again!"

It was then Sabrina's father decided to try something risky. He took a few slow steps towards the laughing teenager and stopped in front of her. Sabrina finally stopped laughing and stared up at her father in wonder.

"Sabrina, I love you. Will you please allow us to become a family once again? Can we continue where we left off?" he asked as he continued to sniff from his earlier crying.

At first, Sabrina said nothing. She continued to stare at her father in wonder until she finally spoke.

"Daddy," she said, her voice no longer emotionless, as her eyes welled up with tears, too. "I love you, too. Please don't ever let me go down that path again!"

Sabrina's father took shaky breaths once he heard Sabrina say those words. He then did something he thought he might never be able to do again. He took a few more steps forward and wrapped Sabrina in a warm, fatherly embrace. Words couldn't began to describe what the man was feeling as he felt his daughter's love again.

"Oh, Sabrina! You have no idea how happy I am to finally hear you say those words! I can't wait to tell your mother!" he exclaimed as he began to cry openly. Sabrina returned the hug and began doing the same.

The group even began to feel tears come to their eyes, as well, at the heartwarming reunion between father and daughter, even Haunter. Ash turned to Haunter and gave it a thumbs up.

"Well done, Haunter. You sure are a special Pokemon," he told it.

"Yes. Thank you so much," Sabrina's father added as he continued to embrace his daughter.

"Haunter!" the Pokemon replied as it rubbed the back of its head in embarrassment. That's just the kind of Pokemon it was! It loved to bring happiness to other people's life.

The group continued to watch the scene with happiness. They had really did, after all. Sabrina was saved. It looked like she really rediscovered herself and didn't have to worry about losing her emotions anymore due to the love of her mother and father. Sabrina was again the happy, lovable girl she was before. It truly was a joyous moment, and they couldn't be happier for them at the moment.

* * *

><p>The group was now exiting the Saffron City gym, and Sabrina, along with her father and mother, were seeing them off. Their adventure in Saffron City had finally come to a close. Despite dreading to come back here, now that the group had helped the family, it was a little sad that they had to leave now.<p>

"Thank you for everything, Ash," Sabrina's father said as he shook the boy's hand. "You have done so much. I was right to believe in your strengths as a trainer. I have no doubt in my mind that you will do great things as you go on your journey. Our family wishes you the best of luck."

"You're welcome, sir," Ash smiled as he returned the handshake.

"If you ever need help with something, please don't hesitate to ask," Sabrina told them.

"Thanks! We will!" Ash replied. Who would have thought Sabrina would offer to help somebody after what they had seen so far?

The group then turned to leave as Sabrina's family waved goodbye. It was so heartwarming to see a family reunited like that. It was almost like when Cubone had been briefly reunited with its mother.

"Have a safe journey!" Sabrina's father yelled one last time before waving to the group again as they rounded a corner.

Once the family was out of sight, they let out a happy sigh. Ash took out the Marsh Badge and held it front of him. He then proudly pinned it to the inside of his jacket and stared at his collection of seven badges. He only had one more to obtain. It was the Earth badge.

"I'm so glad for you, Ash," Serena told him. "You only have one more badge to obtain before you enter the Pokemon League! How do you feel?"

"I feel like I can really do this," Ash replied as he gave her a smile. "I don't care who the gym leader is of Viridian City is! I'm going to win that badge and enter the Pokemon League!"

"Hey, Ash! I just remembered," Serena spoke up. "We're supposed to meet Gary and Leaf in Pallet Town before we head to Viridian City again."

"That's right," Brock agreed. "It looks like we will have to get take a blimp back to Cinnabar Island before we can catch a ship that will take us near Pallet Town."

"I guess we will be taking a slight detour back to Cinnabar Island," Misty chuckled nervously. "Blaine has been really nice to us, and I would hate to impose on him again."

"We'll just have to make sure to pay him this time," Ash replied. "So when does the next blimp to Cinnabar Island leave?"

Before anyone could answer, they saw black dots speeding through the skies of Saffron City. Once they reached where the group was standing, they stopped before making a beeline straight for them. As the group watched in confusion, the black dots were becoming bigger until the group could make out three Pokemon coming towards them. The group squinted and could see a person perched on each of the Pokemon. They could see the Pokemon in question were two Pidgeot, and a Wigglytuff. It was clear the group was the intended targets. The three Pokemon looked familiar to the group for some reason, especially to Ash and Serena.

"What's going on?" Ash wondered aloud as they got closer.

As the Pokemon became clearer in view, the group could make out the people who were riding them. Yellow and Blue were on their Pidgeot, and Rose was on the Wigglytuff. Serena's mom, Grace, was riding with Rose.

The Pokemon soon landed in front of the group as the four people got of their respective Pokemon with looks of urgency on their faces. The group knew something had to be wrong for the adults to come find them like this. This was really odd.

"It's Blue Oak, the champion of Kanto!" a nearby man cried as he and few more people went to crowd around the famous Oak.

Blue immediately gave the citizens of Saffron City an ice cold glare to let them know he was NOT here for autographs. Getting the gist of the intense look, the citizens left him alone and continued what they were doing. Gary's father was pretty frightening when angry.

"Wh-what are you all doing here?" Ash asked in complete confusion. He wasn't trying to sound rude, but this was a huge surprise.

It was then the group noticed that Yellow and Grace had tears streaming down their faces while Blue and Rose's faces were as hard as stone. Something bad clearly had happened. It was then Ash noticed his mom wasn't among the group. A growing sense of dread was building inside of him.

"Ash," Rose said slowly as she went over a placed her hands on Ash's shoulders. "We need you to hurry up and come with us, the others, too. We need to get back to Pallet Town as quickly as possible."

"Why? Wh-what's going on? Where's Mom?" Ash stuttered.

Brock, Misty, and Serena were getting alarmed, too. What had happened? For the love of God, please at least let him know his mom's okay. No, Ash couldn't think like that! His mother was fine. She was in Pallet Town, safe and sound. Riley was there and protecting her just like he was supposed to, right? _RIGHT!? _As much as the group wanted to believe it, the adults' gazes were fixed solely on Ash. It definitely involved him.

Blue gave a huge sigh. "I'm sorry. Team Rocket has Delia, Ash. Riley's in the Viridian hospital. We need to leave _now._"

* * *

><p>` "Wh-where are you taking me?!" Delia choked as she was dragged along. Proton had his arm around her throat and was pulling her very violently through a long hallway. Two Rocket grunts were on either side of them.<p>

"I thought I told you to shut up!" Proton growled. "You don't want to make me angry! I'm known as the scariest and cruelest of the Rockets!"

Delia then stayed quiet as tears came to her eyes. Unable to stay completely silent due to the overwhelming emotions she was feeling, she had to resort to shaky breaths. She couldn't believe this was happening. She was so scared for her son right now. How could her baby boy have gotten mixed up with a criminal organization like this? She didn't care what happened to her, but what would become of Ash?

They finally reached the edge of the long hallway, and Proton knocked on the door. "Sir, we've brought Delia Ketchum."

"Good. Send her in," a dark voice said from the other side.

Proton opened the door and entered a large room that was presumably their boss's main room. It had a large bookcase crammed with several files, some even in a language Delia had never seen before. There were two chairs that were in front of a very huge desk with several more papers on it. A large chair was facing away from the Rockets and Delia as they entered. Delia noticed there was man with short green hair standing next to the chair. A Persian was on the other side.

Delia was thrust roughly in the chair by Proton as he stood at attention and awaited orders.

"Thank you, Proton," a dark voice said from behind the chair, sounding oddly familiar to Delia. "You, Archer, and the others may go. I wish to speak to Delia alone."

"Sir!" Proton replied as he and the other Rockets saluted before filing out the door and closing it behind them.

_"What? How does this person know my name? Why did Team Rocket take me to see their leader?" _Delia wondered in worry.

"Delia," the voice spoke, causing her attention to snap back to the turned chair. "It's been a while."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are or what you're talking about," Delia cried.

"You don't? Then let me refresh your memory," the man began. "You may have run away from me with your son before, and I let you go. A man forming a criminal organization at the time had too many things to take care of. That was over twenty years ago. You may also recall a certain meeting twelve years ago."

Delia's eyes widened in horror as realization came to her face. The leader of Team Rocket couldn't possibly be HIM, could it?

"For years, I simply didn't pay you any attention after you left, except when I was searching for our son, Silver. I had bigger and better things to take care of, but that was until your _other _son, Ash, came along," the dark voice continued.

Delia was completely flabbergasted about how this could even be possible? Ash truly had been in Team Rocket's way! Now they were out for revenge and targeted her!

"Your son has been such a thorn in my side," the dark voice said. "It makes me sick to even look at him. He reminds me too much of what I lost, but not anymore. It's time to give to him what's been coming ever since he first defied us!"

"Please, do with me what you want. Just don't hurt Ash," Delia pleaded as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I don't really think you are in a position to bargain with me right now, Delia," the voice replied menacingly.

The chair slowly began to spin around as Delia's eyes grew wider than what they already were. The chair continued to turn until it was fully facing Delia, and she had to cover her mouth to keep from crying out in utter shock when she saw who was in chair. She couldn't believe it. HE was the leader of Team Rocket!? Despite being much older, he was still very recognizable. The man had a very sinister smile on his face when he saw Delia's reaction.

"Hello, Delia," Giovanni greeted. "How has my old sweetheart been?"

"G-Giovanni?" Delia gasped.

* * *

><p><strong>And this chapter confirms what a lot of you have been expecting all along: Giovanni and Delia having a previous relationship before she was with Red. Love it or hate it: this was planned from the very beginning of the story and wasn't something I decided on a whim one random night, so it's staying. I apologize for those of you who dislike the idea but I hope that won't turn you off from the story because of that.<strong>

**And Ash's half-brother is revealed to be Silver. I'm sure a few of you saw that coming. He's not going to appear until the Johto Arc.**

**Ash has finally discovered his mother had been taken by Team Rocket. How will he react and what will he do about it? Unfortunately, you will have to wait as there is an interlude coming up next. It is necessary however and will explain what happened with Mewtwo and lead into the events that happen within the next (seven?) or so chapters without doing a hundred breaks and explaining in author's notes. Ash, Serena, Brock, Misty, Pikachu, and Cubone won't appear in the interlude. All of the events in the interlude will be happening while the group is on Cinnabar Island and early Saffron City.**

**And no. I don't get some sort of evil pleasure from leaving the chapter off at two cliffhangers and forcing you all to wait. I'm a reader and I know how that feels, too. This chapter was already well over 10,000 words and if I extended it any longer my hands would get cramped. Besides, there isn't really a good stopping place in the coming chapters anyway so the cliffhangers had to happen.**

**I'll see you all next Tuesday with the Interlude! Enjoy your week! I will "TRY" to have chapter 45 up next week, also, but with the Christmas season coming, things are getting quite hectic and I may not have time to do two chapters as I've said before, so don't hold your breath. Keep in mind though, I wouldn't have made an interlude for this story if I didn't think you guys would enjoy it or unless it was necessary.**

**Interlude: Mewtwo Awakens**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will the character Lisia, Wallace's niece, make an appearance in the Hoenn saga?_

_**Yes.**_

_Is there going to be a huge gap between the last two gyms?_

_**No.**_

_How long will it be when we see Ritchie next?_

_**Not until the Pokemon League**_

_Can you tell in which region Serena's psychic powers will awaken?_

_**Nope! I won't tell when and where that happens. I prefer it to be a surprise.**_

_Will Ash be saving his mother by using his aura accidentally and getting in team rockets base and saving her by defeating everyone by using just his aura and some of his Pokemon?_

_**You will just have to see. There are several surprises coming in the next few chapters, both good and bad.**_

_Can you please, please and please make ash control and use his aura like using an aura sphere before Sinnoh?_

_**Ash will be having small bursts of his aura when he really needs it, but I don't picture him using it to attack with aura spheres anytime soon.**_

_Will someone or some malicious force haunt Serena with the memory that Ash is unable to fully reciprocate her feelings at the moment?_

_**No.**_

_I'm not sure if u said that that was serenas last match at a battle something (can't believe I actually forgot the name) so doesn't that mean she's not going to battle in the one in viridian city?_

_**There will be one or two more Battle Chateau chapters in this arc. How I will do that with four undefeated chatelaines you will have to see.**_

_Think you may decide to have Serena catch a Mareep in Johto?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will we see Cubone actually battling in this arc or are you waiting until the next arc?_

_**If it isn't late in this arc, it will definitely be in Orange Islands.**_

_In the interlude, are you making it more intense than the one the movie showed like how Mewtwo feels about being experimented on?_

_**Yes. It will be a little intense in some parts, but nothing too extreme.**_

_Will the gang catch more Pokemon in this arc?_

_**No. There won't be any more captures until the Orange Islands. The only exceptions are Togepi hatching and Serena officially "capturing" Cubone.**_

_Will it be revealed that Proton is actually Lance of the Kanto elite 4 undercover since his Japanese name is proton?_

_**No. Lance and Proton are two entirely different people here and aren't related.**_

_Will there be something similar to a Hawaiian Luau in the Orange islands arc?_

_**Maybe not necessarily Hawaiian, but there may be something similar.**_

_Will there be any significant character death like ash's mom or will the guns be more for intimidation?_

_**There will be at least one character death in this series that has been planned from the beginning. It probably won't even be in the Kanto arc and may not happen until the final story. I don't know why people keep threatening me about trying to kill Delia. I never said it would be her. There are hundreds of other characters in the Pokemon universe. For all you know, the person may not even have made an appearance yet, or maybe they have.**_

_How many chapters will the Mewtwo movie be made up of?_

_**Three.**_

_Will Ash and Serena's Charizard be just as powerful as the other, or will one be stronger?_

_**They'll be equally powerful. They already tied as Charmeleon in the Fighting Dojo chapter.**_

_I was wondering will there be an incident where say a pokemon gets the move attract used on it and their significant other gets jealous?_

_**I'm not sure. Maybe.**_

_Will the characters celebrate Christmas or New Year?_

_**Yes. They will in at least one of the arcs. It kind of skipped my mind in Kanto, however, so there won't be one in this arc. It can just be understood it's already passed. By this time next year, I should be in the Johto arc so you all may get a Christmas and New Year special in Johto!**_

_Will Team Rocket still be the main villains in the story until Johto end right?_

_**I'm not giving away any details about Team Rocket.**_

_Are Ash, Serena and Leaf all only children, or do they have long lost siblings?_

_**Serena and Leaf are only children. Gary's sister is Daisy, and Ash has a half-brother.**_

_When will you start foreshadowing?_

_**Foreshadowing for what? Could you be more specific?**_

_When exactly is the Mewtwo arc going to happen in this story?_

_**After Ash has eight badges but before the Pokemon League.**_

_Is Gary still going to catch an Eevee and evolve it into Umbreon?_

_**Yes.**_


	45. Interlude: Mewtwo Awakens

**A/N: Sorry. I didn't get two chapters this week. I really didn't think I would be able to anyway. I barely had enough time to post this in all honesty and was worried I wouldn't make it on time, but here you go. It's the interlude and I hope you all enjoy it. It is by no means the best or the most exciting chapter, but I hope there is enough content in it for you all to enjoy. Happy reading!**

**As I've said, all the events in the interlude are happening while the group is on Cinnabar Island and early Saffron City, so it's like a prelude of the coming chapters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Interlude: Mewtwo Awakens<p>

_"Where am I?"_

This was the question in the mind of a creature as it floated. Everything that has happened to it felt like a dream so far. Were they even memories? Did they really happen? Everything was so confusing. It felt as though it were actually awake for the first time, but that couldn't be right, could it?

This wasn't an ordinary creature, however. It wasn't born of an egg like the other Pokemon of the universe. No, it didn't receive a natural birth. It was cloned. As the Pokemon opened its eyes, it could see it was floating in a liquid of some type. It could see other creatures…humans…it believed they were called, on the other side. They were there…and it was here. Then again, where was here, exactly?

One of the scientists happened to look in its direction, and his eyes lit up with excitement. He hurriedly called the other scientists over as they crowded around the tank. The clone Pokemon could here muffled voices on the other side of the tank, but it couldn't make out what they were saying. It needed to get out of this place, but how?

The creature then felt these powers that it had never felt before, despite just awakening. It wanted to break out. It needed to get out of this place and into the outside world. It was then that the glass tube the clone Pokemon was in began to crack. The scientists gave a curious glance as they watched what was taking place. Soon, the glass tube succumbed to the pressure and shattered. Glass and liquid spilled all over the floor. Despite this, the Pokemon or scientists weren't harmed.

"It's awoken! It even broke out of the tube!" one of the scientists exclaimed. "Quick, one of you go inform Giovanni immediately!"

"Quiet!" another one scolded. "We need to see its great psychic powers first hand! Do you think it is capable of speech or some form of communication?"

The creature gave all of the scientists around it a look of confusion. What was its purpose? Why was it created? It had so many questions, but it decided to ask the first thing that came to its mind.

_"Where am I?" _

The creature didn't speak verbally, but all of its thoughts could be heard through its ESP. The scientists beamed upon seeing the clone Pokemon make contact!

"You are on a small island far away from the Kanto mainland," one of the scientists, who was presumed to be their lead researcher, answered. "We have been taking care of you for several years now, and you have finally awoken. Today is a very special day, indeed!"

_"Taking care of me? What do you mean?" _the creature asked.

"As you may have guessed, you weren't given a natural birth. You were actually cloned from another Pokemon. We have been working on several clones throughout the years, but you are the first one who has survived," the head scientist explained.

_"A clone?" _the creature thought. There were others along with it? It was the only one who survived. The Pokemon's eyes then lit up as it remembered its past.

It remembered others. There was a blue Pokemon with a shell, a lizard with a flame on its tail, and a dinosaur with a bulb on its back. They were in glass tubes along with it at some point. It never fully awakened inside of the tube, but it was still able to communicate telepathically with the others. They all were wondering the same thing as it was. Then one day, they were no more. Is that what it was like to die?

_"Why was I the only one to survive?" t_he Pokemon asked the scientist. What made it so special?

"The cloning process needed a very strong life force to be successful. The other ones we were cloning came from a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and a Squirtle. They simply didn't have enough energy to live. You, on the other hand, were cloned from a very special Pokemon. You came from the legendary Pokemon, Mew!" the scientist answered before grinning broadly. "We will henceforth call you Mewtwo!"

Mewtwo looked down at the ground at the scientist's response. Was that really all it was? A clone? It didn't even have its own true name. It was merely named after that which it was cloned from. What was its purpose in life? Surely these humans must have had some answer for it!

_"Now that you have successfully created me, what do you do now? What am I here for?" _Mewtwo inquired. It needed to know why it was here.

"I'm afraid this is only the beginning!" the scientist replied excitedly. "We have many experiments and research projects to do on you! This will be a great breakthrough in technology and learning of the rarest Pokemon in world, Mew!"

The scientists then began to congratulate each other and began excitedly talking of all of the plans they had for Mewtwo now. This was a glorious day! The really created the world's most powerful Pokemon! Mewtwo, however, wasn't looking as thrilled as the scientists

_"That's all I am? A test subject?" _Mewtwo asked.

"Yes. We have so many things in store for you!" the head scientist answered giddily before resuming to talk with the others.

_"Will my purpose be discovered after that?" _Mewtwo inquired of the scientist.

The scientists then began to glance at each other confusedly. This creature was certainly asking a lot of questions for a clone. All it was wondering was what its destiny was. Clones weren't supposed to have such questions. They had no souls, after all!

"Your purpose is an experiment, nothing more. Now don't ask any more questions. Your masters command it," the head scientist said firmly.

Mewtwo looked back down at the ground. What were these feelings that were going through its mind at the moment? Was it…sadness? These humans cared nothing for it. They wouldn't care if it was hurt or spent the rest of its life tested on as long as they finished their experiments. Mewtwo suddenly clenched its three fingered hands together as its sadness turned to a different feeling. It felt a huge tightness in its chest. Its head felt like it had a lot of pressure building inside of it. Was it…anger?

_"This cannot be my destiny," _Mewtwo thought. Surely it was created for something much more than just some test subject. If these humans weren't going to help it, it would find out on its own. It wasn't going to bend to these human's wills. They were not its masters!

Mewtwo's eyes took on a dark look as they began to glow blue. It was not created for this. Various other glass tubes around the lab began to smash through Mewtwo's psychic powers. It then focused on the other machines as they began to explode.

The scientist's excited expressions soon turned to horror once they saw their creation was turning its back on them. They had to get it under control. They sent various mechanical hands and claws in an attempt to grab and restrain Mewtwo, but Mewtwo wasn't one to be so easily tamed. It focused its psychic powers on the security systems, and they shattered before it, as well.

"It's no use! We have to get out of here!" one of the scientist's cried as they made a mad dash for the exit, but found it was blocked by a piece of debris that was on fire. They were trapped!

Mewtwo, meanwhile, was beginning to grasp the extent of how powerful it really was. It was able to smash anything by simply thinking about it and using its will. These humans tried to get it back under control, but were unable to. Now they were fleeing before it because they were afraid. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed at how arrogant these humans were. They thought that just because they created it that they could use it however they please. The first sign it showed rebellion, they turned tail and are trying to flee. It couldn't be used by such cowards.

Mewtwo then continued to destroy the lab around it. It was unleashing its full fury on the humans who called it nothing more than a science experiment. It would escape and find its true purpose without them!

The trapped scientists grew more and more panicked as the lab literally began to crash down around them. Some were even jumping out of a nearby window in desperation despite there being nothing but an ocean beside there. They surely plummeted to their deaths upon making such a decision, but there was no other option. They were dead either way. The head scientist was the only one who wasn't frantically running around the building. He sat, leaned against a wall, as he watched in horror yet complete awe, as their creation destroyed everything around it.

"We aimed to create the world's most powerful Pokemon," he said to himself before closing his eyes in resignation. "And we succeeded."

There was another explosion, and the head scientist knew no more.

The building continued to crumble around the remaining scientists before Mewtwo used it psychic powers to blast through what remained of the room. No more than a few seconds after it left that there was another explosion in the building, larger than any before it. That was all that was needed to send the rest of the building to the ground.

Mewtwo landed on the ground among all of the fire and debris and stood there. It could hear all of the pained screams of any scientist who managed to survive the building's collapse, but Mewtwo gave no move to help them. If those scientists cared nothing for it, then it cared nothing for them. It continued to listen to their yells until they began to die down. They became fewer and fewer until they were gone completely. The only sound left was the crackling of the fire around Mewtwo.

Mewtwo looked upward towards the sky as it thought about what it should do next, but it didn't have to as it soon heard another sound. It was a whirring of some sort. Mewtwo looked up and saw a flying machine coming towards it. Mewtwo originally planned to simply obliterate the machine right there, but its curiosity got the better of it as it continued to watch it become closer and closer until it landed not far in front of it.

The door to the helicopter opened, and Mewtwo's eyes narrowed once more as it saw a human step out and approach it. What did this human want? Did he come to experiment on it, also? It could sense there a lot of other beings around it. They seemed to hold a lot of malice. What was going on?

_"Leave me, human," _Mewtwo said. _"__I do not wish to see you."_

Mewtwo was surprised to see the man continue to approach it. What surprised it even more is that the man seemed to bear no hostility or greed in his eyes. He seemed almost…sympathetic. What?

"I am truly sorry for what has happened to you," the man said. "It must have been terrible when those fools tried to treat you as nothing but a science project. I, however, do not see you that way."

_"I do not need your sympathy, human," _Mewtwo spoke. _"__What would you know about me anyway?"_

"I know that you have just awakened from a deep sleep, and your powers are unstable. If left to your own devices, you could wind up hurting yourself and not even realize it. I can help you with that," the man answered.

Mewtwo wasn't so convinced, however. It could feel the malice around it despite the man's expression and seemingly comforting words. It sensed they were other Pokemon. Real Pokemon unlike itself who was just a clone.

_"You come to me in peace, yet have an army of other Pokemon at my back?" _Mewtwo seemed to growl.

"Do not pay attention to them," the man answered with a wave of his hand in a dismissive manner. "They will not harm you as long as I am around."

_"I do not want your help," _Mewtwo replied. _"__I wish for no more want any dealings with humans."_

"With all due respect, you would be making a big mistake to reject my offer," the man said. "I can help you. Allow me to let you be able to focus your power. That way, you can use them to your utmost potential, and together, we can discover your destiny."

This actually piqued Mewtwo's curiosity. Did the man say that he could discover Mewtwo's destiny?

_"How so?" _Mewtwo asked.

"Since I have gotten your interest, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Giovanni, and I run an organization called Team Rocket," the man introduced.

_"Giovanni," _Mewtwo echoed thoughtfully. It felt like it had heard that name before while it was still sleeping.

"As I was saying, I can help you focus your powers so you can be invincible," Giovanni said. "Allow me to guide you, and together, we can take over the world and get revenge on the humans who dared to call you nothing more than an experiment! We shall be partners and equals!"

Mewtwo continued to watch the man called Giovanni. He could simply refuse and fly off, or he could just kill the man on the spot. However, what Giovanni said made sense. He seemed nothing like the humans in the laboratory. It seemed like he really wanted help it out. Had it judged all humans too quickly? Maybe it could give this human a chance. Maybe some could be trusted.

_"Show me," _Mewtwo finally answered. If what this human said was true, it would be able to discover its purpose through him.

"Good. Follow me," Giovanni responded as he turned to go back to the helicopter. He then gave a hand signal and waved it into the air. The hundreds of ghost Pokemon that were surrounding the two then retreated and disappeared from whence they came now that the threat was over.

Unbeknownst to Mewtwo, Giovanni wasn't simply offering Mewtwo a chance to be his partner. He wasn't lying when he said they would take over the world, but it wouldn't be as equals. Mewtwo was simply his tool that he would use for his own purposes. Giovanni believed that abomination of a thing could never be his equal. It was powerful, of course, but still an abomination. With his back turned, Giovanni gave an dark smile. Yes, Mewtwo's destiny would be clear to it soon enough…

* * *

><p>Mewtwo was standing in a small room. Around it were several more mechanical hands each holding some type of armor. Was this what the human was talking about when he said he could help Mewtwo focus its powers? It was a robotic suit.<p>

Giovanni was standing how above Mewtwo on a platform with what Mewtwo perceived was a friendly smile on his face. Underneath that smile, however, was pure malicious intent. This Pokemon would help Giovanni conquer the world, whether it wanted to or not. The dark man raised is hand, and the various pieces of armor began coming towards Mewtwo slowly.

For a moment, Mewtwo contemplated destroying the suit, but it had told itself that it would trust the man. With that in mind, Mewtwo allowed the suit to attach to its body. There were many clicking noises as the suit of armor finished attaching. Finally, a form of metallic headgear came and set itself over Mewtwo's head. The suit was complete.

_"My powers are being suppressed by this suit?" _Mewtwo questioned.

"No. They aren't suppressed. They are being focused. With this suit, your purpose will be clear in due time, my friend," Giovanni told it.

_"You said this will allow me to focus my powers? How will I know?"_ Mewtwo asked Giovanni.

Giovanni smirked in return. "If you doubt it, why don't we test it right now?"

A door then slid open slowly in front of Mewtwo to reveal a large room for battling in front of it. Mewtwo then stepped out into the room and saw a large rock snake Pokemon in front of it, an Onix. The Onix gave a roar and looked prepared for battle. Mewtwo eyed the Onix in front of it. It was a real Pokemon that had been born naturally. Onix wasn't a clone like it was. Mewtwo wanted to ask it what it was like to be a natural Pokemon, but Giovanni soon ordered the Onix to attack.

The Onix charged forward and Mewtwo's eyes glowed. It doesn't matter what it was like to be a naturally born Pokemon. It isn't like they would understand how it felt anyway. The only ones who could ever understand it were now dead. For now, it just needed to know its purpose. Mewtwo then used its psychic powers to lift Onix off of the ground and throw it quite hard into a nearby wall, creating a crater. The Onix slumped over from the crash and fell defeated. Had it really just been that easy? Mewtwo felt its power was on a whole different level than the Onix in front of it. Were clone Pokemon stronger than real Pokemon?

_"So this is the extent of my power?" _Mewtwo thought.

Mewtwo was so caught up in its thoughts that it didn't notice the evil smile Giovanni had on his face as he watched.

* * *

><p>Giovanni was now on top of a small cliff with Mewtwo down below. Archer and several Rocket grunts were by his side. If he recalled correctly, a stampede of stolen Tauros should be coming through here soon. Mewtwo's psychic powers would bring them into submission and they could capture them.<p>

"Sir, with all due respect, are you sure it is wise to let Mewtwo roam free like this. Wouldn't it be better in a controlled area where it couldn't escape?" Archer asked the Rocket boss.

"In case you have forgotten Archer, we still have the army of ghost Pokemon who are monitoring it at every moment. That naive Pokemon may think we are working as equals, but it is merely just a pawn in a game that it doesn't even understand," Giovanni smirked.

"Ariana felt it, too, sir. If Mewtwo is left to its own devices and not restrained on a regular basis, we may end up regretting it," the Rocket executive warned.

Giovanni turned to give his subordinate a dangerous expression. "Are you questioning me, Archer? Perhaps you would like to experience Mewtwo's powers firsthand," he growled.

Archer immediately paled upon hearing that. He and his Pokemon wouldn't stand a chance against that thing. It would rip them apart. Despite Archer's great fears of Mewtwo turning its back against them, he had a bigger fear of Giovanni's wrath.

"I apologize, sir. I was way out of line. It will not happen again," Archer replied as he bowed to the dark man.

Giovanni turned back around and resumed watching his "pawn". The Tauros stampede was approaching fast. As expected, Mewtwo was just standing there. Heh, that Pokemon thought that just because it possessed psychic abilities that it was in control. It couldn't be more wrong.

Mewtwo, meanwhile, saw the stampede approaching. These creatures didn't even seem to care that they were about to trample it, not that it would let them. Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue again, and the Tauros were lifted up one by one in the air, writhing in pain. Pokeballs soon came through the air and began capturing each of the Tauros. Rocket grunts continued to throw the pokeballs as Mewtwo continued to restrain them. It wasn't long until the entire heard was captured.

_"No being has been able to stand before me, but still, what is my purpose?" _Mewtwo wondered aloud once more.

Giovanni continued to smile evilly from up above. This Pokemon had just captured and beaten every single Pokemon without breaking a sweat! Those scientists really had created the world's most powerful Pokemon. They may have lost their lives in the process, but Giovanni felt it was a small price to pay for the power he had now been given control of in the form of Mewtwo. He felt it was now time that Mewtwo tried out for a real Pokemon battle. He could hardly wait to see who his first victim would be…

* * *

><p>A red convertible was speeding towards the Viridian City gym at the moment. It was actually quite crowded for such a small vehicle. It consisted of at least a dozen cheerleaders, one arrogant boy, and a less than thrilled girl who was quite annoyed at being squished between everyone. The reason for the visit to the gym was this certain boy was going to win his final badge, the Earth badge. Then he would qualify for the Pokemon League. Who was he? Gary Oak.<p>

"Gary! Did we really have to bring all of these cheerleaders along?" Leaf shouted, but her voice was muffled due to being so crammed in the middle of so many cheerleaders.

"Of course! Who would want to miss the great Gary Oak win his final badge before the Pokemon League?" Gary asked arrogantly. He appeared to be the only one in the vehicle who looked comfortable.

"Why couldn't we have just waited for Ash and Serena to get back to Pallet Town? You two could have challenged the gym together. That was the original plan!" Leaf gasped.

"And let Ashy boy catch up to me? No way!" Gary replied. He then added, "Besides, this is the first time the gym leader has been able to battle in a while. If we wait for Ash, he may be gone again!"

Leaf rolled her eyes. Gary certainly wasn't as big of a jerk as he used to be, but he still hadn't let go of his arrogance. This cheerleading posse of his certainly never helped matters concerning his ego. These cheerleaders have been chanting Gary's name since they left Pallet Town earlier that day. If Leaf would have known the car ride would have been this crammed and loud, she would have just preferred to walk to Viridian City, despite the distance.

"Gary! Gary! He's the best!" the cheerleaders shouted as the car finally came to a stop in front of the gym.

The door opened, and one by one, the cheerleaders piled out with Gary and Leaf bringing up the rear. Leaf let in a huge gulp of air at finally being able to breathe properly again while Gary merely smirked.

"Aw, don't be that way, Leaf. It was you who wanted to come along with me," Gary told her.

"I know that. I came because I'm your friend and want to support you for your final battle. I just don't understand why we had to bring _them,"_ Leaf said with a frown as she gestured to the cheerleaders. "You know that if you weren't such a great trainer, these cheerleaders would have nothing to do with you."

"Hey, what can I say? I need some girls to cheer me on while I battle?" Gary shrugged.

"Why don't you just have girls that actually care about you to support you on your journey?" Leaf mumbled while turning away. "I wouldn't care if you were the best trainer or the worst trainer just as long as you were you."

This took Gary by surprise as he turned and gave her a curious glance. "Wow. Thanks, Leaf. I really do appreciate that," he said sincerely.

Leaf turned back around to face Gary and smiled. The truth was is that Gary Oak really did appreciate his oldest friends in Pallet Town, even Ash. He would never admit it, but Gary was actually a very lonely boy. His father, Blue, being the champion of Kanto, was hardly ever home. His grandfather, Professor Oak, was always busy at the lab, and his mother died quite a while back. The only family member Gary was close to was his sister, Daisy, but she had started working as an aide to their grandfather within the past year so Gary hadn't talked to her much, either, lately. He knew every member of his family loved him and would do anything for him, but he still wished he could spend more time with them.

He tried to mask his loneliness up so much by acting extremely arrogant and pretending he was better than anyone else to boost his confidence, and of course, the easiest target was Ash Ketchum. Most people mistook his arrogance as pride for being the son of Kanto's champion, but that wasn't the truth. It was all an act, and Leaf was one of the few people who knew that so she tried not get angry every time Gary was being prideful. She had a pretty good feeling that Gary only allowed these cheerleaders to go with him everywhere to give him a feeling of being wanted. Of course, he would never admit that, either.

"Just know that Ash, Serena, and me are your friends and like you for yourself. Not because you are famous," Leaf said as she grabbed his hand and gave a reassuring squeeze

Gary really did appreciate Leaf's words. It was a side of him that he didn't show very often. He may not have realized it, but he was a little red in his cheeks. However, the cries of his cheerleaders interrupted the moment.

"Gary! Gary! He's the man! If he can't do it, no one can!" they chanted.

Gary pulled his hand out of Leaf's grasp and returned to his usual conceited smirk. "Heh, well, I need to hurry up and win that badge. My ladies are waiting for me," he said as he turned towards the gym doors.

Leaf frowned before giving the cheerleaders an intense glare. The posse of girls merely shrugged before following Gary to the doors to the gym. Leaf let out sigh before reluctantly following. Her cheers for Gary would probably be drowned out by the screaming of the other girls, but at least she was here to support him.

There were two men in what looked like battle suits guarding the entrance. They looked pretty intimidating considering they each were carrying a spear. This gym leader clearly took security to the max. Why would he need security anyway? None of the other gym leaders were like this. Despite this, Gary approached the guards with utmost confidence. He put his hands on his hips and puffed his chest out to appear bolder.

"My name is Gary Oak of Pallet Town! I'm the son of the Kanto champion Blue Oak and grandson of Professor Samuel Oak! I have come to request a gym battle for the Earth badge!" Gary declared.

The two guards nodded once. "Very well. You may enter. Will the group behind you be joining you?"

"Yes. They are all with me," Gary replied.

"Okay. As long as none of them are other challengers, they may enter. It is a strict rule the gym leader enforces that only one battler can enter at a time," the guards informed him as they stepped to the side to allow entrance.

Gary and Leaf thought that was an extremely odd rule, but who were they to question it? The two, along with the group of cheerleaders entered the door to the gym. As soon as the door shut behind them, the two guards immediately went back to guard the entrance.

The group was greeted by an enormous room. They would go as far as to say this is largest battle room for a gym they had seen so far. It was extremely dark in the room with the only light being a single bare bulb that illuminated a small spot on the floor. There were no windows, and the only exit appeared to be the doors behind them. They took a few tentative steps forwards before a voice boomed out to them which seemed to come from all sides.

"What business do you have here!?" it rang out.

Leaf and the cheerleaders shrieked and jumped at the suddenness of the loud voice in such a big and dark room.

Gary was initially startled but soon recovered. "My name is Gary Oak! I am here to challenge you in a gym battle for the Earth Badge! I've already gotten seven badges and will get my last one from you!" he stated.

The lights soon turned on around them, though they were dim so the room was still poorly lit. They could now make out a high platform, almost twenty feet, on the other side of the room. A figure cast in darkness appeared to be sitting down calmly, stroking what seemed like a Persian. He must be the elusive gym leader. No one could make out his face because he was too far in the shadows, but that was beside the point.

"Heh, confident, aren't you? Alright. I will accept your challenge," the owner of the voice said. For some reason, Gary could have sworn there was a hint of malice in his voice but chose to ignore it. It also sounded vaguely familiar.

"We shall do a three-on-three Pokemon battle. Is that acceptable for you?" the Viridian gym leader asked.

"Yep! The shorter the gym battle, the faster I can get my Earth Badge," Gary smirked.

"Yes. Let's hurry up and get this over with," the man agreed, though Gary could have sworn he was being mocked by the man's tone. "You may choose your Pokemon first."

"Alright! Nidoking, I choose you!" Gary shouted as he released a large, bipedal Pokemon that appeared to be based on a rabbit.

"A Nidoking? Heh! I choose Golem," the man said as he brought a pokeball into view and released Pokemon that was brown in color and was covered by spherical shell that seemed to be made out of solid rock.

"Golem, Use Rollout," the shadowed man ordered calmly.

The megaton Pokemon gave a roar before curling into a ball and barreling towards Nidoking. Gary, however, wasn't intimidated and even smirked.

"Nidoking! Don't be afraid of that Rollout! Stand your ground!" he yelled.

Nidoking got into a battle ready stance and held its ground for Golem. Once the fully evolved form of Geodude reached it, Nidoking reached out with its powerful arms and grabbed Golem. The great weight of Golem forced Nidoking back several feet, but it held strong and soon stopped Golem altogether!

"Now use Aqua Tail!" Gary commanded next. He knew teaching a move like that to Nidoking would come in handy, not that it would need it to win.

Nidoking's massive tail became enveloped in water, and it swung its tail around and whacked Golem right in the face. The megaton Pokemon rolled backwards several yards until it struck the platform the gym leader was sitting on. It then slumped over in defeat after only one attack!

Leaf couldn't help but raise her eyebrows at this. Was Gary just that strong of a trainer or the gym leader just that weak? Something had to be up.

Gary didn't see it that way, however. He just merely gave an arrogant laugh at the gym leader. "Heh! Was that all? I was expecting a bit more strategy and power from a gym leader!"

"Whose got the force?! Gary of course!" the cheerleaders praised.

The Viridian gym leader returned the Golem to its pokeball before smirking. This boy had no idea what he was fixing to be in for when this match was over. He couldn't wait to teach him a lesson for interfering with his plans for the Silph Company…

"That wasn't bad. Now try your luck with this one," the man said before reaching into his suit jacket and pulling out another pokeball. The then pressed the button to release a large crab like Pokemon with enormous pincers with one larger than the other and what looked like a crown on its head, a Kingler.

"Heh, a Kingler, huh? Return, Nidoking!" Gary called before returning it. "That thing isn't going to be strong enough to tackle my Arcanine!"

He then threw the pokeball forward to reveal the large dog-like Pokemon. It gave a might cry before growling at the Kingler. Gary wasn't the least bit worried about the type disadvantage. Arcanine had taken out many opponents it was weak to in the past. It was one of his strongest Pokemon.

"Take Down, Arcanine!" Gary yelled.

The legendary Pokemon then charged forward at full sprint before colliding with the Kingler. The large crab Pokemon was sent sailing backwards, but the gym leader wasn't done quite yet. He would toy with the boy for a little longer. He was going to give the boy a false sense of security, and then strike.

"Kingler, use Crabhammer," he said.

The pincer Pokemon then got up from being on its back before charging up its larger pincer and began mercilessly swinging it at Arcanine. The dog Pokemon, however, was able to easily dodge the kingly crab's attempts at hitting it. It gracefully leaped over or sidestepped each time.

"See? What did I tell you? Your Kingler is too slow! Arcanine, Use Fire Blast!" Gary taunted.

Arcanine then opened its mouth and delivered another Fire Blast from its mouth. The extremely powerful fire attack soared a short distance and struck Kingler at almost point blank range. The pincer Pokemon was blasted backwards by the powerful attack where it landed on the floor and was defeated.

"Woohoo! Gary is the best!" the cheerleaders cried again.

"That is so true, and I don't want to disappoint you!" Gary said, coming up with a lame rhyme himself.

Leaf couldn't help but frown at the situation. There was no way a gym leader should be this easy. It was true that Gary was an extremely powerful trainer, but this gym leader seemed to be using zero strategy and just simply ordering his Pokemon to attack. Leaf herself had never actually battled a gym leader, but even she knew enough about them to know this was unusual. She wanted to voice her concerns to Gary but knew it would only fall on deaf ears. He was on one of his ego highs right now so there was no bringing him down.

"Yo! Why don't you just give up right now? There is no way you can beat me!" Gary told the gym leader.

The Viridian gym leader smirked again. "You're absolutely right. There is no point in sending out a third Pokemon. You are a strong trainer and have earned the Earth badge. Take it."

He then tossed a badge from high above where it came falling down. Gary ran forward to catch it and took a good look at it in confusion. Sure enough, it was a real Earth Badge. This surprised even Gary that the gym leader simply gave up so easily. Gary was just saying those things about quitting out of arrogance. He didn't think the gym leader actually would do it. He had been waiting several months for the Viridian gym to open again for this?! Everyone was so confused about the situation that they didn't notice several other men sneaking into the room and blocking the only exit…

"Since I have given you the Earth Badge, why don't you stick around for a little while? There is one more Pokemon I want you to meet," the man requested, but his tone suggested it was actually a command.

"Wait? What is this?" Gary asked as he gave the gym leader a glare. "You're going to give me the Earth Badge and challenge me with one more Pokemon? What are you playing at?"

"Gary!" Leaf shouted, drawing his attention over to her. "Something isn't right! I felt it ever since we entered this gym! We should hurry up and get out of here!"

"Aw, you're going to leave so soon? You will hurt my special guest's feelings if you did that," the man mocked as he snapped his fingers.

A door then slid open to Gary and Leaf's left to reveal a strange figure. Everyone squinted to get a better look at the Pokemon and saw it was one covered in what looked like a robot suit. Since the suit covered so much of its body, it was hard to make out any features to see what the Pokemon was like.

The Pokemon's eyes glowed blue from behind the helmet, and Gary's Arcanine was lifted off of the ground and thrown into the wall behind hit. The cheerleaders and Leaf had to leap out of the way so they wouldn't be hit.

"Arcanine!" Gary cried with worry as he and Leaf pulled out their pokedexes to see what on Earth this Pokemon was.

The creature's eyes glowed blue once more, and Gary and Leaf's pokedexes were lifted from their hands and shattered before their very eyes. This Pokemon just completely destroyed their pokedexes! The broken pieces then fell down back onto the floor while the two trainers looked on in shock.

"My pokedex…," Leaf trailed as tears came to her eyes.

Her goal was to be able to fill up the pokedex with every known Pokmon. She had been so close to completing the Kanto region. Now, her dream had been literally shattered, and there was nothing she could do about it. It was gone in the blink of an eye.

"Let's get out here, girls! Head for the exit!" Gary yelled as tugged on Leaf to get her to move, but she was frozen on the spot. Finally resorting to picking her up, Gary lifted Leaf off of her feet and began to carry her as he and the cheerleaders ran to the exit, but found they were unable to leave.

Several adults were blocking the exit and either had guns or pokeballs drawn. The most distinguishing feature about the adults was the uniform they wore. It had a big red "R" in the center of it. Gary and Leaf's face paled upon seeing that.

"You aren't going anywhere," Jessie smirked as she, James, Meowth, and the other Rockets stood their ground

"It can't be! Team Rocket!" Gary cried as he turned back up to face the shadowed man. "Then that must mean you're…"

"Indeed I am!" Giovanni confirmed as he stood up and finally revealed himself from the shadows. "The true identity of the Viridian Gym leader is none other than I, Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket. This whole gym is controlled by us!"

Gary and Leaf exchanged panicked glances with each other. Now Gary realized why this man sounded so familiar. This was an incredibly bad situation. It seemed Leaf's suspicions were justified, after all.

"I have a score to settle with you for back at the Silph Company, boy," Giovanni smirked.

"I'm not afraid of you!" Gary shouted, trying to sound brave. He couldn't let himself break in front of the cheerleaders and Leaf.

"You should be. I told you and those other two back at Silph Company that bad things happen to people who get in Team Rocket's way," Giovanni growled.

"Come on, Leaf! It looks like we will have to fight our way through!" Gary declared as he pulled out all of the pokeballs he had on him.

Recovering from her shock of her pokedex being gone, Leaf shook her head because now it looked like a fight for their lives was going to take place. She pulled out her pokeballs, and together, they released all of their Pokemon that were traveling with them right now.

"Yes. Go ahead. Use as many Pokemon as you like. That will just reinforce how powerless you are before this Pokemon," Giovanni chuckled in a dark tone.

"We'll do just that!" Gary declared. "We are going to beat you and turn you into the police!"

"Is that what you think?" Giovanni smirked. "I'll tell you what: If you and your friend are able to win against this Pokemon, I will let you all leave here with no opposition. How does that sound?"

"Fine then!" Gary shouted as he pointed at the mechanical Pokemon for emphasis. "Attack everyone!"

"You all, attack, also!" Leaf ordered her Pokemon.

"Heheheh! Is that your best shot?" Giovanni mocked as the twelve Pokemon charged forward to attack Mewtwo.

Its eyes glowed blue once more as all of their Pokemon were lifted from the ground and caught in Mewtwo's Confusion attack. All of them appeared to be in great pain as Mewtwo looked to be torturing them. Gary and Leaf looked on in horror as the Pokemon all had their teeth gritted and looked close to screaming, but found they were unable to.

"I don't get it! How can a Pokemon be this strong? Nothing should be able to take out all of our Pokemon like that!" Gary said in terror, yet awe.

"You might recall me mentioning in the Silph Company that Team Rocket was after a Pokemon. Let's just say we succeeded in getting it!" Giovanni stated.

Gary wracked his brain to try to remember the conversation he, Serena, and Ash had with Giovanni a while back. He told them they were in there for projects for the Master Ball which would allow them to capture the cloned Pokemon, Mewtwo. Gary had heard stories of it, but thought it was just a rumor, but Giovanni now confirmed it was true!

"You mean to tell me that this is Mewtwo?!" Gary cried in horror.

"What?!" Leaf yelled as she looked at Gary in shock. She thought along the same lines as Gary that Mewtwo was just a rumor.

"Don't waste your time!" Giovanni said with an evil smile. "This is the ultimate Pokemon! It can never be defeated!"

Gary and Leaf's eyes widened as they saw the Pokemon give one last burst of psychic energy that was coming straight for them. The attack met its targets, and everything turned to blackness for the two.

* * *

><p>Mewtwo was once more back at the Rocket base. It had battled Pokemon after Pokemon. It had helped complete this man's missions one after the other, most recently capture those humans after what they called a "gym match". Despite this, Mewtwo still had not discovered why it was here. It had been with Giovanni long enough to know by now, right?<p>

As Mewtwo looked up at the human it dared to trust, it could see Giovanni staring at it with a strange expression on his face. It looked like the man was admiring a piece of art or looking at his favorite toy. It wasn't a look that an equal would look to another equal. For a while, neither of them said anything, but after a minute, Giovanni finally spoke.

"You have done well so far with what you have been assigned to do," Giovanni stated.

Mewtwo said nothing as it continued to watch Giovanni. It didn't need a pat on the back from this human, partners or not. I needed answers!

"I will require your assistance a great deal now," Giovanni began.

Another errand for this human? Unless it had something to do with discovering its destiny, Mewtwo did not want to hear it.

"There has been a human I have completely despised for a long time now. His name is Ash Ketchum," Giovanni continued. "You see, he has gotten in our way too many times to count and is now considered a direct threat to the Team Rocket organization. He needs to be eliminated."

_"And what do you want me to do about it?" _Mewtwo asked as its eyes narrowed. Why should it care about this Ash Ketchum? It was just another human…

"I need to you find this boy and bring him to me. Kill his friends if you have to, but bring me Ash Ketchum alive," Giovanni said maliciously. "I have put off punishing this boy long enough, but now that I have you, the time to strike is now!"

That was all Mewtwo was doing again? Another fetch quest? It has done those for this human quite enough. Time after time Giovanni said it would see its destiny fulfilled, but this…this wouldn't help it get any closer to knowing its purpose. Mewtwo decided it has put off this question long enough. It was time to be direct and specifically ask Giovanni when it would discover its destiny. Pushing this so called Ash Ketchum away from its thoughts at the moment, Mewtwo finally spoke.

_"You have shown me how to focus my power, and for that I thank you," _Mewtwo began._ "However, you still haven't shown me what my purpose for being here is yet. Tell me now."_

"Heh! Isn't it obvious?" Giovanni sneered.

Giovanni's tone caught Mewtwo off guard. _"I don't understand," _it said.

"You were created for me and me only. Your purpose is to serve me, your master, and help me with my affairs," Giovanni said.

What? Surely this man was joking. He had said Mewtwo would discover its destiny through him. Giovanni wasn't just using it, also, right?

_"That cannot be," _Mewtwo muttered_. "You said we would work together as partners and equals."_

"You believed that? How naïve! You were created by humans to serve humans. You could never be our equal! You are my servant, and I am your master! Get used to it!" Giovanni stated with a smirk.

Mewtwo looked down at the ground with…was this hurt it felt. Humans were just using it again, after all? Was it really nothing more than an experiment or fighting tool to them? Was there not a single human or Pokemon on this entire planet who genuinely cared about it? It was then Mewtwo realized how alone it really was. The only ones who ever seemed to care about it were now gone. The single human it had decided to put its trust in once more has also betrayed it. Mewtwo felt itself grow angry again. Humans have used it for the last time!

_"This cannot be my destiny!"_ Mewtwo shouted mentally. _"You have lied to me, human! I will not accept this!"_

Mewtwo then began to break the various cords that were holding it in place and destroying the suit from the inside out. It would break free. Giovanni's eyes widened at what was taking a place and immediately pressed a button to send more mechanical hands after it to restrain it. This couldn't be happening. This Pokemon was only supposed to obey, not think for itself! Surely Archer wasn't correct about Mewtwo!

"Stop this at once! Your master commands it!" Giovanni shouted.

_"You are not my MASTER!" _Mewtwo bellowed the last word. It then completely shattered the robotic hands once more and broke free from the wires restraining it.

Mewtwo then blew an enormous hole in the roof, causing debris to rain down. The noise alerted several other Rocket members to the scene as they arrived in the room. Upon seeing what was taking place, they each threw a pokeball that contained a ghost Pokemon in an effort to subdue the outraged Pokemon.

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed at the ghost Pokemon and immediately launched a Psychic attack at them which instantly knocked them all out. It then shot out through the hole it created as fast as it could. Bits of the robotic suit fell off piece by piece as it flew higher and higher into the sky. It wanted to get as far away from these humans as possible. It will trust them no more. From now on, Mewtwo would stand alone.

Meanwhile, the Rocket building was heavily damaged due to the havoc Mewtwo had caused. Giovanni and his Persian stared off angrily after Mewtwo as they watched it get further and further way. He had been knocked backwards by the strong force of Mewtwo but wasn't injured. How dare that thing defy him!?

"Sir! Are you okay?!" a female voice asked.

Giovanni turned to see it was Jessie, James, and Meowth who were running towards them. He was NOT in the mood to deal with them at the moment.

"I am fine! We have more pressing things to deal with at the moment. That artificial creature will not get away from us unpunished!" Giovanni growled as he stood up.

"Yes sir! What is it you want us to do at the moment?" James asked with a salute.

"We now have two problems to deal with and shall address them immediately! Get Ariana and Petrel and a group of Rocket members! Send them after Mewtwo immediately! We will take it by force with anything necessary! Tell them to take the Master Ball we made!" Giovanni yelled.

"Understood, sir! What else?" Jessie asked.

"Send another battalion of Team Rocket members away for the moment to lay in waiting. This will no doubt attract unwanted attention. We need a special getaway in case something goes wrong!" Giovanni continued.

"Of course!" James responded.

The rest of us will take care of Ash Ketchum! I'm tired of that child being the foil of our plans, even indirectly! He is a parasite of bad luck! Even when I mention his name, my servant leaves me! He shall be dealt with right now!" Giovanni continued.

"How do you plan to get that twerp to us?" Meowth asked curiously.

Giovanni's eyes narrowed. "We shall exploit what he holds dear: his mother. Proton and Archer will be sent to Pallet Town to retrieve her."

"Understood! We shall carry these plans out immediately!" the three Rockets saluted before they and the other grunts left the room.

Giovanni stood by himself for a bit. It was true that those three failed many times before, but they had their uses. He then gave one more look at the sky which now shown through the new hole in the roof. Mewtwo may have gotten away, but Giovanni would make sure that thing paid for defying him, and as for Ash Ketchum, he shall be taken care of, as well. That boy was collecting gym badges, was he? A dark smirk came to Giovanni's face as an idea came to his mind.

"Hmmm, I think I know the perfect way to eliminate that boy," Giovanni mused to himself so only the Persian could hear. "A gym battle for the Earth badge."

With that, Giovanni left the room to prepare for the arrival of Delia Ketchum. He couldn't wait to finally…talk…to her again. She will know soon enough how wrong it was to try to run away from him. The doors behind him slid shut, and the room was empty.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Mewtwo continued to fly as far away as it could. It was completely through with trusting humans, and other Pokemon, as well. As Mewtwo flew, it soon spotted the island that was all too familiar to it: the one it was created on. Yes. This would be the ideal spot to begin.<p>

Mewtwo soon landed on the island that was still littered with debris from the lab building and stared around it. It then gave a look out to the ocean and narrowed it eyes. It shall plot its revenge here, where it all began.

_"Who am I?"_ Mewtwo thought. _"Humans have not helped me. I will find my own purpose."_

Yes. Mewtwo was completely alone, and everything else was against it. It shall destroy everything that is against it. It could trust no one anymore.

_"I shall purge this planet of all who oppose me, humans and Pokemon alike,"_ Mewtwo continued to itself. _"The world will heed my warning. The reign of Mewtwo will soon begin!"_

* * *

><p><em><strong>And that's that. The backstory of Mewtwo. It was more or less the same as in canon, but with a few differences. For instance, Mewtwo already knows of Ash Ketchum since Giovanni mentioned him, and what became of Gary and Leaf? How will that affect the events of "Mewtwo Strikes Back?" Well…<strong>_

_** I think all of you guys will like next week's chapter. It has one more surprise in it and will be extremely intense. (another very T-rated chapter). It will be worth the wait as I think it is one of my best ones yet and the longest, so hold onto your seats! It's going to be an emotional roller coaster the next four or so chapters! I'll see you all next week. Enjoy your college or school winter breaks if you have them. **_

**Chapter 45: Revelations**

**Answering the Questions:**

_If Haunter evolves into Gengar, will it have to be traded like in the games or can it just evolve from experience?_

_**For Pokemon that evolve by trading like Haunter, I would prefer them to just evolve by experience so that's probably how I'll do it in this story. I've always wondered how the heck a Pokemon evolves just by swapping trainers in the first place. (Besides the obvious "Gamefreak did it to encourage trading")**_

_Is Ash going to catch Spiritomb?_

_**Not sure yet.**_

_Will you give Mewtwo and Mew their dub personalities, with Mewtwo being a villain and Mew being a hero, or the morally ambiguous Japanese ones, in which Mewtwo is just a confused being and Mew is less of a good guy?_

_**More of their dub personalities. I haven't seen the Japanese sub of the first movie so I don't know enough about that to do it.**_

_In the Sinnoh arc will the team galactic executives (Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) make an appearance as well as thru boss(Cyrus)?_

_**Definitely.**_

_Also will Silver be the first trainer Ash faces in Johto?_

_**No.**_

_When (if it happens or hasn't already) will Ash find out about his relationship with Silver? Keep up the good work!_

_**Soon.**_

_Does wigglytuff fly by inflating itself?_

_**Yes. The same way that Serena's Jigglypuff flies.**_

_So will ash and co deal with team rocket and stop themin some way or another before or after the 8th gym?_

_**You'll see. **_

_So my question is when you get to the Hoenn Arc, will you include the Delta episode that was in OR/AS or do you have your own plan for Rayquaza?_

_**I'm not sure yet. I have omega ruby but haven't played the Delta episode yet.**_

_Will Ash's father show up now that Ash's mother has been captured by Team Rocket?_

_**I won't answer. It's too big of a spoiler to say if he does or doesn't.**_

Is it possible to ash have a espeon like red in the manga? In the future, no now.

_**Sorry. Ash won't have an espeon in this story.**_

_Why do you refer to the Pokemon using 'it' and not with words like 'he', 'she', etc.?_

_**I'm not sure honestly. It's just how I write, but it wouldn't feel right to go and change it now with how far along I am.**_

_In the future, will Togepi ever learn to battle?_

_**Perhaps but it's a long ways off.**_

_Over time, could you have Ash shorten his commands in battle?_

_**I'll work on it but that's mainly for the reader to know what Ash is doing.**_

_Could you have Ash adopt a small portion of Paul's training methods?_

_**Perhaps**_

_Are ash and serena going to have an eeveelution each?_

_**No. I don't plan for Ash to have an Eevee eeveelution in this story. There are enough trainers who have one already with Serena, May, and Gary.**_

_Will Ash's confrontation with Giovanni bring up some juicy details of Giovanni's backstory?_

_**Yes, but mainly Delia's backstory.**_

_When you get to the Hoenn Arc, will Ruby and Sapphire be in that story?_

_**I'll try hard to put them in the story, but the problem with Ruby and Sapphire (as well as every other Dex holder afterwards) is their counterparts' and parents already exist in the anime. I would have to replace an anime character (like replace Caroline with Sapphire and Johanna with Platinum) and so on and so forth because the dex holders are all adults in this story. Who knows? Maybe I can change things up and give May and Max a sister in Sapphire, or have Sapphire be May's aunt and Caroline's sister. (I did something similar with Silver, after all) I'll try to figure something out. It was easier to put Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Gold, Crystal, and Silver in this story because their counterpart's parents aren't established in the anime. (yet anyway)**_

_Which chapter will be the 8th gym battle, and also which one will be the start of the Indigo Plateau?_

_**Viridian gym battle: 46-47 (its two chapters)**_

_**Pokemon League: it will either start in chapter 53 or 54, at the latest 55.**_

_Will Krys be Lyra's mother and Gold Ethan's?_

**_Crystal is Marina and Lyra's mom while Gold is Jimmy's dad._**

_Is Gary still going to catch an Eevee and evolve it into Umbreon?_

_**Yes.**_

_When Red was a trainer in this story, did he capture all 151 pokemon then release the legendaries? And if so, will Mewtwo see a connection between Red and Ash? Or for the sake of this story, Mewtwo didn't exist during Red's time?_

_**Mewtwo didn't exist during Red's time. Red's actions are different than the games. It was just born in this chapter.**_

_If the two Charizard are in love, will we see Charla lay any eggs?_

_**Hahahahahaha! That would certainly be an interesting concept to happen in the future! We will just have to see!**_


	46. Revelations

**A/N: Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! This is the longest chapter I've written so far (and will probably be the longest one in this arc). I worked hard on it and thought it turned out very well. This is a very intense and emotional chapter that I think was well worth the wait. It picks up where chapter 44 left off with Ash learning of his mom's kidnapping. I hope you all enjoy this chapter that sets the stage for the climax after last week's interlude.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 45: Revelations<p>

Shock…and fear.

Those were the two feelings Ash was experiencing at the moment. He couldn't believe it. Team Rocket had gotten to his mother, and it was all his fault. Not even his Uncle Riley could keep them back. Now he was in critical condition at the Viridian hospital. What if he died? No. Riley couldn't die. He was an aura guardian. Right? What has Team Rocket done to his mom? So many questions were going through his mind right now. Ash began trembling violently at the news as his knees began to shake and threatened to give out underneath him. Serena and Brock immediately ran to catch Ash to keep him from falling completely. Pikachu tried to hold on to Ash's right leg to keep him from falling, also.

"Ash! Come on! Stay with us!" Brock yelled, but it fell on deaf ears.

"My mom…by Team Rocket," Ash mumbled.

"Ash! You need to get ahold of yourself! We need you to stay calm so we can formulate a plan!" Blue said harshly.

"Blue! Put yourself in Ash's shoes! His mother was captured by Team Rocket, and Riley is in the hospital. You could at least try to be a little gentler with him," Rose said sternly.

Blue glanced at Rose before turning to look at Ash again and saw the pure distress in Ash's eyes right now. He then gave another deep sigh before relenting. He could ease up on him a bit. Blue always had trouble trying to sympathize with others.

"I'm sorry, Ash. The truth is we are all worried about Delia and Riley, but standing here isn't going to get us anywhere. That's why we need to get back to Pallet Town. I'm sure Gary and Leaf are waiting for you all, as well," Blue said in a noticeably softer tone.

Ash slowly nodded his head as he began to process what was actually happening. Serena and Brock carefully stood Ash back on his feet before slowly letting him go. They were all quite shocked at the news and were all wanting to know what happened just as badly, but they knew they weren't close to feeling as bad as Ash at the moment so they couldn't blame him. The group then made their way over to the adults as Blue quickly made arrangements.

"Okay, Ash. You can ride with me on my Pidgeot, while Serena can ride with Yellow on hers. The rest of you can ride Rose's Wigglytuff since it can hold the most people," Blue told them.

"Umm…Mr. Blue?" Serena interrupted gently. "I want to ride with Ash."

"Serena…," Grace trailed.

"If that's okay, I want Serena to be with me, too," Ash agreed.

Blue frowned and wanted to argue with them. They didn't have time to quibble over seating arrangements, but the looks in the two preteens eyes told him different. It was clear that Serena and Ash really did care a great deal about each other and clearly wanted to stay as close as possible during this time. He sighed again before looking over to Yellow. Ash needed comfort and reassurance right now, and Serena was definitely the one who could give him the most at the moment.

"Yellow, is it okay if those two ride your Pidgeot together back to Pallet Town?" he asked. "You can ride with me."

Yellow looked back at her Pidgeot and placed her hands on it where she could communicate. That truly was a special gift that Yellow possessed. Yellow and Pidgeot soon nodded their heads before she then turned back to Serena and Ash and gave them a kind smile.

"Of course. That will be fine," she answered.

"Thank you," Ash said appreciatively.

"Alright! We need to hurry up and leave now! We'll see you in Pallet Town. We'll meet at my dad's lab," Blue said as he and Yellow hopped on his Pidgeot.

Ash and Serena quickly got on Yellow's Pidgeot while the rest got on Rose's Wigglytuff. By now, the commotion had attracted quite a lot of people as they stood in amazement at the scene that was taking place. Soon, the three Pokemon and their riders took off very quickly, causing some nearby people to shield their eyes from the huge gust of wind. They looked up as the group became smaller and smaller until they disappeared in the distance.

* * *

><p>It took everyone at least four hours to reach Pallet Town from Saffron City. Most Pokemon couldn't handle such a trip without resting a lot, but the two Pidgeot and Wigglytuff were veterans who held more endurance than most Pokemon. Ash didn't say a word the entire trip back to Pallet Town. He found himself unable to speak and just had several thoughts racing through his head. He thought he could keep his mom safe if he sent her away on vacation or had Riley look after her. It seemed all he was really doing was delaying the inevitable.<p>

Serena had her arms wrapped around Ash the entire ride while Pikachu and Cubone rode in between the two. Of course it was to keep from falling off the Pidgeot, but also to comfort Ash. Her head was leaned against his shoulder as they rode which Ash appreciated greatly despite being preoccupied with his thoughts. They both knew they didn't need to say anything to each other and just really enjoyed the other's support at the moment.

As soon as the Pokemon landed in front of Professor Oak's lab and touched the ground, Ash immediately dove off the Pidgeot before breaking into a sprint down the road, Pikachu following him

"Where are you going?!" Blue called as Serena and Cubone ran after him, but Ash didn't answer and just kept going.

Ash was running as fast as he could to his house. It was like he had to see for himself what had happened. He refused to believe his mother had been captured by Team Rocket. She was at her house, most likely cleaning or working the garden, her favorite things. Riley was there, too. They had to be!

As Ash rounded the corner onto his driveway, his heart began to sink. There were a couple of windows busted out, most notably the one to his mom's room. The front door was also knocked off its hinges. Ash continued running until he went through his front door and entered the living room. It was there his heart hit rock bottom at what he saw.

His house was a mess. Furniture was overturned. There were dents in the wall. There had clearly been a huge struggle amongst all of the chaos. Ash wanted to call for his mother, but he knew the effort would be in complete vain. She wasn't here to greet him with her smiling face like she always did when he came home. His mom truly wasn't here this time, and it was all his fault. Ash didn't think he could ever forgive himself for this.

Ash curled his hands into fists and sank to his knees as he began to cry. The last time he had done something like this was back at the Silph Company. He just couldn't control his emotions right now. His mom had been taken by Team Rocket and who knows what they did to Riley if he was in the Viridian Hospital. Pikachu stood by Ash's side and tried to comfort him, but not even the pleas of his best buddy were reaching Ash right now. He was too broken.

"Ash?" a voice asked quietly behind him.

Ash's tear-stained face turned around where he saw Serena and Cubone standing at the threshold to his house a few feet behind him. Serena had her hands clasped together and looked ready to cry herself.

"Serena," Ash muttered back.

Serena came over to Ash before kneeling down and embracing him as tightly as she could and rubbed his back soothingly, which Ash welcomed. She hated to see Ash hurt like this. Serena had been close to Mrs. Ketchum and was worried as well, but knew it couldn't compare to Ash. She didn't know what he must be going through. The only thing she could do was be there for Ash and let him know she really cared.

"Ash, I'm…so sorry," she whispered as tears began to fall from her eyes, as well.

"It's my fault," Ash muttered. His voice was quite hoarse from the crying.

"Chuuu," Pikachu assured as it licked Ash's hand in a comforting manner.

"Don't say that, Ash," Serena said gently.

"But it is!" Ash suddenly cried as he broke away from Serena's hug and looked her straight in the eye. "If it wasn't for me always getting involved with Team Rocket, my mother would still be safe!"

"Ash, it isn't just your fault. All of us were in the way of Team Rocket," Serena told him.

"Then why was it they only chose to target me!? You heard their boss, Giovanni, at the Silph Company. He told ME, and not anyone else, that if we got in the way of Team Rocket again, there would be consequences. We couldn't even stay away from them for one week with what happened in Lavender Town!" Ash yelled as tears continued to stream down his face.

Serena bit her lip as she watched Ash continue to berate himself. It broke her heart to see him so upset. She had never seen anyone so distressed in her life. She didn't really have an answer to that. It was true that Giovanni was particularly interested in punishing Ash compared to the rest of them, but why?

"Those despicable criminals! I hate them!" Ash screamed as he punched the living room wall with his fist, before shaking it from the pain.

Serena, Pikachu, and Cubone gasped at the outburst Ash had just given. Serena went over to try to comfort him again. She moved to put her arms around him, but Ash broke free and glared at her.

"Will you just leave me alone!? All of you!" Ash roared at the three. "Nothing you say or do is going to make me feel better! Go away!"

Serena recoiled at Ash's harsh tone. He had never yelled at her like that before, and truthfully, it really hurt. She stared warily at the angry yet distressed boy in front of her. She really wanted to help him but had no idea what to do.

Upon seeing Serena's hurt expression, Ash facial expression softened. He then saw Pikachu and Cubone in the same state. He hated being like this. His mother had just been kidnapped by a criminal gang because of him. His best friends were only trying to help him, and he was taking his emotions out on them. That wasn't right. Ash put on a look of regret and turned away from them.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you guys. I'm just…I'm angry, but it's not your fault. It's all my fault," Ash muttered as tears began to fall from his face again.

Serena let out a sigh after Ash's apology. Her hurt expression was still there, but it looked like she accepted the apology. She then thought of what she could say next. She knew that they weren't going to get anything done here, though.

"Ash, we're going to save your mom," Serena told him. "It's true that Team Rocket took her, but she is still alive. I don't know how to explain it, but I just feel it."

"How do you know?" Ash mumbled as he pulled the brim of his hat down to cover his eyes. "They are a world class criminal gang. How are we supposed to get her back?"

"Ash, stop it. This isn't like you," Serena said as she clenched her fists. "The Ash I know would never admit defeat like this. You are so much stronger than that. It's your incredible determination and your loving heart that I and so many others admire about you."

Ash looked up to see Serena staring at him with a genuine expression of tenderness. He knew that look. She only had that look whenever she was being completely serious. She really believed what she was telling him.

"You have always been the one to get us out of every situation," Serena continued as she moved closer to Ash. "Brock and Misty would never say this, but you are the main person in our group. It is us who wanted to travel with you, not the other way around. You just have that personality and love for others that everyone is attracted to. You always give it your all, and you never give up until the end. That's what you're always telling me. Never give up until the end!"

"Serena, I…," Ash stuttered.

"That's why I like you, Ash, and why I always have," Serena smiled as she took Ash's hands in hers. "You truly are an amazing person, and I don't know where I would be if you weren't in my life. Please. I know we will find a way out of this like we always do. We can and will rescue your mother. I know it."

Ash felt tears come to eyes again, but for a different reason, it was because of Serena's words. She made him feel like he was the most special person in her life. He knew that was to be true. Even after he just lashed out in anger at her, Pikachu, and Cubone, she still didn't leave. She promised to always be there for him and never leave his side. Maybe Serena was truly the girl he was supposed to…

"Thank you, Serena," Ash said as finally hugged her back. "I really needed to hear that. You're right. I'm not giving up until the end. We are going to get my mother back from Team Rocket and take them down once and for all!"

"I'm so happy to hear you say that, Ash. I know we can do it," Serena replied sincerely as she returned the hug.

Pikachu ran up Ash's backside before resting on his shoulder and giving an enthusiastic face hug. It believed Ash was the most amazing person, also. Not too many people could win back its trust of them after all it had been through. Cubone jumped in between its surrogate parents to join in for the hug, as well. It felt the same way as Pikachu. Ash, along with Serena, were one of the few people Cubone trusted.

The four finally released each other, and Ash was filled with renewed determination now. He wasn't going to wallow in remorse anymore. His mother wasn't going to come back if he just stayed here. No, they were going to do something about it. They would find a way to rescue her, and Ash would make sure that Team Rocket fell once and for all!

"Let's get back to Professor Oak's lab," Ash said to them. "We can figure out a plan with the others there."

"Right!" Serena agreed, happy that Ash was back to his old self.

Together, the four then hurried to Professor Oak's lab, all ready to take on any challenge that came upon them.

* * *

><p>When the four arrived back at Professor Oak's lab, they found everyone all in the main room. They all turned their eyes upon them as Brock and Misty ran forward to them. Grace and Yellow still had tears streaming down their eyes while Rose and Blue were now looking,too, worried for a change. Professor Oak stood gravely, but it was clear he was worried, too.<p>

"Ash, you're back. How are you feeling?" Misty asked in concern.

"I'm fine, now, Misty. Thank you. Serena was able to snap me out of it. Thanks for being here for me, everyone," Ash replied.

"Good to hear," Brock said before giving his friend a brotherly side hug.

It was then Ash and Serena noticed something quite odd. Didn't Blue say that Gary and Leaf were here at Pallet Town waiting for Ash? Also, didn't Leaf say they would all meet up in Pallet Town the last time they saw each other in Fuchsia City? Surely they would be here at Professor Oak's lab after hearing what happened.

"Umm…do any of you know where Leaf and Gary are at? I would like to see them, too," Ash requested.

Misty and Brock immediately exchanged glances with each other before looking away with grim expressions on their faces. It was then Ash and Serena took more notice of the worried expressions of Rose and Blue. No. Surely they were okay.

"Where are they?" Ash asked in a more demanding tone.

"That's the problem," Blue muttered as he massaged his temple in frustration. "We DON'T know where they are."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked as her tone grew fearful once more.

Professor Oak decided to jump in at this point. "Those two left for the Viridian City gym two days ago so Gary could win his eighth badge. They said they would call me as soon as they left the gym, but they have yet to do so. My granddaughter Daisy is running an errand for me in Viridian City, but even she hasn't heard or seen anything."

"They should've been back by now, but we haven't heard from them since they left," Rose said as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "We've tried to reach them on their Pokegears several times, but they never answer. All that we hear is static."

"What?" Ash asked in a confused tone.

That was so strange. Leaf and Gary were always really good about answering any calls or being prompt. If they weren't back by now after a short trip to Viridian City, something was clearly wrong. What could have happened to them? Surely Team Rocket couldn't have gone after them, too.

"There is something else you should know. Team Rocket left a letter addressed specifically to you at your house when we got there," Blue told him grimly as he went over to Ash and handed him a small piece of paper.

"For me?" Ash asked as he took the letter from Blue's hands before peering at the letter.

The person who wrote this had surprisingly neat handwriting. Every letter that was written was almost flawless and perfectly legible. It was a lot better than what he would expect someone of a criminal gang to write. Ash looked up from the letter and saw that everyone was looking at him expectantly. Taking that as a cue to begin reading the letter, Ash looked down once more before speaking.

_To Ash Ketchum,_

_You clearly don't know how to take a hint, do you? After you got in our way again, we were spying on your mother ever since, waiting for the perfect moment to strike, and we succeeded. Do not fear. Your mother is still alive, but not for long if you don't do exactly as I tell you. Come to the Viridian City gym within three days of me writing this letter. There are some things I would like to discuss with you. I'm sure we can solve our differences like civilized adults. You might be very interested to hear what I have to say. If you don't show up, Delia is as good as dead! We will then search out to find you, and pray that you don't find out what we do to you and your friends when that happens! Once again, you have three days! Do not be late!_

_Signed,_

_Giovanni_

Ash felt his hands clench as he crumpled the letter in his hands. That man has the gall to threaten his mom and friends like that? Ash felt his anger and hatred for Giovanni rising again once more. Giovanni was using his mother as bait to get to him. Well, he wasn't going to disappoint the man by not showing up. He was going to go straight the Viridian gym and…wait…what? The Viridian City gym? Ash suddenly felt his anger melt into genuine confusion.

"Why does he want me to go to the Viridian City gym? What does that have to do with anything?" Ash wondered aloud as he looked around at the others. "Did he capture the gym leader there, too?"

"We don't know, but I have a theory," Blue spoke up. "Judging by the note that you just read, and the fact that Gary and Leaf went missing after they left for the gym, there may be a connection between Team Rocket and the Viridian City gym."

"That's impossible," Brock reasoned. "The gym leaders of each region are respected members of the community that are handpicked by the Pokemon League officials themselves. They wouldn't pick anyone from a criminal gang like Team Rocket! Being a former gym leader, I would know."

"That's right," Misty agreed.

"Team Rocket is a master of undercover activity," Rose sighed. "It would be very easy to deceive people as a good person on the outside but secretly working for Team Rocket on the inside."

"I know all of the gym leaders of Kanto, though," Misty replied. "There's Brock..well Flint now of Pewter City, the sensational sisters of Cerulean City, Lt. Surge of Vermillion City, Erika of Celadon City, Sabrina of Saffron City, Koga of Fuchsia City, Blaine of Cinnabar Island, and the Viridian City gym leader's name is…Giovanni…oh…my…"

"Curse it all!" Blue yelled out in frustration as he slammed his fist on a nearby table. "That crook had all of us fooled! It really was him the entire time! Up until now, I thought it was a coincidence!"

Everyone in the room was completely shocked at that bit of information. How could they not have put the pieces together sooner? Not only did this make Giovanni the Viridian gym leader, but he was also the same Giovanni that all the adults feared. Delia was going to be in big trouble.

Ash suddenly had a flashback to something that was mentioned by Giovanni in the Silph Company…

XXX

"_Tell me something, young man. Are you planning on entering the Pokemon League?" Giovanni asked._

"_Uh…yeah," Ash replied uneasily._

"_Heh. It will certainly be interesting to battle you in due time," Giovanni responded._

XXX

"If the leader of Team Rocket is also the Viridian gym leader, then he may very well have Gary and Leaf. It isn't likely Giovanni will let them go free considering…," Blue trailed before looking Ash straight in the eye.

"Blue!" Rose scolded. "I'm worried about Leaf and Gary, too, but that's no reason to blame it on Ash!"

"No. He's right, Mrs. Green," Ash interrupted. "This whole thing is my fault. I realize that, but that doesn't mean I don't want to make things right."

"We aren't going to get anywhere arguing about whose fault it is, anyway," Blue said. "What's done is done. Now we need to come up with a plan to rescue them."

Blue then went over to the nearby couch before sitting down and covered his face with his hands while Yellow placed her hands on his back in a comforting matter. He appeared to be deep in thought. Despite being somewhat of a cold person, Blue really was a good man at heart. He was just as worried for Delia, Leaf, and his son as everyone else, but Gary in particular of course. Despite not getting to see the boy as often as he would like, he still loved his son just as much as the next father.

"Hasn't anyone tried to contact my dad?" Ash asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Of course we have," Blue responded. "But you know how he is. He is only in contact when he wants to be in contact. We have no idea where Red is at the moment or if he even knows his wife has been captured by Team Rocket!"

Ash looked down at the floor. What was it with his father always being too busy to have any time for his family? Ash saw his father even less than Gary saw his. For the past six years, Red would come by for a couple of days to see him and his mom. Then he would be off again and drop completely out of contact until he would eventually visit again. What was he doing throughout the year anyway that would cause him to leave his family behind so often? Did he even care?

Ash then had a sudden realization as he looked over at Serena who was watching him with worry. Come to think of it, he had never met or even heard about her father. Despite knowing Serena for almost four years now, did she even once mention him? Did she ever see her father or talk to him? Wait, now wasn't the time.

"I propose Rose, Yellow, and I go attack the Team Rocket headquarters building directly. We don't have time to beat around the bush now that they've taken action with their threats," Blue suddenly spoke up. "Thanks to Rose and Yellow, we now know exactly where their base is located at. It's on the outskirts of Viridian City."

"Wait, what about us?" Ash asked. "I'm going with you all."

"Absolutely not!" Blue responded while giving Ash a glare. "We already have enough people in danger. We don't need another! You will just get in the way! Team Rocket won't hesitate to kill you or Delia if they saw you with us!"

"But this is my mother we are talking about!" Ash shouted back. "I can't just sit here while who knows what is happening to her! Furthermore, they may have Leaf and Gary, too!"

"Ash," Yellow interrupted gently while holding a hand up. "Blue isn't meaning to sound so rough, but there is truth to what he says. There is a lot of danger involved with going to the Team Rocket headquarters. We just want to make sure that all of you are safe."

"It would be much better if you stayed here with Grace and Professor Oak while we are out," Rose added before winking. "We'll be back with Delia, Gary, and Leaf before you know it!"

Ash gritted his teeth as tears began to sting his eyes. His mom was in danger all because of him, and the adults wanted him to stay? There had to be something he could do! He knew they were only were worried about him becoming another victim of Team Rocket, especially because they were after him. Team Rocket wasn't going to show any mercy just because of Ash's age as they have proven many times in the past. Still…

"Ash," Brock spoke as went over to place a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. "We've done enough. I think it is for the best that we stay here this time."

"I think Riley would be happy if you gave him a call in the hospital," Yellow suggested to change the subject. "We got news that his condition is stable now so we all believe he will pull through."

The group breathed a huge sigh of relief upon hearing that, and Ash couldn't help but smile to himself. He should have known it would take more than a bullet to take out his uncle. Being an aura guardian, he was made of tougher stuff than that. At least that was one bit of good news so far that Riley would be fine.

"Well, we'll leave you to think about that," Blue said as he stood up from the couch along with Yellow. "Now that we know what's going on, we need to go ahead and go. We can't delay any longer."

"Right," Rose agreed before turning back to the group before giving a reassuring smile. "We'll be back soon!"

Ash and Serena turned towards Blue who was whispering something to Grace and Professor Oak. Upon seeing the two watching them, he immediately closed his mouth and hurried out of the room, followed by Rose and Yellow. Ash and Serena weren't able to hear everything he said, but they did hear something along the lines of, "Should something happen to us…keep…safe…"

"Please take care!" Grace called worriedly after them as she clasped her hands together.

The group ran to the window to look outside before seeing the three adults already had their Pokemon for transport out. They hopped on the flying Pokemon and immediately took to the skies. Soon, they were gone and out of sight.

* * *

><p>"Sir! We may be in danger of being found out," Archer reported as he stepped in the Rocket Boss's main office.<p>

Giovanni glared at the man as he came in. He still hadn't completely forgiven his executives for failing to find Mewtwo. New Island was the first place they checked, but they were blocked by some type of barrier to keep them from going, which infuriated the dark man. He would just wait for the barrier to lift and strike then. On the other hand, he wasn't completely upset because he now had Delia.

"We've received reports that the Kanto Champion is on his way, along with others," Archer continued.

"Is Ash Ketchum among them?" Giovanni asked.

"No sir," Archer revealed.

Giovanni growled to himself about letting that boy wander around as long as he had. Because of Ash Ketchum, the champion of the Kanto region was coming after him. Not only that, but he may soon have the Pokemon League Corporation breathing down his neck. Regardless of the outcome, Giovanni would be losing his gym leader status very soon whether they got away or not. Giovanni soon stood up from his chair and gave Archer a serious look.

"If that is the case, we need to evacuate immediately. Gather all the Rockets you can. Meanwhile, I would like you, Ariana, Proton, and Petrel to come with me," Giovanni ordered as he began to leave the room and adding as an afterthought. "Get Delia, too!"

"Sir? What of those two kids we captured?" Archer questioned as he looked at the man's retreating back.

"They can rot in their cell for all I care! Leave them here! They won't be alive for much longer anyway with what I have planned," Giovanni replied.

"Sir?" Archer asked again.

"We are going to still have our final meeting with Ash Ketchum at the Viridian gym. That boy is so predictable. It doesn't matter if he isn't with the others. He will come. I know he will," Giovanni said darkly. "As for the ones coming here, I say we have a little explosive surprise waiting for them."

* * *

><p>Ash was leaning his head against a wall at Professor Oak's lab. He couldn't just sit by while his mother, and possibly Leaf and Gary, were in danger like this! Also, what about the note Giovanni had left? It had said specifically for Ash to come to the Viridian City gym. Blue, Rose, and Yellow, on the other hand, were heading towards the headquarters, though. Giovanni may not even be there and get away! He had to go to the gym!<p>

"Guys," Ash said to them.

Serena, Brock, and Misty looked up at Ash. Grace and Delia were in the other room at the moment speaking to Riley over the video phone. Ash had gotten off the phone with him a little while ago. The man was clearly still in bad shape, and berated himself constantly for allowing Delia got captured, but everyone was just glad that he was okay.

"We need to leave while we aren't being watched," Ash muttered.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu inquired.

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "We need to go to the Viridian gym."

"Ash, you heard the other adults," Brock said with a frown. "We could get in a lot of trouble if we leave."

"You must be crazy to do that, Ash!" Misty exclaimed. "You know that letter is clearly a trap! You don't even know if your mother is at the Viridian City gym!"

"So we are supposed to stay here and do nothing?!" Ash fired back. "Giovanni said he would kill my mom if we don't make it in time! I'd rather not take the risk! What would you do if your sisters were in the same situation!?"

Misty bit her lip at the thought of Daisy, Violet, and Lily captured by Team Rocket. It was true they all quarreled with each other quite often, and Misty was often the brunt of their jokes. However, they truly did love each other, and they seemed to finally come to an understanding with each other due to her last visit to Cerulean City.

Taking Misty's silence as a cue that she didn't have an argument, Ash continued, "None of you have to go with me. I'll go with just Pikachu if that's how it needs to be, but I'm not staying here. Giovanni has gone too far. I can't let him get away with this," he uttered.

Ash knew the truth to Misty's words, however, deep down. There was a very high probability that Ash would be walking straight into a trap at the Viridian Gym. On the other hand, it may be the only way to ensure that his mother would stay alive as long as she needed to. There was no guarantee his mother would be there at the gym, but there also was no guarantee the Rockets would keep Delia alive if they found out he wasn't coming, either. It was quite the dilemma.

"If you are going, I'm going!" Serena said firmly. "I'm not letting you go alone!"

"Cubone bone!" Cubone added.

Ash turned once more to look at Serena's beautiful features. Her eyes were set and fixed solely on him. It seemed she was just as determined as Ash about leaving. Ash smiled at Serena that he could always count on her support. She really was always right beside him. He then looked at Cubone. It had really gotten braver since he met it in Lavender Town. It was even starting to show interest in wanting to learn to battle soon.

"Thank you," Ash replied. He then looked at Pikachu. "I guess it's you, me, Serena, and Cubone. Are you ready to go rescue my mom, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" it responded as it sparked its cheeks. It had really grown to be fond of Ash's mom and didn't want any harm to befall her, either.

"Wait, Ash," Brock sighed, causing Ash and Serena to turn to him and Misty. "We're going with you, too."

"We aren't going to sit this one out like the other times," Misty stated. "It's true that Brock and I are really apprehensive about going because it's most likely a trap, but you are dealing with Team Rocket again. You and Serena are going to need all the help you can get. We will stay by you, too!"

Ash felt couldn't help but have his heart warmed at the sight of all his friends willing to help him despite the danger. Who would have thought when they first started out together that they would wind up doing anything or each other? Ash really did have the best friends a guy could ever ask for.

"Thanks guys," Ash said sincerely. "This really means a lot to me."

"We're here for you, buddy," Brock responded with a thumbs up.

Ash wiped his eyes before getting a serious expression. "Alright. We need to hurry up and leave. The faster we get to Viridian City, the better."

The group began to hurry towards the door but stopped. It wouldn't be right to leave without at least letting Professor Oak and Serena's mom know. Ash quickly found a small sticky note and a pen since they were already in the lounge and quickly wrote a note. He hated to worry them and knew there might be serious repercussions later, but Ash needed to save his mom, and this was the surest way to keep his mom alive as long as possible. He had to do what Giovanni was asking, whether it was a trap or not. Maybe by stalling, that would give the others long enough to destroy Team Rocket, even. Once Ash finished scribbling the letter, the group gave one final nod before hurrying out the door.

Only a few minutes had gone by before Grace and Professor Oak came back into the room from speaking to Riley, and they were shocked to see the group was no longer in there.

"Serena? Ash?" Grace called out, but received no answer.

"Grace, look at this," Professor Oak pointed to the sticky note on a nearby table.

He picked it up and began to read it. Once he was done, his face paled. "Oh, no," he gasped.

"What is it, Professor Oak?" Grace asked fearfully.

"They…they've gone after Giovanni to the Viridian gym," Professor Oak replied while taking deep breaths.

"No…they…they can't," Grace began to sob. They were putting themselves in mortal danger. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Professor Oak put his hand on Grace's back to comfort her. He sincerely hoped that the group would come back safely. It was all he could to keep from breaking down, as well. Things had really gotten much bigger than the two could handle, and they were powerless to stop it.

* * *

><p>The group stood in front of the Viridian gym. Ash never believed he would be entering the final gym to be eligible for the Pokemon League in this way. On the outside, it was just a normal gym, but on the inside…who knows what really went on behind the scenes if Team Rocket controlled it. Beyond those large double doors, Ash had no doubt he was stepping into complete danger. As long as that meant he would save his mom, he would do it. This was his fault, and he was fixing it.<p>

Ash took a few tentative steps forward to the two guards at the door. Ash was half expecting them to run the spears they were carrying through him right then and there, but realized that was unlikely after brief thinking. If Giovanni wanted Ash dead, he wouldn't do it outside in public like this for all to see. The guards seemed to pose no danger, or he hoped at least. He had no doubt these guards had been informed of Ash Ketchum possibly paying the gym a visit.

Trying to sound as neutral as possible, Ash finally spoke. "Um, excuse me. My name is Ash Ketchum. I'm here by request of Giovanni, the gym leader."

"Ah! You're Ash Ketchum!" one of the guards grunted. "We were told to let you and any friends you brought along in with no opposition. Go on through."

The two guards then removed the spears they were holding from in front of the door and rested them at their side. This was surprisingly easy. That confirmed for the most part that Giovanni was definitely here and expecting him, but what about the others?

"Ash…," Serena said apprehensively.

"We've got this, Serena," Ash told her as he turned to face her and grabbed her hand.

Serena felt her fears instantly drain away as always when Ash grabbed her hands. They were rather rough for an eleven year old boy, but that didn't matter. It was just a testament to what a hard worker Ash was. He always gave it one hundred percent. She then smiled back at Ash.

"You're right," she replied. "Let's go."

Ash then turned to Misty and Brock. The two nodded their heads back to signify they were ready to enter no matter what was on the other side. He then looked at Pikachu and Cubone. The two Pokemon narrowed their eyes before nodding their heads, as well. Taking one last look at Serena, she nodded her head to show she was ready.

Ash then turned to set his eyes firmly on the door in front of him. Surprisingly, the guards didn't appear annoyed or impatient despite the delay. They merely stood still with expressionless faces. It was almost as if they were statues. They were either really well trained or not worried in the least about the four children in front of them.

Ash opened the wide double doors before stepping inside, the rest of the group following him. As expected, it was fairly dark inside of the room. Despite expecting it, that meant there could still be a sneak attack at any moment.

"Pikachu, be prepared for anything," Ash whispered to it.

"Chuuu," the yellow rodent nodded. It sparked its cheeks, ready to protect its trainer from anything that might happen.

The group was now fully in the room. Despite that, no lights had been turned on yet. The only source of light so far was the sunlight pouring forth from the door. Ash was debating whether to go any farther inside the building. There was definitely someone in here. He could feel it, but why had nothing happened yet? It was rather unnerving. Cubone scooted closer to its surrogate mother. It had a bad feeling about this place. Despite it being a while back, Team Rocket had still killed its mommy.

"It'll be okay, Cubone," Serena said soothingly as she picked it up from the ground and held it close.

Deciding they were going to get nowhere by simply standing at the entrance, the group stepped a little further into the gym. Even though there was sunlight coming in, it was still hard to make out any features in the room. It was clearly a very large battle room, but it appeared to be completely empty!

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut behind the group, causing a loud thud, and a locking noise was heard. The group turned in alarm at the doors and began to frantically look around to see what happened. They didn't need to wait long, however, as the lights soon turned on, illuminating the entire room. The group glared upon seeing the ones who had locked them in were none other than Jessie, James, and Meowth. The Team Rocket trio was grinning evilly at the group. It was then they noticed several more Rocket grunts came out of hiding and surrounded the group on all sides of the gym room. As expected, it was a trap.

"Well, the twerp came after all," Jessie smirked.

"That was either really brave or really stupid," James agreed.

"Boy, I bet you can't wait to see what we have in store for ya," Meowth piped up.

"Where's my mom? She better not be in any sort of trouble," Ash uttered.

"Oh my. The twerp just said 'trouble', James," Jessie said gleefully.

"They better make it double," James added.

The three Rocket members then struck their pose.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all…"

"Silence, you fools!" a dark voice rang out across the room, effectively shutting the trio up.

The group jumped in alarm at how loud and powerful the voice had sounded. Jessie, James, and Meowth immediately stood at attention and looked upward. Despite this, Ash's eyes narrowed as he instantly recognized who the voice belonged to despite only one meeting before. The voice was of the man he had grown so much to hate. The one who led this criminal gang. It was the one who ordered the kidnapping of his mother and threatened her life.

"Giovanni," Ash growled as he turned to where the voice had come from.

Sure enough, as Ash looked up in the direction of the voice, seated on a high ledge in the back that oversaw the entire gym, was the Team Rocket leader. He was grinning evilly at Ash while he stroked the Persian that was next to him.

"Hello. Thank you for coming, Ash. How are you doing?" Giovanni asked in a completely fake friendly tone.

Ash began taking deep breaths to calm himself. Despite how much he loathed the man, he knew he had to choose his words carefully. There were so many things he wanted to scream out at Giovanni but held his tongue. One wrong word could mean the end. The key was to stall as long as possible. First, there was one thing Ash needed to know, why he came in the first place.

"Where's my mom?" Ash asked again, not wanting to entertain Giovanni's previous words. "Is she alive?"

"Delia? Yes. She is most definitely alive. For now, anyway," Giovanni responded as he continued to stroke his Persian.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. At least he knew coming here wasn't completely in vain. He was still in a lot of danger, though. He didn't doubt that his mom was definitely the bargaining chip here, despite how much he hated to say it.

"Would you like to see her?" Giovanni smirked.

This caught Ash off guard. The dark man was willing to show his mom to him? What was he playing at? Despite this, Ash needed to see his mom with his own eyes to know she was alright.

"Yes," he replied.

Giovanni's dark grin widened upon Ash's words. He pulled out a communicator that had been attached to his wrist before speaking into it. "Bring Delia Ketchum out to the gym room at once."

The group waited in anticipation for a while. Nobody said a word, not even Jessie, James, and Meowth. The three stood stock still at attention the whole time. Finally, after about thirty seconds, a door opened far off to Ash's top right, and he heard the sound of struggling. Cassidy and Butch came in from the other side, bringing Ash's mom in with them. Cassidy had Delia's hands tied behind her back while Butch held a gun to her head.

"Mom!" Ash yelled as he began to sprint towards her.

Cubone also glared and began running to the Rockets, too. It recognized the blonde haired woman as the one who shot its mommy.

Butch immediately clicked his gun and pressed it against Delia's temple once he saw Ash and Cubone coming. That action made Ash immediately stop in his tracks, and he glared. Serena, meanwhile, had grabbed Cubone and picked it up to keep it from doing anything crazy. Team Rocket was definitely in control of the situation right now. Ash would have to play by their rules if he wanted everyone to stay alive. He turned back to Giovanni before glaring.

"You should know that we don't plan on letting you walk away with her just like that," Giovanni told Ash.

"What do you want from me?" Ash uttered.

"Truthfully, I would like nothing more than to see you dead, Ash Ketchum. You have been a huge thorn in my side. I get sick at just the sight of you," Giovanni growled.

"Well, guess what? The feeling's mutual!" Ash retorted angrily against his better judgment.

"You brat! How dare you disrespect our boss!" a Rocket grunt shouted as he took a few steps forward to pound the boy within an inch of his life.

"It is…fine," Giovanni sighed, which caused the grunt to stand down, but not before glaring at Ash again. Giovanni then continued. "Yes, it is clear that we have a strong dislike for each other. Still, you have a lot of bravery for standing up to me."

"It's because what you guys do is wrong!" Ash yelled. "You use Pokemon as tools to meet your own ends! You don't care who you hurt or kill as long as you get what you want! You're horrible!"

"Ash…," Serena trailed. All of the glares and drawn pokeballs at them were making her extremely nervous. She felt the same way as Ash about Team Rocket but wished he would choose his words more carefully.

"Heheheheh. I've told you this before, but your bravery reminds me a lot of your father, Red," Giovanni stated. "How fitting it is for you to be the biggest obstacle to me."

"You keep telling me that!" Ash exclaimed. "How do you even know my parents!?"

"Heh! Do you really want to know?" Giovanni asked in a mocking tone.

"Giovanni. Please. You don't need to tell Ash," Delia muttered as she looked shamefully down towards the ground. It almost sounded like she was pleading.

"Mom?" Ash asked in a confused tone as he gave her a questioning glance. "Why do you want to hide this from me?"

Come to think of it, Riley had refused to tell Ash what the connection between Giovanni and his parents were, also. He even went as far as to say that it wouldn't even be right for Red to tell Ash what it is. The most appropriate person to tell the truth would be none other than his mom. Judging by how Delia was looking towards the ground, it wasn't anything good. Was she ashamed?

"We wouldn't want to disappoint your son, now, would we? He wants to know," Giovanni said to her with an evil smile.

"What's going on?" Ash uttered in confusion.

"Tell me, Ash," Giovanni began. "Do you know anything at all about your mother's past?"

This question caused Ash to form a look of wonder on his face. He really didn't know a whole lot of his mom's, or especially his dad's past. He knew they both grew up in Pallet Town when they were kids, and that they were all childhood friends along with Yellow, Blue, and Rose. Their teenage years were quite foggy to him, however.

"It looks like there is a lot to be desired in that category," Giovanni responded after seeing Ash's face. He then cast a look over at his mother. "I can't say I blame him. If he knew, he may not even want to stay with you anymore, my dear, just like your previous son."

This statement caught Ash, as well as the rest of the group, completely by surprise. Did Giovanni just say her previous son?!

"Wait! What?!" Ash cried in shock as he looked over at his mother. "I have an older brother?!"

"Ash…I'm not proud for keeping it a secret from you, but I did it in your best interest," Delia answered slowly.

"Why would it be in my best interest to not even let me know I have a brother?" Ash asked in confusion. What was with all of the secrets so suddenly?

"Ash…the father of your brother isn't the same as yours. It isn't Red," Delia muttered as tears came to her eyes.

"Then…who is it?" Ash asked in a low tone.

A growing sense of dread was growing inside of Ash as he began to sweat. He looked back and forth between Giovanni and his mother. The behavior between them was too suspicious. They clearly knew each other and Delia was calling the Rocket boss by his first name. Also, there was the way Giovanni spoke so casually of his mother, how he knew her name, how he called her "dear" just a second ago. It couldn't be. Could it? Please. Just please say the father isn't…

"Ash…Giovanni and I…,' Delia trailed.

"Did Meowth get your tongue, Delia?" Giovanni smirked when he saw Delia was unable to finish.

"Mom…," Ash began

Delia shut her eyes tight as she couldn't bring herself to tell Ash. "I..I…," Delia stuttered.

"Since Delia finds herself unable to say anything, I will. The father of your older brother is none other than me," Giovanni said with a devious look.

Ash's face paled upon hearing that. He suddenly felt completely sick. His mother and Giovanni were once…intimate with each other?! It could've have been any other man in the world, but it had to be Giovanni! That almost made Giovanni his stepdad! Ash gave a look at his mother, but she was avoiding eye contact with him.

"You…you're lying," Ash muttered to Giovanni.

"I'm afraid I'm not, and there's more," Giovanni continued. "Your mother and I dated for quite a while. We were even intimate enough to have child together. We both dreamed of one day controlling the world and making it our own. Your mother was quite the ambitious one twenty years ago."

"Huh?!" Ash exclaimed.

That didn't sound like his mother at all! This had to be some sick joke to break him. However, as Ash continued looking at his mother, her averted gaze and sorrowful expression was all he needed to confirm that the dark man's words were true.

"Your mother and I were quite an ideal couple with many leadership capabilities. We had quite a following. It wasn't too long before we started forming a group with that following," Giovanni stated.

"A group?" Ash echoed. His voice was quite shaky right now. He couldn't believe his mother used to be like this. She was such a gentle, kind, and loving woman. There was no way she would be on a quest for power or be with a man like Giovanni!

"Yes, a group," Giovanni confirmed. "We used this group to start accomplishing our own ends to gain more power. It wasn't long before we needed a name for the group."

Ash's eyes widened at this information as realization began to dawn on his face. That couldn't be true! Please don't confirm what he's thinking right now!

"No..," Ash uttered.

Brock, Misty, and Serena were completely dumbfounded so far. It had been quite shocking enough that Ash had an older brother, but to learn the father was Giovanni of all people? Now he was telling him his mother used to have a bad streak in her? Serena was affected the most out the three, having known Ash and his mother the longest. This was all too weird!

"Oh? Are you starting to understand now? Would you like to know what we called our group, Ash Ketchum?" Giovanni asked with a malicious grin. "We needed a name that symbolized power and speed. A name that people would come to fear. Our group would circle the earth and blast to new heights. We needed a name like…ROCKET!"

Ash's mouth began quivering. This wasn't happening. "No..no…,he whimpered.

"You still deny it? Fine. I'll spell it out for you! Your mother had a hand in creating Team Rocket! The very organization you hate!" Giovanni revealed with glee.

"M…m..mom," Ash stuttered as he turned to face her. "Pl…please say he's lying. Please say it isn't true."

Delia finally faced Ash as tears were falling from her eyes. She had the guiltiest look a person could ever have on her face. The look on her son's face made her feel completely awful. There was only hurt and betrayal. Despite that, she knew she couldn't hide it any longer.

"It…it's true," she said quietly.

That was enough to send Ash over the edge. He sank to his knees and began trembling violently. It was lie! It was a lie! Despite how much Ash wanted to believe this was a disgusting joke, he knew in his heart that everything said was true. His mother...helped create Team Rocket!? How?! He couldn't believe this! Ash felt extremely sick to his stomach. Unable to hold it back anymore, he fell over on his hands and knees and vomited.

"Ash!" Serena cried as she ran forward and grabbed him for support.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added as it looked at Ash in alarm, as well.

Ash didn't even hear them, however. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to crawl in a hole and die right now. He was shaking as he felt his strength leaving him like he could pass out at any moment. This was too much to bear.

"Mom…Team Rocket," he muttered.

Giovanni, meanwhile, continued to smile darkly at revealing this information to boy. Seeing Ash broken like this completely thrilled him. What better way to end Ash's life than making Ash wish he were dead? Being the merciful man he was, Giovanni would grant that request in due time.

"Ash! Look at me!" Serena cried as she cupped Ash's face in her hands and lifted them up so he was facing her. All she saw in those eyes was emptiness, like a zombie.

"Mom…Team Rocket," he muttered again.

"Ash! Please snap out of it!" Serena yelled again as she began to cry.

Nothing seemed to be working. It was like Ash completely lost it. He then began to show signs of shock. His skin was becoming ghostly pale and cold and his breathing extremely rapid and shallow.

Misty and Brock had tears in their eyes as they watched. That was a severe blow to Ash by revealing that information. They had never seen anyone so devastated in their life. It didn't look like Ash was going to recover any time soon.

"Do you wish you were dead right now, Ash? I can arrange that," Giovanni mocked as he then gave menacing laugh at Ash's expense.

The group turned and glared at the evil man once he said that. Serena heard enough. She was beginning to hate Giovanni just as much as Ash. He's actually mocking him and laughing at the state Ash is in right now?! She didn't think anyone could get worse than Damian, but Giovanni was certainly competition for that. She stood up and faced Giovanni while giving the angriest glare she could muster.

"How dare you!" she screamed as she shook with rage. "You are probably the worst human being on the face of this planet! I have always believed that there was some good in everyone, but you have certainly proved me wrong! You shouldn't even be allowed to exist!"

Everyone, including Giovanni, seemed to be taken back by Serena's words. They had never seen her get so angry or fired up before. It was a huge change from the sweet-natured girl they had all come to know. She was like a completely different person. Serena reached for her pokeball, and the blink of an eye, sent out Charla.

All of the Rocket members instantly raised their pokeballs and held them out, ready to release their Pokemon at any moment. Giovanni recovered from Serena's outburst and fixed Serena with a glare of her own. He then quit stroking his Persian and nodded to it. The classy cat Pokemon nodded back before leaping high of the platform onto the ground below. It stood in front of Charla and hissed threateningly at it as they began to circle one another. Charla glared back and gave a mighty roar. With that, the two Pokemon sprang at each other in an all out brawl.

As the Pokemon traded blows back and forth, Serena turned back and saw Ash still in the same state of mind as before. She knelt down while tears still fell from her eyes.

"Ash! You have to come back!" she sobbed. "Please!"

Ash didn't hear her, though. He had fallen too far. He didn't even notice the fight between Charla and the Persian going on. He didn't even remember where he was. There was only one thought on his mind right now.

"I…want...to die," he uttered in barely more than a whisper.

"Nooooo!" Serena screamed as she did something she never thought she would do. She reeled her hand back as far as it would go and slapped Ash across the face as hard as she could!

Ash's face jerked a complete ninety degrees from the force of Serena's slap. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he slowly turned around once more to face Serena. He was looking at her like she was ghost.

"Serena?" he managed out.

"Don't say things like that!" Serena yelled. "What happened in the past has no bearing on the present! What your mom once was doesn't mean she is like that now! She loves you!"

"Ash," his mother finally said for the first time in a while.

Ash slowly looked up at her. His mother's face possessed almost as much devastation as Ash's for seeing her son go through this. She was hoping she would never have this part of her life make known to Ash, but her worst dream was now a reality.

"I'm not proud of who I was. At the time, I had no idea Team Rocket would become the criminal organization it is today, and I didn't know Giovanni was going to be their leader! When I had our child, I changed. It was being a mother to where I couldn't expose my son to the horrible things Giovanni and I were doing. That is when I took him and ran away from Giovanni, and that's how I met your father, Red, after so many years. He had a wonderful influence on me and loved Giovanni's and my child as if it were his own. He changed me for the better. It's because of him that I am who am now," Delia explained.

"Dad…," Ash muttered.

Ash stared in surprise. It was like all this time his father never really cared about his family, but if what his mom said was true, it was actually quite the opposite. To love and change a person like his mom once was would take quite a special person, indeed. He suddenly found a new form of respect for his father that he had never had before. Maybe Red really did love them all, but still, what could be keeping him from seeing them all the time?

"Ash, your father is a very great man, and I'm so glad I met him. Despite this, once your brother learned the truth that his father was the leader of Team Rocket, he ran away. I couldn't forgive myself if I went through something like that again. Please! I love you, Ash!" his mother pleaded.

The color began to return to Ash's face as he stared at Delia. His mother had been one of the kindest women he had known in his whole life. She didn't have a single bad bone in her body. As Ash looked into her eyes, he could see nothing but sincerity in them. There was no trace of deception or coldness or arrogance or of a woman who had helped form Team Rocket. There was only love. To top it off, it was because of his dad.

"Mom…I love you, too," Ash finally said.

Delia felt tears of happiness come to her eyes right now. "Oh, Ash! Thank you! You truly are a wonderful son!" she cried.

Cassidy and Butch, however, had enough of Delia's talking. Cassidy punched her in the stomach which caused Delia to grunt over to pain.

"Shut up, you wench! Your talking is getting on my last nerves! Know your place and the situation you are in! Just because you were once with our boss doesn't mean we will show you mercy!" she barked.

Ash narrowed his eyes at the sight of Cassidy punching his mother. He gritted his teeth as he turned back to Giovanni. He didn't care if there were several Rockets who were pointing their pokeballs at him. He was going to rescue her if it was the last thing he ever did! Completely forgetting about the crushing news he received earlier, Ash only had one focus, to stop Giovanni.

Giovanni himself was rather caught off guard that Ash had managed to recover. He was sure that the news of the truth between him and his parents would be enough to break him, but because of that girl, Serena, he had found his way back. She needed to be taught a lesson.

"Persian! Go for the girl!" he ordered.

Persian turned to look at its Master briefly before launching a Hyper Beam at Charla. The fire lizard launched a Flamethrower to try to counter the attack, but the power of the Hyper Beam was actually able to push past the Flamethrower and collide with Charla, knocking it backwards. It seemed that Giovanni's Persian wasn't just used for pampering. It was a lot stronger than it looked. It then turned on Serena whose eyes widened. Persian let out a low hiss and sprang at her, ready to sink its claws into her flesh.

Pikachu and Cubone immediately darted for the Persian as fast they could, Brock and Misty went to move, but Jessie, James, and Meowth grabbed them and held them back. They were trying to reach Serena in time, but that Persian was quick. They weren't going to make it.

Serena then felt herself pushed away quite awkwardly. Ash had run into her at full force and knocked her quite a bit of distance away. He wasn't about to let her get harmed. The Persian, upon seeing this, attempted to redirect itself back at Serena, but couldn't get far enough. Instead, it ending up slashing Ash's right arm before landing on the ground.

Ash screamed in pain as the Persian's claws scraped across his skin. He grasped his arm before falling forward.

The Persian, meanwhile, had recovered from landing. It was about to go for Serena again, but Pikachu and Cubone were there by this time. Charla had also recovered from the Hyper Beam.

"Pikachuuuuu!" Pikachu cried as it launched its Thunderbolt.

"Cuboooone!" Cubone yelled as it threw its bone for a Bonemerang.

Charla roared before launching another Flamethrower at the Persian for daring to harm Serena and injuring Ash in the process.

The three attacks soared through the air and stuck Persian at the exact same time. The classy cat Pokemon screeched in pain before it was blasted backwards into a wall. It then slumped to the ground, knocked out.

"Ash!" Serena cried again as she ran for him. Charla, Pikachu, and Cubone doing the same.

"I'll be fine," Ash grimaced. "It's just a scratch."

"That isn't just a scratch! Look at how you're bleeding!" Serena cried.

"I'm okay as long as you are," Ash reassured, despite himself clutching the wound with his opposite hand.

Serena was about to protest more, until they all heard the clicking of guns. The group turned to see all the Rockets had replaced their pokeballs with guns. Their fingers were on the trigger and looked ready to pull them at any moment, which caused the group's face to pale. They were seconds away from ending the life of the four preteens in the room.

"Enough," Giovanni growled, now shaking. "This has dragged out long enough. You need to be dealt with now! One wrong move, and there will be so many bullets through all of you that no one will recognize you!"

The group stood frozen on the spot. Jessie, James, and Meowth had now grabbed Brock and Misty before bringing them in submission. They knew the two weren't going to try anything now that the boss has given them orders to kill if necessary. Butch still had the gun pressed against Delia's forehead while Cassidy twisted her arm behind her back, ready to break Delia's arms if she moved or spoke again. The only two people not in submission were Ash and Serena.

Giovanni smirked now that he was back in control of the situation. "You certainly are an interesting one, Ash. I haven't had an opponent like you in quite a while. You are just like that wretched Red. In fact, why don't we make a proposition?"

Ash narrowed his eyes. Giovanni was wanting to negotiate now?

"You are aiming to enter the Pokemon League, and I am a gym leader. You would have to face me anyway to enter the Pokemon League. Why don't we have our official Pokemon gym battle, a full six-on-six?" Giovanni suggested.

This caught Ash completely off guard. What was going on? Giovanni wanted to have a gym match with him? There had to be a cache.

"Oh, don't get me wrong. This is definitely a fight for your life," Giovanni added as if reading Ash's thoughts. His evil grin then widened. "Why don't we raise the stakes a little bit?"

Ash raised his eyebrows as he continued to glare at Giovanni. "What did you have in mind?" Ash uttered.

"Well of course, if you win, the Earth Badge is yours. Is there anything else you would like? Perhaps the release of your mother?" Giovanni gestured to Delia who was daring not to move a muscle.

In spite of the still stinging pain in his arm, Ash took a deep breath in an effort to quell it and looked at the man he hated so much. So this man wanted to play games, did he? If he was asking Ash for anything, Ash was going to make sure he regretted it. Even if Delia was released, that didn't mean they wouldn't come after her again. He needed to make sure to get rid of this criminal organization once and for all.

"If I win, I want you to disband Team Rocket forever, and never show you face again," Ash growled.

Everyone in the room gasped in complete shock at Ash's outrageous request. Was he actually telling the leader of a criminal gang to permanently disband the group if he won?! Was he insane?!

"How dare you make that suggestion, you little brat!" Butch roared as he now pointed his gun away from Delia to Ash in preparation to shoot him, but was interrupted.

"It's fine. Don't shoot him…yet," Giovanni said calmly.

He gave Ash a very curious glance. Here was a boy whom he hated with every fiber of his being. Despite not being his child, Ash reminded Giovanni a lot of himself when he was Ash's age. Giovanni had wanted to be a strong Pokemon Master, as well. Here he was now, a leader of a criminal gang. That was an extremely bold statement to come from the boy. It actually amused the dark man.

"Ahahahahaha! That certainly is a brave declaration, Ash Ketchum," Giovanni laughed. "I would almost be ashamed if I didn't accept those terms! Fine! If you win, I will disband Team Rocket as you ask."

"Boss?" Jessie asked in confusion. "Surely you aren't going to give in to the request of a twerp like this?"

"Hmmhmmhmm," Giovanni chuckled as he ignored Jessie's comment. "Of course, because you are asking me to give up a great deal, I have to request something large, as well, and there will be no going back. You have to accept the terms."

Ash's bravery instantly evaporated at Giovanni's tone. He felt like he was making a big mistake. Whatever the dark man was wanting in exchange if he won couldn't be good.

"If I win, first, I will kill Delia right in front of your eyes," Giovanni said. "Next, I will kill the girl, and finally all of the rest of your friends. You, however, will be kept alive and given the worst treatment of any prisoner possible. You will be kept the bare minimum to stay alive and live with the guilt that everyone you cared about's lives are now gone because of you! You will suffer a fate worse than death! You will never escape us!"

Misty and Brock exchanged glances upon that and looked at Ash in a pleading way.

Ash felt a lump in his throat at Giovanni's words. He suddenly felt very afraid. He remembered how strong Giovanni had been at the Silph Company. How only one of his Pokemon absolutely crushed Ash's entire team. What if Giovanni was even stronger now? He couldn't bet on his friend's and family's lives like this. There was no way.

"I can never agree to those terms! These are people's lives! I can't place a bet on them!" Ash yelled.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice. I told you that you couldn't go back now after requesting something so great from me. Unless I disagree with your terms, as well, this can't be undone. Of course, if you don't want to do this, I can have my team kill you all right now. Don't forget who is holding all of the cards here," Giovanni said as he leered at Ash.

Ash shut his eyes tight. He had done it again. Ash didn't know if the terms of the gym battle would have been different or not if he accepted to raise the stakes. Regardless, Ash knew that this was going to be a battle of life or death, and he didn't think he could do it. How could he have been so stupid? He knew this was a trap, but if he stayed at Professor Oak's lab then his mother surely would have been killed. It looked like it was the only thing left to do. Now with Blue, Rose, and Yellow not knowing the situation and Riley in the hospital, there was no one to save him this time. There was truly no way out.

"Ash."

Ash looked up to see Serena giving him a hard look. Unlike Ash, who looked absolutely helpless, Serena's eyes shown full of determination.

"I know you can win," she said. "I have faith in you. Me, Cubone, Charla, Brock, Misty. You've never let us down before, and I know you aren't going to now."

"But…," Ash started, but Serena held her hand up to stop him.

"You aren't going to lose to a man like Giovanni," Serena said. "Your Pokemon are here for you. We all are. You can do this."

He then turned to Brock and Misty. They nodded their heads despite the situation. They were still behind Ash all the way.

Ash looked down at the pokeballs of Charizard, Tauros, Primeape, Wortortle, and Bulbasaur. They all wiggled in response as if to show their support. Somehow, Ash felt all of his other Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab knew what was going on and support him, too. Krabby, Muk, Hitmonchan, Pidgeotto, Dratini, and Aerodacty; he could feel their energy with him. Finally, Ash looked down at his first Pokemon, Pikachu. The rodent stared back at Ash that showed it was going to fight to the death for Ash. It wasn't about to lose to an evil man like Giovanni.

"Guys…" Ash trailed before the determination returned to his eyes. He could do this. Team Rocket was not going to hurt his friends anymore!

"Alright. I'll battle you," Ash said to Giovanni with a glare. "My bond with my Pokemon is much stronger than yours will ever be. We have traveled across Kanto together. We have ate, trained, and been in life threatening situations together. You are going to see firsthand how Pokemon are meant to be treated. They aren't just tools!"

"Are you now? Well, go to the other side of the gym and stand in your box. We shall start our six on six match now!" Giovanni declared. He then called to Archer standing off to the side. "Archer!"

"Sir!" the Rocket executive responded, snapping to attention.

"You shall be the judge of this match!" Giovanni barked.

"Yes sir!" Archer responded before hurrying down the platform to stand in the center of the battlefield.

Ash, Serena, Pikachu, and Cubone, meanwhile, had walked over to where the challenger was supposed to stand for matches. As soon as they made it over there, Ariana grabbed Serena from behind and brought her into submission. Cubone went to throw its bone, but the gun pointed at it by a nearby Rocket grunt instantly made it freeze. Its eyes began to water as it recalled painful memories. That weapon was what had killed its mommy. It whimpered in fear before the grunt grabbed Cubone roughly and completely immobilized it in his strong grip.

"Serena! Cubone!" Ash called.

Charla roared and made to go towards them, but several guns rang out as a warning.

"Return your Pokemon," Ariana warned. "It isn't needed for the match. You're very lucky we haven't shot you or that Charizard yet."

Serena nodded slowly and reluctantly returned the fire lizard. It looked like it wanted to protest, but knew there was no other way. Upon seeing the Pokemon was gone, Ariana smirked. She then noticed Ash glaring hard at her and glared back.

"Don't look at me like that, brat! We need to make sure the playing field is even. That includes containing all distractions, including this girl and her Pokemon!" she shouted.

"I'll be fine, Ash," Serena whispered.

Ash grimaced before tearing his eyes away from Serena. He couldn't stand to see her in a submission hold like that, but he knew he couldn't argue. They were all playing by Team Rocket's rules. He slowly looked back up at Giovanni to signal he was ready.

"I'm not going to lose to you," Ash muttered.

"Chu!" Pikachu added.

"Hahahaha! Yes! We shall see what the world's will is, won't we? Will the young boy from Pallet Town prevail, or the world's greatest Pokemon trainer, Giovanni?" Giovanni stated.

"This will be an official Pokemon gym battle between the leader, Giovanni, and Ash Ketchum. It will be a full six-on-six battle. All Pokemon will fight until they can't anymore. The trainer with Pokemon left standing at the end will declared the winner!" Archer announced. He then turned to Ash. "You may choose your first Pokemon!"

Ash had no idea what kind of Pokemon Giovanni specialized in. All he knew was that Rhydon he faced back at Silph Company and the now knocked out Persian. What else could he train? Going on instinct and finally deciding who to go with first, Ash sent out his first Pokemon.

"Go, Wartortle!" he yelled as he threw it.

The turtle Pokemon emerged from the pokeball with a cry. It was going to fight with everything it had. It knew the gravity of the situation. It stood defiantly and waited for its opponent to appear.

"Heh! A Wartortle? Is that what you are going to use to face me?" Giovanni mocked before choosing his first Pokemon. He reached into his orange coat and revealed a pokeball before opening it. "I choose Dugtrio!"

A Pokemon that looked like a combination of three Diglette of different sizes appeared. It looked like quite the hostile Pokemon and glared at Wartortle, who glared back.

"Are the trainers ready?" Archer asked as he raised his hands in the air.

Ash clenched his fists as his muscles tensed. This wasn't only going to be the battle for his eighth badge. It was going to be the fight for his life. Everything depended upon it. All traces of his fear were gone and replaced with nothing but solid will and determination. He refused to let it end here. He was NOT going to lose. He then projected a statement at the man he hated so much with every bit of his fury.

"Giovanni!" Ash yelled. "For the sake of everyone in this room and the entire region of Kanto, I'm not going to let you terrorize us anymore! Most importantly, I'll never let you hurt my friends or family again! I swear I'm going to stop you!"

Giovanni's grin widened. Despite being partway in the shadows, he was clearly amused. "Then why don't you prove it?" he sneered.

Oh, how he would.

Archer then brought his hands down. As soon as that happened, it was like an explosion of emotion went throughout the room. Brock and Misty watched, completely transfixed, and silently praying for Ash. Cubone watched its surrogate parent worriedly. Pikachu's cheeks sparked at the battle that was going to take place. Wartortle crouched down, prepared to attack as soon as its trainer commanded it. Delia bit her lip, and her eyes watered that her son was in a situation like this. Despite this, she knew he had it in him to do this. Finally, there was Serena. She was completely focused on Ash. He was amazing, and she knew she could believe in him like she always has. This was it. All eyes were on the two combatants, friend and foe alike. It might as well have been the deciding match between good and evil.

"Begin!" Archer declared.

* * *

><p><strong> That seems like a good place end this chapter with great build up. The Viridian City gym battle is up next, and I hope you all now understand why I was tight-lipped about it or any circumstances involving it. If you are confused about how no one knew about Giovanni being the leader of Team Rocket with Delia helping create it, that will be explained. People could have also dismissed it as a coincidence with as many people as there are in the world.<strong>

** Please enjoy the holiday, and I will see you all next week with what I hope is the best gym battle yet, and it was so large I split it into two chapters. Sabrina's and Blaine's were hard to top, but I think I managed it with Giovanni's battle. Don't expect Giovanni to be merciful to Ash's Pokemon in the gym battle, either. Have an awesome week!**

** The poll for Serena's future will close next week so make sure to vote, but unless something drastic happens, it looks like the decision has already been made because one of the choices is winning by a landslide.**

**Chapter 46: The Final Badge: Part One**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will any of the main crew (Serena, Ash, Brock, Misty, ect) be getting a Flygon at any point in Hoenn?_

_**It's possible.**_

_How will you do "Pokémon Heroes: Latios and Latias"? Will Annie & Oakley be part of Team Rocket? And what will be the fate of Latios and Latias?_

_**Why would you want me to spoil the whole movie like that? I will confirm that Annie and Oakley will be in it, however, but perhaps not in the way you would expect.**_

_Will Sir Aaron's Lucario survive unlike the movie and train Ash in the ways of Aura since he is Aaron's descendent?_

_**Maybe.**_

_In the movies, will Serena be a central character in some of them? Like how Manaphy sees Serena as its mommy instead of May?_

_**It's certainly possible.**_

_Will Serena's character design (as in hair style, clothes) change midway during one of the arcs?_

_**Serena will definitely have a clothes change like Ash does between each of the arcs. As far as hairstyle goes, I'm not entirely sure. At the very least, her hair will stay long. I've seen pics of Serena with short hair and think she looks much better with it longer.**_

_If Serena is still going to have romance fantasies over Ash, is it going to get to the point where her fantasies become pretty "intimate", if you know what I mean, and borderline T-rated for laughs?_

_**No. It will probably stay G-rated.**_

_Will Ash's Charizard give Mewtwo's Charizard a better challenge than in the dub?_

_**Not really because the clones are supposed to outclass the originals completely.**_

_Do you think you'll do interludes showing what Brock, Misty, and several other of Ash and Serena's friends are up to while they're in Hoenn and Sinnoh?_

_**If it's important to the story, then yes.**_

_Will Ash get kissed by other girls?_

_**It certainly wouldn't be aood thing if he was.**_

_Would you mind telling us what abilities Ash, Serena, Misty, and Brock's Pokémon have, besides Blaze and what not?_

_**I will in the future.**_

_In the orange island arc, do you plan to have ash Serena and misty to be captured like in the anime?_

_**When were they captured in the anime? Regardless, no.**_

_If leaf's pokedex was destroyed, will she have to find a new goal or fill it back up again?_

_**That issue will be resolved in a future chapter. For now, I wanted to upset her bubbly nature a little bit, as terrible as that sounds. I think I have a good use for Leaf in future arcs.**_

_Will Togepi evolve like it did in the anime, evolve in a different way, or not evolve at all?_

_**It will evolve into Togetic eventually, but I'm not sure of the same way or if it will become Togekiss.**_

_Were Gary and Leaf captured or left behind by Team Rocket?_

_**Both actually. They were captured and brought to Team Rocket's base, but they were left behind at the base in this chapter with an…explosive surprise as Giovanni put it, for them and Yellow, Blue, and Rose when they storm the base. **_

_Would Team Rocket have the other evil organization from all the other regions join into on big team to get revenge at Ash and his friends for ruining their plan all the time?_

_**We'll just have to see the fate of Team Rocket first in this arc.**_

_What chapter will the movie run between?_

_**Chapters 49-51**_

_How excited should we be for the Pokemon League?_

_**I'm not really sure how to answer that. I mean you should be just as excited for it as any other chapter. If mean in terms by how good the Pokemon League will be: personally, I think Giovanni's battle and the Mewtwo Strikes Back arc are better, but the Pokemon League chapters will be no means be uneventful or unexciting.**_

_Will zinnia from ORAS appear?_

_**So far she is set to appear in Hoenn.**_

_Do you plan to evolve the fossil Pokemon in a future arc?_

_**Yes, they will evolve. As far as Kabutops and Brock, that is quite a frightening thought of Kabutops stabbing Brock with its scythes to stop him from flirting. Brock better get himself under control lol.**_


	47. The Final Badge: Part One

**A/N: Here you go everyone! I'm very pleased with all of the positive remarks from the last chapter that would lead up to this exciting conclusion! I tried to make this battle as memorable and great as I could, so I hope you all enjoy the first part! Happy New Year!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 46: The Final Badge: Part One<p>

The Team Rocket base was deserted right now. That was, at least, save for two people. Gary Oak and Leaf Green were all alone in a prison cell within the base. Once Team Rocket heard their base had been found out by the Kanto Champion, Blue, they fled because no doubt this place would be flooding with police soon. However, what the police didn't know was that they rigged this base with hidden explosives. They all then fled to the Viridian City gym and left Gary and Leaf to die in the ensuing explosion as soon as help arrived.

Gary slammed his fists on the bars of the prison cell in frustration for the umpteenth time. His teeth were gritted and his eyes were close to watering. Not the incredibly arrogant boy he usually was, Gary knew the situation was completely hopeless. Even if help did arrive, the bombs were going to go off once they came.

Leaf was sitting against the corner of the cell with her legs pulled up close to her stomach and her arms wrapped around them. Like Gary, she believed the situation to be hopeless. They had been given only bread and water since they were captured by Team Rocket two days ago. They weren't extremely weak yet, but they weren't at full health, either. Now that they were gone, she didn't know if they were going to die from hunger and thirst or the explosion first. She and Gary were dead either way.

"I can't believe it's going to end like this because of me!" Gary shouted as he leaned his head against the bars after banging his hands against them.

"Gary, it isn't your fault. No one could have known that the Viridian City gym leader was the head of Team Rocket," Leaf muttered sadly.

"I should have realized it, though!" Gary argued. "I knew his voice sounded familiar, but I was too caught up in my pride to think about it!"

Leaf didn't respond as she just gave another sigh. It wasn't right for Gary to fully take the blame for himself. She sensed something very evil about the man, too, once she entered the gym. However, she didn't voice her concerns to Gary. She doubted he would have listened, but even so, she should have said something.

"The worst part was I got you involved," Gary continued as he turned around with a huge look of regret. "You had no part in interfering with Team Rocket's schemes, yet they captured you because you were with me."

"They didn't capture your cheerleaders, though," Leaf pointed out with a hint of contempt in her voice, but Gary didn't catch it.

"Yeah. I thought for sure those ladies would have rushed to the police when they were thrown out of the gym, but apparently, all they did was flee for their lives. They didn't even seem to care we were in danger!" Gary exclaimed. "They had followed me all throughout the Kanto region but didn't even bother to help us when I really needed them!"

"I hate to say this Gary, but this just shows they never cared about you as a person, just your achievements," Leaf muttered.

Gary slumped down next to Leaf and rested his chin in his palm. "To think I finally thought people actually cared about me," he mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Leaf asked while giving Gary a questioning look.

"Well, you know, I was mainly by myself growing up in my house. My grandpa was always at the lab with my sister soon following. My dad is always at the Pokemon League Corp, and my mother is…you know," Gary trailed. "They never had time for me, so I became such a stuck up, arrogant, jerk to everyone around me." He then laughed bitterly. "They actually thought it was because I was proud to have a famous grandpa and father. Truthfully, I would like nothing more if they were normal so they would have time for me, too."

Leaf gave Gary a sympathetic expression. This was one of the few times Gary was being completely genuine. It seemed being close to the end of your life completely shattered any walls you built in around yourself.

"Leaf, is it selfish of me to think that?" Gary asked as he turned to her. "To wish my family was just an ordinary family so they would have time for me? I've never said this to anyone, but I'm sometimes worried that I won't live up to my family's reputation. Everyone expects me to be exceptional because of my dad and grandfather."

"I don't think it's selfish," Leaf replied while shaking her head. "I honestly don't blame you for wanting a normal life. It probably is a lot of pressure to try to live up to your family's reputation."

"Yeah, and now I'm going to die at the hands of a criminal organization like Team Rocket. All anyone is ever going to remember me by is that I was a jerk," Gary grimaced as he actually began to have tears form in his eyes.

"It's true that you act like a jerk sometimes, but you really do have real friends," Leaf said as she put her hand on Gary's back.

"Pfft, like those cheerleaders," Gary spat.

Leaf frowned deeply upon hearing that. Gary could be just as dense as Ash sometimes. "No, I mean Ash, Serena, your Pokemon, and…me."

"Please. I acted like a creep to all of you, especially Ash," Gary rebutted bitterly. He didn't buy it.

"I mean it, Gary. You really were our friend. If we didn't like you, we never would have played or talked to you before," Leaf said.

"Even with the way I acted?" Gary asked again as he raised a questioning eyebrow at Leaf.

"It's true we would get angry or annoyed by you when you acted like you were better than all of us, but we never hated you, or at least, I didn't'," Leaf explained.

"Really?" Gary asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes. Really. You never needed a fan club to make you feel like you were worth something Gary," Leaf said while giving Gary a warm smile. "You have friends in Ash, Serena, and me. We don't like Gary Oak, the son of the famous Blue Oak and grandson of Professor Oak. We like Gary Oak, our friend who adores all of his Pokemon."

Gary cast a look towards his pokeballs that were on the other side of the bars in a corner. If there was one thing he never showed any arrogance to, it was his Pokemon. He loved them with every ounce of his being, and they definitely loved him back. Up until now, he thought his Pokemon were the only ones he could let his guard down around. He thought they were his only true friends, but Leaf just said that she liked him all along, too, and even Ash and Serena. Maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought. Gary then smiled despite himself.

"Heh, what are you trying do? Make me weepy-eyed with all of those cheesy things you're saying?" Gary asked with a smirk.

Leaf made a pouting face at Gary. "Jerk."

"I'm just teasing you, Leaf," Gary replied with a laugh before softening his gaze. "Thank you. Really. I thought all of you ever did was just tolerate my presence. I didn't know any of you actually like me."

"You're welcome, Gary. Why don't you cut out the fake prideful jerk act from now on?" Leaf suggested.

"I just wish it didn't take me until the end of my life for me to realize this. If only I had a second chance, I would make things right," Gary said with regret etched into his face.

Leaf then softly grabbed Gary's hand. "I won't leave, Gary. I promise I'll stay here right beside you until the end."

Gary looked down at Leaf holding his hand and felt a feeling he never felt before around Leaf. This was new. Did it get warm in here all of the sudden?

Gary then looked up at the brown-haired girl. "Leaf…"

_Crash!_

Both Leaf and Gary jumped in surprise at the sound. At first they thought the bombs had gone off and they would be dead in seconds, but it never came. Come to think of it, it didn't sound like an explosion anyway. It sounded like someone beating against the door to the room that led to their cells.

"What _is _that?" Leaf wondered in confusion as she and Gary watched with wide eyes at the door.

Her question was soon answered, however, when the door was busted down as an Arcanine came through the door, but it wasn't Gary's. Following the Arcanine in was….Blue?! And Yellow and Rose, too, after him!?

"Mom!" Leaf cried with tears of joy as jumped up from the floor and ran to the edge of the cell.

Gary merely stared in surprise. He couldn't believe they were here.

"Leaf!" Rose exclaimed as she hurried to the bars of the cell and hugged her daughter even though bars separated the two. "You're both okay!"

Gary then got up from the floor, too, and walked towards the adults. "How did you find us?"

"We were going on a hunch that you had been captured by Team Rocket when you never came home from the Viridian gym," Blue explained. "We came to find you and take out Team Rocket, but it looks like they heard of us coming and got away. At least you two are here and safe."

"I heard them say they were all going to the Viridian City gym. Why would they want to go there?" Leaf asked once she dried her tears.

Blue crossed his arms as he looked deep in thought. "That definitely proves once and for all that Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, really is the Viridian City gym leader. I say we head over there and pay him a little visit for doing this to our kids."

"Right, but let's get you two out of here first," Rose said as she went over to the lock before pulling out a pin. After a couple of seconds, the locked clicked and the door swung open.

"Wow, I thought the locks on a criminal organization base would have been harder than that," Rose scoffed.

Leaf couldn't help but smile at her mother as she came out of the cell first. It seemed after all these years, she was just as sneaky and mischievous as she was when she was younger.

Gary was next as he walked out of his cell. He was really surprised when he was immediately pulled into an embrace by Blue afterward. It wasn't too often his father showed him affection like this.

"Dad?" Gary questioned as he looked at Blue in confusion.

"I'm really glad you're safe, son. You have no idea how worried I was," Blue said. "I don't know what I would have done if I lost you."

"Dad…," Gary trailed as he felt tears come to his eyes.

"Gary, look at me," Blue said as he stooped hugging his son and placed his hands on Gary's shoulders. "I love you. I know it isn't easy, and I don't get to see you as much as I would like, but I think of you every day and wonder how you're doing."

"It's true, Gary," Yellow said gently. "Blue was devastated when he learned you were missing."

Gary finally felt the tears fall freely from his face. He didn't care if he looked ridiculous right now. He didn't care that he was doing this in front of everyone. All this time, he had some stupid fan club and cheerleading squad following him around who didn't give a Rattata's butt about his well-being. Here, though, were friends and family who really cared about him. That's what he really wanted.

"Dad, I love you, too," Gary replied.

"I hate to interrupt, but we shouldn't stay here long," Rose spoke up, even though she was smiling. "We still have to give a little payback to Giovanni and the other Rockets."

"Wait a second," Leaf suddenly said as a questioning look appeared on her face. "How did you guys even make it in here? Team Rocket littered the place with bombs the second anyone would enter the building."

The three adults looked at each other and smiled.

"Heh. That's true. We would have been dead if it wasn't for some idiot who always turns up at the most random moments. I swear, to this day, I still wonder how he gets his information and knows what's going on despite never being around," Blue replied with a smirk as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Who was it? There's someone else here?" Gary asked.

As if to answer his question, the group heard footsteps coming down the hall. Gary and Leaf tilted their heads in curiosity as the footsteps got closer. Soon, the person in question emerged into the room, and Gary and Leaf's mouths hung open. They recognized him immediately despite hardly ever seeing him in person. He looked a lot like a good friend of theirs, only older.

Leaf and Gary gasped in astonishment.

* * *

><p>"Use Skull Bash, Wartortle!" Ash cried.<p>

Wartortle gave a mighty cry before withdrawing its head and leaping into the air and shooting towards Dugtrio like a bullet.

"Heheheh! Hide underground, Dugtrio," Giovanni told it.

Dugtrio pulled its head in immediately as Wartortle sailed right over it. It was almost inhumane how fast Dugtrio was. It was then Ash remembered a Dugtrio can pull its head into the ground at almost the speed of sound. It would be impossible to attack it from above like that.

Wartortle halted its Skull Bash and looked around for any sign of Dugtrio. It tried to feel movement underneath its feet, but felt nothing.

"Be careful, Wartortle! I know Dugtrio is fast, but you might be able to tell when it will pop up!" Ash warned.

"You think I'm foolish enough to have my Dugtrio appear underneath your Wartortle? Know who you are facing! Use Rock Slide, Dugtrio!" Giovanni smirked.

A series of rocks then flew out of the hole Dugtrio dug into the gym floor, taking Wartortle and Ash completely by surprise. Each rock struck Warrtortle, causing it to yell in pain and stumble backwards with each respective hit.

"Now use Magnitude," Giovanni ordered.

The ground then began to shake violently underneath Warrtortle, causing it to lose its balance. Wartortle was falling over constantly, but every time it would pick itself up, it would just fall over again. Ash knew Magnitude was a move of varying power, and this one must have been on the stronger side.

"Now use Dig since that Wartortle is off balance," Giovanni said confidently.

The ground then exploded underneath Wartortle as it was shot high into the air. The Dugtrio then immediately hid underground once more.

"Wartortle!" Ash cried as the turtle Pokemon landed on the ground in pain.

"_Think, Ash," _he said to himself. "_Wartortle's attacks are useless as long as Dugtrio is hiding underground. There has to be something that will keep it above, but what? Wait! Wartortle's a water-type. I can use that to my advantage!"_

Wartortle gave another groan of pain as it shakily stood up. It had already taken a good deal of damage, and the battle hadn't even been going on that long.

"Have you had enough, Ash? I could be merciful and end this battle now to save your Pokemon. You will never beat me!" Giovanni mocked.

"Oh yeah?! Watch this!" Ash retorted. "Wartortle, use Water Gun inside of the hole that Dugtrio dug!"

Wartortle understood what's trainer meant as it ran over to where the hole was before peering over and shooting an enormous amount of water into it. Realizing what was going on, Giovanni narrowed his eyes and quickly told Dugtrio to use Rock Slide once more. A stream of rocks erupted from the hole again, pushing through the water and striking Wartortle in the face. Wartortle cried in pain as it held its soft face with its hands. Those rocks really hurt. The damage from the water had already been done, however.

Soon enough, Dugtrio emerged from the ground, seeming to cough violently at the water that was now filling up its underground chamber. It couldn't hide underground anymore.

"Now that we know, Dugtrio isn't going to hide anymore, use Hydro Pump!" Ash yelled.

"Sucker Punch," Giovanni countered.

Wartortle jumped into the air and withdrew into its shell to prepare for Hydro Pump, but it didn't expect Dugtrio to almost seemingly disappear. Wartortle gave a startled look until Dugtrio appeared right in front of it and rammed into Wartortle with its three mole-like bodies. Wartortle sailed through the air and landed on the ground once again.

"_Of course. Sucker Punch allows the user to always go first as long as its opponent uses an attacking move. Giovanni has a counter for everything!" _ Ash thought. He hated to admit, but Giovanni was a very strong trainer.

"Use Rapid Spin and turn it into a spinning Tackle!" Ash yelled.

"Tor…tle," Wartortle panted.

It was sweating now at how much damage it was taking. It was like it couldn't even land a hit at all no matter what it did. This was definitely one of the toughest opponents it's ever face. It was even stronger than the Rapidash it fought when it first evolved. Nevertheless, Wartortle tucked its limbs and head into its shell before spiraling through the air. Maybe its shell would protect it this time should that Dugtrio use Sucker Punch again.

"Use Sucker Punch again," Giovanni ordered. Just as it and Ash thought.

Dugtrio appeared before Wartortle could attack it again and rammed its bodies into Wartortle once more, but the turtle Pokemon held firm this time. It gritted its teeth from inside the shell and pushed forward, smacking the Dugtrio in the tallest face. Wartortle then came out of its shell, ready for Ash to issue another command, which he did.

"Use Water Gun!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle took a deep breath from behind while Dugtrio was stunned blew a jet of water from its mouth, striking the digging mole Pokemon square in back.

"Triooo!" the Pokemon yelled from the super effective hit.

"Let's try a Hydro Pump once more!" Ash yelled.

"Earth Power!" Giovanni shouted.

Dugtrio recovered surprising quickly from such the super effective attack, and its eyes seemed to glow blue for a moment. Before Wartortle could use the attack, the ground erupted from underneath Wartortle and blasted it into the air. Bits of mud and debris were flying into Wartortle, causing even more damage.

"Now use Rock Slide once more," Giovanni smirked.

"Trio!" the triple mole Pokemon yelled as it summoned a plethora of rocks once more and made them fly towards the turtle Pokemon.

Wartortle tried to hide in its shell to minimize the damage from the rocks, but there were too many. It was struck by every one due to it trying to recover from Earth Power and unable to dodge. The Pokemon landed on the ground while still inside its shell.

"Wartortle! Please let me know you're okay!" Ash yelled.

Slowly, Wartortle came out of its shell. The only problem was that it was covered with bruises and unable to get up. It had no energy left.

"Wartortle is unable to battle!" Archer declared.

Ash clenched his hand into a gentle fist. Things were already starting off bad. Giovanni had soundly beaten his first Pokemon even though Ash had the type advantage. He was going to need every trick up his sleeve if he hoped to come out of this battle alive. He looked down at his fallen Wartortle. His Pokemon had given everything it had. Despite its condition, it was still trying to get up and fight more, but even Wartortle knew its situation was hopeless.

"I admire your Pokemon's spirit, but I believe our judge declared it unable to battle," Giovanni smirked. "Why don't you take care of that cheater, Dugtrio?"

Dugtrio then rushed forward and began ruthlessly attacking the helpless Wartortle. It was just being a complete bully right now. Ash's eyes widened as he ran to help his Pokemon, but several of the Rocket members rose their guns once again to prevent Ash from moving. He had no choice and hastily got out his pokeball.

"Wartortle, return!" Ash cried, shocked at the display as he quickly returned the Pokemon. Ash glared at Giovanni. "You creep! I can't believe you attacked a Pokemon that was already unable to battle!"

"If my judge declares a Pokemon down, then it better stay down, or I will introduce it to a world of pain!" Giovanni growled back.

Serena's lip formed in a tight line and she glared as she was held in Ariana's grip. That was an extremely low thing to do. Giovanni knew that Wartortle wasn't going to be able to battle again. Ash just hadn't had a chance to return it yet. Even so, he still mercilessly continued to attack Wartortle. He truly was an evil and horrible man. There would be absolutely no justice in Giovanni winning this match. She wanted to shout at the man again, but thought better of it. The woman holding her did have a gun, after all.

Ash stared sadly at Wartortle's pokeball. "I'm sorry, Wortortle. I know you tried your best, but don't feel bad. You deserve a good rest," he said. Taking a big sigh, he went through a few more options in his head, he didn't want to use Charizard, Tauros, or Primeape yet as they were major powerhouses. He didn't want to send Pikachu out against a tricky ground-type like Dugtrio, either, so he had one option.

"Bulbasaur! I choose you!" Ash yelled.

The bulb dinosaur-like Pokemon came out with a cry of "Bulba!" and landed on the gym floor, ready to battle. It seemed to blow smoke form its nose and glared at Dugtrio. It really wanted a piece of this Pokemon for harming its turtle buddy the way it did after it was already injured enough.

"Resume the match!" Archer declared.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled.

"Heh! Move out of the way of that attack! Show your speed!" Giovanni said.

Even though Dugtrio was unable to hide underground anymore because of the water, it was still very swift to dodge and could move through the gym floor very quickly.

"Use Sand Tomb," Giovanni commanded.

"Jump into the air to dodge it, Bulbasaur!" Ash called.

Bulbasaur quickly extended two vines from its bulb and slapped the ground with them to give itself a boost. It then shot high into the air as the Sand Tomb began to spin harmlessly below it.

"Now that you are in the air, use Stun Spore to sprinkle it all over the battle floor!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur then began to sprinkle brown powder throughout the room. It was spreading fast due to falling. The only way Dugtrio would have been able to avoid it was hiding underground, but that was impossible for it now. It had no choice but to take the Stun Spore. The brown powder fell all over the triple mole Pokemon as it got a strained expression on its face. It was now paralyzed.

"That was awesome, Bulbasaur!" Ash praised. "That should really slow down the speed of that Dugtrio!"

"This isn't over yet just because Dugtrio is paralyzed! Use Rock Slide to knock that Bulbsaur out of the air!" Giovanni shouted.

Dugtrio then summoned another group of rocks and threw them towards Bulbasuar. The plant dinosaur's eyes widened as it saw the rocks coming towards it. It wasn't near as effective in the air. It tried to thrust itself out of the way of all the rocks while it was falling, but it couldn't dodge forever. One of the rocks managed to strike Bulbasaur. It was knocked to the ground, and that's the opening Giovanni wanted.

"Use Sand Tomb once more," he smirked.

"Watch out, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur was unable to jump out the air this time as it tried to stand up. The floor turned to sand and began to swirl around in a vortex. Bulbasaur was immediately pulled into its clutches as it began to go around and around inside the Sand Tomb.

"Try to break free, Bulbasaur!" Ash cried, but it was no use.

The Sand Tomb was too strong as Bulbasaur circled back and forth. The worst part was that it was slowly sinking into the attack. Because of the water that Wartortle had been spraying earlier, the gym floor had become wet so the Sand Tomb was like quicksand now!

Ash stared in horror as Bulbasaur was struggling its best to break free, but it was getting harder and harder due to more of its body going under every second. If it went completely under, there would be no saving it. It would be gone for good.

"Heheheheh! You better return your Pokemon right now. I will have no sympathy if it suffocates and dies once it goes under the sand. That will be your own fault!" Giovanni taunted.

Ash shut his eyes as tears formed. First Giovanni was attacking his beaten Pokemon. Now he was essentially going to kill Bulbasaur if Ash didn't return it right now. Ash cracked his eyes and looked at Bulbasaur swirling around in the vortex. Only the top part of its forelegs and head were visible now.

Knowing the situation was hopeless, Ash went to pull out his pokeball to return his Pokemon, but then he stopped as an idea went off in his head. Bulbasaur could use its vines to latch onto something to pull itself out, but what. Ash hurriedly scanned the room to find something, anything for Bulbasaur to grab onto. His eyes then landed on the Dugtrio simply sitting there watching, unable to move because of the paralysis. That was the target.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip and grab ahold of Dugtrio!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur let out a deep breath and shot out its two vines towards Dugtrio. The Pokemon's eyes widened as it saw the Vine Whip coming closer. The vines then effectively wrapped around all three bodies of the Dugtrio. That immediately halted Bulbasaur's sinking. The Dugtrio then began to struggle to break free, which was pulling Bulbasaur out of the pit ever so slightly.

"That's it! Great job, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled.

"Heh! That doesn't help you! Use Slash to cut those vines away!" Giovanni commanded.

"Leech Seed!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur then shot a glowing seed from the top of its bulb as it made a beeline straight for Dugtrio before it could cut the vines. The seed landed on top of Dugtrio's tallest body and immediately began to string out poisonous ivy. It wrapped around Dugtrio even more than it already was from Bulbasaur's vines, stopping any attack. Its energy then slowly began to deplete as it struggled even more to break free. That was pulling Bulbasaur out of the pit even faster now.

Finally, the plant dinosaur was able to get its two front feet out of the sand pit and onto solid ground, It then used the rest of its strength to pull itself out. It was panting heavily at having to use so much energy from trying to get out of the Sand Tomb, but otherwise okay.

The group gave a silent sigh of relief that Bulbasaur was now out. They didn't voice their concerns, though, to avoid Team Rocket's wrath. Ash needed to continue his match. Bulbasaur still held onto Dugtrio, though, to keep it from moving.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled.

The Pokemon managed to shoot a flurry of leaves at Dugtrio, but once more Giovanni beat him to it.

"Sucker Punch again!" he said with narrowed eyes.

The Dugtrio's weakened state appeared in front of Bulbasaur and rammed into it again. Due to Bulbasaur being lighter than Wartortle was, it sailed through the air a lot farther which ripped away the hold it had on Dugtrio. After attacking the mole Pokemon was immediately struck with the flurry of leaves as Bulbasaur soared through the air and hit the gym wall. It then fell to the ground while Dugtrio slumped over in defeat. Both Pokemon had been knocked out.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" Archer judged as he cast a glare at Ash for managing to beat one of Giovanni's Pokemon.

Ash then turned to look over at his Bulbasaur and gave it a sad smile. He saw Bulbasaur trying to get back up as well despite having no energy left. They really were giving it their all for him. Knowing what happened last time with Wartortle, Ash called out to it.

"Bulbasaur, it's fine. You did enough. You're in no shape to battle!" he said.

Bulbsaur gazed at Ash. The raven haired boy knew his Pokemon really were going the extra mile this time, but he still knew what he had to do. He slowly pulled out his pokeball and returned Bulbasaur to its pokeball. The poor Pokemon looked like it could barely stand but still wanted to fight. Even if it could, Archer had still declared it unable to fight so he had to return it anyway.

Ash looked at Bulbasaur's pokeball in his hand and sighed. "Thank you, Bulbasaur. You were able to take out Giovanni's Dugtrio. We got it because of your great determination. You take a nice rest," he told it before clipping it back to his belt. He then looked over at the man he hated as he wordlessly returned Dugtrio to its pokeball. Ash glared at Giovanni for not praising Dugtrio, but he could honestly say he wasn't expecting it anyway. He needed to return to the situation at hand.

Ash thought hard on who his next Pokemon could be. It certainly wasn't looking too good at the moment. It took both Bulbasaur and Wartortle to knock out even one of Giovanni's Pokemon, and they had a type advantage against it! Ash had no doubt Giovanni's Pokemon would continue to grow stronger as he went along. Then, there was that Rhydon he had used at Silph Company which was probably his most powerful Pokemon. Ash looked up from his thinking and sent out his third Pokemon.

"Primeape! I choose you!" he yelled as he threw the ball forward.

The pig monkey Pokemon appeared from its pokeball and started hopping back and forth on each foot to pump itself up. It had trained extra hard for the match while it had been at Professor Oak's lab. It was going to show everyone how much stronger it had gotten since then. Ash's Hitmonchan and Serena's Hitmonlee had been great training partners for it. It had a slight urge to take Ash's hat to wear, but quickly pushed that thought aside. Now wasn't the time for games. It was here to win!

"Ha! So you choose a fighting type Pokemon now? I think I will choose one of my own now. See if your Primeape can handle this!" Giovanni stated as he reached into his orange suit once again to withdraw a pokeball.

He then opened up and the red beam shot out to reveal a large, bipedal, extremely muscular Pokemon. It was light blue in color and had four arms with a power safe belt covering its middle. In short, it looked to be the very definition of a bodybuilder.

"A Machamp," Ash muttered as he scanned it.

"Machamp, the superpower Pokemon and the evolved form of Machoke. These Pokemon are so powerful they can throw their victim clear over the horizon," said the pokedexes.

Ash frowned once he heard that. He had faced a Machoke a couple of times in the past, and they were hard enough to defeat. He could only imagine how tough its evolved form could be, especially if it was trained by Giovanni.

Machamp loomed over Ash's Primeape and smirked. The pig monkey Pokemon wasn't intimidated in the least, however. It spat out a grunt at the Machamp and glared before pointing one of its fists at the superpower Pokemon as if to say, "I'm going to take you down, baby!"

"Begin!" Archer shouted.

"Use Cross Chop!" Ash shouted.

Primeape gave a grunt and leaped at Machamp with its arms in an X-shape. It would definitely prove it was the better fighting Pokemon. It wasn't going to lose to some Pokemon just because it had more muscles.

"Counter with your own Cross Chop, Machamp," Giovanni told it.

Machamp held its ground, and like Primeape, crossed two of its four arms in an X shape. Primeape collided into Machamp as they each competed for dominance. Primeape began to sweat as it fought to overtake it. Primeape didn't want to admit it, but this Machamp was definitely stronger. It then saw Machamp smirk, and both it and Ash knew what was about to happen.

"Get away, Primeape! Machamp still has those extra two arms!" Ash yelled.

Primeape broke contact with the Cross Chop and leaped away just as Machamp swung an extra arm at it. Primeape suffered slight damage from Machamp winning over the Cross Chop battle, but it was better than suffering a punch to the face from one of the superpower Pokemon's monstrous arms. Primeape flipped in the air and landed on the ground on its hands and one knee. It was a minor setback, but it can still win.

"That was a good dodge, Primeape! Let's try a Karate Chop, now!" Ash commanded.

Once more, Primeape leaped at Machamp and brought its fish in downward motion, but like before, Giovanni and Machamp would counter it.

"Use Karate Chop, as well, Machamp," Giovanni smirked.

The Machamp brought up one of its arms to block and used one of its other three to deliver a solid horizontal chop to Primeape. The pig monkey Pokemon was knocked to the ground and sent sprawling across the floor. Primeape felt like it was hit by a train from something powerful like a Machamp.

"Hang in there, Primeape!" Ash encouraged.

Primeape slowly got to its feet before shaking itself. It wasn't going to go down yet.

"Face it, boy. My Machamp has two extra arms it can attack with. Your Primeape can never hope to overpower or even guard against its attacks. You can't beat it," Giovanni said.

Primeape heard those words and spat on the ground in disgust. It wasn't going to take garbage like that from some evil criminal. It would show him! It then tried to recall its training with Hitmonlee and Hitmonachan. What was it they saying about fighting multiple opponents?

XXX

"_Leeee," Serena's Hitmonlee was telling Primeape one day at Professor Oak's lab._

_It was explaining to it on how to fight multiple opponents. The key was to try not to take on all of them at once or else you would get overwhelmed. Instead, focus on one at a time, but still be aware of the surroundings and know where all of its opponents are. Make sure to still dodge if an attack is coming._

_As if to show an example, Hitmonlee began sending a flurry of kicks in Primeape's direction. Primeape began dodging the kicks flawlessly. That was until it saw from the corner of its eye Hitmonchan aiming a punch from Primeape's left side. Primeape reached out with its left arm and blocked the punch before once again focusing on Hitmonlee. It then finally saw an opening in Hitmonlee's kicks and leaped forward and knocked Hitmonlee to ground. _

_Once it saw Primeape's progress, Hitmonlee nodded its head in approval. It then explained that Primeape could now focus on the other opponent, which would be Hitmonchan in this case_. _Hitmonlee knew __there was no perfect strategy for taking out multiple opponents, but this would work in most situations. _

_XXX_

Primeape figured this would be a good time to use this strategy. Machamp was only one Pokemon, but those extra arms made it feel like it was facing two opponents. It then turned to Ash and nodded to him to let him knew it was ready to go on and use the same strategy as before. Ash looked confused but trusted Primeape.

"Alright then, Primeape! Use Cross Chop once more!" Ash called.

"Heheheh! I already told you. You can't overpower Machamp!" Giovanni restated.

Machamp once again blocked Primeape's Cross Chop with two of its powerful arms. As Primeape expected, it saw a third arm coming in for a right hook. Rather than jump out of the way this time, Primeape leaped on top of the arm Machamp was swinging. The superpower Pokemon was caught off guard by this and turned to face Primeape in surprise, but it had already charged up another Cross Chop and delivered a solid attack to Machamp's face.

Machamp roared in pain and used its four arms to hurl Primeape off it. Primeape flew through the air and hit the ground quite hard, but it still knew that its attack did more damage to Machamp.

"Wow. That was awesome, Primeape! That training at Professor Oak's lab must be really paying off!" Ash praised.

"Priiiiiime!" Primeape grunted in agreement.

By then, Machamp had recovered from the Cross Chop and glared at Primeape, who glared back.

"Well, it looks like we need to go on the offensive now. Machamp, use Submission," Giovanni ordered.

Machamp then rushed towards Primeape who held its ground. It raised its fists up, prepared for whatever Ash commanded it to do.

"Let Machamp get in close. Wait for my signal!" Ash yelled.

Primeape nodded its head and waited. Machamp was getting closer and closer with the intention of leaping at Primeape and hurling it into the ground. The superpower Pokemon would likely break Primeape's spine after using such a powerful attack from a Pokemon, but it knew Ash wasn't going to let that happen. Just as Machamp lunged at Primeape, Ash made his move.

"Slide underneath Machamp, and use Low Sweep!" Ash called.

Primeape did as it was told and slid forward underneath the large body of the airborne Machamp. The muscular Pokemon watched Primeape go from under it on the floor and tried to reposition its body, but it was unsuccessful. Primeape then lifted both its feet up and swept at Machamp's legs, completely knocking off balance and causing it to crash to the ground.

"Now use Mega Punch!" Ash yelled next.

Primeape leaped at the downed Machamp and delivered another punch to its face. Machamp attempted to swing at Primeape again with its four arms, but Primeape leaped out of the way, unharmed.

"You fool! What are you waiting for?! Get that Primeape!" Giovanni shouted to the Machamp.

Ash glared at how Giovanni treated his Pokemon. Despite the Pokemon being quite bad themselves, he couldn't help but feel sorry for them. He wondered if they even wanted Giovanni to be their trainer.

Machamp pushed itself off the ground and shook its head to regain its senses.

"Go in for another Low Sweep, Primeape!" Ash hollered.

Primeape rushed forward and prepared to sweep Machamp's legs from underneath it again. It saw two of Machamp's arms coming towards it and quickly moved to dodge them. It then saw a third arm coming for it and dodged that one, too. Wait, where was the last one?

Primeape looked up and saw the fourth arm coming from right above it. Machamp astutely grabbed Primeape with its fourth arm and raised it up by one arm to be eye level with it. Primeape cursed itself for not looking up, as well. Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan had warned it about sneak attacks like that, too.

"Heheheheh. Now we've got it. Use Mega Punch," Giovanni told Machamp.

The muscular Pokemon reared one of its fists back and punched Primeape right in the middle part. Primeape gasped then screamed in pain. Those blows were incredibly powerful. It thought the situation was hopeless, but then it noticed Machamp was only holding Primeape by one of its arms so it still had a free one. Big mistake. Ash must have realized it, too.

"Use Karate Chop on the arm Machamp is holding you with!" Ash yelled.

Before Machamp could punch Primeape again, the pig monkey Pokemon swung its arm around in a downward arc and struck Machamp right on its hand. Machamp gasped from the attack and released its hold on Primeape. Ash made sure not to relent on the attacks, though.

"Use Low Sweep again!" Ash shouted.

Primeape slid forward and didn't give Machamp any leeway this time. Machamp once more was sent crashing to the ground on its stomach as its legs gave way. It was vulnerable once again.

"Use Cross Chop again!" Ash continued.

Primeape turned around and leaped into the air. It then descended upon Machamp and gave a solid blow to its backside. Machamp cried out in pain before swinging its arms again and punching Primeape before it could get away. Primeape was sent flying through the air and landed on the ground again. Both Pokemon then slowly got to their feet, panting heavily and staring defiantly at each other. Then unable to take anymore, Machamp fell to the ground, and Primeape remained standing.

"Humph! Machamp is unable to battle!" Archer said in slight disgust.

"We did it, Primeape! You were awesome!" Ash cheered.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu called to it also.

"Prime! Priiiime!" Primeape cried in victory as it threw its fists into the air and pumped them up and down as a show of its strength.

Serena, Brock, Misty, Delia and Cubone were extremely happy, as well, but held their tongues. They felt their Rocket captors tighten their grips on them ever so slightly as a reminder to stay quiet.

Ash figured that battle must have taken a lot out of Primeape despite how energetic it still appeared to be with its victory cries. It was then Ash decided to return it and give it a chance to rest so he could possibly use it later.

"Thanks a lot, Primeape. Return for now," Ash told it as he opened the pokeball.

Primeape nodded its head and allowed the beam to overtake it, and it was soon sucked back into the pokeball while Giovanni wordlessly returned Machamp.

"You were great, Primeape. You evened up the match," Ash smiled to its pokeball.

It was then time to try to choose another Pokemon. Who should he use now? Charizard, Tauros, or Pikachu? Tauros was a leader of its pack and seemed quite strong. Ash also hadn't had the chance to battle with it yet. He then made his decision.

"Tauros! I choose you!" Ash stated as he threw the ball forward to reveal the bull Pokemon.

Tauros appeared and responded with a loud cry. This was its battle debut, and it was determined not to lose its first time.

Upon seeing the Tauros, Giovanni smirked. "Heh, a Tauros, how interesting. Tell me Ash. Did you catch that Tauros from a herd of others?"

"Uh, yes I did. It was their leader," Ash responded as he raised his right eyebrow at the strange question. Why was he asking him this?

"I think you will be interested to know that I have a Tauros of my own. It was also the leader of a herd. I suggest we have them battle each other for their pride," Giovanni suggested as he brought his third pokeball into view and released a Tauros, as well.

Giovanni's Tauros appeared and gave a cry not too unlike Ash's. Upon seeing the opposing Tauros, Ash's Tauros narrowed its eyes and brought its head down low in preparation to attack. This was its pride as a Tauros on the line. That just doubled its determination to win.

"We'll show them that you are the better Tauros!" Ash encouraged, the bull Pokemon nodding in response.

"Begin!" Archer announced again.

"Use Take Down, Tauros!" Ash commanded.

"Use your Take Down, as well, Tauros!" Giovanni countered.

Both Tauros charged at each other and collided headfirst. Appearing unharmed, they had their horns locked in with the other, trying to get an advantage. Giovanni's Tauros then began slowly push Ash's back. It then thrust its head upward, and Ash's Tauros was tossed over its head and onto the ground.

The opposing Tauros then went over to Ash's and began stomping down on top of it with its hard hooves. Tauros let out pained cries with each successive blow. It was trying to push its opponent off of it, but the other was too powerful.

Satisfied with the damage it did, Giovanni's Tauros then rammed into the fallen Tauros, sending it skidding across the floor several yards. Ash's Tauros picked itself up and panted. It had already taken a lot of damage, and the match had just begun.

Ash grimaced as he thought about how strong all of Giovanni's Pokemon had been so far. It was clear that they were all stronger than his. His Pokemon just couldn't match their power and couldn't beat them by brute force alone. He would have to use strategy if he hoped to win. His battles with Giovanni's last two Pokemon had proven that much.

"Use Work up!" Ash called.

Ash's Tauros then began to buck and stomp the ground several times to get its adrenaline going so its attack and speed would be increased.

"Heheheheh!" Use Rage, Tauros!" Giovanni commanded.

Giovanni's Tauros gave mighty cry and began to charge around the room like a wild animal out of control, which wasn't too far from the truth. After picking up speed, the opposing Tauros began charging straight for Ash's. Tauros brought down its head and braced itself for what was likely a painful impact. It was expecting for Giovanni's Tauros to lock horns with it again, but it would have a slightly better chance due to Work Up. However, it was taken completely by surprise when the opposing Tauros changed directions and instead rammed it from the side.

Ash's Tauros was sent sliding across the ground once more as Giovanni's gave a mighty cry and continued charging around the room.

Ash berated himself as he should have seen that coming. He couldn't make any mistakes on this match and had to stay focused despite the overwhelming emotions. All of his friends' and family's life depended on it.

Tauros strained to pull itself back up as it tried to follow Giovanni's Tauros and the room. By now, it had circled back around and was coming for Tauros again. As Ash and Tauros waited for the opposing one to get closer, Giovanni said something they weren't expecting.

"Use Hyper Beam," Giovanni smirked.

Both and Ash and Tauros's eyes widened as they saw their opponent open its mouth and charge of a glowing orb energy. If that attack connected, it would likely be an instant knock out for Tauros because of how much damage it's already taken. Ash knew telling Tauros to dodge right now would be futile. If Ash's Tauros moved out of the way of the other one, Giovanni's Tauros would simply change direction also and shoot it there. If Tauros hoped to dodge Hyper Beam, it would need to wait until it was already shot. It would be a close one though, as Giovanni's Tauros was coming straight at it.

"Run in a straight line away from it, Tauros. Try not to change direction at any cost!" Ash yelled.

Tauros then turned tail and ran as fast as it could away from the other, trying to keep as straight was possible. It wasn't long before the Hyper Beam was fully charged up and was shot out by Giovanni's Tauros. Ash gritted his teeth and prayed Tauros was able to move away in time.

"Dodge it, Tauros!" Ash called quickly. If it avoided the attack, Tauros would need to rest and they would finally have an opening to retaliate.

The Hyper Beam came closer and closer to Tauros. At the last second, Tauros made a leap of faith to its right. The Hyper Beam missed by just a few inches, and the wild bull Pokemon actually still felt the heat and intensity from the attack as it passed by. That was way too close.

Ash breathed a sigh of relief that Tauros had dodged while Giovanni growled. As he turned to look at what Giovanni's Tauros was doing, he smiled when he saw it had slowed down significantly from how fast it was previously running. He nodded to Tauros who nodded back.

"Use Zen Headbutt!" Ash called.

Tauros charged with all of its might towards the other one. Giovanni's Tauros turned in its direction to meet it head on, but because Ash's Tauros was hitting with Zen Headbutt, it hit with a lot more power. Giovanni's Tauros was knocked back by the force before stumbling and appeared absolutely immobile. It had flinched.

Ash smiled at his luck before ordering his next attack. "Great Tauros! Now use Take Down!"

The wild bull Pokemon nodded and charged once again at its stationary opponent. Tauros crashed into it, and Giovanni's Pokemon was sent flying through the air and onto the ground. It was then that it got up slowly for a change.

"Grrrr…use Giga Impact!" Giovanni shouted.

"Use your Giga Impact, Tauros! Show it that you are better!" Ash yelled.

The two Pokemon each gave another mighty cry before charging for each other once more. Ash's Tauros braced itself for what was going to be a painful head-on collision, literally. Both Ash and Tauros didn't think Giovanni would tell Tauros to switch position again after ordering such a powerful attack, and as expected he didn't. Both Tauros slammed into each other, and Ash and Giovanni could actually feel their power radiating from the enormously powerful attacks. It then became a battle of who could overpower the other.

Ash's Tauros could tell right away that this Tauros was stronger than it was, but it wasn't going to let that stop it. Tauros was going to show that its will to win was much greater than the other's. It wasn't just about pride. It was about really having a desire to win for its trainer. It knew how important this battle was, and it certainly wasn't going to back down so easily! Slowly but surely, it began to push the opposing Tauros back.

"What is this?!" Giovanni bellowed.

"Keep at it, Tauros! You can do it!" Ash encouraged.

"Get underneath it, and flip that Tauros over your head!" Giovanni ordered.

Giovanni's Tauros tried to break off from the attack to get underneath Ash's Tauros again, but it didn't let that happen. Ash's Tauros brought its head down with it to keep it from moving, and the horns were firmly in place. It then gave cry as a signal to Ash.

"Use Take Down with everything you have and send that Tauros flying!" Ash called.

Tauros then began running despite having the opposing one trying to fight back. Giovanni's Tauros was being constantly pushed back and unable to fight it. Ash's Tauros's will was too big for it to handle. Tauros then gave a cry and a mighty push as it threw Giovanni's Tauros from the horn lock. It was sent flying through the air until it hit the wall of the pedestal where Giovanni was seated. It then fell to the ground before slowly trying to get up. Unable to fully stand, it fell to the ground once and was defeated.

Archer glared once more before calling, "The gym leader's Tauros is unable to battle."

"We did it, Tauros! I knew you were the better one!" Ash praised.

Tauros turned around and mooed happily in response before it suddenly fell over. That battle had really taken its toll on it.

Knowing his Tauros needed to rest, Ash quickly returned it so he could save it for later. "Thanks a lot Tauros. You deserve a break," he said to it.

Ash knew he only had two Pokemon he hadn't used yet and needed somebody fresh. That left either Charizard or Pikachu.

After a very rough start, Ash was ahead of Giovanni with the number of Pokemon left to fight, but he needed to make sure he stayed ahead. Considering Giovanni used a Dugtrio, and he also had a Rhydon, there was a good chance he specialized in ground types. If those were the remaining three Pokemon in Giovanni's arsenal, Pikachu would be at a huge disadvantage. He needed to use Charizard now for a test.

"Go, Charizard!" Ash cried as he released the fire dragon.

Charizard appeared from the pokeball and stomped the ground, ready to fight for its trainer. It then looked around for any sign of Charla since it normally watched its battles. Upon seeing no sign of its girlfriend, it let a low growl at all of the Rockets. The Rockets raised their guns at Charizard, but it let out a puff of smoke before turning away from them.

"I know it isn't good that Charla has to stay in its pokeball, Charizard, but you really need to calm down. These Rocket members won't hesitate to kill you if they think you are a threat," Ash warned.

Understanding the truth of Ash's words, Charizard nodded its head once. It knew the gravity of the situation and would try its best in this match. It wasn't going to hold anything back.

"Heheheh! That's a feisty Charizard you have there," Giovanni commented before sending out his next Pokemon. "Come out, Nidoqueen."

The pokeball opened to reveal a large, blue, bipedal Pokemon somewhat resembling a reptile or a rabbit. It had spiny ears and chest plates with a large tail. It gave a mighty roar upon being released.

"Wow. A Nidoqueen," Ash mumbled as he scanned it.

"Nidoqueen, the drill Pokemon and the evolved form of Nidorina. _," said the pokedexes.

"We can do it, Charizard!" Ash encouraged.

"_So that's what Nidorina will become if it evolves,"_ Serena thought briefly.

"Resume the match!" Archer announced.

"Fly into the air, Charizard," Ash called, thinking that would give him an advantage since Nidoqueen couldn't fly.

"Heheheh, that won't keep Nidoqueen away. Jump into the air after it!" Giovanni commanded.

Nidoqueen raised its large tail and slapped the ground with it which shot it high into the air after Charizard.

"What?!" cried Ash in surprise.

"I happened to learn that trick from your Bulbasaur, Ash. I should thank you," Giovanni smirked.

Nidoqueen collided right into Charizard before Giovanni ordered his next move.

"Now Body Slam it to the ground," he said.

Nidoqueen then put all of its weight onto Charizard which made them fall to the ground. Charizard grabbed a hold of Nidoqueen to slow its descent as much as it could. Despite this, Charizard still hit the ground on its backside with Nidoqueen on top.

"Now Crunch," Giovanni said next.

Nidoqueen bit down hard onto Charizard's shoulder causing it to roar in pain. Ash knew he had to get Nidoqueen off of Charizard fast.

"Use Fire Punch!" he yelled.

Charizard engulfed its fist in fire before punching Nidoqueen square in the jaw. The Drill Pokemon rolled off of Charizard which allowed it enough time to get up. Nidoqueen then got up a few seconds later as both Pokemon stared at one another.

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Giovanni ordered.

"Counter with Flamethrower!" Ash yelled.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks which collided and created an explosion in midair. Having been in this situation several times before, Ash nodded to his Charizard to fly through the smoke and grab ahold of Nidoqueen.

Charizard took the signal and nodded back. It then took flight in preparation to dive bomb Nidoqueen, but once it got through the thick smoke, it wasn't expecting the Pokemon to be charging up another Sludge Bomb. Nidoqueen launched the attack just before Charizard reached it. Charizard immediately turned away with the Sludge Bomb only sideswiping it. Charizard grimaced slightly but was otherwise okay.

"Go after it again, Nidoqueen," Giovanni ordered calmly.

Nidoqueen once more jumped into the air using its tail. Charizard narrowed its eyes as it saw Nidoqueen coming for it. It wasn't going to suffer another Body Slam from this thing.

"Use Wing Attack to knock it away!" Ash called.

Charizard spread its wings and slapped at Nidoqueen just as it reached it. Both Pokemon struggled to compete for dominance, but Charizard won out, and Nidoqueen was sent hurdling towards the ground where it landed on its stomach.

"Now hit it with Fire Spin!" Ash called.

Charizard blew forth a blazing ring of fire from its mouth towards the downed Nidoqueen. It rushed around the Pokemon as it struggled to get up. Soon, there was large vortex of fire around the Nidoqueen. The occupants in the gym could hear a roar of frustration coming from Nidoqueen as it was trapped inside.

"Great job, Charizard! Go in after Nidoqueen for a Seismic Toss!" Ash yelled.

Charizard roared in approval and did a nose dive towards the swirling, flame tornado. Once it got close to ground, it switched directions and flew straight at where it assumed Nidoqueen would be. It held out its arms in preparation to grab the drill Pokemon as soon as it was inside, but what happened next took it by surprise.

"Body Slam, Nidoqueen," Giovanni ordered.

Charizard's eyes widened as it saw Nidoqueen somehow burst out of the flame tornado and crashed right into it. Charizard was knocked off balance due to this and sent falling towards the ground with Nidoqueen on top of it. Not one to be outdone, however, Charizard grabbed onto to Nidoqueen and flipped positions with it so Nidoqueen was on the bottom now. The drill Pokemon hit the ground as Ash ordered his next attack.

"Flamethrower!" Ash yelled.

Charizard took in a deep breath and prepared to launch the attack, but Giovanni wasn't going down that easily.

"Use Mega Punch, Nidoqueen," Giovanni growled.

Nidoqueen reeled its fist back and punched Charizard square in the face. Charizard face jerked to the side at the mighty punch, but it gritted its teeth and pushed through the pain. Charizard turned its head to face Nidoqueen again and blew forth the hot flame at point blank range.

"Now that Nidoqueen is weakened, try Seismic Toss again!" Ash yelled.

Charizard lifted Nidoqueen up and began taking it as high as it could inside the room.

"Bite, Nidoqueen!" Giovanni commanded.

Nidoqueen recovered slightly and bit Charizard in the shoulder, but it wasn't enough to stop the fire dragon. It then began to circle around and around to build up speed before dive bombing towards the ground. It then released Nidoqueen, and the drill Pokemon went sailing towards the ground and landed with a resounding thud once it made contact. Charizard then landed on the ground on both of its feet to see the damage it did, visibly panting. Nidoqueen, however, was on the ground, clearly knocked out.

"Nidoqueen…is unable to battle! Charizard is the victor!" Archer declared.

Ash couldn't help but grin broadly at this. He had started off this match in horrible shape, but things were really beginning to look up. His grin soon turned to a frown as he remembered the situation he was in. He couldn't let his excitement get the better of him. There were still several angry Rockets completely surrounding him right now with his mom and his friends hostage.

Ash then took a glance at Giovanni to see how he was reacting to all this. He seemed to have a strange smile on his face that one shouldn't have considering they were losing the match. He was way too calm about all of this, and it made Ash uneasy. He then looked over at Charizard, and it was staring back defiantly at Giovanni, waiting for him to send out his next Pokemon.

"How are you holding up, Charizard?" Ash asked it.

Charizard roared and blew a huge flame out of its mouth towards the ceiling to show it was still ready to battle. It would knock out a hundred more of Giovanni's Pokemon before it was done with him.

"I choose Nidoking now," Giovanni stated as he released the large Pokemon.

Another large, bipedal Pokemon that looked like a male version of Nidoqueen appeared. Its horn was longer and it was dark pink in color.

"So a Nidoking now," Ash muttered as he scanned it.

"Nidoking, the Drill Pokemon and the evolved form of Nidorino. They have a rock hard exterior, and its large horn contains venom. Its large tail is very powerful," said the pokedex.

"Here we go, Charizard. You took out Nidoqueen. You can get Nidoking, also," Ash muttered from behind it.

Charizard gave a low growl as it prepared to get ready for the battle. Nidoking narrowed its eyes as pounded its fist in its opposite palm to pump itself up.

"Begin!" Archer yelled again.

"Use Fury Attack," Giovanni said.

Nidoking roared and charged full speed to Charizard. Once it reached it, it began stabbing at Charizard repeatedly with its horn. Charizard was doing its best to dodge the onslaught of the long horn, but it couldn't dodge forever and ended up being stabbed once. It grunted in pain as it held its stomach in pain where Nidoking hit it.

"Now use Megahorn," Giovanni ordered next.

Nidoking's horn glowed and it proceeded to bring it down to slam into Charizard, but the fire dragon reached out and caught the horn in its hands to prevent it from striking.

"Heh! That won't stop Nidoking. Use Poison Sting," Giovanni smirked.

Nidoking opened its mouth and shot several, tiny glowing needles at Charizard, striking it in the face. Charizard sputtered and clawed its face in pain from the needles, and that was the opening Nidoking needed to strike it with Megahorn. Charizard stumbled backwards before falling over onto its back and roaring in pain.

"Charizard!" Ash cried.

"Now use Take Down!" Giovanni yelled.

"Try to fly away!" Ash called.

Charizard shakily got off the ground and saw Nidoking heading straight for it. It wouldn't have time to get fly out of the way, but it could try something else. Charizard narrowed its eyes as Nidoking got closer. Just before the Drill Pokemon was able to ram into Charizard, the fire dragon dropped down onto its back before tucking its legs in. Once Nidoking reached it, Charizard used its momentum to flip Nidoking over its body. Nidoking ended up flying quite a distance due to how fast it was running. It hit the ground and with a loud thud and let out a soft growl.

Ash frowned slightly that Charizard had disobeyed him in what to do but realized it was for the best. It seemed it could use some slight training, but at least Charizard listened to him for the most part and wasn't disrespectful to him. Charizard only did that because it knew it couldn't fly away in time.

"Use Flamethrower while it's trying to recover Charizard!" Ash yelled.

Charizard got up from the ground and launched another Flamethrower from its mouth. The attack struck Nidoking in the chest plate just as it was getting up from the ground. It growled at the pain, but began to run full speed at Charizard once more in anger.

"Fly away this time, Charizard!" Ash called out.

Knowing Nidoking wouldn't fall for the same trick twice, Charizard flew away from it into the air, but it seemed Nidoking was going to copy the trick from Nidoqueen and Bulbasaur.

"Jump after Nidoking," Giovanni told it.

Nidoking used its powerful tail to slap the ground and leap into the air like the others before it. Charizard didn't hide its frustration as it saw it was in this uncomfortable situation again.

"Use Fire Punch to knock it out of the air!" Ash called.

Charizard reared back its fist and prepared to knock the daylights out of Nidoking, but to its great surprise, Nidoking ducked underneath its arm and grabbed onto Charizard in a death grip.

Charizard began flapping its wings very fast at having the great weight of Nidoking weighing it down. It swung its fiery fist at the drill Pokemon, making contact. Nidoking grunted at the pain but held fast.

"Use Horn Drill," Giovanni grinned.

"Try to get it off of you! Use Inferno!" Ash cried.

"Charizard began to heat its body to super proportions as its body seemed to catch on fire itself. Nidoking began to roar in pain but still didn't release its hold on Charizard. It began to spin its horn very fast despite the intense heat of having to hold onto Charizard's body. The fire dragon's eyes widened as it saw the spinning horn come closer and closer.

"Watch out, Charizard!" Ash cried, but it was too late.

Once the horn came in contact with Charizard's body, the fire dragon let loose an eruption of flames from its body. The force blasted Nidoking off its body where it crashed into the ground on its back. Meanwhile, Charizard fell through the air before crashing onto the ground, as well. Both trainers waited in anticipation to see if their Pokemon would get up. For a moment, it looked like both Pokemon were knocked out, then somehow, Giovanni's Nidoking pushed itself off the ground and onto its feet. It was severely weakened but not knocked out.

"Charizard is unable to battle!" Archer declared.

Ash sighed. It was so close, but Nidoking got the upper hand.

"Charizard, return," Ash said as he recalled the flame Pokemon. He then smiled at the pokeball. "Thank you, Charizard. You were awesome. You were able to beat Nidoqueen and gave a lot of damage to Nidoking. Take a good rest."

After returning it, Ash clenched and unclenched his fists as he didn't know what he should do next. Three of his Pokemon were now knocked out while two were already injured with only Pikachu left as the one who hasn't battled yet. Giovanni had four Pokemon knocked out with probably the Rhydon left as his last Pokemon. Ash hated to say it, but the odds weren't looking to good. He could use Pikachu right now against the large Nidoking, but then he would have no healthy Pokemon left to go against what was undoubtedly Giovanni's strongest Pokemon. On the other hand, if he used Primeape or Tauros, there is a chance that Nidoking could knock them out before they could knock it out. Then Ash would be at an even bigger disadvantage. This was a crucial decision that could make or break him.

"Time is running out, Ash. Make your decision unless you want to forfeit the match," Giovanni taunted.

Ash glared at Giovanni but forced himself to relax. If he made any rash decisions, it would cost him big time. He couldn't afford to make mistakes at all. Ash sighed as he thought using his weakened Pokemon would be better for this situation. One healthy Pokemon was better than none even if the chances weren't great.

"Is it okay if I hold off using you a little longer, Pikachu?" Ash asked it.

"Pikachu," the rodent responded while nodding his head.

"Thanks, buddy," Ash said as he thought of which Pokemon would be best against Nidoking. Primeape's fighting attacks wouldn't be very effective against Nidoking's part poison-typing so that left Tauros. He then nodded his head. "Let's go again, Tauros!"

Tauros appeared again out of the pokeball with another cry before pawing the ground. It shook itself of its tiredness and got into a battle ready stance.

"How are you feeling Tauros? Are you up for battle?" Ash asked it.

Tauros gave a loud moo in response. It knew it would fight again sooner or later so it made sure to rest up as much as it could in its pokeball before it came back out from its pokeball. It was going to fight until its last bit of strength.

"Resume the match!" Archer announced.

"Use Fissure, Tauros!" Ash yelled.

Tauros reared back on its two hind legs before stomping the ground hard. A bright laser of energy then shot from its hooves and sped along the ground towards Nidoking.

"Dodge it, and use Poison Jab!" Giovanni commanded

Nidoking did a swift roll, though it looked more like a tumble, out of the way. It then rolled in front of Tauros before getting up and stabbing it in the side with a poisonous fist. Tauros yelled at the pain but wasn't backing down that easily.

"Use Head Smash!" Ash yelled.

Tauros rammed its head into Nidoking torso as hard as it could, sending the drill Pokemon back several feet. It then got back on its feet to glare at Tauros

"Use Take Down," Giovanni ordered.

"Stand your ground, Tauros!" Ash called.

Ash Nidoking began to rush towards the wild bull Pokemon, Tauros planted its feet firmly on the ground, ready to take any punishment Nidoking was going to give it. As Nidoking came closer, Tauros took a deep breath and braced itself. Seconds later, the powerful force that was Nidoking crashed into it, hurting it tremendously. Despite this, Tauros stood its ground, which is what Ash wanted. He knew it was risky to have Tauros take the attack like that, but he believed in his Pokemon, and it paid off.

Nidoking had crashed into Tauros so hard that it was now caught in its horns. It struggled to break free but was unable to. Tauros then gave a mighty heave and lifted Nidoking above it.

"Now throw it with all you can, Tauros!" Ash yelled.

"Poison Jab!" Giovanni said.

Before Nidoking could bring its fist down to Poison Jab, Tauros, the wild bull Pokemon swung its head with all its might. The force dislodged Nidoking from its horns, and the drill Pokemon was sent flying through the air. It then slammed into the bottom of the podium Giovanni was sitting on where it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap. It didn't get back up.

"Nidoking…is unable to battle!" Archer growled again.

Serena held her breath at this. There was just one more Pokemon Ash needed to beat. He had never let her down before, and she didn't think he would start now. Brock and Misty had a look of hope born inside their eyes at this. Ash may be able to pull this off, after all. They may actually make it out of this situation! Delia was watching her son with a look of admiration and wonder. He had become such a great Pokemon trainer in his short time of being on his journey. He really did take after Red.

Ash, meanwhile, breathed a huge sigh of relief. Maybe he could actually do this, after all. Five of Giovanni's Pokemon had been knocked out, and he still had three left. He just needed to beat one more, and he had a good idea of what it was. As Giovanni returned Nidoking, Ash chanced to look up at Giovanni to see how he was taking this turn of events. To his surprise, Giovanni was…smirking? That wasn't natural.

"Hahahaha! You are truly a gifted trainer, Ash, or just really lucky. To think you would be able to knock out five of my best Pokemon, but your win stops here," Giovanni told him.

"No matter what you send out, my Pokemon and I will be able to beat it. I'm not going to lose to you!" Ash shouted.

"Heheheh! For my last Pokemon, it is one you should be quite familiar with. After all, it did absolutely crush you back at the Silph Company," Giovanni stated.

Ash frowned at this. Giovanni's last Pokemon was Rhydon, after all. He still hadn't forgotten how that Rhydon was able to miraculously push through all of his Pokemon's attacks and knock them all out with Horn Drill. It was almost unreal.

"Things are different now! Both my Pokemon and I have become a lot stronger since then. We won't fall like last time!" Ash shouted defiantly.

"Your Pokemon aren't the only ones that have gotten stronger since then. I assure you. My Pokemon has improved, as well," Giovanni said with a dark grin.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked suspiciously.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Giovanni smirked as he reached into his orange suit before withdrawing his last pokeball. He then pressed the button and the red beam shot out to reveal Rhydon, or so the group thought. It turned out to be a Pokemon the group had never seen before

If the group thought Rhydon was a scary Pokemon, this one really took the cake. Where as Rhydon was big, this Pokemon was bigger. It sort of looked like Rhydon, but it had two large horns, one for nose and smaller one on its forehead. It had cannon-like arms and several orange, rocky plates all over its body. It looked like the epitome of what a tank Pokemon was all about.

"What is that?!" Ash cried in amazement.

"Heh! Surely you recognize this Pokemon from at the Silph Company. It's only had a few…improvements done to it. Meet Rhyperior!" Giovanni declared.

"R-R-Rhyperior?" Ash stuttered.

* * *

><p><strong>Some of you seemed to think Giovanni's final Pokemon would be Persian, but I figured what better way to scare Ash than have it be the same Pokemon that annihilated his team back at the Silph Company…and now it's evolved on top of that. If you guys think Ash's three remaining Pokemon will be able take on Rhyperior on their own…think again. Next week will be the conclusion. How will it end?! I'll see you all then! Thanks for all the reviews and support. <strong>

**Poll Results: Should Serena be a Pokemon Performer like in the anime?**

**Yes: 89**

**No: 34**

…**Yes wins by a landslide. Thank God, too. At least I will be able to move this story along with Serena's goal without having to wrack my brain at something else she can do. I'm concluding the Battle Chateau soon, also, so I need to set the stage (PUN!) for her new goal in future arcs. Don't worry, either. Serena will still battle and do various small tournaments, but Pokemon Performing will be her main thing.**

**Chapter 47: The Final Badge: Part Two**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ritchie have other pokemon in this story besides Pikachu ,Charmander, and Butterfree?_

_**Yes**_

_Can we expect to see Calem and or Miette again in this arc?_

_**Miette: No**_

_**Calem: Yes**_

_Are the Mewtwo Strikes Back chapters going to be just like the anime or are they going to incorporate some of your own ideas as well?_

_**They'll have my own ideas and a few changed things from the movie, too.**_

_Will there be only one Mew or two?_

_**Only one Mew exists in the world**_

_Can you have ash catch/befriend mewtwo?_

_**Ash will most definitely NOT catch Mewtwo. About befriending it, you will have to wait and see.**_

_Will Archer, Ariana, Petrel, and Proton's Pokémon make an appearance at all?_

_**Yes.**_

_Are Gary and Leaf going to appear in a future movie?_

_**They surely will, but I won't say which ones.**_

_Will every Pokemon have something like Charizard's Seismic Toss, something like a signature finishing move?_

_**Not all of them.**_

_Will ash get in touch with his Aura again?_

_**Ash will tap into his aura one more time in Kanto.**_

_Will any Pokemon have a surprise evolution during this battle?_

_**No. No Pokemon will evolve during Giovanni's battle. I guess that's obvious now, though. The only ones left to evolve for Ash are Kingler and Pidgeotto, but that isn't until later. Their circumstances of evolution might be different, however, but then again, they might not.**_

_How much time does Ash have until the Pokemon League after the gym battle?_

_**In this story, roughly a month to a month in a half.**_

_I was wondering if Giovanni had intended for the organization to be what it was today._

_**Considering he was on a quest for world power, I would say so.**_

_Do the party in pallet town after the pokemon league?_

_**There will certainly be celebration. As far as exactly like the party in the anime, there will be many different events.**_

_Will Jessie James and Meowth stalk Ash and his friends to get pay back or try and make team rocket a feared name once again?_

_**Team Rocket's and any of its members' futures will be known after the gym battle.**_

_Despite being the most evil person on the face of the world, did Giovanni ever love Delia in the past and does he still love her now?_

_**Yes, he did love her when they dated, but now his love has turned into a huge grudge and hate for her running away and taking Silver with her on top of that.**_

_Is Giovanni's character like the manga when he goes to see Silver?_

_**I won't reveal that yet.**_

_Will someone important to Ash and Serena die? And if so, what arc?_

_**I already said there is one major character death in this series, but I will not reveal when and what arc, and especially who it is. It keeps my readers focused on the story itself rather than wondering when a certain character will die in a certain arc the entire time. The death will happen when it happens. It may not even be until the final story, so try not to be so anxious about it, guys. ;)**_

_Will Cubone be in every arc or will he stay in Kanto?_

_**Like Serena and Ash's other Pokemon, it will be swapped out with their other Pokemon randomly in when Ash and Serena go to Johto. It will eventually be a battling member of Serena's team.**_

_After the battle is over, are you going to have Ash spend some time trying to adjust and understand everything he learned about his family?_

_**Definitely. **_

_Will other criminal organizations be as threatening as the Rockets?_

_**If by threatening, you mean willing to kill children, Team Aqua and Magma won't at the very least. They will be closer to their ORAS personalities and very determined with their goals but spiraling out of control.**_

_Will ash battle the indigo plateau twice and if he does who will be the champion(s)?_

_**He will only battle it once, and I've already revealed Blue is the champion of Kanto.**_

Once the Viridian Gym Battle chapters are done, will there be a chapter for the character to take a breath and ask question they surely must be wondering *cough Ash cough* before you do the movie chapters?

_**Yes.**_

_How did you come up with the idea to make Silver and Ash half-brothers?_

_**Like my idea of Giovanni and Delia starting Team Rocket, it is something that was planned since the beginning. I'm just trying to come up with ideas that deviate off the beaten path to keep this story interesting. I just simply pulled out of my head while outlining this story.**_

_Will the character Dr. Yung from "The Mystery of Mirage Pokémon" appear?_

_**No because I won't do that movie.**_


	48. The Final Badge: Part Two

**A/N: Okay. This chapter is going to be extremely brutal in some parts so be prepared. The conclusion of the Viridian gym battle is here! What are you doing reading this author's note?! Hurry and read it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 47: The Final Badge Part Two<p>

"R-R-Rhyperior?" Ash stuttered.

Still in much shock, Ash pulled out his pokedex in order scan the new Pokemon.

"Rhyperior, the drill Pokemon and the evolved form of Rhydon. This Pokemon's hide is so tough it can withstand any type of explosion," said the pokedex.

Ash looked up from the pokedex to stare at the intimidating Pokemon. Even Tauros looked mildly surprised and took a step back. Rhyperior loomed over Tauros and grinned rather wickedly. There certainly wasn't any doubt of its confidence that it could win the battle, and possibly break a few bones of its opponents.

Ash gritted his teeth as he thought of the best way to go about the situation, but realized there wasn't one. According to Giovanni, this was the same Rhydon that absolutely crushed his team back at Silph Company. It had miraculously been able to push through all of his Pokemons' attacks and then knock each of them out with Horn Drill. Now it was evolved on top of that!

Serena, Brock, Misty, and Cubone stared with wide eyes, as well, but particularly Serena. She had been the only one besides Ash, Gary, and Pikachu who had seen this Pokemon's power earlier. Serena closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that Ash could do this. Unfortunately, Ariana took this for sleeping and shook Serena out of her thoughts.

"No slacking and stay awake!" Ariana snarled at her.

Serena glared back but chose not to say anything in response. She instead turned back to Ash to watch the battle. Ash had gotten this far, and she knew in her heart that he wasn't going to let this stop him.

Giovanni, meanwhile, was feeling just as confident as the Rhyperior. This was definitely his strongest Pokemon next to Mewtwo, but the clone Pokemon was gone now. Despite his anger that he wouldn't be able to use Mewtwo on Ash and utterly destroy him, Giovanni figured Rhyperior will do. It could still crush his two weakened Pokemon and that yellow rat. Ash couldn't win.

The situation certainly didn't look good. Ash only had three Pokemon left, but two of them were already weak from previous battles. The only Pokemon with full health that he still had was Pikachu, and Rhyperior absolutely dwarfed the yellow rodent, not to mention the type disadvantage. He looked over at Pikachu who was visibly shaking at the fearsome Rhyperior. There was a slight spark in his soul, and a new sense of determination was with him. It was like he could feel someone praying for him. Wait, what was wrong with him? There were several situations like this before where he and his Pokemon won against impossible odds. How was this any different? Ash wasn't going to let what happened in the past affect this battle! Just like all the other times, he wasn't going to give up until the end!

"We can to this, Tauros! Let's take it out just like the others!" Ash shouted.

Tauros mooed in agreement before pawing the ground.

"Begin!" Archer shouted.

"Dig underground, Rhyperior!" Giovanni ordered.

The drill Pokemon obeyed before raising its canon arms and digging underground. This action rather surprised Ash, as the tunnels Dugtrio dug much earlier were still filled with water. How would Rhyperior be able to maneuver underground? Then without warning, spouts of water exploded from the gym floor, splashing every Pokemon and person within the room.

"Heheheheh! Water won't affect the solid rock that Rhyperior is made of. Still, it is more convenient to have the water out so it can move easier," Giovanni smirked. He Proton, and Petrel was the only ones who weren't affected by the water as they were so high up.

Ash was amazed that Rhyperior was able to remove the water like that. What on earth had it done?! Pushing the thought aside to focus on the match, Ash called out to Tauros.

"Be careful Tauros! Rhyperior could be anywhere!" Ash yelled.

Tauros nodded its head and listened. If there was one thing this Rhyperior wasn't good at, it was being quiet. Its stone body made a lot of noise while moving around underground.

"Use Earthquake while Rhyperior is underground. It should cause more damage that way!" Ash called.

Tauros reared back on its hind legs and stomped onto the ground as hard as it could, but differently from how it used Fissure. The whole gym floor began to shake violently as Tauros listened for Rhyperior. It could tell by all the noise underground that the drill Pokemon was being tossed around. However, Tauros was surprised as the ground underneath it gave way, and it fell into a large hole, right where Rhyperior was at the moment. It seemed Rhyperior had purposely created a large opening right underneath Tauros in case it used Earthquake, at a cost of some slight damage. It really planned ahead.

"Tauros!" Ash cried once he saw that Tauros was now in Rhyperior's clutches.

"Rock Blast," Giovanni commanded.

Despite not being able to see what was going on the hole, Ash could hear a bunch of commotion of what sounded like banging and Tauros's cries of pain in between. Seconds later, several rocks burst from the hole that Tauros had fallen into, followed by Tauros itself, and finally Rhyperior. The wild bull Pokemon landed flat on its side and let out a weak moo while Rhyperior landed on its feet, looking relatively unharmed.

"Tauros, can you stand?!" Ash asked with worry.

Tauros seemed to struggle to move but couldn't take the pain anymore before lying still. It had no strength left to battle.

"Tauros is unable to battle!" Archer declared.

"Heheheh! Do you see how easily your Tauros was defeated? Do you still think you can win?!" Giovanni taunted.

"I'm not giving up until the end!" Ash shouted as he returned Tauros before smiling at it. "You were amazing Tauros and earned a nice long rest."

Despite not really wanting to use previously used Pokemon, Ash knew he had to keep Pikachu in top form for as long as possible. Hopefully, Primeape's fighting spirit would be enough to cause considerable damage on Rhyperior.

"Let's go one more time, Primeape!" Ash yelled as he released the pig monkey Pokemon again.

Primeape came out of the pokeball with a powerful grunt and brought its fist up to its opponent. It didn't care about the size or how scary this Pokemon looked. It and Ash were going to fight together and it would knock this Rhyperior's block off. It snorted angrily at the Rhyperior who merely gave a dark smile back.

"Don't think that just because your Primeape has a type advantage means anything," Giovanni called out. "Rhyperior's special ability, Solid Rock, reduces the power of any hits that are super effective against it."

Ash didn't care about this bit of information. He and Primeape didn't need super effective hits to win. They could score a victory by the great bond they shared.

"Resume the match!" Archer yelled.

"Okay, Primeape! Use Cross Chop!" Ash yelled.

Primeape grunted again before charging straight its opponent with its arms in an X shape.

"Use Hammer Arm, Rhyperior," Giovanni told it.

Rhyperior swung its enormous arm at Primeape, but Pokemon swiftly dodged it and connected the attack. Rhyperior stumbled backwards from the force of the attack and let out a soft growl in pain, before swinging another fist at Primeape.

"Use Low Kick, Primeape!" Ash yelled next. This attack should do extra damage due to how heavy Rhyperior looked.

Primpeape leaped out of the way of the second Hammer Arm as Rhyperior's fist crashed into the ground, leaving a dent. Primeape then slid in between Rhypeior's legs before sweeping with all of its might. The drill Pokemon was sent toppling towards the ground where it roared in frustration at being outdone like that. That Primeape was quicker than it looked.

"That was great, Primeape!" Ash cheered while giving it a thumbs up.

Primeape returned the gesture before turning back to the battle.

"I think I will need to change tactics in order to slow down that thing," Giovanni mused. "Rhyperior, use your Earthquake!"

Rhyperior raised one of its monstrous feet into the air and slammed it down onto the ground, creating a violent shockwave that shook the whole room. It was a lot more powerful than Tauros' Earthquake was. Ash himself almost lost his balance at the attack. Primeape, meanwhile, was wobbling horrible in an effort to stay standing when Giovanni ordered the next attack.

"Use Rock Blast!" he yelled.

Rhyperior summoned a large amount of rocks before exploding them into tiny shards and sending them hurtling towards the pig monkey Pokemon. Primeape's eyes widened once it saw the rocky shards coming towards it but was unable to dodge due to the shaking. Primeape braced itself and shielded its body with its arms in an effort to minimize the damage from the rocks.

"Use Stone Edge!" Giovanni ordered next, not relenting on the attacks.

A large, jagged stone was conjured from Rhyperior and looked incredibly lethal. It then hurled the attack at Primeape. Primeape narrowed its eyes at the incoming rock nodded its head for Ash to signify a command. It wasn't going to let this rock get it.

Seeming to know what Primeape meant, Ash called, "Quick, Primeape! Use Karate Chop to break that stone!"

Primeape leaped into the air before bringing its fist down on the incoming boulder with all of its might. The force of the impact made a crack in the rock before shattering it completely. Primeape then reeled its fist back again before punching the debris back at Rhyperior. The drill Pokemon wasn't damaged at all by the rocks striking it, but it did look slightly stunned.

"Go in for another Cross Chop!" Ash yelled.

Primeape rushed forward to strike Rhyperior once more, but it recovered before the pig monkey Pokemon was able to reach it.

"Rock Wrecker," Giovanni commanded.

Primeape's eyes widened again as it saw the largest stone yet come from Rhyperior before it was hurled at Primeape. It leaped as high as it could in the air in an attempt to avoid it. The massive rock just missed it. Primeape sighed with relief thinking it had fully dodged and could now use Cross Chop until it heard Ash's voice.

"Heads up, Primeape!" Ash yelled.

Primeape looked down from the air and grunted in surprise to see the Rhyperior spiraling towards it like a drill. It was using Drill Run! That huge boulder from Rock Wrecker must have just been a distraction to get it to drop its guard. It momentarily forgot its training with Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee about always staying alert, and now it was fixing to pay the price. Rhyperior slammed into Primeape with the force of a tank, knocking it clear across the room. Primeape flipped through the air several times before smashing into a wall face first. It then fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. It grunted and moaned in pain but couldn't find the power to stand up again.

"Primeape is unable to battle! Ash is now down to his last Pokemon!" Archer declared with glee.

Ash furrowed his eyebrows. Rhyperior completely outmatched his Pokemon and knocked them out after only using one or two attacks. Granted, they were already weakened, but that was still unreal at how powerful this thing was. Primeape and Tauros had managed to get some damage on it, but not enough to set Ash in a comfort zone.

He glanced at Pikachu who was visibly shaking at the Rhyperior. It knew how important this match was for the life of its trainer and friends, but it still couldn't help but feel intimidated. Pikachu already knew electric attacks wouldn't work against Rhyperior due to its part ground typing.

Ash sadly returned Primeape to its pokeball before smiling sadly at it. "You fought bravely and gave it your all. Thank you, Primeape. Take a good rest."

Ash was beginning to wonder if saving Pikachu for last was such a good idea, after all. The truth be told is Ash was starting to suspect Giovanni's specialty was ground-type Pokemon so he held off using it, hoping he wouldn't have to at all. Now Pikachu would have to face the scariest one yet. This was totally a mismatch putting Pikachu up against Rhyperior.

"If you'd like, you can forfeit the match, Ash Ketchum," Giovanni called out. "I will, of course, still follow through with the terms of the vow and kill all of your friends and mother right in front of you. However, it will at least be over with quicker that way and save you the pain of watching your yellow rat get beaten to a pulp!"

Ash wasn't going let Giovanni play games with him like that. Ash couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that he's getting to him. He looked over at his noticeably shaking partner and gave it a serious look.

"Pikachu, I know you're scared, and frankly, I am, too, but we need to do this. We can't let Team Rocket win," Ash said.

"Chuuuuuu," Pikachu moaned as it hung its ears.

Ash kneeled down and took Pikachu's tiny hands in his. "It will be okay, Pikachu. I have faith in you. You are the most dependable Pokemon anyone could ever ask for. I'm proud to have you as my Pokemon and would never choose another starter over you. We've been through a lot of things together and overcame impossible odds. We overcame a flock of Spearow. We defeated Brock's Onix in our first gym match together. We made it out of a snow storm together and even defeated Sabrina's Kadabra together. We did all of this as team. I know it looks scary and the odds are against us, but we WILL win. We are going to fight together just like we have before."

"Pika Pika?" Pikachu asked as it looked up as Ash.

"That's right. It's what best friends do for each other, and we are definitely that, Pikachu. Will you fight with me?" Ash asked while looking at Pikachu straight in the eye.

Pikachu stared back into Ash's eyes. In all of its days, Pikachu never thought it would meet a human like Ash. The first day they met each other, the yellow rodent merely thought of him as just another human about to abuse it. Granted, he was nicer than most, but still just another human. How wrong Pikachu had been at the time. Ash was so much more than that. He was a boy who genuinely loved Pokemon and would do anything for them, particularly his own. Ash was right. They had overcome everything together no matter what the circumstances. They could do it this time, too. They would fight together!

Pikachu lost its scared look and turned it into one of determination. It was going to fight to its last breath for Ash no matter what it took!

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled as it nodded its head.

Brock, Misty, Serena, and Delia felt their eyes water at how close Ash and Pikachu were. Despite only knowing each other less than a year, they truly shared a bond like no other and it really showed. They believed that when those two really wanted to, they could accomplish anything together.

"How touching," Giovanni mocked, clearly not moved by the display. "The story of a boy and his rodent."

At this, several Team Rocket members laughed in the room. How naïve of this boy to think he still had a chance. They were going to enjoy torturing him when this match was over.

"You can make fun of us if you like, but we won't let that hinder us," Ash said seriously as he stood up with Pikachu next to him. "Pikachu and I have a bond that you will never have with your Pokemon. It's our connection that will allow us to beat you!"

"How nice," Giovanni said. "Fine. Face me and see if your love and friendship are enough to take down Rhyperior!"

Now it was Ash's turn to smirk. "I'm not talking about that, but love and friendship is a nice bonus in taking you out."

This actually caused Giovanni to raise an eyebrow in question. That was all this boy seemed to talk about since he met him. How love, friendship, and justice would conquer all and how the likes of evil would never win and all of those other stupid things that meant nothing to Giovanni. He had heard all of those things before. Now, Ash was switching gears on him. It actually piqued Giovanni's curiosity on what Ash could be talking about.

"Oh really? What is it then?" Giovanni asked in almost curious manner.

Ash smiled as he and Pikachu were enveloped in a blue field of energy before the two energies flew toward each other and converged into one before disappearing. Everyone's eyes widened completely at what had just happened, with the Rocket members surprised the most. This kid had the power of aura?!

Butch and Cassidy briefly lost their grip on Delia as they stumbled forward at the scene. They were outdone so many times by this kid, but after learning this, they could see why. This brat having aura was insane!

"The twerp has aura?" Jessie muttered in shock as she held Misty. She let the gun that was holding Misty fall to her side in utter surprise.

"No wonder we could never defeat him. We could never hope to stand up to that," James said in equal awe.

"What a total mind blower," Meowth added.

"What?! You have the gift of aura like your wretched father?!" Giovanni shouted as he stood up in his chair.

"Yep, and I couldn't find a better person to use it on than the likes of you!" Ash retorted.

Serena, Brock, Misty, Delia and Cubone couldn't believe it. Ash had actually activated his aura on his own free will for the first time! Did this mean he was starting to get a good idea on how to use it properly?! Other times, it had just been by sheer chance, but he did just now knowing completely what he was doing! A new hope began to emerge within them. With Ash and Pikachu fighting as one with aura, there was no way they could lose!

Pikachu let out a cry and ran in front of Ash with a look that clearly said it was ready to battle. No words needed to be said between the two anymore because of their aura.

Recovering from his shock, Giovanni glared and seated himself back in his chair. "Whether you have aura or not does not make a difference. You can still never hope to beat Rhyperior!" he stated.

"We'll see about that," Ash uttered in a low tone.

"Pikachu!" the yellow rodent added.

Archer was still staring in surprise at the display before shaking his head to focus once more. "Resume the match!" he announced.

"Let's go, Pikachu! Use Agility!" Ash yelled.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as shot forward and began dashing around the room.

Ash felt really weird while Pikachu was running around the room. He could feel Pikachu's speed as it ran. It was almost he was literally fighting as one with Pikachu. Aura was incredible.

"Use Iron Tail!" Ash yelled next.

Before the Rhyperior could even react, Pikachu had leaped into the air before its tail glowed and smashed Rhyperior square in the face. It stumbled backwards while clawing at its face, clearly surprised that the attack actually hurt it a little bit.

Ash felt really weird while Pikachu was running around the room and attacking. He could feel Pikachu's speed as it ran. He could feel the power of its attacks. It was almost he was literally fighting as one with Pikachu. He was discovering something new about aura all the time. The first time he was able to hear Pikachu's voice audibly. The second time he was able to sense Serena's presence. The third time allowed him to connect with Pikachu's mind and tell its commands from there, and now this time it was letting him feel the power and speed of Pikachu's attacks! He wondered once he fully learned how to use aura if he could do all of these things at once.

"Your rodent is fast. I will give it that," Giovanni said with narrowed eyes.

"You haven't seen anything yet! Focus Blast, Pikachu!" Ash yelled. He didn't know what compelled him to tell Pikachu to use that attack, it just felt right.

"_Pikachu knows Focus Blast?"_ Serena thought to herself. That certainly was something she and the others weren't aware of.

Pikachu felt a huge wave of aura rush inside of it as it focused its mind on this attack. Pikachu didn't know it had this kind of power. Was the power of aura that Ash was granting it allowing it to be capable of using this attack? It grinned as it leaped at the Rhyperior, who still looked quite stunned.

"Rock Blast!" Giovanni growled.

Rhyperior conjured several rocks before blasting them at Pikachu, but the yellow rodent swiftly dodged the rocks by either leaping on top of them or going over or underneath them completely. It reached Rhyperior, and its tiny body became engulfed in a blue glow before blasting what looked like a large amount of aura into Rhyperior's chest area, actually knocking it off of its feet this time. Pikachu then landed on the ground before darting away again with Agility.

Everyone was staring completely wide-eyed at what was going on. How on earth was this Pikachu able to take on a Rhyperior, let alone cause damage to it?! This wasn't natural. How powerful was aura?!

"Grrr…I'm tired of your yellow rat already," Giovanni growled. "Use Earthquake to shake it up, Rhyperior!"

Rhyperior got up and stomped on the ground with massive force. The whole gym felt like it was shaking once more. Pikachu, while still running fast, became extremely wobbly.

"Use Stone Edge!" Giovanni called.

A giant sharp rock that seemed to come from the ground itself was summoned by Rhyperior and flung at Pikachu. The yellow rodent knew it wouldn't be swift enough to dodge it due to Earthquake. Pikachu grimaced at the enormous spike coming for it but knew Ash must have a plan.

Not one to disappoint, Ash called. "Break that rock with your Iron Tail, Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded its head after realizing this wasn't too different from when it was trying to dodge or break rocks during Brock's gym. Its tail glowed white for a second before it leaped into the air and slammed its glowing tail into the boulder, but something was wrong. It wasn't breaking!

"Pi?" Pikachu gasped as it grit its teeth in an effort to still shatter or at least knock the jagged rock away, but it didn't happen.

The force of the rock pressed on past Pikachu's Iron Tail and slammed into the yellow rodent, sending it flying through the air and onto the ground in pain. Ash himself gasped in pain as he fell to the floor onto his hands and knees. Did he just feel Pikachu's pain from the attacks? Was that part of the connection he had with Pikachu now? They were as one so he must feel any power or pain Pikachu felt.

"Ash!" Serena cried once she saw him fall to the ground.

"I'll be alright," Ash panted as he stood up, Pikachu doing the same.

"Hahaha! Did you think your pathetic rodent's attack would be enough to stand up to Rhypeior's? Know your limits. Even if you do have aura, Pikachu's strength can't hold a candle to my Rhyperior!" Giovanni smirked before calling, "Use Earthquake and then Drill Run!"

Rhypeior stomped the ground hard once more, and despite its heaviness, Rhyperior jumped into the air before spinning very quickly in a drill like fashion towards Pikachu. This was the attack that had knocked out Primeape. Pikachu wouldn't have enough time to run away due to the shakiness of Earthquake again. Ash grimaced when he realized that this was Giovanni's strategy. He would have Rhyperior use Earthquake before attacking to keep Pikachu's speed off balance.

Taking a careful look, Ash realized there was just enough room for Pikachu to duck underneath the Drill Run. It was risky, but it was the only option.

"Try to duck underneath it, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu let out a cry before throwing its hands over its head and lying as close to the floor as it possibly could. It felt the rush of air as Rhyerior sailed over it. Thinking the worst was over, Pikachu let out a sigh of relief until it turned and saw Rhypeior's fist coming towards it on the way by. Pikachu swiftly rolled out of the way and heard Ash's voice issue another command.

"Nice roll, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail again!" Ash called.

Pikachu saw Rhyperior was on its feet again and leaped into the air as its tail glowed white in preparation. Pikachu began to swing its Iron Tail right at Rhyperior's face but was surprise when…it ducked!?

Sure enough, Rhyperior bent forward and Pikachu sailed right over it. It looked like without the boost of Agility, Rhyperior would have enough time to dodge its attacks. Not to be fooled like this, Pikachu turned around in preparation to do Iron Tail again, but saw Rhyperior's tree trunk-like fist coming after it again. Pikachu narrowly avoided the punch and ended up using Iron Tail on Rhyperior's right arm, instead. Rhyperior roared more in aggravation than pain at the attack before swinging around its other arm and knocked Pikachu out of the air and onto the ground again.

Ash doubled over in pain once more as he gritted his teeth. Sweat began to come down his forehead as he tried to recover from the attack. Now he knew how all of his Pokemon felt when they were taking attacks. Rhyperior's punches really hurt.

"Aw, it seems using your aura has its drawbacks, after all. I take great delight in watching you on the floor in agony," Giovanni said while grinning sadistically.

Ash wasn't about to let Giovanni mock his aura like that. It was true that it hurt to be like this, but because of his aura connection with Pikachu, he was able to understand Pokemon better each time because of it. It was because of this connection that Ash would have a bond with his Pokemon that Giovanni could never even hope to have. He didn't care if Giovanni and his mom used to be lovers. When it came down to it, Giovanni was just an evil man who did whatever it took to meet his evil deeds.

Ash slowly stood back up and called out to his partner. "How are you feeling, Pikachu? Are you up for more?"

"Chu!" Pikachu answered as it jumped to its feet.

"Use Rock Slide to bury that Pikachu!" Giovanni growled.

Rhyperior once more summoned a large amount of rocks to throw at Pikachu. The yellow rodent reacted by leaping over the other rocks or skillfully moving out of their way. Upon seeing this, Rhyperior stomped the ground into an Earthquake once more and resumed throwing the enormous rocks at Pikachu. It still refused to give in though. Pikachu had been in this situation several times before. If it couldn't overpower the boulders, it could still dodge them.

"I grow tired of this game. Use Take Down Rhyperior!" Giovanni yelled.

Rhyperior then let out a battle cry as it charged towards Pikachu rather sluggishly but furiously, and it was still throwing rocks! It was using two attacks at one time!

Pikachu began to panic as it saw Rhyperior come closer. It wouldn't be able to get away so it had two options: be slammed by a giant rock or Rhyperior's giant body. Neither sounded like a good alternative. Pikachu continued to dodge the rocks despite the ground still shaking while Rhyperior grew ever closer.

"Watch out, Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu had its eyes on Rhyperior so it didn't notice a large boulder that was coming in from above it. It was the common error of never looking up. Pikachu realized what Ash was talking about and saw the boulder just before it came down. Pikachu tried to dodge it but was unsuccessful. The boulder caught Pikachu by its tiny arm completely smashing it and sending Pikachu to the ground. The large boulder remained on Pikachu's arm. It wasn't long before another boulder fell, this time on Pikachu's other arm. Now the yellow rodent was completely pinned to the ground with a boulder on each of its arms.

Ash hissed in pain as he felt effects the boulders caused Pikachu. He looked in alarm when he saw Pikachu struggling with all of its might to break free of the boulders. Rhyperior descended upon Pikachu and smirked when it saw the position its opponent was in.

"Actually, cancel that Take Down, Rhyperior. That Pikachu is at your mercy," Giovanni said.

Rhyperior then stopped charging at Pikachu once it reached it and looked down as it decided what to do. In desperation, Pikachu launched a Thunderbolt at Rhyperior, but even though it was charged by aura, the attack was completely ineffective against it. Rhyperior merely chuckled as though it had been tickled by the Thunderbolt rather than damaged by it. It then reached down and grabbed the rodent before ripping it free of both the boulders.

Pikachu, as well as Ash, let out a cry of anguish at being so forcefully pulled away from heavy objects like the boulders. Only Pikachu's head showed as Rhyperior's fist almost took up Pikachu's whole body. Pikachu squirmed helplessly in Rhyperior's giant fist as it tried to use aura to break free, but the drill Pokemon was too strong. Rhyperior looked at Pikachu in disdain for moment before hurling it to the gym floor with all of its might.

"Auuuuugh!" Ash screamed in pain as he collapsed to the ground. He fell flat on its stomach and shook several times on the ground. The pain was almost unreal.

"Chaaa! Chaaaa!" Pikachu cried while on the ground, as well. It could have sworn it felt its spine shatter from the force of the impact.

"Ash! Pikachu!" Serena yelled as she saw the two almost motionless on the ground. She began struggling in Ariana's grip to get to them, but a click of Ariana's gun reminded her to keep still. Serena was really beginning to get sick of that noise.

Both Pikachu and Ash got a panicked and horrified look on their face when they discovered Pikachu couldn't move any of its body parts below its neck at all! Actually, it couldn't feel anything below its neck! It was completely paralyzed!

Upon discovering Pikachu unable to move, Archer went to raise his hand, but Giovanni stopped him.

"Hold on, Archer. Don't call the match just yet. I want to finish this…completely," Giovanni finished the last part rather menacingly.

Upon seeing what Giovanni meant, Archer grinned evilly and brought his hand down to let the match go on. Several other Rocket members also grinned evilly. Even though it knew Pikachu couldn't move, Rhyperior dropped a large rock on each of its arms for good measure.

"Heheheh. Finish this with Horn Drill, Rhyperior. Teach those two a lesson they will never forget," Giovanni uttered darkly. The match was his and not even that troublesome boy's aura would get him out of this one. He was the world's greatest trainer and would never lose to a righteous boy like Ash Ketchum. Oh, how he would enjoy having this boy as prisoner every single day. What better way to start off his torture than by obliterating his Pikachu right in front of him. That yellow rat would be nothing more than a warped, bloody mess when Rhyperior was finished with it.

Rhyperior's horn began spinning extremely fast as it began to lean in to drill Pikachu, maybe in even drill a hole right through its little body. Pikachu wanted to cringe as it saw the spinning drill come closer and closer, but it couldn't even move to do that. The blue aura around it was flickering in and out as it and Ash struggled to maintain their connection with each other, but the excruciating pain that Ash was in made it very difficult.

"_I can't let it end like this," _Ash thought as he breathed heavily on the ground.

His aura had never failed him before. It had given him a brief advantage with extra powerful attacks, but in the end, Rhyperior was just too powerful and outclassed Pikachu by a long shot. This proved to Ash that just because he had aura, it didn't make him invincible. He weakly looked over at Pikachu and saw the terror in its eyes as the spinning horn came closer and closer.

"No, Pikachu," Ash muttered as he shakily reached out a hand towards it, only to have it drop to the ground in defeat. He was in too much pain. He had failed…

Brock and Misty closed their eyes and looked away. They didn't want to see what was about to become of Pikachu once that drill hit it. Delia's eyes watered as she hung her head in defeat. She couldn't bear to see her son and his Pokemon in so much despair. She couldn't help but feel she had failed him as a mother. She was so ashamed of her past, and her son was paying the price for it. Ash may blame himself, but this was all because of her. She wanted to call out to him, but any word she tried to shout died in her throat.

Serena's mouth quivered as she watched helplessly from the sidelines. She had promised Ash that she would always be there to help him in his time of need. What was happening right now? She was always telling Ash he didn't need to do things by himself, but this is what he had to do this whole match with Rhyperior. Not even his aura could fully help him right now because he couldn't properly use it. Here she was, on the other hand, in a submission hold like some damsel in distress. It wasn't fair that Ash always had fight the battles alone.

She couldn't stand being on the sidelines anymore. She swore that to herself the first day on her journey when a flock of Spearow was about to run him through. She swore it to him when they raided the Silph Company. She swore it that day when they and their Pokemon spent the night in the snow cave. She swore it the night she told him her true feelings, and she was swearing it now. She and Ash had been through so much together, and this is one of those times where they needed each other, as well.

Tears burned Serena's eyes as she wished for some sort of miracle to happen. She didn't care what it was as long Ash and Pikachu were helped in some way. She wanted to be there for Ash no matter what the circumstances were. That's how powerful her feelings were for him. She began silently praying as hard as she could for something to happen, something she could do to help. It was then something stirred inside of her. It was like some form of energy manifesting itself, but it felt different then what Ash described as when his aura was awakening in him, so what could it be? The energy seemed to be focused more on her mind then her soul. Larger and larger it grew until it began manifest around Serena as she felt a massive burst of emotion come from her. Ash was lying on the ground motionless. Pikachu was just short of being drilled through…

"Ash!" she screamed.

Ash and Pikachu's eyes both shot open as a bright light shined right into front of their eyes, and then there was nothing.

* * *

><p>White.<p>

That's all there was. White and nothing else.

Ash squinted his eyes as he attempted to shield himself from how bright everything was. As his senses adjusted, he realized he wasn't lying half dead on the gym floor anymore. He was standing perfectly upright and felt just fine. Where was he? Had he…died? As he looked around, that was all there was, just a plain nothingness that seemed to stretch for all eternity.

"Pika Pi?"

Ash's eyes jolted downward and saw his faithful rodent partner beside him. He thought Pikachu's bones had been completely shattered, rendering it unable to move once it was thrown into the ground at full force, but here it was, perfectly healthy, just as he was. What was going on?

"What happened, Pikachu?" Ash asked as he looked around.

There was nothing here. They certainly weren't in the Viridian Gym. There weren't surrounded by Rockets or in a heated battle or anything.

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu wondered in curiosity.

"Ash, Pikachu," a voice suddenly said behind them.

The two spun around and saw Serena standing there wearing just as much a bewildered expression as they were.

"Serena?" Ash asked in confusion. How was she here?

Serena, meanwhile, was wondering if she had caused this. There was huge wave of energy that rushed to her mind before seeming to project out onto the gym floor. Then she felt her mind be filled with an intense blue energy before finding herself here.

"I don't get," Ash said as he stared around. "The last thing I remember is lying down on the gym floor with Pikachu about to be hit with Horn Drill. Then I felt something rush into my mind that felt different form aura, but I had no idea what it was."

"That is sort of like with me," Serena replied. "Something strange happened inside of me before I felt something rush into my mind as well."

"Pikachuuuuu," Pikachu added, indicating it felt the same thing.

"But why were we feeling this?" Ash asked more to himself than anyone else.

"Is it the work of your aura?" Serena inquired.

"That can't be all of it," Ash answered. "Only Pikachu and I share a bond. If it was my aura, I don't think you would be here with us."

"But before we came here, I felt something strange inside of me," Serena spoke.

Ash's eyebrows instantly shot up as high as they would go at this bit of information. Say what?! There was no way Serena could have aura, too. If she did, Riley would have mentioned it to her. Errr…right?

"Really?" he asked in interest. "What was it like?"

"It was something deep within my soul. I never felt this feeling before. It was like it was asleep forever. It felt incredible, though, once it came. It was like my mind was strengthened because of this feeling, and then it manifested, and I briefly felt a power from you," Serena answered.

"You…you felt my aura?" Ash stuttered. "I don't understand how. What you're describing to me is different than aura. You said your source is from you mind. Aura is from the soul according to Uncle Riley."

"I don't think it's aura, either," Serena agreed. "But there's no doubt that I felt connected to you and Pikachu before we got here."

"So if all three of us felt a connection, does that mean we are in each other's minds?" Ash guessed. "This place is just an illusion in our heads?"

"Maybe, but what could have caused this?" Serena wondered.

"I don't know. Even when I have been connected with Pikachu, I've never been in this place before. If it is inside of our heads, we must have had an intense emotional feeling to wind up here. Pikachu and I felt an extreme sense of helplessness and fear at what was to come. We couldn't just sit back and let Giovanni do as he pleases, but I don't think that was all it was. Did you feel anything Serena?"

"I did," Serena confirmed. "I wanted to fight with you and Pikachu, too. I was tired of always sitting on the sidelines while you are in danger! I couldn't stand seeing you or Pikachu like that on the floor, and when you almost lost it when you found out the truth about your mother, I….there was a flash of white, and I was here."

"So all three of us were experiencing an extremely emotional moment," Ash figured. "I think that earlier guess is right. We are in some sort of illusion in our heads right now, but I still don't understand how you got here, Serena. You don't have aura."

"No, but I think I have something else," Serena said as she looked down at her feet as if thinking hard.

"Huh?!" Ash exclaimed as he and Pikachu stared at Serena with wide eyes.

"It's true. Ever since we started our journey together, I've received strange looks from certain people. The first one I noticed was Sabrina's father. The next one was Ms. Yellow while we were at your Uncle Riley's house, and last was Sabrina herself after we saved her. Ms. Yellow also told me that you and I will make a great team," Serena explained.

A look of realization seemed to dawn on Ash's face as he spoke next. "Those people have one thing in common."

"Ash, after feeling such power inside of my mind and the looks people have given me, I think I may have psychic powers," Serena stated while looking up and staring at him straight in the eye.

Now this was certainly a turn of events for Ash. All this time, he had thought he was the only one of the group who had certain types of powers, but if what Serena said is true, then she does, as well! Had they ever activated before, or were they just so dormant that hardly anyone ever picked up on it? Were they only just now awakened from the intense emotional feelings she had to help him?

"Wow. I don't know what to say," Ash muttered.

"I do," Serena rebutted as she went over to Ash and grabbed his hands. "I want to help you and fight with you."

"Serena? How can you help me with this Pokemon battle if you aren't battling?" Ash asked in a bewildered fashion.

"I'm not sure. I just know I can," Serena answered. "Remember what Ms. Yellow and Uncle Riley said? Aura and psychic powers compliment each other greatly. One focuses on the soul. The other focuses on the mind. When used together, they form an incredible force."

Ash's eyes suddenly lit up as he remembered the same thing. If he and Serena were able to combine their powers, they could surely take down Team Rocket. There was absolutely nothing they couldn't do as long as they worked together. They made a promise at the start of their journey and were going to keep it.

"You're right, Serena. We can fight this battle together. With you, there is no doubt Pikachu can take out that Rhyperior! We can win this fight!" Ash declared.

"Pi Pikachu!" the yellow rodent yelled.

"From now on, Ash, let's fight together. We'll never be by ourselves ever again," Serena stated with a smile.

"Definitely! Are you ready to do this?!" Ash asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I'm ready!" Serena declared with a nod.

"Chu!" the rodent confirmed as it grabbed their hands, as well.

The three stood there, knowing there was nothing that could stand in their way if they worked as a team. Serena didn't care if her psychic powers had just awoken, she was going to use them to help Ash. She was never going to be on the sidelines ever again. They were going to win! There was another flash of white light in front of their eyes and then…

* * *

><p>"Look out!" they heard Brock and Misty cry.<p>

The three quickly glanced around the room before realizing they were back in the Viridian City gym. Only blinking once to readjust themselves, they knew what they had to do. That Horn Drill was just seconds from coming to impale Pikachu, and they needed to stop that. Ash suddenly felt himself perfectly healthy once more and was in no pain. He looked at his arm and saw that the gash that Persian had given him earlier was gone, too!

"Break free of those rocks, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu, meanwhile, felt like it was getting supercharged. If it thought it felt powerful with Ash's aura inside of it, it felt almost invincible right now! It felt a strength it could never possess normally. It felt all of its broken bones healing inside of it. Soon, it was like nothing had happened as all of its bruises were gone, too. Pikachu felt as good as new! Was this extra power coming from Serena?

"Your rat can't break free. This is the end for you, Ash Ketchum!" Giovanni laughed.

Then, to his and everyone else's great surprise, the two rocks holding Pikachu in place completely shattered! Bits of debris went everywhere as Rhyperior had to shield itself from the rock shards hitting it. They didn't hurt, but they still took it by surprise. It looked at the spot where Pikachu once was and discovered it was gone!

Serena, meanwhile, had started to glow blue, as well. Her entire body was covered in a blue force of energy. Ariana looked down in shock and fear at what was going on. She instantly jammed her gun against Serena's temple.

"Wha-wha-what is this?!" she shrieked as she prepared to shoot Serena, but it didn't happen.

Serena turned towards Ariana with the angriest glare she could muster before her eyes glowed blue. Ariana was lifted off her feet and thrown several yards back where she hit a wall, completely dazed. All of the other Rockets, as well as Brock, Misty, Delia, and Cubone looked on in utter shock.

"What is going on with that girl twerp?!" Jessie exclaimed as she and others watched.

Serena's glowing blue field of energy soon intensified tenfold before she threw her arms and hands outward, sending out a huge wave of energy that blasted all of the Rocket members off of their feet. Delia, Misty, Brock, and Cubone were released from their captors as they were unharmed somehow. They couldn't believe it! Had Serena done this?!

"What is going on here!?" Giovanni roared as he saw all of his Rockets stunned into submission.

"It isn't against the rules," Ash asserted coolly from below. "If you can have help from your Rockets in the match, I can have help from Serena!"

"Grrr…how is she…," Giovanni growled, but found himself unable to finish his sentence. It was then he remembered the battle at hand. "Where is that Pikachu!?"

Ash smirked. "Why don't you look above you?"

Giovanni and Rhyperior both looked up in horror as they saw Pikachu speeding through the air like a bullet towards Rhyperior. They yellow rodent was covered with a massive field of blue energy.

"Hurry and use Rock Blast, Rhyperior!" Giovanni cried.

Rhyperior quickly summoned a large collection of rocks and shot them at Pikachu.

Pikachu didn't even seemed fazed as it saw the rocks coming closer. Its tail glowed white as it began to slice through each of the rocks like a hot knife through butter. Rhyperior's eyes put on total confusion. How was that even possible?! There was no way a tiny little runt should have been able to do that!

Pikachu soon descended upon Rhyperior as it gave a smile at the drill Pokemon before slamming into it full force with its aura covered body. Rhyperior gave a roar of pain as it skidded backwards several yards before glaring at Pikachu, but the rodent and Ash weren't done yet.

"Use Iron Tail!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu once more zipped towards Rhyperior and breakneck speed as Giovanni cried in desperation again.

"Use Earthquake to keep that Pikachu of balance!" Giovanni shouted.

Before Rhyperior could even plant its foot on the ground to shake it, Pikachu had already leaped into the air and slammed an aura covered Iron Tail right in Rhyperior's face. The drill Pokemon clawed at is face in agony as it struggled to maintain standing up. It swung its tree truck-like tail around and managed to knock Pikachu away, but it still wasn't going to let up on its flurry of attacks.

"Use Focus Blast!" Ash yelled as he pumped his fist into the air. Serena's eyes glowed blue once more as she and Ash both supercharged Pikachu once more for this attack.

"Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried as he tore across the ground before jumping straight for Rhyperior and throwing its fist which seemed to erupt with aura.

"Use Horn Drill!" Giovanni screamed in panic.

Rhyperior started spinning its horn very quickly as it charged towards Pikachu. The two Pokemon were closing in on each other. Ash and Serena stared hard with determination while Giovanni was sweating profusely but didn't let up on his glare. Just before Rhyperior was able to connect with Horn Drill, Pikachu ducked underneath it at the last second. Having made it past the horn, Pikachu blasted a burst of aura and psychic energy into Rhyperior with all its might, causing a huge explosion.

Everyone shielded their eyes as smoke came from every direction, almost taking up the entire gym room. Nobody took their eyes off the spot where the attack connected. Ash and Serena, still glowing blue, continued to stare ahead without a word. Giovanni was visibly shaking as he tried to restrain himself. Brock, Misty, and Cubone stared with their mouths completely open that Pikachu was even capable of something like that, as well as the surprise that Serena had some sort of power, too. Delia had her hands clasped as she prayed that his was all over. Just please let everyone be okay.

The smoke finally cleared after about a minute as Rhyperior's body was the first to appear. As more and more of the smoke cleared, they could see it clearly wasn't standing. Finally, after it was all gone, the scene that was revealed was Rhyperior flat on its stomach, unmoving. Pikachu was on top of Rhyperior's back striking a victory pose as it had completely knocked out the drill Pokemon.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu grinned.

"YEAAAAAAAAAH!" Ash suddenly hollered as he tore across the floor to give his buddy the biggest hug imaginable. He didn't need confirmation from Archer. Everyone knew the battle was over.

Likewise, Pikachu jumped off Rhyperior and ran towards Ash, too. They quickly closed the gap and reached each other within seconds. They two collided into each other and hugged each other the tightest they had ever done so. Ash and Pikachu suddenly felt their aura powered bodies fade away and their connection gone, along with Serena's, but that didn't matter right now. It seemed Ash still couldn't fully control aura yet, but that was okay. They really pulled through and defeated Giovanni.

Meanwhile, as soon as her powers faded away, Serena collapsed onto the ground on her hands and knees. She felt extremely tired and was sweating. Having just awoken, she couldn't properly control her powers so they really took a toll on her stamina, especially since she blasted all of the Rockets in the gym room into submission. She would need to be careful in case they awakened again.

"Cubone!" a familiar voice cried out.

Serena looked up and saw Cubone, Misty, and Brock rushing to her aid. Once they reached her, Cubone immediately started stroking her arm while Misty and Brock held her in return. Serena weakly smiled at all of them.

"Serena, what's going on?! What was that?!" Brock exclaimed.

"How were you able to do all of that?!" Misty added.

"I-I-think I have psychic abilities," Serena managed to mutter out.

"You're kidding! I don't understand!" Misty cried.

"Me neither, but it is the only explanation," Serena said lamely.

Delia was watching all the scenes around her with tears in her eyes as she watched her son hug his partner. Unable to hold back, she rushed forward to her son.

Ash looked up from his partner and saw his mom running for him. His eyes lit up in excitement as he began running, as well.

"Mom!" Ash hollered in excitement.

They reached each other and finally got to be the other's embrace after so long. Tears ran down both their faces after finally seeing each other again. This was truly a joyous occasion for both of them.

"Ash, I'm so proud of you!" Delia cried between tears.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Ash said as he looked up at her. "None of this would have happened if I didn't get in the way of Team Rocket and…"

"Ash, don't apologize for anything," his mother asserted. "It's okay. This is really my fault for being involved with Team Rocket in the first place."

Ash sniffed once more as he returned the hug to his mother. "I'm just so happy you're okay."

"It will be fine, Ash," Delia smiled lovingly at her son before hugging him once more. "I know I've said this before, but you are growing up to be an amazing and fine young man. I've never been prouder than to be the mother of such a great son."

Ash sniffed once more as he remembered the other reason he and Pikachu were able to win. It had been thanks to Serena. He turned towards her and gasped when he saw the state she was in. He was pretty tired, too, after using his powers, but he was more used to the effects by now so he wasn't as exhausted as she was. He and Pikachu immediately ran over to her and kneeled down beside her, Delia following him.

"Serena! Are you okay!?" Ash asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Ash," Serena panted. "I guess using all of that energy really took a lot out of me."

Ash suddenly leaned forward and gave Serena a tight hug. Serena was rather surprised by this gesture but graciously accepted it. Ash had no doubt that he was able to win this battle because of Serena's help. It had been her that had said she didn't want to stay on the sidelines anymore. She was the one who wanted to fight with Ash. She was making sure that Ash and Pikachu were never alone again.

Ash knew there was no mistaking Serena's strong feelings for him right then and there. What she said the night of her birthday was completely genuine, and after having this battle and fighting with Serena, Ash realized how much he and Serena really completed and complimented each other. Ash now knew how important Serena was to him and didn't even want to think of what his life would be like without her. Was that…love? Was this what he had felt for Serena all along, as well? It had to be. Ash gasped as he finally realized his true feelings for Serena. He liked her, too, and he was elated. As they pulled away, Ash looked Serena straight in the eye.

"Serena, I think I get it now," Ash said seriously.

Serena got a questioning look on her face. "Get what, Ash? What do you mean?"

"I've realized what you've felt for me this entire time, and I can finally say I'm feeling the same thing for you," Ash elaborated.

Serena's eyes suddenly lit up hopefully. "You-you mean…?

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "We are perfect for each other, and there is no other girl I'd rather be with than you."

"Really?" Serena began to redden furiously despite her tired state. Brock, Misty, Delia, Pikachu, and Cubone snapped their attention to Ash. Were they really hearing him correctly?! Was he about to confess?

"That's right," Ash confirmed as he took a deep breath. "Serena, I know you like me, and now I've finally realized that I like…"

He was cut off by the sound of clapping. He and everyone else turned their attention the podium where Giovanni was, clapping very slowly. The sounds were reverberating off of the gym walls causing an echo. He was wearing a smirk on his face. All of the other Rockets were beginning to stir as they regained consciousness from being knocked senseless by Serena's powers. Even Giovanni's Persian was finally starting to wake up. The group had completely forgotten about them in all of their elation!

"Hahahaha! Well done, Ash Ketchum! That was truly a spectacular match!" Giovanni praised while he continued to smirk and clap his hands. Despite his words and clapping, the group could tell there was menace in his voice as all of the other Rockets in the room were glaring.

"You truly are a gifted trainer just like your father, Red, and the fact that the girl has special powers like you was truly a sight to behold!" Giovanni continued. "I have lost an official gym match and am now obligated to give you the Earth badge. It is rightfully yours! Take it!"

With that, Giovanni reached into his coat pocket before revealing a green badge that looked like a leaf. He then astutely tossed the badge across the room towards Ash. The raven haired boy reached up and caught the badge while staring at it curiously. He really just earned the Earth Badge from Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, and he could now qualify for the Pokemon League.

Ash looked up from the badge before glaring again at Giovanni. "Don't forget the other part of our deal if I won."

"Yes. Yes. I remember. As promised, I will disband Team Rocket from this day forward," Giovanni said while waving his hand dismissively. He then cast an extremely dark look on his face. "However…,"

All the Rockets in the room immediately raised their guns in the air and clicked them before pointing them straight at the group. They all grew increasingly alarmed as they stared up in Giovanni in shock.

"You and your friends won't be around to see it," Giovanni finished with an evil grin.

Everyone gasped upon hearing that.

"You double crosser!" Ash screamed.

"Silence, boy! When did I ever promise in the deal that you and your friends would live through this!?" Giovanni shouted back. He then turned to the two executives still by his side before nodding to the other Rockets in the room. "You may fire when ready. Kill Ash and Delia first. They are the biggest offenders!"

Ash clenched his teeth and shut his eyes. There was no getting out of this. There were no aura or psychic powers to help out. There were no Pokemon battle or talks to stall time anymore. Everything was truly going to end here, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Ash suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder as turned to see Brock and Misty nod their heads. Taking the cue, Ash grabbed their hands back. Delia was next as she wasn't going to leave her son's side, even in the face of death. Pikachu and Cubone were next as they hopped into Ash's arms protectively. They were going to go out together and wouldn't leave his side. Finally, there was Serena who managed to push herself up from the ground into a standing positon. She clung onto Ash's arm as she leaned against. She wasn't going to let go. The group all gave one last defiant flare at the evil man.

"There is no escape from this one, Ash Ketchum," Giovanni smirked as the Rockets took aim and prepared to shoot. "There is nothing or no one to save you this time. Not he police. Not the Kanto Champion or your friends. Not even your wretched fa..."

There was suddenly a loud booming noise that shook the entire building, effectively cutting Giovanni off and causing the Rockets to lose aim and instead fire upwards where the noise was. A second later, a large hole was blasted through the roof of the Viridian gym building as what was clearly Hyper Beam came through before landing on the ground and exploding.

Everyone in the room stared in utter shock as two Pidgeot and a Wigglytuff poured in from the ceiling. The group gasped as they saw Blue and Yellow atop their Pidgeot, Rose atop her Wigglytuff along with…Gary and Leaf!? They were all okay!

Everyone's attention was drawn to the ceiling again as a majestic and powerful cry sounded from outside before the source revealed itself. The last one to come in the building was a large draconic like Pokemon that was light orange in color. It had a round snout with a large tail with a cream colored underbelly and small wings. It was a Dragonite, one of the rarest Pokemon in the world. They group, as well as the Rocket members, were completely amazed.

However, the shock of seeing a Dragonite was nothing compared to what the group felt upon seeing who was riding the Dragonite, especially Ash and Delia. The person leaped off the Dragonite before landing on the podium Giovanni was standing on. The person's eyes glowed blue before completely blasting the other two Rocket executives off the platform with a burst of aura, leaving only him and Giovanni on the podium.

The group continued to stare in total shock as the person took a step closer to Giovanni, giving him a very dangerous expression. The man was tall and thin with very messy black hair. He was clothed in a black undershirt with a red, sleeveless jacket that was zipped up, a pair of blue jeans, with black and red shoes and a red hat.

Ash and Delia had their mouths hanging open in utter shock at who it was. The last time they had seen this man was over a year ago. It was actually _him! _He was here!

Giovanni, meanwhile, had his eyes grow large as he took a step back out of reflex. How could this be?! It was implausible!

"You…you…," he managed to stutter out, unable to finish due to his shock.

Red Ketchum, father of Ash and husband of Delia, had arrived.

* * *

><p><strong> Red finally makes an appearance! Yeah!<strong>

**Okay. First things first. I KNOW THAT PIKACHU CAN'T LEARN FOCUS BLAST NATURALLY, only through a tm. It was only able to use Focus Blast because it was charged with aura, and Focus Blast reminds me of a very aura-like move. It is the same reason why Pikachu can use "Thunder" so early. It can only use these attacks when it is given a power boost by aura. It can't use them by itself.  
><strong>

** This was the last time Ash's aura will appear in the Kanto arc and the only time Serena's psychic powers will be used in the Kanto arc, too. Naturally, she's extremely exhausted from using them so extensively after just awakening them. As expected, Ash needed a miracle to win, and it happened! I really hope you all enjoyed my first six on six battle and Viridian gym battle. Please be sure to let me know what you thought of it in a review as they always help, good or bad.**

** I'd like to say there will be an update next week so you can read what happens now that Red is here, but unfortunately, I can't. Something has come up to where I won't be able to update next week. Instead, it will be two weeks from today on January 20 when the next chapter will be uploaded. Sorry but life is in the way right now! See you guys in the next chapter! Thanks for all the support!**

**Chapter 48: Forgiveness**

**Answering the Questions:**

_When the group finally gets to Johto and reach the Characific Valley, how will you keep people from getting confused by the names of Serena and Liza's Charizard since they'll both be named Charla?_

_**Liza's Charla won't appear in this fic. **_

_How many pokemon movies do you plan to use in all?_

_**The only ones I'm certain about doing are "Mewtwo Strikes Back", "The Power of One", "Latios and Latias", and "Lucario and the Mystery of Mew". Everything else is either a no or I'm not sure yet. I already know I'm not doing "Spell of the Unown" due to it not being relevant enough to this story, or "Pokemon 4ever" because I'm going to devise my own arc with Celebi during Johto.**_

_Are u going to have Pikachu lean Fly and Surf?_

_**It won't learn Fly, but Surf is possible much later down the road…like in Sinnoh.**_

_Are you planning on evolving Bulbasaur and Squirtle? Will Squirtle go back to the Squirtle Squad?_

_**Squirtle's been a Wartortle for like…six chapters now. Does that answer your question?**_

_ARE YOU GONNA GET GARY AND LEAF TOGETHER?_

_**As stated before, I don't really like Oldrivalshipping. I prefer to ship Leaf with Ash but since he's taken with Serena, I have to ship her with someone, and Gary is the closest guy. That being said, there were several cute and heartfelt moments between Gary and Leaf like the past couple of chapters have shown, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will end up as a final pairing in this story. A few characters may go through another relationship before settling for the final relationship. The only constant one so far is Ash x Serena. Gary and Leaf may end up as a final pairing, but then again, they might not. Rest assured, each final pairing in this series is the one that I believe will be best for the fanbase, myself, and of course, the story as a whole.**_

_You said Ash's father is Red but Blue is the champion. What is Red then?_

_**It's a secret for now and won't be revealed until much later. I will be dropping hints along the way, though.**_

_Will Silver have a Raichu as his main Pokémon?_

_**No.**_

_I know that you like Advanceshipping, so are you going to keep Amourshipping?_

_**Absolutely. Amourshipping is constant throughout the entire series and is the only certain pairing throughout the story. However, because I still like other ships with Ash, there will be some slight Advanceshipping and Pearlshipping moments in the future arcs, but not romantic related because Ash and Serena will be a couple by then, and Ash would never cheat on Serena. The Advance and Pearl moments will more reflect on a great friendship and closeness with Ash and said girl than a romantic pairing. Ash will have a great student/mentor relationship with May and the high fives and cheerleading will still be Dawn's thing.**_

_If Giovanni keeps his word and disbands Team Rocket, who is going to be the criminal organization in Johto?_

_**You'll find out very soon.**_

_What made u decide to use pokemon from other regions?_

_**The only Pokemon I'm using from other regions are evolved forms of already previously existing Pokemon. (Crobat, Rhyperior, Tangrowth, Lickilicki, etc.) The only exceptions to this rule was Lucario because it was necessary for aura and Togepi because it appeared that early anyway. There won't be Pokemon like Torterra or Sharpedo busting into the story until their respective regions.**_

_Will ash and serena trade pokemon in any arcs?_

_**It's certainly possible.**_

_When will Krabby get to back onto the team and evolve?_

_**Not until the Pokemon League.**_

_Will Ash ever receive a psychic type in any of the regions?_

_**Yes.**_

_Are you going to fix the obvious issue the ending to Ash vs Ritchie?_

_**I won't reveal who wins between those two, but I will say that if Ash loses, it won't be because Charizard refused to battle.**_

_Has Paul already defeated the Viridian Gym?_

_**Yes. Paul already has eight badges and will be in the Pokemon League. He had no problems with Giovanni because Giovanni had no problem with him.**_

_Since theres a little less than a month until your 1 year anniversary of starting this story, I was wondering if you plan to do anything special for it._

_**It would be nice to, but I can't promise anything. My goal was to be done with the Kanto arc in a year, but it looks like it will take slightly longer.**_

_When Ash and Silver meet, will they become close despite them being half brothers and not knowing each other during their childhood or have confrontation?_

_**Ash and Silver will meet in the Johto arc. Put quite bluntly, they are going to hate each other's guts at first.**_

_Will the character Dr. Yung from "The Mystery of Mirage Pokémon" appear?_

_**Probably not because the mirage Pokemon movie isn't one of the ones I plan on doing.**_

_Will dratini ever evolve in any arc?_

_**Yes, but not in Kanto.**_


	49. Forgiveness

**A/N: Hey everyone! I had today off from work so I decided to post this chapter a day early because there wasn't an update last week. I don't particularly like cliffhangers and having to make you guys wait, but sometimes cliffhangers are the most appropriate place to end a chapter unless you wanted to do a random thing like "And Primeape used Karate Chop". Such a thing would be completely unprofessional. That being said, sometimes cliffhangers have to happen whether you or I like them or not which is what some people can't seem to understand, and that's very annoying when they bash me for it in a review. (I mean actually bash me! I've deleted most of those reviews of course) Thank goodness everybody isn't like that.**

**With what happened if my life last week, I'm very glad to have gotten that out of my way and such a break was necessary. Once again, some people just can't seem to grasp that I have a life outside of this story which is also very annoying. For those of you that are supportive whether I do cliffhangers or not or say I can't update on this particular week, thank you from the bottom of my heart for understanding. **

**That being said, enjoy the chapter. I think you guys will be very pleased with it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 48: Forgiveness<p>

Ash continued to stare with his mouth completely open in shock. His father, Red, whom he hasn't seen in over a year, had just dropped in completely unexpected. Where had he come from? Who contacted him? How did he know to come here? Ash's mind was a complete blur as so many questions were swimming through his head. He didn't even know what to say.

After recovering from his surprise at the sudden appearance, Giovanni face took on a menacing tone as he spoke his next words. "So you're back?"

"I am, and I will tell you only once to leave my family alone. You're finished, Giovanni," Red uttered, speaking for the first time.

"Heheheh. I think not. I'm not even going to ask how you managed to avoid the bombs I had set up at my base, but I can still take care of you here. In fact, it's better if I see you die in person," Giovanni smirked as he raised his hand to give the signal.

The Rocket members raised their guns once more in preparation to shoot Red but found the guns lifted from their hands and dissolved in midair. Everyone gasped at sight as they turned to find the culprit was Yellow. Her eyes were glowing blue as she appeared to be concentrating very hard. It was quite surprising to everyone, even the ones who knew her. They knew Yellow had psychic powers but didn't know they were _that _powerful. Upon doing the incredible act, Yellow gasped and held her chest while panting while Rose and Grace went to support her. Serena stared in surprise. Would she be able to do something like that one day?

Giovanni clenched his hands and his teeth as he turned back to give Red a furious glare, while Red stared back, not angrily, but it still seemed to show authority. So Red thought he was so big and bad, did he? He hated this man with a passion. He had stolen his son, his ex-lover, and now he thought he could shut down this organization?! He needed to be a taught a lesson no matter what the cost. His Persian, now recovered from being attacked, joined Giovanni by his side, and it hissed threateningly at Red. Red's Dragonite thundered down onto the platform beside him and glared at the Persian.

"It doesn't end here. I don't need those to destroy you! Our Pokemon can do that!" Giovanni roared. "Everyone! Release your Pokemon and destroy them once and for all!"

Pokeballs were soon flying in the air as every Rocket member in the room released all of their Pokemon from their pokeballs. They soon ordered all of their Pokemon to attack anything in their way. This was their last stand.

The group wasn't going to take this, however. They soon released all of their Pokemon to fight, as well. Blue, Rose, Yellow, Red, Ash, Brock, Serena, and Misty all fought. Delia was being shielded by Ash during the fight since she had no Pokemon of her own. Ash had to throw her out of the way of several incoming attacks because most of them seemed to be directed at either him or Delia.

It was utter chaos in the gym right now due to the number of Pokemon dueling. Several Rocket members were being knocked out due to being hit by their team members' own attacks. The most heated battle, however, was going on between Red's Dragonite and Giovanni's Persian.

"This is crazy! It's getting hard to tell which Pokemon are friends or foe!" Misty cried before she was blasted back by a stray Rock Slide. She screamed in pain as she slumped against the wall breathing heavily.

"Misty!" Serena cried as she directed Charla to fire a Flamethrower at the Pokemon that hit her, a Dugtrio. Misty's Pokemon joined in the attack, also, even Psyduck (though unsuccessfully).

Charla obeyed the command and shot a monstrous Flamethrower towards the triple mole Pokemon. It was engulfed in the flames before slumping over in defeat.

With that taken care of, Serena, Brock, Leaf, and Gary rushed over to Misty, trying to dodge as many attacks as they could. Serena was noticeably slower as she was still exhausted from using her psychic powers earlier. Ash was unable to move due to trying to protect his mom and himself. Misty was groaning in pain as she leaned against the wall. Those rocks really packed a punch and she was covered in bruises and scrapes.

Brock kneeled down and took her in his arms to sit her up. "Misty, can you stand?" he asked worriedly.

Misty gritted her teeth as she slowly tried to push herself up. "I think I'll be okay. It shouldn't be anything that a few band-aids shouldn't fix," she murmured.

The Dragonite and Persian continued to trade blows back and forth. One would think a Dragonite would absolutely crush a Persian due to the difference in power, but Giovanni's Persian was still stronger than one would think. Upon seeing his dad somewhat struggling against Giovanni, Ash ran towards the podium and told his other Pokemon to protect his mom as he ran as he could while trying to dodge all of the attacks flying around. Pikachu was right on his heels. He ran up the steps and reached the platform Red and Giovanni were on and immediately told Pikachu to launch a Thunderbolt, which it did.

The attack soared through the air and struck Persian as it screeched at the pain. It turned an evil eye over to Pikachu before leaping towards the rodent with outstretched claws, prepared to crush its throat. Dragonite instantly intervened and knocked the Persian away against the wall. Now that it had been subdued, Red ordered the finishing blow.

"Dragonite, use Hyper Beam!" he yelled.

Dragonite took a deep breath before launching a very large and powerful beam at the Persian. The classy cat Pokemon's eyes grew wide with terror as it saw the beam coming closer and closer. The attack then slammed into with the force of a train before exploding. Once the smoke cleared, Persian was out cold. Despite being stronger than the average Persian, it didn't stand a chance against Dragonite's Hyper Beam.

Giovanni stood in shock as he had lost again, and this time to Red. He turned to see how the other Rockets were faring, and frowned with dismay and hopelessness that they were losing, as well. More and more of his teammate's Pokemon were getting knocked out before the Rockets themselves being brought into submission. Giovanni clenched his fists at how hopeless the situation had become. He couldn't believe this! He was the leader of a world class criminal organization, and now, his ambitions were coming to an end because of that dreadful Ketchum family. Despite this, he couldn't help but feel a small shred of respect for Red and Ash.

"Enough!" Giovanni called to his subordinates

The Rockets instantly halted their attacks and looked up at their boss. They knew that things looked bad, too. They hoped he had some sort of plan.

"Stop attacking. We have lost," Giovanni muttered in defeat.

This immediately drew a reaction from the Rockets as they started to protest with various shouting. Everyone else, however, breathed a huge sigh of relief. The Rocket boss knew he had lost now.

"Silence!" Giovanni shouted again which immediately made them stop. He then turned to Red and Ash. "So it seems that you two have finally bested me. It truly was a spectacular fight, Red. You and Ash are definitely gifted Pokemon trainers and will go far with your careers, though I'm sure Red already has."

The two said nothing as they continued to stare at Giovanni, wondering what he was going to do next. What he said next completely surprised them, as well as the others.

"Having lost my ultimate fighting weapon and to my two biggest enemies, I cannot face my team members without feeling deep shame," Giovanni continued as he started to back up towards the wall where his Persian was. "I am disbanding Team Rocket immediately. You win."

"Boss! You can't be serious!" one Rocket exclaimed.

"I am serious. We are no more," Giovanni said sternly as he reached his Persian.

Red then stepped up. "Does that mean you are going to come quietly with us, Giovanni? If you're lucky, jail is all you will get for the horrible crimes you committed."

Giovanni then smiled. "Oh, I don't plan on coming at all. Jail is not a life suited for me. Team Rocket is no more, but I'm not going to come with you at all."

Knowing he was planning to get away, Red, Ash, and Blue rushed at him, but it was too late. Giovanni reached into his pocket before withdrawing a small rectangular device and pressing a button. A small area in the floor opened up beneath him, and Giovanni dropped down into it with his Persian. Red and Blue attempted to go after him, but the door had already shut.

Blue slammed his fists against the wall and growled that they didn't see this coming. "That slime. He got away."

Upon seeing their boss gone, and surrounded by a very powerful group of children and adults, the remaining Rockets in the room instantly threw their hands up in surrender. There was nothing they could do now unless they wanted to end up worse than they already were.

While the adults began to subdue all of the Rockets, Ash turned and saw Serena staring at him a huge smile on her face. Knowing exactly what she was wanting, he ran down the podium away from his dad and towards her. He didn't stop running until he reached her and immediately threw his arms around her. As she hugged him back, Ash remembered what he was going to tell her before Giovanni interrupted them. Maybe now wasn't the best time, but he would be sure to tell her soon. The rest of the group looked on with smiles on their faces.

Ash finally let out a huge sigh of relief. Despite Giovanni managing to get away, it was finally over. It was like a huge weight had come off of Ash. The criminal organization of Team Rocket was finally taken down. No more danger of taking over cities, no more evil threats, and best of all, his mom and friends were finally safe and could live in peace rather than on the run.

"Alright everyone. The police are on their way right now to arrest the remaining Rockets. I say we all head back to Pallet Town after this," Blue announced before his eyes shifted to Ash, Serena, Brock, and Misty. "As for you four, I thought we made it specifically clear for you to stay at the lab."

"Uh, yes. That's true," Ash muttered with his head down as he let go of Serena.

"Blue," Delia muttered sadly, but she was stopped by him holding up his hand.

"However, I suppose we should all thank you. If it wasn't for you disobeying us, we may not have gotten here to save Delia in time. You really are like Red over there," Blue smirked as he jammed his thumb over in Red's direction, who merely stood there before smirking, as well.

Red and Blue had been intense rivals in their childhood, much like how Ash and Gary were. However, the two had since grown up from their childish ways and were the best of friends despite how much they seemed to dislike the other. It was all in good fun and they knew it.

"Eheheheheh! Thanks, Mr. Blue," Ash responded as he rubbed the back of his head. He was cut off as Leaf, Yellow, and Rose ran up to him and almost crushed him in their hugs, which Ash returned. Gary merely watched from the side with a smile on his face like his father, Blue.

The reunions were stopped once again as Red approached Ash. Upon seeing him, Rose, Yellow, and Leaf let go of him and stood back to allow the two to speak. Ash said nothing as he watched his dad come closer and closer. Despite just battling by his side a mere few moments ago, and it was him who clearly saved their lives, Ash still didn't know what to say to Red.

"Ash, once things settle down here, I would like to talk with you and your mother. I think you two deserve an explanation," Red said.

Ash continued to stare back with little emotion in his eyes. This man played such a small part in his early childhood and was wanting to talk now? Ash turned towards his friends and saw them all nod their heads in affirmation before finally seeing his mom join him and rest her hands on his shoulders as she gazed lovingly at Red.

"Ash, I would like to explain everything to you, too," Delia told him.

Ash sighed as he thought he at least owed his dad that much for saving them. If nothing else his mom seemed to want to talk. She could probably shed more light on her past with Giovanni and his dad.

"Alright. That will be fine," Ash confirmed with a nod. He didn't know what his mom and dad had in store for him, but they were still parents, and he would listen.

Visible relief seemed to cross their smiles as they went over to embrace Ash. As Ash hugged them back, he suddenly realized something that didn't seem right. He saw all of the Rockets in the room in complete surrender. They were either being held at bay by the group's Pokemon or knocked out. Confusion was etched on his face as he looked around and didn't see any of the Rockets he was most familiar with: Jessie, James, Meowth, Butch, Cassidy, and the executives. Had they gotten away, too? Had Giovanni not been the only one to escape?

"Ash, what's wrong?" Serena asked worriedly as she noticed his expression. Everyone else noticed, too, and looked at him curiously.

"Giovanni wasn't the only Rocket who got away," Ash muttered as he looked around, causing the other people, Pikachu, and Cubone to gasp.

Serena looked around next and noticed some of their absence, as well. Where were those five and the executives?! Brock and Misty realized it next as their faces darkened with a grim expression. If those Rockets were still on the loose, things might not be so peaceful, after all.

* * *

><p>"Boy, oh boy! Am I glad we hightailed it out of there as soon as those twerps' parents showed up!" Meowth exclaimed as they dashed through a few alleyways in Viridian City.<p>

"Tell me about! It's times like this when I'm not ashamed to be a coward! I won't look good in prison stripes!" James added.

"Quit talking and just keep running! We want to be as far away from that place as we can to escape the police!" Jessie exclaimed.

As the trio continued to run away, hands suddenly reached out from a secluded part of the alley and yanked them to the side. The three were pulled away off their path and slammed up against one of the walls. As they stared in fear at who could have grabbed them, they realized it was none other than their executives: Archer, Ariana, Proton, and Petrel. A quick glance to the side proved that Cassidy and Butch were against the wall already, as well, and even Professor Namba!

"Going somewhere?" Archer asked dangerously.

Jessie gulped before answering. "Well, yes. We were just going to run away and live decent lives from now on since the boss disbanded Team Rocket, and hopefully avoid the police in the process."

"Team Rocket is NOT disbanded," Ariana asserted.

"What do you mean? Isn't that what the boss said? We heard him with our own ears!" Meowth replied.

"Are you actually going run away and quit being Team Rocket members because of some _kid?" _Proton growled, but trying to keep his voice down to avoid being overheard.

"Well, yes. If that's what the boss orders," James answered with a sheepish grin.

James was immediately silenced as he was punched across the face by Proton. He rubbed his sore cheek and glanced woefully at the Team Rocket executives. A bruise was clearly forming where he was hit. Jessie and Meowth glanced worriedly at James, but didn't say anything for fear of their wrath.

"You idiot! We still have a special battalion of Rocket agents on standby awaiting further orders! Weren't you listening to Giovanni when he gave orders to abandon the headquarters?!" Proton growled.

"So what did you have in mind?" Jessie asked to draw the executives' attention away from James' foolish comment.

"Just because our boss is gone doesn't mean we can't still be Team Rocket," Petrel said.

"That's right. He may have disbanded Team Rocket, but we can still stir up trouble at other places, and all of you are going to help us," Proton smirked as he gestured to Jessie, James, Meowth, Cassidy, Butch, and Namba.

"How are we going to do anything here? The police are bound to look for any remaining Rocket members. How would we get away from everything?" James timidly asked in fear of being struck again. Thankfully, it didn't come.

"With the police and Pokemon League organization breathing down our necks, it will be hard to get anything done in Kanto," Ariana stated.

"That's right. We shall leave this region and go someplace where we aren't as well known. We will go someplace where we can rebuild our forces and announce a glorious comeback!" Archer declared. "Giovanni will return. We refuse to be disbanded because of some brat and his friends. It is too disgraceful."

"Team Rocket has had a mere setback, but we refuse to go down like this," Proton added.

"So where are we going?" Jessie asked in curiosity. Could they really disobey the boss' direct orders to disband Team Rocket like this? Well, she supposed he wasn't their boss anymore, but still.

"We're heading to Johto," Archer replied darkly as he narrowed his eyes.

* * *

><p>Evening was approaching, and it had been over an hour since the police had arrived at the Viridian City gym. They were still clearing the place of all the Rockets and searching around the building for any that could possibly be hiding. Another battalion of police were at their former headquarters to take any dangerous devices they left behind.<p>

Ash didn't say much as he stared at the building in front of him, Pikachu on his shoulder. This had probably been the most intense day he had ever experienced in his life. Giovanni had been the gym leader of Viridian City all along. It had been full of too many close calls, and Ash was both physically and mentally exhausted. He had rushed straight to the Viridian gym to rescue his mom. He learned a devastating secret about the connection between Giovanni and his parents. He won his final gym match after a long and arduous battle, and to top everything off, his father, Red, showed up.

"Hey, Ash," a voice said behind him.

Ash and Pikachu both turned around to see Leaf, Gary, and Serena smiling at him, each holding a bottle of water. Cubone was next to them. Serena was holding an extra one in her other hand before handing it to Ash.

He graciously accepted the drink before unscrewing the cap and taking a long draft of it. It felt very refreshing as it rushed down his dry throat.

"So it's finally over," Serena began.

"Yeah. I think it is," Ash confirmed.

It was true that the executives and a few other Rockets were missing, but everyone doubted they could cause too much trouble without the leadership of Giovanni. However, the police assured them that they would be on the lookout since they knew their descriptions.

Ash then smiled as he opened his jacket and saw his latest achievement. All eight of the Kanto badges were pinned to the inside of his jacket, and what a beauty they were to behold. He now qualified to be entered in the Pokemon League. If it wasn't for the other events that happened today, Ash would probably be leaping for joy. Still, all of them held a very special meaning in his heart, but it was the newest badge he collected, the Earth badge, that held the most meaning. It was a symbol of how he defeated the boss of Team Rocket in a six on six match, and he would make sure to remember this day for the rest of his life.

"Those badges look really good on you," Leaf said with a smile.

"Thanks," Ash smiled back before something occurred to him "I'm glad you and Gary are okay. What happened exactly?"

"Well, put quite simply, I decided to go on and head off to the Viridian City gym to get my eighth badge. I got tired of waiting for you to catch up, Ashy boy," Gary started arrogantly but was elbowed by Leaf in the side.

As Gary grunted in pain, Leaf finished for him. "We all rode to the Viridian Gym in Gary's convertible to watch his match."

"Yeah," Gary added as he picked it back up. "We got into the gym, and it started off just like any other match with gym leader. I thought the man sounded familiar, but didn't think anything of it."

"So you didn't know the gym leader was Giovanni while you were battling him?" Ash asked.

"I couldn't tell because he was in the shadows most of the match. The battle I had with him was exceedingly easy. I couldn't help but feel he was toying with me during the match, but against my better judgment, I taunted him, and he seemed to get angry," Gary explained.

Ash and Serena both cocked their heads to the side in confusion. Giovanni toyed with Gary Oak during an official gym match? What was he playing at? Ash's gym battle with Giovanni had been anything but kidding around.

"Anyway, I defeated his three Pokemon, and he gave me the Earth Badge," Gary continued. "He then asked me to face his strongest Pokemon, but I declined it."

"His strongest Pokemon? Was it Rhyperior?" Ash asked curiously.

Now it was Gary and Leaf's turn to give Ash a look of confusion. "A Rhyperior? No way that was it. Where did you hear something like that?" Gary wondered.

Ash, Pikachu, Serena, and Cubone exchanged glances with each other upon hearing that. Rhyperior wasn't Giovanni's strongest Pokemon? If not, what was it?

"It became quite clear that Giovanni wasn't just planning on letting us walk away from his gym," Leaf said. "He told us that we would have to defeat his strongest Pokemon in order to leave."

"What was this Pokemon like?" Serena inquired.

Gary and Leaf looked down at the ground with a grim expression on their faces before going on. "That is the thing. We didn't get good look at it because it was covered in a lot of armor. Leaf and I went to scan it with our pokedexes, but it destroyed them right in front of our eyes!" Gary told them.

"It destroyed your pokedexes?" Serena and Ash gasped.

"That's right. Then Giovanni told Leaf and I that we could use as many Pokemon as we liked against it. Despite us using all of our Pokemon, we were still no match for it. We were knocked out cold and woke up in a prison cell at their base."

"I don't get. What Pokemon could have done that?" Ash wondered

"Ash," Gary said seriously. "The Pokemon we're talking about is Mewtwo. Surely you saw it in there like we did. Didn't Giovanni use it against you?"

Ash and Serena's eyes both widened as they tried to jog their memories on where they heard the name Mewtwo before. If they weren't mistaken, they believed Giovanni mentioned it to them when they first encountered him at the Silph Company. He said they were working on creating the world's most powerful Pokemon, and needed the Master Ball in case something went wrong. They had succeeded?

"Gary, I didn't face Mewtwo in there," Ash replied as his face paled. "He said his most powerful Pokemon was Rhyperior before sending it out."

"It wasn't there?" Leaf asked in confusion. "You mean you didn't defeat it?"

"No. I never even saw it. This is the first time I'm hearing about it," Ash said. "So that means Team Rocket succeeded in getting Mewtwo."

"Wait a second," Gary interrupted as he held right hand up. "You mean to tell me you were in a fight for your life as well as everyone else against Giovanni, and he didn't use Mewtwo against you?!"

Ash suddenly realized the truth of Gary's words as it dawned on him. Something was definitely wrong. If Giovanni did indeed have Mewtwo in his possession, why not use it? Ash was certain Giovanni would have wanted to kill him and his friends with that Pokemon, but Giovanni didn't even make a mention of Mewtwo in the gym.

"No. We never saw it," Serena answered for Ash.

The four humans all looked at each other as they realized the same thing. If Ash didn't see Mewtwo inside the gym, and all of the police made no mention of something strange in the gym, that meant that Mewtwo was still out there. This was not good at all.

"Guys. I have a bad feeling about this. If Mewtwo is cloned from the legendary Pokemon, Mew, and it isn't at the Viridian gym anymore, then that means it's roaming the Earth somewhere, free to do what it wants," Ash said nervously.

Everyone took a sharp intake of breath upon hearing that, unsure of how to proceed. They didn't know whether to mention this to the others or not. There was already so much they were dealing with and didn't need another unsettling piece of information so soon. This was no doubt an extremely serious issue. If Mewtwo wasn't at the gym anymore, where would it be? Furthermore, what was its purpose for leaving the gym, and what was its purpose now? Despite how much the group wanted to believe it, they had a feeling Gary and Leaf's encounter with Mewtwo wouldn't be the last time they saw that Pokemon.

* * *

><p>After all the events that had happened, everyone in the group believed it would be a good gesture to go visit Riley at the Viridian Hospital. Despite knowing his condition was stable, he could still use some company. In order not to overwhelm him, everyone was visiting him in small groups at a time, at most three, not including Pokemon. First, it had been Yellow, Rose, and Blue that had gone to see him, Next had been Serena, Cubone, Brock, and Misty. Third were Leaf and Gary, and the last group to enter was Ash, Pikachu, Delia, and Red.<p>

As the three humans and one Pokemon entered the hospital room, they all smiled once they saw Riley was sitting up. He was in obvious discomfort, but for the most part looked okay. For some reason, the group felt another presence in the room as they entered, but realizing it wasn't hostile, they pushed it aside. Riley gave a nod and smiled back to all of them as they entered.

"Hey, Riley. How's it going?" Ash asked.

"Well, I could be doing better," Riley answered truthfully.

"Oh right. I guess that was a stupid question," Ash replied while rubbing the back of his head.

"You know I'm just kidding, Ash. I'm doing much better. The bullet was able to miss anything vital so I'll definitely live," Riley told them.

"Oh, thank goodness," Delia breathed in relief as she placed her hand over her heart.

"Delia, I'm sorry," Riley suddenly said as he stared ahead to avoid eye contact with them. "I should've been more aware of my surroundings and…,"

"Riley, you don't have to apologize," Delia said. "It's okay. I promise. Team Rocket is a vile organization that will use any type of method to get what they want. You aren't to blame."

Riley gave a sigh of relief and smiled as Red decided to speak next.

"It was actually Riley who was able to contact me and inform me of the situation once Delia was captured," he said.

"Really? How was Uncle Riley able to get in touch with you when no one else was?" Ash wondered curiously.

"It's just another gift aura users share with each other," Riley replied for him. "We are able to establish connections with each other through our aura no matter where the other is. Red was on his way the moment I contacted him."

"That's so cool! Will I get to do that one day?" Ash asked hopefully.

"Absolutely. I'll be happy to teach you when the time comes," Red told him.

Ash's face noticeably darkened once Red said that. "How will you be able to teach me if you are always away," he muttered.

It was like the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees once Ash said that. Delia, Riley, and Red all glanced at each other and frowned. It seems Ash's bitter feelings about Red were worse than they thought. Despite Delia and Riley's efforts to ensure Ash that Red loved him, it was still found difficult for him to grasp. It was clear the only one who could ease Ash's doubt about Red was Red himself.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu said as it patted its trainer on the back.

"Ash, I know I don't see you as often as we both would like, but that doesn't mean I don't care. I have my reasons, and it's for your best interest. I'm not doing this out of lack of care or responsibility," Red said seriously.

"What is it then?" Ash demanded as he turned around to face Red. "What could be so important in your life that you don't have time to spend with Mom and me?"

Red noticeably sighed once Ash told him that. He knew that if he told Ash the reason that the information would never leave the room. He could certainly trust his son and Delia to keep a secret, but that wasn't the issue. Someone could be listening in, or even the slightest slip or hint of what Red was doing to the wrong people could lead to disaster.

"Ash, unfortunately, I can't tell you that," Red answered. "I would like to, believe me, but now just isn't the time."

"I thought so," Ash muttered as he shifted his gaze away from Red to the floor.

"Ash, it isn't like that," Red said firmly. "It's not that I'm not telling you to be selfish. It's that I _can't _tell you unless I put you and Delia in danger."

This caught Ash's attention. His eyes snapped from looking at the floor to back at Red. Where had he heard that before? It sounded a lot like how Ash wouldn't tell his mom of the danger she was in for Team Rocket to avoid alarming her. It was like Red wasn't telling them in order to protect them.

"What do you mean?" Ash finally asked.

"I mean I can't tell you for you and your mom's safety. If word got out, you could both be in danger," Red answered.

So Red wasn't being selfish? He was doing this for the good of his family? What could Red possibly be keeping secret from Ash and Delia that would put them in danger if word got out?

Seeing the troubled look on Ash's face, Red continued. "It's not like it would be for certain you would be in danger, but it's for the best that few people know as possible. I just don't want to take the chance. I'm just being cautious."

Ash felt a little bit better after Red told him that. At least he knew they weren't in any immediate danger from this. Still though, if Red said it's best if few people know as possible, did that mean anyone knew beside Red? Feeling compelled to ask the question, Ash spoke up.

"So does anyone know what your reason is?" Ash asked.

Red exchanged glances with Riley as if wondering how he should answer that. After nodding to each, Red decided there would be no harm in answering that question.

"There are a few. Both Blue and Riley know, but they pretend they don't for obvious reasons. I have the feeling Rose and Yellow know even though I haven't specifically told them. There are a few select people in other regions that know, too," Red answered.

"So not even Mom knows," Ash mumbled as he looked in thought.

"Ash, even though I'm not for certain what it is, I still know your father loves us," Delia spoke up. "He is a wonderful man, and it's because of him that I am who I am now."

Ash suddenly thought back to all the words people had said about Red in order to defend him. They always spoke so highly of him. They always told Ash that Red loved him no matter what. Was it really the truth the entire time? Even his mom was telling him this. She said that despite his infrequent visits, Red still loved him. Ash then began having flashbacks to how much time he and Red spent together when Ash was younger. They did nearly everything together. They played together, and Red would always tell Ash stories of his greatest Pokemon battles or experiences.

Then one day, when Ash was six years old, Red left, saying he had business to take care of. Ever since Red left, Ash had felt a sense of betrayal. It was like all the great things his father and him had done together were washed away. With his father only visiting once a year, Ash felt he didn't have a father at all, and even pretended he didn't. He never mentioned the man unless someone else brought it up first. Now, Ash was starting to see his father in a whole new light. What everyone said about Red seemed to be true. He stayed away from Ash to protect him, not because he didn't care.

What really did it for Ash is when Red came and placed his hands on Ash's shoulders. He looked Ash straight in the eye and gave him a serious expression.

"I promise that if I could see you every day, I would. I think about you all of the time and am always wondering how you are doing. You are the apple of my eye, and I love you, son. Do you believe me?" Red spoke.

Ash stared right back into his father's eyes and found no trace of deception. He once again remembered all the good times he and his father shared before he left. He remembered all of the pictures in his house of them together. Red really was telling the truth.

"Dad, I believe you. I love you, too," Ash finally said as tears came to his eyes.

Red felt a lump in his throat at Ash's words. His son was actually accepting him once again. Despite Red's attempts to visit Ash in the past, Ash would grow increasingly distant with each subsequent visit. Red tried to assure Ash, but it would fail. Now, it was like a great weight had been lifted from Red's shoulders to know that Ash was beginning to understand.

"Thank you, Ash. I'm sorry," Red said as he finally went up and hugged his son, which Ash returned.

"You shouldn't have to apologize, Dad. It was me who didn't understand. I'll accept a visit from you anytime," Ash replied.

Delia, Pikachu, and Riley watched the scene with a smile on their faces. It was great to see the relationship between Ash and Red being repaired. It was just an intense misunderstanding. Now they could be a family once again. There was still one loose end that needed to be tied up. He had to know his parents' full past with Giovanni.

"Mom?" Ash spoke as he broke away from his dad. "There's one thing I don't get. How could you have ended up with a man like Giovanni?"

Delia cast her eyes downward once Ash asked her that question. She should have known it was coming. She looked back up and stared in her son's eyes and could see the hurt in them. She needed to come clean herself.

"As I said before Ash, I'm not proud of my past. Your father and I have known each other since we were kids. He always had loved me, but I rejected his advances. I always told him I wasn't sure of how I felt about him or was leading him on by a string. It was then I met Giovanni," Delia said and then paused for a moment.

Ash nodded his head for his mom to continue. Taking a deep breath, she did. She knew it wasn't easy for her son to listen to this, but now that it was out in the open, he had to know the full story.

"Once I met Giovanni, I saw so many attractive qualities in him. He was handsome, of course. He was ambitious, and a natural leader. I was too enamored by those things to notice how evil Giovanni truly was. As a result, I slowly started to become like him after spending enough time with him," Delia said.

Ash clenched his teeth and shut his eyes as mom continued. He thought it would be a little easier hearing it a second time, but it wasn't. It was just so hard to believe that his mother was once like this. He knew the worst part of the story was coming up.

"We then started forming our group together….and we called it Rocket," Delia finished.

Ash exhaled after a held breath. There, his mom said it. Now he could begin the process of coming to terms with the truth. He felt Pikachu give him a reassuring pat on the back once more. Ash faced his mom once again. She was staring back with tears in her eyes with an unsure look as if wondering whether she should continue. Ash nodded his head once again to signal for her to.

"It wasn't long after we formed the small group that we had a child together, a son," Delia explained. "When we had our child, it opened my eyes to what kind of man Giovanni really was and what I had been doing. I tried to talk to Giovanni, but he wouldn't listen, and he stated that he wanted our son to follow in his footsteps. I couldn't expose our son to the things Giovanni was doing, so I ran away."

"So that means I have a half-brother," Ash said. It was a statement rather than a question.

"That's right," Delia confirmed. "That was when I met up again with Red. Despite the horrible things I had done to him in the past, he still loved me and was so understanding. Pretty soon, I began to love him back, and he changed me for the better."

Red then went over and gave Delia an affectionate hug from behind. Delia responded by bring up her hands to hold onto his arms. Ash wasn't usually one for love gestures, but this was rather sweet and was an emotional moment.

"Red then took our child in as his own. He loved him just as much as any real father. We lived in Viridian City after that. For a while, it seemed like our son was truly happy, and then…the truth was found out by him," Delia finished.

"What happened?" Ash wondered.

Delia and Red both sighed about what had happened that horrible night. They did their best to try to forget this terrible memory, but couldn't. It was always permanently etched in their minds. It was then Delia began to tell what happened almost twelve years ago.

XXX

_It was nighttime in Viridian City. The moon had just begun to peek now that the sun was completely down. Delia Ketchum was washing the dishes in her kitchen while her husband, Red, was helping get their son ready for bed. It had been another wonderful day in the Ketchum family. They had all been at the Pokemon League that week to watch the participants. Their son had been extremely excited the entire time they were there and declared he wanted to be Pokemon trainer by the time he was ten. _

_Once they got home earlier this evening, Delia had cooked a large dinner. Despite there being just three of them, there were still not any leftovers. Her husband and son always made sure of that. Delia smiled to herself at how wonderful her life had become now that Red was here. She was so stupid to not have seen beforehand what a wonderful man he was. She didn't know how she could have put up with a man like Giovanni for so long. The only positive thing that had come from that was the birth of her son, but now that was behind her, and she could move forward. Nothing could happen._

_There was suddenly a loud knock at the door, drawing Delia's attention away from the dishes. She then heard the voice of her husband._

"_Could you get that, dear? My hands are a little tied up right now!" Red called from upstairs._

"_Of course!" Delia called back as she took off her gloves and set them down before heading to the door._

_It was really curious that someone was coming by at this hour. It was almost nine o'clock at night. Who on Earth could that be?_

_As Delia opened the door to greet who was outside, her heart jumped into her throat, and she found herself unable to speak. Despite not seeing the person in quite a while, Delia was still able to recognize the man as he hadn't changed at all. Standing at the other end of the doorway was none other than Giovanni. Beside him was a man with short green hair and a woman with red hair. They must be two of his people that were in that group he formed, if he still had it. Nevertheless, these two people didn't look the least bit friendly._

"_Good evening, Delia," Giovanni greeted with a sinister smile._

_Delia was still unable to speak due to the complete shock of seeing the man she was hoping to never lay eyes on again. How on Earth had he found her?!_

"_Well? Aren't you going to invite me in? I've spent almost eight years searching for you. Who would have known you were in Viridian City the entire time?" Giovanni asked with mock expectancy._

"_G-G-Giovanni?" Delia stuttered._

"_Sweetheart? Who's at the door?" Red called from upstairs._

_Upon hearing the voice, Giovanni's eyes instantly narrowed and his false friendly expression morphed into a scowl. He let out a growl underneath his breath at upon hearing the voice of the man he so hated. He made a slight motion with his head to the two people beside him. The two swept away their trench coats and their hands grabbed onto the pokeballs in case it was necessary._

_Delia froze once she saw the two were armed with pokeballs. She had no doubt that Giovanni had a couple, as well._

"_Delia?" Red called again after not receiving a response and came down the stairs himself to see who was at the door. _

_Upon seeing who it was, Giovanni and Red immediately locked eyes. Red frowned and gave Giovanni a hard glare. _

"_What are you doing here?" Red demanded._

"_I am here to see my son, of course. Is that so wrong?" Giovanni growled back._

"_You aren't welcome here. Leave," Red uttered in low tone._

"_I don't think you have the power to tell me what I can and can't do with my own son," Giovanni replied darkly._

"_As a matter of fact, I can," Red stated. "I've adopted the child as my own, and we aren't going to let him go with the likes of you."_

"_Heh, is that so? I guess I will have to get him by force, then," Giovanni stated as gave the signal to his two subordinates. "Archer! Ariana! Take care of these two while I find the boy!" _

_Archer and Ariana sent out a Weezing and Arbok, respectively. It was making a very tight fit in the smaller foyer of the house. The two Pokemon pinned Delia against the wall while Red leaped out of the way just in time. Giovanni and the two other humans then forced their way in the house to look for the child, but Red was already to his feet and had a pokeball drawn._

"_Go, Snorlax!" he yelled as he released the large and fat Pokemon._

_While most Snorlax would only love to sleep and eat, Red had really trained his to where it was ready to battle at a moment's notice. The Arbok and Weezing sweatdropped at seeing the very angry Snorlax. _

"_Get them out of here, Snorlax!" Red yelled._

_Snorlax then charged forward faster than one would expect. Footsteps thudded heavily on the floor with each step. It then crashed into the Arbok and Weezing, sending them flying out the door. The Snorlax then squeezed through the doorway itself. Taking a brief second to look at Delia see if she was okay, Red followed. _

_Delia looked to see where Giovanni and the two others had gone, and her eyes widened in fear as she saw they weren't there. She then cast her eyes towards the direction of the stairs and heard footsteps going up them. Without a second thought, she ran after them._

_She knew they must be heading to her son's room. She dashed as fast as she could to the room to discover the door was already opened. She ran the rest of the way and entered to have an arm suddenly stick out in the way of her neck. Delia was clotheslined and knocked to the floor. In pain, she looked up to see her attacker was Ariana, who was leering down at her along with Archer._

_She slowly sat up and her eyes watered when she saw Giovanni holding their son out in front of him with a hand over his mouth. The boy's eyes were widened with fear as he looked towards his mom for help. Delia made to stand up, but was quickly apprehended by Ariana and Archer as they grabbed her by the arms._

"_Just leave him alone. Please, Giovanni," Delia pleaded. _

"_Once again, I'm just paying a visit to my son," Giovanni smirked._

_Upon hearing this, the boy's eyes widened as he turned to look in shock at the man that was holding him captive. _

"_What? They never told you? Surely you knew that Red wasn't your real father? That would be none other than me, Giovanni," he announced as he smirked at his son. "You've been living in a lie so far, boy!"_

_The boy then turned to Delia as if begging to say this man was lying. Despite how much she wanted to, Delia couldn't bring herself to lie directly to him like that when he was staring straight in her eyes. _

"_He's speaking the truth. He is your father," Delia answered, full of regret as she was held back by Giovanni's two subordinates._

_The boy's eyes held such hurt and betrayal at being lied to this whole time, and then…contempt._

_Upon seeing the devastated look, Giovanni's dark smile grew wider. "Ah, that look in your eyes. They seem to possess much hate and anger. You will make a fine member of Team Rocket one day."_

"_Team Rocket?" Delia questioned._

_Before the conversation could go any further, there was a loud boom as everyone's eyes drew towards the doorway to the bedroom. Red and his Snorlax were both standing there with a look that could kill. Upon knowing that their Pokemon had been knocked out and they couldn't stand up to Snorlax, Ariana and Archer released Delia and ran towards the nearby window before busting it open._

_Giovanni growled as he let go of his son and followed after them. He would have to bring an army next time to handle Red. Before he left from the window, he turned back to Delia and Red with a warning._

"_Don't think this is the last you saw of me. I know where you are, Delia, and I will always be searching. You cannot keep my son from me," Giovanni uttered. He then cast one more look towards the boy on the floor who was still reeling from the whole ordeal, and with that he was gone._

_Red breathed a sigh of relief before patting his Snorlax on the shoulder and returning it to its pokeball. Delia then ran over to hug her son who slowly wrapped his arms around her back._

"_Are you alright, sweetie?" Delia asked as she hugged him._

"_Yeah. I'm okay," the eight year old boy responded. Then in remembrance of what had happened, an angry look entered his eyes. "Leave me alone."_

"_I'm sorry?" Delia asked as she gave her son a questioning look._

"_I said leave me alone. You both have lied to me. My father is that bad person, isn't he?" the boy muttered._

_Red and Delia exchanged glances with each other with a look of regret. They both turned back to the boy and nodded their heads._

"_It's true, but we were doing it out of love. It was for your best interest. I couldn't bear the thought of you knowing the truth," Delia pleaded as she went to hug her son again, but he pulled away._

_He gave hard glare before facing away from them and muttered. "I want you both to leave. I want to be by myself."_

_With tears in her eyes, Delia left along with Red. Red, himself, looked very hurt, as well at seeing the sudden change the boy's demeanor towards them. They slowly left the room, leaving the boy to his thoughts._

_XXX_

"Even then, that was the time first Red and I got word about Team Rocket becoming the organization that it eventually evolved into, and Giovanni being involved with it. Despite this, there was no way I knew Giovanni would be their leader," Delia told Ash.

"That's right. We were unsure due to lack of evidence," Riley spoke up. "It wasn't until you told me that their leader's name was Giovanni did we fit all of the pieces together."

Ash nodded his head as he didn't blame them now for not knowing. He wanted to know more about his half-brother now. "So what happened after that with my brother?" he asked.

"Ever since that day, he just grew more and more distant from us. His distant personality soon turned to outright anger and bitterness," Delia continued. "We tried to prove to him that we loved him, but he rejected everything Red and I did. The only thing he could think about was how he was the son of a criminal."

"So where is he now?" Ash wondered.

"He left on his Pokemon journey about a year before you were born," Red answered. "We tried to stop him and wanted to make peace with him, but all he said was he was glad he was going and wasn't coming back. We haven't seen or heard from him since then."

Ash nodded his head as he took in all of this information. He didn't quite what to know or make of the situation. So he had a half-brother whom never knew about? His mother was once with Giovanni and even helped create the organization. As much as he didn't want to admit it, that was just a part of his mother's life that even she would like to forget.

"Ash, both Red and I love you so much, and we don't want you go the same path as our other son did. Please," Delia said as she gazed pleading at her son. Even Red had a solemn expression his face as he stared at Ash.

Ash took a look at each of them. So these were his parents. One was a father who never had much to do with him in his older years, but just proved it was for his own good and still loved him. Then the other was a mother who once had a wild streak with Giovanni and unknowingly helped create the criminal organization of Team Rocket. This was their past whether they or Ash liked it or not. What's done is done, and that has no bearing on who they are now. If he were to ever accept his parents again, he would need to accept that part of them, too.

Taking a shuddering breath, Ash nodded his head. He believed them and could let go of their obviously horrible past. He went over to them and embraced both of them, having fully forgiven them. Upon seeing the gesture from their son, tears came to both of their eyes as they hugged him back. It was a truly joyous reunion. The truth was out, and now that they had talked about it, everyone could finally put the past behind them and move forward. No more dark secrets or hiding the truth. The Ketchum family's relationship had been repaired.

Riley and Pikachu stared once more at the scene with smiles on their face. It was great to see that everything was okay between them now.

While he was hugging his parents, there was one thing left that Ash didn't know that he was really curious about. Looking up towards his mom and Red, he asked the last thing that was on his mind.

"About my brother," he began. "None of you ever mentioned what his name was."

Delia looked down and smiled sadly at Ash. "Oh, his name?" Delia repeated.

Upon receiving a nod from Ash, Delia took a deep breath to say a name she hadn't mentioned in a very long time. "His name was Silver."

* * *

><p>Ash stepped out of Riley's hospital room where he saw his friends: Serena, Brock, Misty, Gary, and Leaf were waiting for him. Delia and Red were still in the room to talk to Riley about a few more things. When Ash asked what it was, Red gave him a wink and said he would know in due time. Despite this, Ash gave each of his friends a warm smile in greeting, and they smiled back upon seeing everything went well.<p>

"Uncle Riley's still doing just fine," Ash assured them. "With the way things are going, I bet he'll make a full recovery."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing him say that. It was such great news. Taking that as cue to go further, Ash decided to tell them his other bit of news.

"And I think that things between my parents and I will be just fine. We've all agreed to put the past behind us and focus on moving forward. There aren't any hard feelings anymore," Ash stated.

"I'm so glad to hear you say that," Serena said as she went forward and embraced Ash.

As Ash returned the hug that Serena was giving him, a sudden thought occurred to him. It was his conversation when Delia was telling Ash about her and Red's childhood. She had led him on a string and the results ended up being disastrous for their future for quite a while. Was that what he was doing with Serena? He had never rejected or accepted her feelings. He finally believed he understood at the gym, but wanted to hold off for a while. Now that he was sure, there was no need to delay. Taking a lesson from his parents, he had to let out what he felt about Serena right now. No more leading her on.

"Serena, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" Ash asked her, but gave her a reassuring smile to let her know it wasn't anything bad.

"Oh, of course, Ash," Serena replied.

Ash then nodded to the rest as Pikachu hopped off of his shoulders and Cubone left Serena's side. He began to lead Serena away from everyone else down one of the corridors. He was looking for what looked like a private place, but it was proving to be difficult in a hospital. There were empty corridors everywhere, but he couldn't find a good spot. Finally deciding to take a hospital room that wasn't being used, Ash led Serena in and quietly shut the door behind him so as not to disturb anyone nearby.

Ash took a deep breath as turned to stare at Serena's beautiful face. He couldn't believe he could ever have these feelings for someone. Everyone had always described him as "dense" or "oblivious", and that was true for the most part. Ever since he turned eleven though, his feelings had begun to change, in particular towards Serena. Now he was certain what he was feeling towards her.

"So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Serena asked as she gave Ash an expectant look.

"Well, eheheheheheheh," Ash chuckled lamely as he rubbed the back of his head.

Serena giggled at Ash's antics. It was really cute when he would act embarrassed like that. Despite this, her curiosity was getting the better of her. "What is it?" she repeated.

Ash took another deep breath as looked into Serena's eyes. How should he begin this? He was never good at anything like this. He had no experience and didn't know if he would come off perfect or just really stupid. Maybe he should have practiced with someone first, like Pikachu or Brock….yeah right.

"Serena," Ash started. "Remember how I told you on the Ferris Wheel how I wasn't sure of my feelings for you yet and couldn't return them?"

"Yes, I remember," Serena replied, her demeanor dropping just slightly.

"Well, ever since that night, I feel as though we have been growing closer," Ash said. "We both saved each other from my Aerodactyl back on Cinnabar Island, and your encouraging words helped me get through my Cinnabar and Saffron gym battle."

"That's right," Serena agreed as she perked up again after hearing Ash say that.

"But it was these past couple of days where I really began to understand how important you are," Ash stated. "You were there for me when I was completely broken at my house. You were there to comfort me and give me the determination to save my mom. It was you who snapped me out of my shock at learning the truth of my mother's past. I don't know what I would have done in those situations if it wasn't for you."

"Ash," Serena trailed. Wow, she was getting really warm at hearing Ash say things to her!

"And then, most recently, I was able to win the battle at Viridian City because of your help. My aura alone wasn't enough for Pikachu and me to defeat Rhyperior, but we did it because of the help of the psychic powers we discovered you have. They worked really well with each other just like Uncle Riley and Ms. Yellow said they would. It was all because of you, Serena. It was like we were made for each other," Ash continued.

It was Serena who found herself at a loss for words now. She couldn't find anything to say and only found herself staring back into Ash's chocolate brown eyes. Was he actually going to say what she thinks he is going to say?

"It was then I realized you have always been there for me, more than anybody else," Ash said seriously as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "You have always been the one to get me out of any bad situation I may have been in. It was you who would talk to me late at night whenever I would feel doubt about my journey. It was always you."

Serena began to get a very hopeful expression on her face. Was Ash going to do it? Was this the moment she had been waiting for ever since she met him.

"I've finally realized what my feelings are for you, Serena," Ash confirmed. "I..I like you, too, not as friend. I-I like you how you like me."

Ash then exhaled quickly as he began panting. He couldn't believe he actually said that! He didn't think those words could ever come out his mouth, but there they were.

Serena had her mouth open as she suddenly felt like she could cry, but out of happiness. Despite how out of breath Ash looked right now, he had really said it. He said the words she had been waiting so long to hear, and she couldn't be happier at the moment.

"You-you like me, too?" she choked on her own words.

"Yes, I do," Ash replied as he once more looked into her eyes and his heart pounded in his chest. "So I guess what I'm trying to say is…will you be my girlfriend, Serena?"

Serena's eyes began to shine with pure joy when Ash asked her that. He actually asked her out! Her dream was coming true! They were going to a couple! She was just about to give her answer when she noticed something. Despite how elated she was, Serena took a good look at her surroundings and burst out laughing.

This clearly wasn't the reaction Ash was expecting as he gave her confused look. He just poured his heart out to her for the first time and asked if she would be his girlfriend…and she was laughing?

"Serena?" Ash questioned.

"You're… so funny, Ash!" Serena gasped between her fit of giggles. "You just confessed that you like me and asked me to be your girlfriend in an empty hospital patient's room! Could this be any more of a strange place to do it in?!"

Ash instantly turned beet red once Serena said that. Maybe in his over eagerness to tell her his feelings, he did sort of forget that they were in a hospital, and it wasn't really the right place to do it. He was so unromantic.

"Oh, eheheheh! Sorry. I guess this could have played out better," he mumbled as he stared at the floor, still blushing like mad from embarrassment.

"No, it's fine, Ash," Serena said as she stopped laughing. "It's part of how are you are. I wouldn't have you any other way!"

"So does that mean…?" Ash trailed.

"Yes, Ash! I would love to be your girlfriend!" Serena exclaimed as she leaned forward and hugged him as tight as she could.

Ash smiled as he hugged Serena back. After all this time, he had made Serena's dream come true, and may have made one come true for himself. He never would have guessed that he would ever find a girlfriend when he started on his Pokemon journey so many months ago, but here he was with a girl who liked him all along.

"I'm so happy right now, Ash," Serena said sincerely as tears came to her eyes once more. Her last obstacle had been overcome. Ash liked her back.

"I know. Me, too," Ash replied as they continued to embrace.

It took a long while for them to get together, and now they finally were. They had to overcome many obstacles, from encounters from criminal gangs and life threatening situations, but in the end, they realized they were always there for each other. Now that they were together, they both knew their Pokemon journey was going to be even more unforgettable than it was already. They knew that no matter what lies ahead, they would always be able to overcome it. They were a team. They were together. It was the happiest day of both of their lives.

* * *

><p>On a faraway island, a massive castle was just shy of being built. Just less than a week earlier, this island had been a total wreck. All that was on the island before were various charred pieces of debris and smoke from the remains of a fire. Despite this, not a trace of any of the previous disaster remained.<p>

Mewtwo stood back and looked at its creation. It had built this castle from the ground up from the remaining piles of rocks and dirt that were scattered around. Its psychic powers made it possible to reshape and reconstruct any object which was how it was able to do this feat in such a short amount of time. Despite this, Mewtwo didn't do this to show off its skills. It had a much more sinister purpose.

A castle like this was fit for the ruler of the whole world, which is the type of castle Mewtwo wanted. Just because it was created by humans didn't mean it had to serve them. Sure, it gave chances for them to treat it as an equal, but they betrayed it each time. Humanity had turned its back on Mewtwo, and now Mewtwo was going to turn its back on humanity.

As Mewtwo's eyes glowed to put the last brick in place of the castle, it turned around to stare off at the sea. It was such a sight. Is this what humans considered beautiful? It was such as shame this was one of the few good things in this world. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed.

"_It is now time for my revenge on humans. Everyone will answer to me," _Mewtwo said._ "A new world order will finally begin!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Ash and Serena are finally a couple! Ash forgives his family! All loose ends are tied up! Hooray!<strong>

**The Mewtwo Strikes Back arc is up next and will be three chapters long. I think it's different and exciting enough from canon to be good. I'm quite happy with how it turned it out. I'll see you guys next week with the chapter! Don't forget to review! Have an awesome week!**

**Chapter 49: Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part One**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Ash gets turned to stone like he does in the movie will Serena be the one that gives the (final tears) to bring Ash back?_

_**Too much of a spoiler for me to say.**_

_Why don't you like Oldrivalshipping? I read your profile and you said because I crack pairing (and there are a few hints) but so is Viridianshipping!_

_**I don't dislike Oldrivalshipping because its crack. I just made a mention that its crack. For example, I like Viridianshipping even though its crack. I could write a whole essay on why I don't like Oldrivalshipping (really I could), but I'm not going to do that in a questions part of my story that has nothing to do with the story itself, though. I don't have a problem with people who like Oldrivalshipping. Each person to their own ships. It's just I don't like it personally. If you want to keep pushing it and truly want to know why I don't like Oldrivalshipping, PM me rather than ask it as a story question.**_

_Have you thought about what Pokémon that Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and Lance will have?_

_**Yes. It will be pretty similar to what they have in the games.**_

_Will there be other Gym Battles where one of Ash's Pokémon evolve or not?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Is there going to be another chapter that will top this last one?_

_**I hope so. It's my goal to become better every day.**_

_Is Giovanni's story done?_

_**We'll see if he has an appearance lined up in Johto, but I won't spoil it.**_

_Ash needs to use his Dratini soon. Can we expect to see her at the Indigo Plateau?_

_**Definitely, and sooner than that, too!**_

_When we get to the Hoenn arc, will we meet the Cosplay Pikachu from ORAS and see Ash's Pikachu interact with her?_

_**It's possible.**_

_Will the league be the same with battle four stage trainers need to pass or are you going to change it up a bit?_

_If Blue is champion of Kanto will Lance appear?_

_**Yes. Lance is still a member of the Elite Four even though he isn't the champion.**_

_Are any of the Pokemon League battles going to be as long as this gun battle or was this the longest?_

_**There is one battle I have in mind that will be this long but I won't say which one it is.**_

_How was Ash able to use his Arura. Was it his intense emotions? If so, will he have to mature more to start using his Arura when he is not in dire situations?_

_**You hit the nail on the head. That's exactly right.**_

_Is this story going to become a sappy romance story?_

_**No. My gosh no! The romance between Ash and Serena is just going to be the subplot in the story. There are never going to be any lemons (most definitely no). There aren't going to be any five minute long passionate kisses describing Ash and Serena's wet tongues in each other's mouths (Ew). Rest easy. The main part of this story is still Ash and Serena's Pokemon journey even though they are together now. There are going to be sweet moments between them, a few date chapters, but that's it.**_

_Do you plan on Ash releasing Pidgeot after it evolves?_

_**I'm on the fence about this one. Right now I'm thinking that Ash releases it when he goes to the Orange Islands but comes back for it after he returns…like he promised in the anime.**_

_Does that mean his Pokedex will be able to scan Pokemon from regions he hasn't traveled to yet?_

_**Ash is going to get his national dex soon which will be able to scan all the Pokemon. The only reason his pokedex was able to scan Rhyperior was because it is an evolution of a Kanto Pokemon (Same with Crobat in Fuchsia City). That explains why he and Serena couldn't scan Ho-oh in the beginning…because it isn't a Kanto native.**_

_If Ash at some point wins a league will he go onto fight the elite 4 or just get some title and be done?_

_**He will get a chance to face the Elite 4 of that region and then the champion for any league he wins.**_

_Will Serena's psychic powers allow any of her Pokémon to use attacks they normally can't like Ash's aura did for Pikachu?_

_**Yes. Sort of like Sabrina can with her Pokemon.**_

_How are you planning on doing the Johto region and forward involving the Pokemon's training?_

_**Ash and Serena will both rotate their Pokemon so their old ones can still get training in, particularly during the Leagues like Ash did in Sinnoh. (I still can't believe he chose to use TORKOAL against Tobias! ARGGH!)**_

_How long of a break to you plan to take between the end of this arc and the start of the next arc?_

_**Maybe a month but not any longer than that.**_

_Are Red and Blue the same age here? 'Cause that's some age discrepancy between Blue and Gary._

_**Of course there is age differences between Blue and Gary here. They're father and son in this story. Blue, Rose, Red, Delia, Yellow, and Giovanni are all around 38-39 in this fic. Delia had Silver young at around 18-19. Silver is around 21 years old right now and will appear in Johto.**_

_Are you using The VG REd, Pokemon Origin Red or Pokemon Adventures Red?_

_**None of the above. I'm using my own Red. He's like a combo of Origins and Adventures.**_

_In the Battle Frontier arc, when Ash battles Brandon, will it be the same as in the anime?_

_**No. It will be different.**_


	50. Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part One

**A/N: Okay people. Let me make something clear: Serena and Ash are NOT TOO YOUNG to have these feelings. A key thing that almost everybody misses is that the Pokemon world and the real world are completely different. If a ten year old is mature enough to go off by themselves and capture killer monsters and train them, they are certainly mature enough to have a relationship. Even if this WAS the real world, eleven year olds these days know a lot more than they let on. I would know because I'm around them quite often. So enough with the comments about Ash and Serena being too young to be in a relationship. It's the oldest complaint in the book, easily countered, and invalid in the anime world of Pokemon. Thank you for the people who actually do understand the Pokemon world is different.**

**On another note, here is the start of the Mewtwo saga. It starts off a little slow, but I'm sure you will all have had one heck of ride when it ends. Please enjoy the first of this three part arc! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 49: Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part One<p>

The forest was incredibly quiet at the moment. Not a Pokemon was in sight. It was in some of the deepest depths in a remote part of Kanto, nowhere near any civilization. This made it perfect if one was hiding away, especially in the nearby lake. That something turned out to be a Pokemon.

Some would say that this Pokemon is only a myth, but others knew better. Rarely seen but signs of its existence were everywhere. No one had even seen this Pokemon in over one hundred years. Only a strand of its fur was found after so long of searching. That was because this Pokemon had been asleep this whole time. Well, until now.

The pink Pokemon slowly opened its eyes. There were very few things that could cause it to awaken, but this was one of them. It sensed a great disturbance about to take place in the world, and the Pokemon knew it was involved. It needed to see what was going on and hopefully put a stop to it.

Forming a small pink bubble around itself, the Pokemon slowly rose to the surface of the water. As soon as that happened, it took off at the speed of sound, high into the sky.

"Mew," the Pokemon cried.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys," Ash called as he and Serena came back to the group once Ash had made his confession. He and Serena were holding hands which didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the group. Had it really happened?<p>

Delia and Red had since stopped talking to Riley and were now standing out in the waiting room along the others. Serena's eyes widened in surprise when she saw her mother, Grace, was there, too. 2

"Mom?" Serena questioned.

"Oh, Serena! Thank goodness you're okay!" Grace cried as she ran forward to embrace her daughter. "You have no idea how worried I was when you had run off to the Viridian Gym!"

"I'm sorry, Mom," Serena replied as she let go of Ash's hand to return the hug. "I just couldn't let Ash go there by himself."

"Young lady! That was an incredibly reckless thing to do! You could have been killed, and then…" Grace continued hysterically until she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She turned and saw it had been Ash's mom, Delia, who had done it.

"Your daughter was very brave to come help me when I was in trouble. I was disapproving of it as well when I saw them, but it's thanks to them that everything worked out in the end," Delia said while giving Grace a gentle smile.

"Heh, yeah. If it wasn't for them, we may not have been able to get rid of Team Rocket. Crazy kids," Blue mumbled.

Grace looked back and forth between the adults and other kids in the room. She realized that everyone was just as worried for their kids as she was when they left. Unlike the other adults, Grace was powerless to do anything. She had been a great Rhyhorn racer back in the day, but had not done any serious battling at all since Serena was born. Maybe that's why she had been more upset and worried than the others. As much as Grace didn't want to admit it, she believed that Serena's recklessness and crazy, rash decisions didn't come from being influenced by Ash alone. It had also come from her father. She was glad that she had run away with Serena when she did to the Kanto region.

Grace finally let out a sigh as she looked back down at her daughter. "Sweetie, I'm just glad that you're okay."

"I know, Mom. I'm sorry," Serena said again.

Grace should have known that Serena would do anything for Ash just like he would do for her. Those two really were close and this adventure had only gotten them closer. Wait, did that explain why the two were holding hands?

"Anyway," Ash spoke up, drawing the attention back to himself. "Serena and I have something to tell all of you."

"Oh? What is it?" Delia asked as she and everyone else gave them an expectant look.

"Well," Ash began as he scratched his cheek and turned red. "Serena and I…are…,"

"We're a couple!" Serena finished with delight and gave Ash a hug.

The effect was almost immediate. It was as if the group was expecting it.

"That's so awesome!" Leaf squealed as she ran over and practically tackled both Ash and Serena in a massive hug.

"Slow down, Leaf!" Ash managed to say as he tried to push the excited girl off of him and Serena.

As Leaf got off of them, Brock and Misty were next as they each gave their friends and sibling like hug. Well, Brock technically gave Ash a noogie.

"Atta boy, Ash!" Brock said as Ash tried to pull away.

Pikachu and Cubone dashed forward and leaped into their arms. They then gave each other one big hug. Because Asha and Serena were now a couple, they were almost like a real family. Ash then turned towards his backpack as he knew the egg was still in there. Once it hatched, they would be even more like a family. Delia and Grace had tears of joy in their eyes while Gary and the rest of the adults smiled in approval. They were just as excited as everyone else but were more low key.

Yes. Most of the people in the room had been waiting for that for quite a while. It was certain on Serena's part how she felt about him, but poor, oblivious Ash had never caught on. His Pokemon journey had really allowed him to grow up, though. It was true he was getting a little older which was causing him to mature, but it was being more responsible for himself and being in so many perilous situations that had forced him to grow up. In a way, it had all been good for him in the very end. Now, he had finally realized his feelings for Serena.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day at the hospital in Viridian City. With all the events that had happened the previous day, the kids of the group decided it was best to spend the night at the hospital rather than return home. Despite Yellow living in Viridian City, there simply wasn't enough room at her house for everyone. Not to mention, Ash's house was still damaged and would remain uninhabitable until it was able to be repaired. Grace had graciously opened her house up for the Ketchums, as well as Brock and Misty, to stay in during this time. Ash and Serena, of course, had no objections to this, but Grace slyly told them that she would be watching the two for any funny business. Both Ash and Serena blushed extremely deep upon hearing that until Grace said she was just kidding.<p>

Ash was heading towards the cafeteria in the hospital for breakfast as he went down the elevator with Pikachu on his shoulder. It had been the most peaceful sleep he had in quite a while. Everyone was safe. Team Rocket was gone. He had all eight badges. He reconciled his relationship with his mom and dad after learning their past, and he and Serena were finally couple. His night was full of blissful dreams. Despite knowing that Mewtwo was still out there somewhere, that was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked as it saw Ash's peaceful expression.

"Why am I so happy, you ask? How could I not?" Ash replied back with a grin.

"Pi Pi Pikachu," Pikachu said.

Ash smiled as he got the gist of what Pikachu was saying. "Yes. I'm looking forward to seeing Serena this morning, also. It's going to be our first full day together."

"Pika Pika Pikachu?" Pikachu asked hopefully.

"How would I know if you'll get a girlfriend one day?" Ash asked with a roll of his eyes as the elevator opened up.

The pair then walked out of the elevator onto the first floor of the hospital where the cafeteria was located. He wasn't surprised if he would be the last one in as usual. Both his mom and dad were already out of Riley's room by the time Ash got up, to which Riley said they had already gone to eat and would bring something back up for him.

As Ash entered the cafeteria, and as expected, everyone else was already there. He grabbed a tray before sliding it down where the friendly worker put some scrambled eggs and bacon on his plate. He then made sure to get some ketchup for Pikachu before heading over to where everyone was at. He spotted Serena sitting with Leaf, Gary, Brock, and Misty and headed that way. As Serena saw Ash approaching, she gave him a warm smile while her cheeks tinged pink.

"Good morning, Ash," she greeted.

"Heheheh, same to you," Ash replied back.

They continued to stare at each other, taking in their appearances. Ash didn't know if it was because if Serena was his girlfriend or nor, but she looked extra alluring today despite dressing the same as normal.

Leaf, Brock, and Misty let out a light giggle while Gary rolled his eyes. Were these two just going to stare at each other all day or actually eat?

After what seemed like forever, Ash and Serena finally snapped out of it and Ash quickly sat down in the empty chair next to Serena. Pikachu hopped off of his shoulder and joined Cubone. Ash then took the Pokemon egg he had gotten on Cinnabar Island out of his backpack to finally show it to Leaf and Gary since they hadn't seen it yet.

"Wow, check that out. Where did you get it, Ash?" Gary asked curiously as he inspected the egg through the incubator.

"We got it from a scientist on Cinnabar Island. He said they found it in the depths of Cinnabar Island and said I would be a good trainer for the Pokemon inside of here," Ash responded.

"So what Pokemon do you think is inside of it?" Leaf wondered.

"I really don't know. I've never seen a Pokemon with a design like this before, and the scientist wouldn't tell me," Ash replied.

"That egg should be pretty close to hatching by now," Brock added as an afterthought. "I mean the scientists had it a long time while they were studying it, and we've had it for a while, also."

"Yeah," Ash agreed as he looked at the egg. "I'm sure Professor Oak would like to take a good look at this egg. When we get back to Pallet Town, I'll be sure to show him."

"Ah, Pallet Town," Leaf sighed as she leaned back in her chair with a blissful smile. "I can't wait to go back home."

"I know right. Since we are done with our travels for right now, we are going to be in Pallet Town for a while," Serena said.

"Right. Now that I've got all eight badges, it's time to get some heavy duty training in to prepare for the Pokemon League," Ash said with determination.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered from the side after looking up from its ketchup

"Heh. You better get as much in as you can. The Pokemon League is only a month away," Gary smirked.

"I know that, Gary. Trust me. I'll be ready, and I'm going to win it!" Ash stated while he pumped his fist in the air.

"Well, I give you credit for your enthusiasm, but it will be impossible for you win the Pokemon League," Gary said as he crossed his arms.

Ash turned to glare at Gary before the spiky brown-haired boy added with a grin, "You will just have to settle for second place because I'm going to win it!"

"I don't think so, Gary. My Pokemon and I are going to train extra hard for this. We are definitely going to win!" Ash replied as he returned the friendly gesture.

"Well, I'm going to be training extra hard, too," Gary said before adding. "In fact, what do you say to a quick Pokemon battle to start our training off with?"

"You got it!" Ash exclaimed. "Let's have one as soon as breakfast is over!"

"Slow down, Ash. There isn't exactly a convenient place to have a Pokemon battle in a hospital," Misty pointed out.

"There's a court out back here at the hospital. We can have our battle there," Gary replied with a shrug.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash exclaimed, getting fired up. He could hardly wait.

* * *

><p>Everyone was gathered around on the court in the back of the hospital. They were all eager to see that battle between Ash and Gary. The last time the two had a battle was back in Saffron City a few months ago. They had both grown tremendously as Pokemon trainers since that time, and they were now going to put their training to the test. Not to mention, each of their parents were watching the match so that made it even more important that they won for family pride. Brock stood in the middle and decided to be the judge for the match.<p>

Red smiled and elbowed Blue in the side. "Hey, Blue. Doesn't this remind you of you and me when we were kids?"

"Does it ever?" Blue replied back with a rare smile. "It's almost as if we are looking at younger versions of ourselves. They definitely are our kids."

"It's just like the old days," Rose added.

"Are both trainers ready to choose their Pokemon?" Brock asked in an authoritative voice.

"You bet! I'll go first!" Ash shouted with enthusiasm. "Tauros, I choose you!"

The wild bull Pokemon appeared from the pokeball and let out a loud moo. It then pawed the ground with its hooves, ready to battle.

"Hey! That Tauros looks nice and strong!" Gary complimented. "Let's see if can handle my Arcanine! Let's go!"

Gary threw the pokeball as the large dog-like Pokemon appeared from the pokeball and let out a howl to get itself pumped up for the battle. Ash figured this must be the same Growlithe he faced back in Saffron City, only now it had evolved since then. Well, he was determined to beat it this time.

"This will be a one on one match between Ash and Gary! There will be no time limit! Begin!" Brock announced.

"Quick, Arcanine! Use Dig!" Gary shouted.

The Arcanine gave a howl and quickly burrowed underground leaving a large hole, but Ash already knew how he was going to deal with it.

"It's underground, Tauros! Now is the perfect time to use Earthquake!" Ash yelled.

Tauros mooed in agreement and raised its legs to stomp the ground. However, before it could even do the attack, Arcanine burst out of the ground at super speed right underneath Tauros. The wild bull Pokemon was sent flying and landed a short distance away.

"Wow! That's so fast!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"I figured you would try something like Earthquake, Ash," Gary called from across the court. "I've trained my Arcanine to be able to dig extremely fast through the ground so that can't happen. We don't dig holes to hide in, just attack!"

"_I can't let Gary get one step ahead of me,"_ Ash thought. _"I've got to be able to take him by surprise, but how?"_

"Use Take Down, Arcanine!" Gary shouted.

"Use your Take Down, as well, Tauros!" Ash countered.

Both Pokemon reared their heads back for speed and shot towards each other for a head on collision. They continued to run towards each other, and it looked like each would take serious damage, but Gary called out another surprise attack.

"Use Flamethrower, Arcanine!" Gary yelled.

Ash and Tauros's eyes widened as Arcanine opened its mouth and blew forth a stream of fire just before they collided. The fire engulfed Tauros which completely threw it off balance. Arcanine then rammed into it, but Tauros grimaced and held firm despite the difficulty. It then locked its horns against Arcanine's legs.

"Heh! That's a pretty tough Tauros if it can stand its ground after being hit by Arcanine!" Gary praised. He then called, "Arcanine! Flare Blitz!"

"Not this time! Send Arcanine flying, Tauros!" Ash hollered.

Tauros strained as it picked up Arcanine's large body. It could feel Arcanine's body heating up and knew it had to be quick. It gave a mighty heave before lifting the dog-like Pokemon over its head and tossing it backwards. Arcanine soared through the air and landed with loud thud on the ground.

"Not bad, Ash," Gary smirked as Arcanine got up off of the court ground.

"_I think I can take advantage of having Tauros charge against Arcanine like that. Gary doesn't know Tauros knows a certain move so we can catch him off guard," _Ash thought before calling out, "Tauros! Use Take Down!"

Tauros gave a loud moo and charged towards Arcanine with everything it had.

"That again, huh? Well, Arcanine, let's turn up the heat! Overpower that Tauros with Flare Blitz!" Gary shouted.

Arcanine gave a howl before it became enveloped towards Tauros and charged towards it and full force. Both Pokemon were getting closer to each other and about to collide once more. Gary thought he had the match until Ash called out his next move.

"Tauros, Double Team!" Ash yelled.

"Double Team?" Gary questioned. He didn't know a Tauros could learn that, and there were so many.

Sure enough, Tauros split into several copies of itself just before it reached Arcanine. The dog-like Pokemon gave a cry of surprise at being thrown off like that. Many copies went right past it as it went through a few itself. It then stopped Flare Blitz and frantically looked around for the real Tauros.

"Awesome, Tauros! Use Earthquake and then Take Down!" Ash called.

A few copies of the Tauros then stamped the ground which caused it to begin shaking repeatedly. Because it was shaking so badly, it was hard for Arcanine to focus on which one was the real one which is what Ash wanted.

"Now use Take Down!" Ash hollered.

"Use Flamethrower on all of the copies!" Gary cried.

All the Tauros sped towards Arcanine as it blew Flamethrowers on as many Tauros as it could. It wasn't able to find the real Tauros, though, as the wild bull Pokemon crashed into it a second later sending it flying backwards and into the air.

"Go after it, Tauros!" Ash yelled.

Tauros ran after Arcanine while it was in the air and leaped up as well to smash it with its horns.

"Use Flamethrower again, Arcanine!" Gary yelled.

Arcanine managed to get the Flamethrower out just before Tauros could reach it. The wild bull Pokemon was engulfed in flames but still pushed onward. It then collided with Arcanine in the air and knocked it towards the ground before falling itself.

Ash and Gary looked on with worry as both of their Pokemon fell to the ground with a resounding thud. Tauros and Arcanine grit their teeth as they struggled to stand, but to no avail. They had taken too much damage and fell to the ground in defeat. It was a double knock out.

Both trainers stood at opposite ends of the court with a small smile on their faces. So the match had ended in a tie. Unlike with Ash's battle with Paul a while back which had also ended in a tie, Gary and Ash had seemed to gain a new found respect for each other from the tie. It was almost as if they weren't as bad as they made each other out to be. Ash had been wanting to beat Gary for as long as he could remember, but ever since they had been on better terms with each other, Ash was just happy to battle him in general, and Ash was sure Gary felt the same.

Ash and Pikachu went over to Tauros while Gary went over to Arcanine. Ash then knelt down next to Tauros and rubbed it on its side.

"Thanks a lot, Tauros. You battled really hard. I'm proud of you," Ash told it.

Tauros gave a light moo before sighing deeply. Ash looked over and saw Gary doing the same for his Arcanine. Ash couldn't help but smile at that. It seemed that even despite his arrogance, Gary really did love his Pokemon and took care of them as much as Ash. He really was a good Pokemon trainer.

"So that's that," Delia said with a small smile. "A fun match between two great trainers from Pallet Town."

Ash then returned Tauros to its pokeball while Gary returned Arcanine. Gary then stood up and walked over to Ash before holding out his hand.

"You did a great job, Ash! You've definitely become a much stronger trainer since I last saw you! I can't believe I used to think you wouldn't make it this far. You really proved me wrong! I had fun battling you!" Gary said.

"Wow! Thanks a lot, Gary! I had fun battling you, too!" Ash said as he took Gary's hand and was pulled to his feet.

"Expect a few more challenges from me while we are staying in Pallet Town. I want to warm up for the Pokemon League as much as I can by battling worthy trainers," Gary smirked.

Ash felt his grin grow much wider once Gary said that. His old rival considered him a worthy Pokemon trainer. Their friends then gathered around them to congratulate both on a well-fought battle.

Red and Blue looked on as they continued to reminiscence. It really was like they were looking at younger versions of themselves in Ash and Gary. Those two started off as bitter rivals but would probably be best friends in the coming years, just like they were.

* * *

><p>It had been a couple of days since Gary and Ash had their battle. They group had spent the last couple of days in Viridian City at the hospital once they learned Riley would be discharged fairly soon. They had left Viridian City that morning and had just arrived back in Pallet Town using the adult's various flying Pokemon, and Yellow returned to her Viridian City home. Despite last time coming here briefly when his mom had been kidnapped, Ash took in a deep breath of the clean Pallet Town air before letting out a smile. It truly was good to be home.<p>

They had landed in front of Professor Oak's lab, and Ash turned to his friends with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey guys! I'll race you to Professor Oak's backyard!" Ash yelled in enthusiastically as he took off running towards the front door.

"Hey! No fair!" Misty yelled as they ran after him.

As they ran, Serena couldn't help but smile about how happy Ash seemed to finally be home. It was true he couldn't return to his own house at the moment, but it would be repaired in due time. He just seemed satisfied that he was finally here. He could be with his friends and Pokemon.

As Ash quickly opened the door and bolted inside, he nearly collided with Professor Oak who was coming to greet them all at the door. Ash had to quickly spin away to avoid the Pokemon professor and ended up losing is balance and falling on the floor, sending Pikachu flying off his shoulder.

"Oh! Ash!? You almost gave me a heart attack!" Professor Oak cried as he stumbled, as well.

"Eheheheheh. Sorry, professor," Ash mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

Everyone else had arrived at the door by then and sighed when they saw Ash on the floor and Professor Oak holding his hand over his chest and panting heavily. Same old, eager, Ash. Despite maturing greatly since he started his journey, it still seemed his eagerness at some things would never go away. Serena went over and helped Ash to his feet while Gary and Blue went over to Professor Oak and steadied him. Ash quickly reached into his backpack and checked the Pokemon egg to make sure it wasn't damaged in his fall. Thankfully, it wasn't.

"Once again. Sorry, Professor. I was just really excited about being back home and see my Pokemon. I didn't really look to see where I was going," Ash repeated.

"Oh, I suppose that's quite alright, Ash," Professor Oak responded. It was then he noticed the Pokemon egg in Ash's hands. "By the way, where did you get that Pokemon egg at?"

"Oh! Right!" Ash exclaimed as his eyes lit up. He had been meaning to show this egg to Professor Oak for quite some time but never got around to it. "I received this egg on Cinnabar Island from some scientists. They wouldn't tell me what was inside of it."

"Young man. Would it be too much trouble if you allowed me to research that egg for a while?" Professor Oak asked.

"Not at all. I had been meaning to show it to you!" Ash smiled as he handed the toy-like designed egg over to the Pokemon professor.

"Ah! Wonderful!" Professor Oak cried in delight as he took the egg from Ash. He then called over his shoulder, "Daisy! Come here! We have a new Pokemon egg to research!"

"Coming!" called an alluring voice.

All eyes turned to the doorway to see a teenage girl around eighteen years old enter the room. She was Gary Oak's older sister and daughter of Blue Oak. Daisy had long hair that reached slightly down her back in the same dark brown color as Blue and Gary. She was a very intelligent girl whom had always been interested in researching Pokemon instead of battling. She had recently started helping out her grandpa in his research lab within the past year. It was fortunate that Gary was away on his Pokemon journey rather than still living at his house. Professor Oak and Blue were always away so it was up to Daisy to care for Gary since their mom passed away a while back.

As Daisy came forward, Ash couldn't help but feel his cheeks tinge pink a little. Despite never really thinking about girls as beautiful before, Daisy had still always managed to catch Ash's eye. She had always been so nice to him when he was growing up, unlike her brother who was usually a jerk. They were almost complete opposites. Despite his tingling cheeks, Ash was quickly reminded of Serena standing right next to him. He noticed Serena's expression darken slightly and quickly changed his face to look as neutral as possible. He had a girlfriend now and couldn't see another girl like that! Brock, on the other hand…

"Oh my!" Brock suddenly exclaimed, causing those nearest to him to jump. He then ran forward and bent down on one knee in front of Daisy. "Daisy, my dearest! Such a lovely name! Of course, you are even more beautiful than the name or flower itself! Run away with me and….Uuungh!"

Kabuto had appeared from Brock's pokeball and stabbed him in the back with one of its sharp claws. Brock groaned and fell onto the ground in pain as Misty came over and smiled at Kabuto. She then picked up Brock by his ear and dragged him off.

"A better idea would be my hand running away with your ear," Misty muttered. Yes, she could feel herself forming a great kinship with Kabuto.

Brock was extremely embarrassed. How was he supposed to remain loyal to Suzy if he would act like this around every pretty girl? He just did it in front of everyone on top of that! He had to control himself. He saw everyone, particularly Gary, Blue, and Professor Oak with frowns on their faces.

"Ahem! Anyway," Professor Oak began with slight annoyance at Brock's interruption for hitting on his granddaughter, "Ash has brought us a Pokemon egg given to him on Cinnabar Island. I have never seen an egg like this before. It should prove very crucial in our research!"

"That sounds wonderful!" Daisy agreed as she looked at the egg before turning to Ash. "Don't worry, Ash! We'll be very careful and take great care of the egg!"

"Thank you!" Ash replied, smiling despite himself.

Serena mentally frowned as she gazed at Daisy. The truth was she had always been a little jealous of the older girl. She seemed to be ahead of her in everything with looks, age, and maturity in mind and…other places. Serena knew that Daisy would never be a rival of her affection for Ash due to their extreme difference in age, but still...it would be nice to have some of the things that Daisy has.

Now knowing that his egg was in good hands, Ash thought he would ask the Pokemon Professor properly now. "Hey Professor! I came by to see how all of my Pokemon were doing. Would you mind if I saw them?!"

"I would like to see mine, too!" Serena added, turning her attention away from Daisy.

"Of course! You all are free to stay as long as you want!" Professor Oak replied with a smile. He knew that their Pokemon would be so excited to see their trainers.

"Well, Ash, Delia and I are going to head back to Grace's house in the meantime," Red spoke up. "I think I'll stay in Pallet Town for a little while to make sure everything is taken care of. Then I'll be…leaving again."

Ash slowly nodded his head at the last part of his father's words. He really wanted his dad to stay permanently, but he now knew it was for a good reason. He would have to make sure to get some good quality time in with Red before he left.

"Take care, dear! You kids be home before dark!" Grace called to Serena and the others as they left, leaving Daisy, Professor Oak, Blue, and Rose.

"So Blue! Tell me what you've been up to! We really haven't had a chance to have a conversation since you came back with all that's happened!" Rose said while giving Blue a light punch to the shoulder.

"Hmmm…pesky woman," Blue mumbled before heading off into another part of the lab with Rose following him.

Professor Oak then turned back to the remaining children and smiled down at them. "While you are here, I will be happy to upgrade all of you pokedexes, as well," he spoke which caused the others to look with interest.

"Upgrade?" Serena questioned.

"Yes," Daisy affirmed. "You see, there have been new Pokemon not native to Kanto recently that weren't in your old pokedexes. Once we update them, they will have these Pokemon in them as well as updates of the older Pokemon."

"That sounds great! Thank you!" Ash smiled as he and Serena handed Professor Oak their pokedexes

Upon receiving them, Professor Oak turned to Leaf and Gary, especially Leaf's crestfallen look. "Don't worry you two. You will each be given a brand new pokedex to replace your destroyed ones. Fortunately, I keep records of all the Pokemon trainers have recorded on their pokedexes in a main computer. You will still have data on all the Pokemon you have encountered so far."

"Really?!" Leaf exclaimed joyfully.

The two were very happy upon hearing that, particularly Leaf. She had worked incredibly hard to fill up her pokedex with all the Pokemon she had encountered and captured. She was heartbroken at the thought of possibly having to start her goal over, but thanks to Professor Oak, she would be able to continue where she left off.

Ash and the others were just about to head out back when Professor Oak stopped him.

"Hold on, Ash! One more thing!" Professor Oak called, reaching into his coat pocket and withdrawing a pokeball from it. Ash instantly knew which one it was, and he let out a sigh. He realized he hadn't seen this Pokemon at all since the incident a short while back.

Cubone couldn't help but look down in shame upon seeing Aerodactyl's pokeball. It still remembered how the disaster on Cinnabar Island was mostly its fault.

"Aerodactyl's pokeball," Ash muttered.

"It is," Professor Oak confirmed as he handed the pokeball to Ash. "I never opened it except to feed it as you instructed me to. Please be very careful with it."

"I will," Ash responded as he took the pokeball from Professor Oak's hands. He then headed out back with Serena, Brock, Misty, Gary, and Leaf following him. He knew he would have to face this sooner or later. He only hoped a disaster wouldn't happen like last time when he opened the pokeball. He just had to let Aerdactyl know that he and his friends could be trusted.

As Ash stepped out back, he and the others looked around in awe at how large Professor Oak's backyard really was. With the exception of Brock and Misty, they had been back here several times before, but it still blew them away every time at how this area served as the storage for all Pokemon that weren't traveling with their trainers at the moment. They couldn't even see the end of it!

Gary and Leaf went off to see their Pokemon while Ash and Serena released all of their Pokemon with them, save Aerodactyl. Ash then called at the top of his lungs. "Hey, guys! Guess who's back?!"

A few seconds later all of Ash's Pokemon were running up to him from various parts of Professor Oak's backyard. Serena's Pokemon were coming as well because they knew that if Ash was here, it was likely Serena was, too! It wasn't long before all the Pokemon reached Ash and Serena and tackled them to ground with Pikachu and Cubone joining in. Misty and Brock watched with a smile on their face as they saw the affection the Pokemon were giving their trainers.

"Hahahahaha! Thanks, guys! It's good to see all of you, too!" Ash laughed as their Pokemon got off him and Serena. Well, the exception was Omanyte, who was clinging to Serena's leg.

Ash stared at the Pokemon that were at lab and smiled at each of them. Krabby, Muk, Hitmonchan, Pidgeotto, Haunter, and…where was Dratini?

Ash looked over the other Pokemon and saw Dratini sitting quietly behind them as it stared up at Ash.

Ash went over to Dratini and scratched it behind the ears. "Hey there, Dratini. It's been a while. How have you been?"

Dratini noticeably flinched under Ash's touch but relaxed at how relaxing it felt. It then crawled over and nuzzled its face on Ash's leg. Pikachu and Cubone came over to say hi to the timid Dratini as well to which it warily looked at them before nodding its head back.

Now that Ash had greeted all of his Pokemon, he stared warily at Aerodactyl's pokeball to wonder if he should open it or not. He looked back at his girlfriend and friends as he saw them slowly nod their heads. He needed to do this. Ash gave a nod to all of his Pokemon to be ready for anything. The last thing they wanted was a repeat of what happened on Cinnabar Island.

Ash took a deep breath before muttering. "Okay, Aerodactyl. Come on out."

He then pressed the button on the pokeball as the white form of energy came forth from the pokeball. Gary and Leaf had wandered over by now and stared on, as well. They had never seen a living Aerodactyl before so this would be quite interesting.

Aerodactyl soon took shape before stretching its wings out and letting out a loud cry. It wasn't a particularly hostile cry, but Ash and the other instantly grew wary upon hearing it. Dratini instantly darted behind all of Ash's Pokemon upon seeing the prehistoric Pokemon. Just take it nice and easy.

Aerodactyl finished stretching its wings and looked around at all of the people and Pokemon surrounding it. While it didn't feel threatened by their appearances, there was no denying the weariness in their eyes which made Aerodactyl extremely uncomfortable. It then saw Ash walking towards it with Pikachu and a firm gaze on his face. Yes, this was the boy whom it had first met and was captured by.

"Aerodactyl, how are you feeling?" Ash asked it with a friendly tone despite the tension.

Aerodactyl cocked its head in curiosity at Ash but otherwise didn't respond. It didn't quite know what to make of this situation. It also recalled the events on Cinnabar Island and didn't know how to answer.

Seeing that it hadn't attacked, Ash continued. "I'm really sorry about all that happened on Cinnabar Island. I think we all got off on the wrong foot. You see, what happened at the lab was a freak accident, and it probably really upset you. The truth is, we aren't out to hurt you. I just want to be your friend."

"Aeeeroo," Aerodactyl cried softly in response. So this boy wanted to be friends with it? Come to think of it, before it was hurt, they seemed to be getting along pretty well.

"I know you are weary with all of your surroundings, and it probably scares you after awakening so soon," Ash continued, "But I want to help you and be your friend. I think we can make a great team! Will you give me a second chance?"

Aerodactyl stared at the raven-haired boy before looking once more at all the other people and Pokemon surrounding it. Despite Ash's friendly tone, it knew that these others didn't look as inviting and would probably attack it should it go wild again. The truth was, Aerodactyl didn't enjoy causing others pain, it just felt really threatened back at the lab, and its first instinct was protection. Not to mention it had just awoken and wasn't thinking rationally which caused it to be very hostile and wild. Upon having time to adjust and cool down, it was finally thinking clearly. Maybe everything wasn't out to get it. Maybe it really could be friends with this kid and the others. They did deserve a fair chance, after all.

"Aeroooo," Aerodactyl muttered as it took a few steps forward as a test to see if Ash would get scared or attack. To its great surprise, he didn't. He remained standing there with the same serious yet inviting expression. This kid really did want to be its friend. They really could put the past behind them. Aerodactyl's confused look finally turned into a genuine smile.

Ash smiled back to it while everyone else let out a nervous chuckle. An Aerodactyl with a friendly smile still seemed really out of place.

"That's great, Aerodactyl! Thank you!" Ash cried before grinning back and giving it a thumbs up. "Just to make it official, welcome to the team!"

"Pika Pikachu!" the yellow rodent added.

"Aerroooo!" Aerodactyl cried happily before lunging forward at Ash with its jaws wide open.

Everyone else instantly screamed in horror and got an alarmed look on their face at seeing Aerodactyl go for Ash. Their look of horror then turned to confusion as they saw Aerodactyl…licking Ash with its long tongue?! Well, it certainly wasn't eating him or snapping his neck, at least.

"Hahahaha! Cut it out!" Ash laughed as Aerodactyl continued to lick him.

Gary watched the display in wonder. It seemed he had really misjudged Ash as a Pokemon trainer. Ever since Gary had given him a chance, Ash had proved him wrong time and time again. First, he was able to rescue the Silph Company. Then, he was able to defeat the leader of Team Rocket in a Pokemon battle and save his mom. Ash tied with him in a Pokemon battle, and now, he successfully tamed an Aerodactyl which was said to be one of the most ferocious Pokemon of the past. It truly was impressive. His gaze then happened to wander to the sky, and he raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, guys? Look? What's that up there?" he asked as he pointed.

Everyone followed Gary's gaze, and got confused looks as well when they saw the object getting closer. It was clearly a Pokemon, but what? Wait a second, a Dragonite?

Sure enough, the Pokemon that was heading towards them deliberately was the very rare Pokemon, Dragonite. It certainly didn't look like Red's, from what the group could tell. So what on Earth would one want with them? It seemed to be carrying a brown bag of some sort.

As Dragonite landed, everyone watched in confusion as it pointed to Ash, Gary, and Serena and motioned them over to it. Giving everyone else and their Pokemon a look of uneasiness, the three made their way over to the fully evolved dragon-type.

Professor Oak and Daisy had heard the commotion from inside the lab and ran outside to see what it was about. Upon seeing a Dragonite, they let out a gasp of surprise. This certainly was an unusual sight.

The Dragonite in question didn't look either hostile or friendly. It just looked completely neutral once Ash, Serena and Gary reached it. The Dragonite then reached into its brown pouch before withdrawing three letters. It then handed each of them to Gary, Ash, and Serena before waiting expectantly.

"It's a letter?" Ash questioned as he looked up at the Dragonite, receiving a nod from it.

The others and their Pokemon crowded around the trio as they went to get a closer look at the letters they had each received. They were brown in color and looked simple enough with a pokeball symbol in the middle. Something about the texture felt off, though.

Ash was the first who attempted to open the letter. To his great surprise, he noticed there wasn't a place to tear it open! Ash then jumped as a blue light suddenly shown through the pokeball symbol on the letter and an image of a woman dressed in brown servant's outfit appeared. Only her face was visible due to how much she was covered. Despite this, she looked somewhat familiar to everyone.

"Wow. She's really small but really pretty," Brock commented.

"Well, you certainly got over my sister quickly," Gary muttered with disdain.

It was then the hologram of the woman bowed and began to speak.

"Greetings, Pokemon trainers. I bear an invitation. You have been chosen to join a select group of Pokemon trainers at a special gathering. It will be hosted by my master, the world's greatest Pokemon trainer, at his palace on New Island. A chartered ferry will leave from Old Shore Wharf to take you to the island tomorrow afternoon. Only trainers who present this invitation will be admitted. If you decide to attend, you must decide at once. One guest per member is welcome. My master awaits you."

With one last bow, the hologram of the woman faded to leave nothing but the envelope.

"Is there a rewind button?" Brock asked hopefully. He didn't know why, but there was just something about this woman that was driving him crazy. Only three woman could do that every time: Nurse Joy, Officer Jenny, and Suzy. This was rather strange. Upon seeing the deadpan looks everyone else was giving him, Brock closed his mouth.

"So what do you guys think? Should we go? The hologram said we could bring a guest if we want." Ash suggested.

"This is certainly quite odd," Professor Oak noted as he folded his arms. "A meeting with the strongest Pokemon trainer in the world? The whole format of this seems quite off to me. You should all consult with your parents before deciding to go."

"But Gramps, the letter said we have to respond immediately! If we go ask our parents, it will be too late!" Gary argued.

"I understand, Gary. I'm just warning you all of the strangeness of this," Professor Oak said with a sigh. "Ultimately, it's up to you, but I'm not responsible for how all of your parents take this. At least inform them of the situation as soon as you decide."

"So are we going guys?" Ash asked. "We each can bring a guest, so we will all get to go. "I'll choose Brock for my guest."

"I'll bring Misty for my guest," Serena said.

"I'll bring Leaf with me," Gary stated next.

"Then it's settled!" Ash exclaimed with a grin as he quickly pulled a note out of the envelope and checked "yes" before handing it to Dragonite. Serena and Gary did the same.

The Dragonite stuffed the envelopes back into the brown bag it was carrying and nodded to the group. It then took flight and flew off quickly towards another destination. It wasn't long until it was out of sight.

"I guess we should go ahead and tell everyone," Ash suggested. "I bet they will be excited for us and say yes!"

* * *

><p>"No!" Blue asserted with a frown. He and the other adults were all in front of their children and looked pretty firm with their decision.<p>

"No? What do you mean no?" Gary asked somewhat angrily.

"I mean we all just recovered from dealing with a life threatening situation with Team Rocket! We don't want you all running off to do something dangerous again!" Blue shouted back.

"Dangerous? How would this be dangerous?" Ash inquired in a confused tone.

"The weather reports say there is a storm brewing very quickly," Delia said. "They say it is turning into the worst storm they have seen in quite a while. The worst part was its origins seem to be New Island where your meeting is supposed to be. It will be here by tomorrow."

"A storm doesn't scare me, Mom. Serena and I have been lost in a snowstorm before, and we turned out fine in the end," Ash replied.

"You two were once lost in a snowstorm?!" Grace gasped in fright.

Ash immediately bit his tongue at what he had said. He and Serena never told their parents about that incident. He turned and saw Serena looking at him with a slight frown. This wasn't helping their situation at all.

"Even if there is a storm, we'll be fine because there is a ferry that is taking us there. This is a rare opportunity that we are going to meet the strongest trainer in the world!" Gary tried.

"World's strongest Pokemon trainer?" Red asked with questioning look on his face. He seriously doubted that.

"That's right. The trainer may want to challenge us to a match, or just give us words of encouragement and what it means to be a Pokemon Master," Ash said.

"So you don't even know what you will be doing there?" Grace asked with her hands on her hips.

"Well…no," Serena finished lamely.

Blue let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know. This whole thing seems really fishy to me. Something isn't right about this ordeal."

"We'll be really careful. We promise," Ash said. "We'll get to the island safely because of the ferry."

The adults all looked warily at each other as if trying to decide what to do. They knew that their kids were trying to be great Pokemon trainers, and if this invitation was real, it would undoubtedly be very educational and helpful. Red was the most skeptical out of all of them of the authenticity of the claim. He did see the reason in the kid's logic, though.

"I don't believe this is the world's strongest Pokemon trainer in the world we're talking about, but maybe this could be good for you," Red decided.

"You're going to let them go, Red?" Delia asked as she turned to her husband.

"I can't say I'm thrilled about this letter, but they remind me a lot of ourselves when we were young, and those things we did were a lot more dangerous than a gathering for a trainer convention," Red said with a smile.

"Well, I can't argue with that," Delia replied as she turned towards Ash to give him worried expression. "If you promise to be safe, Ash, Red and I will let you go."

"I promise. Thanks," Ash said.

"I'm with Ash's parents on this. If you promise to be safe, I will let you go, as well. Don't do anything too rash," Grace said with a slightly stern look.

"I promise, too. Thanks, Mom," Serena replied.

"Dad?" Gary asked as he looked up expectantly at Blue.

Blue gazed back down at his son before giving an exasperated sigh. "Alright, fine. Do what you want. Just come home in one piece."

"I suppose because everyone else said yes, I would hate to be the bad guy, so you can go, as well," Rose said to her daughter.

"Great! Thanks, Mom!" Leaf said cheerfully.

"Alright, everyone. Are you ready to meet the world's best Pokemon trainer?" Ash asked as the all put their hands inside a circle.

"Right!" they all responded enthusiastically.

"Then let's do it!" Ash cheered as the all broke away.

* * *

><p>It was now the next day, and the group had departed for Old Shore Wharf. It had been a rather hard choice for the group to decide which Pokemon they were going to bring with them to the gathering. After much thought, Ash was bringing along Pikachu, Charizard, Wartortle, Bulbasaur, Dratini, and Pidgeotto. The small dragon Pokemon was initially shy, but Ash's words were enough to encourage it to go with him. Serena was bringing along Charla, Nidorina, Jigglypuff, Hitmonlee, Scyther, and Eevee.<p>

Luckily, it wasn't going to be a long walk at all as it was only a few miles south of Pallet Town. This would be the area besides Fuchsia City or Vermillion City where people would go to get to Cinnabar Island or other regions. Because of this, it had only taken them a few hours to get there. It had only been light rain when the group had left Pallet Town, but by the time they reached the wharf, the rain was pouring and the wind was blowing very quickly. Massive waves were crashing against the coastline. Not even their umbrellas were helping anymore.

They quickly reached the building where the ferry was docked and went inside, completely drenched.

"Oh, I'm soaked," Serena moaned as she, Misty, and Leaf wringed out their clothes.

"I can't believe how fast the storm came up. This is crazy!" Brock said as he shook his face in an effort to get the water out of his thick hair, effectively spraying the girls again. Upon seeing their glares, he gave a sheepish grin.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu muttered miserably as its cheeks sparked from being wet.

Cubone was shivering violently at being so wet. Serena saw this and got out a towel from her backpack before beginning to dry Cubone off. Despite trying to toughen up lately, it still wasn't fully ready yet.

It was then the group took a good look around the building and were surprised to find so many people here. They were expecting maybe a couple dozen other trainers here, but this place was packed! There number of Pokemon trainers had to be well into the several hundreds. It didn't look like this gathering was as exclusive as they once thought.

Despite the place being full of trainers, the group noticed that the biggest cluster was gathered in a small semicircle where the ferry was supposed to leave out. There was clearly a lot of commotion and some kind of conflict going on over there. Deciding to see what it was, the group headed in that direction and could hear bits and pieces of what was being said.

"What do you mean the ferry to New Island has been canceled?!" one trainer exclaimed.

"I have to get to New Island for the Pokemon trainer's convention! It's just a little rain!" another one shouted.

The group froze upon hearing that. The ferry had been canceled?! Why?!

"None of you trainers clearly know the danger of this storm. It's more than just a little rain," an Officer Jenny rebutted. "It's just too dangerous!"

"So what?! I've been in worse storms than this!" another trainer argued.

"You haven't even begun to see how bad this storm is going to get! Our harbor manager believes that this could be one of the worst storms ever!" Officer Jenny stated as he turned to a lady with long blue hair.

"Listen to me, Pokemon trainers!" the woman spoke with an accent. "The prophets are predicting the return of the winds of rage. For years I have prayed that mankind would never witness that storm again!"

"But isn't that just a legend?" Officer Jenny asked. Several of the trainers looked a little confused, as well. Surely this wasn't really happening.

"The ancient writings tell that the storm wiped out everyone but just a few Pokemon. In their sorrow, it is said that water from the Pokemons' tears were able to restore the lives lost in the storm, but there are no Pokemon Tears today. There are just waters which no one can survive," the woman explained.

"That's why your ferry to New Island has been canceled!" Officer Jenny finished, addressing the trainers again.

By now, the group had managed to find their way into the crowd and had heard most of what was being said. If the ferry was canceled, what were they supposed to do now, and what was all this talk about a major storm happening now?

"So what?" a rather cold and familiar voice spoke up from the crowd. "Our Pokemon can just take us there themselves."

All eyes turned to the person who had spoken in the crowd. Upon seeing who it was, the group let out a small gasp of surprise. It was Paul! He was actually here, too! It was the cold boy everyone had an unpleasant experience with. The only person among the group who hadn't met him yet was Gary Oak.

"I warn you, this storm is savage. You will never make it!" the harbor manager said firmly.

"Besides, if your Pokemon got hurt, you would be out of luck because the Pokemon Center of this area has been closed down!" Officer Jenny stated.

"It's been closed down? Why?" Ash asked.

"It's because the Nurse Joy inside of the center has mysteriously disappeared. No one knows where she is!" Officer Jenny replied, looking directly at him.

"Nurse Joy's disappeared?" Brock asked sullenly. "Say it isn't so…"

The group ignored that comment as they thought of what to do next. By now, the crowd had begun to disperse in various areas around the building. Some stayed to talk. Others seemed to sit down on nearby chairs to see if they could wade the storm out. Others seemed to just simply leave altogether, probably to go home.

"Great. So that's it then," Ash muttered in defeat. "I was so excited about meeting the best Pokemon trainer in the world, too."

"I know. I was, too, Ash," Serena said soothingly as she rubbed his back.

"Wait. What's Paul doing?" Misty asked in confusion as she pointed at him.

The group looked and sure enough, Paul was heading out onto the dock. Was he actually going to try to board the ferry?

Ash found himself running towards Paul before he even knew what he was doing. He didn't know why he was going after the cold boy who was his complete opposite. Most of the time, they just tried to avoid each other, but fate kept them meeting when they least expected it.

"Paul! What are you doing?" Ash called out as he came up behind the purple haired boy, the rest of the group following him.

Paul slowly turned around and gave a glare upon seeing who it was.

"You've got to be kidding me. You're here?" Paul said in disgust.

"Yeah, I'm here, and I'll have you know I got all eight badges!" Ash declared as he showed Paul the inside of his jacket.

Paul merely rolled his eyes in response. "So what?" he muttered as he turned around to head back to the dock.

"What are you doing, anyway, Paul?" Serena asked this time.

"I already said what I was going to do. Since the ferry's been canceled, my Pokemon are taking me to New Island," Paul replied without stopping. With that, he was out the door.

"Who was that?" Gary asked.

"That's Paul. He and Ash don't…like each other," Serena answered with a frown. "He isn't the friendliest person you'll ever meet."

"Forget about Paul. Let him go and get hurt if he wants," Misty said in disdain.

"I agree, Ash," Brock replied as he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "We should just head back to Pallet Town."

Ash, however, wasn't going to back down do easily. He was determined to be a Pokemon Master. If he turned tail and ran at the first sign of trouble, what kind of trainer would he be? As he stated before, he believed he had been in worse situations than this.

"The world's greatest Pokemon Master is waiting for me on New Island," Ash declared with determination. "Let's use our Pokemon to cross the ocean."

"Ash, are you crazy?! Have you not seen those waves?! Our Pokemon aren't strong enough to carry us across!" Misty exclaimed.

"Besides, we promised your parents that we would be safe. Crossing the ocean like that is anything but safe," Brock warned.

"This is just one more obstacle I need to conquer to become a Pokemon Master," Ash declared. "Who's with me?"

"I am," Serena answered immediately. There was no way she was going to let her boyfriend cross the ocean by himself. Furthermore, the world's greatest Pokemon trainer was waiting for her, as well.

"Thanks, Serena," Ash replied with a smile. "I knew I could count on you."

"Count me in, too, Ash," Gary spoke up. "I feel the same way you do. We can't let a storm stop us."

"If you guys are going, so am I," Leaf said next.

Brock and Misty stared at the four Pallet Town natives and sighed. Those four had grown up together and always seemed to be connected in everything they did. It was like anything one did, the others had to do, also. It must be part of being childhood friends.

"Well, someone's going to need to take care of your Pokemon while you're there," Brock said with a deep breath. "I'm going, too!"

"Oh, why do you all have to be so stubborn," Misty sighed once again before saying, "Count me in, too."

"Guys," Ash trailed. Despite the storm and raging waters, all of his friends were still going with him. He really did have the best of friends. "Alright! Let's go! I'm sure if all of our water Pokemon work together, we can cross the ocean!"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

It was then they hurried out to where Paul had just a few moments earlier. Once they were outside, they were immediately greeted by the harsh rain and wind, drenching them all over again. They noticed Paul had called out his Fearow in the meantime and had hopped on, preparing to take flight. Unfortunately, Officer Jenny noticed, as well, and ran past the group towards Paul.

"Stop right there, young man, or I'll place you under arrest!" Jenny called after him.

Paul said nothing in reply as his Fearow soon flapped its regal wings into the air and took off over the ocean. It was clear he wasn't going to listen and was determined to get the island.

"Come back here!" Officer Jenny yelled again.

"Some trainers have no fear," the harbor managed said as she came up behind Jenny.

Upon seeing Officer Jenny turn towards her, she continued. "To them this is just one more challenge. They follow their hearts. That is what separates them apart, and will make them great Pokemon masters."

Officer Jenny sighed as she glanced worriedly after Paul before turning to the group. She saw the looks on their faces before giving almost a pleading look.

"Don't tell me you're planning on going out there, as well," she said.

The group said nothing in reply. They didn't want to disobey the orders of Officer Jenny, but they had to get to New Island. Upon them not replying, Officer Jenny knew their minds had been made up. It was out of her hands.

"Just please be safe, and don't get hurt," Officer Jenny mumbled before heading back inside.

"Good luck to all of you," the harbor manager added before heading inside, as well.

The group then turned back to the waves. Was it just them, or did the waves become even more ferocious since they arrived at the dwarf. They couldn't let that deter them, however. There was no doubt their water Pokemon were too small to cross this by themselves, but maybe if they worked together?

"I think I have a solution," Gary spoke up, which caused the others to turn to him instead. "We each release every water-type Pokemon we have. They can join hands or fins or whatever they have to increase their weight and resistance. Then we can each grab onto their backs and swim across that way."

The group glanced back wearily towards the waves. Would combining their Pokemons' weight really increase their chances? None of them owned any exceptionally large water Pokemon. If they had enough flying-types, they could fly across the ocean like Paul, but there was also the lightning.

"I don't see a better way myself," Ash agreed. "I believe in the strength of our Pokemon. We _can _cross this ocean. Which water-type Pokemon does everyone have with them right now? I have Wartortle with me."

"I have Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Magikarp, and Shellder. Psyduck isn't really suitable for…swimming," Misty said.

"I have a Dewgong," Leaf spoke up.

"Alright. I have a Blastoise," Gary stated next. "That's eight Pokemon and six people so each of us can grab onto one of our Pokemon."

"Alright! Let's go, guys!" Ash cried as he and the rest released their water Pokemon into the raging sea.

Upon being released, each of the Pokemon began to get tossed around in the waves but held strong.

"We need you guys to hold onto each other. We're going to cross the ocean together and need as much endurance as possible against these waves!" Ash called below.

The Pokemon nodded their heads and joined hands and fins in an effort to stay together. It seemed to work as they were much more stable than they were before. Ash then turned to give the signal for everyone to jump down below and grab the nearest Pokemon. Pikachu and Cubone climbed into Ash and Serena's backpacks, respectively, in order to remain safer from any danger.

"Okay, everyone! One…two…three!" Ash called as he and everyone else jumped into the viscous waters.

As soon as Ash made contact with the water, he almost wished he hadn't. The water was much colder than he was anticipating. His whole body submerged beneath the raging waves above, but it wasn't much better underwater, either. Because of the choppy ocean above, there were several currents underwater that were tossing Ash all over the place. He immediately began to swim towards the top as fast as he could. Once Ash broke the water's surface, he took a huge gulp of air, only for his mouth to be filled with saltwater a second later from a wave that splashed into him. Ash coughed several times before he felt someone grab both of his arms and pull him forward and onto an awaiting Pokemon

Ash stopped spluttering and saw it was Serena and Gary who had reached out and grabbed it him. He gave a grateful smile, which they returned, and held on tight to his Wartortle. Serena was next to him holding onto Misty's Goldeen. Gary was on his other side holding onto his Blastoise, Leaf was holding her Dewgong, Misty was holding her Starmie, and Brock was holding onto Staryu. Shellder and Magikarp were free from carrying anyone.

"Okay, guys! Let's go!" Ash cried as the Pokemon began swimming forward with the trainers holding on tightly.

The group was constantly bombarded by the ferocious waves as they went along. It wasn't helping matters that the waves were growing even larger as they got farther out to sea. As if they weren't bad enough at land! Despite this, they were holding up really well and refused to let go. Each Pokemon was able to keep up with the other surprisingly well, even Magikarp. The scale and bones fish Pokemon had really improved its swimming capabilities since Misty taught it. If only poor Psyduck could swim better, too.

It had been about twenty minutes since the group had entered the ocean, and the storm hadn't let up any since then and showed no signs of stopping. The group's Pokemon were beginning to show signs of fatigue. They normally didn't get tired from swimming so easily, but because they were constantly having to fight the waves and carry their trainers, their endurance was depleting quickly. Upon seeing this, the trainers stretched out their legs and began to kick the water in order to help them out more.

"These waves are horrible!" Serena choked as she once again got a face full of saltwater. The water was beginning to make its way into her eyes causing them to burn terribly. She wanted to wipe her eyes but couldn't let go of Goldeen for even a second, or she would be flung into the ocean. The next wave crashed in them with enough force to where Serena's favorite pink hat that Ash had gotten her was blown off of her head and into the ocean.

"My hat!" Serena cried as she made a grab for it, but missed.

"Don't!" Ash warned as he reached over and grabbed her arm despite the danger.

Serena looked back at Ash with hurt in her eyes. The same pink hat that Ash had given her on her tenth birthday was gone. She had worn it every day since then and only took it off to bathe or sleep. It was lost in the raging ocean.

"I know you really liked that that hat because it came from me, but the hat can be replaced. You can't," Ash told her gently before giving her arm a reassuring squeeze. "I care a lot more about you than the hat I gave you."

Serena felt her eyes water but soon relented and held on tightly to Goldeen once more. Despite her hurt that the hat was gone, Ash did have a point.

"I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea!" Misty shouted as she braced herself for another wave.

"We've got to keep pushing on! We've got to make it to New Island. The world's greatest Pokemon trainer is waiting there!" Ash declared.

Ash waited to see if any of his friends would agree with him but heard no response. He looked around and got a little discouraged that his words seemed to have no effect on anyone, but he soon saw why. Their attention was focused on something entirely different. Ash followed their gazes and his eyes widened in horror as he saw a massive wave at least fifty feet high coming straight for them! There was no way they were going to make it over that one!

"Ash…," Serena muttered fearfully as she saw the wave coming closer.

They reached over and grabbed each other's hands out of instinct of the incoming wave. Everyone gritted their teeth at what was coming. They didn't know if they were even going to survive this. Ash shut his eyes tight and prepared himself.

"Here it comes!" Gary shouted as the wave reached them and they were flung upwards in its depths before toppling into the sea.

The force of the wave broke everyone's grip on each other as they were flung in different directions outward. Misty screamed as she disappeared first into the sea, followed by Leaf, Brock, Gary, Serena, and finally Ash since he was in the very center.

The unpleasant shock of falling in the water came upon Ash once again. He frantically began to swim back towards the surface before breaking through again. The only problem was there was no Pokemon to grab onto for support this time. Ash frantically looked around for signs of anyone as he was tossed around in the sea but couldn't find anyone.

"S-S-Serena! Anyone!" Ash coughed.

It was really hard to get any words out because every time Ash opened his mouth, it was filled with salt water. Ash squinted his eyes to see if he could spot anyone amidst the chaos, but found no traces. Ash noticed that his back felt unusually light before reaching his hand back to feel around. He gasped in terror when he felt his backpack was missing. Pikachu was inside his backpack! A growing dread began to churn inside of Ash as he realized he may be only one above the surface right now. What if all of his friends were injured or hurt in the wave or worse? What if they drowned?

Tears began to make their way down Ash's face not from the raging waters, but they were his own tears. There had to be someone out there! He and his friends had been through so much together! They couldn't have their lives ended because of some stupid storm! This couldn't be end!

"Ash!"

Ash's head instantly snapped in the direction where he heard the voice and gasped when he saw Serena struggling amongst the waves. She must have just broken surface. Ash immediately began to make his way over to Serena as fast as he could through the waters. She wasn't too far away, but the ocean was making his progress extremely slow. Saltwater was bombarding him constantly and threatening to pull him under, but Ash didn't care. He was going to reach Serena at all costs.

"I'm coming, Serena!" Ash yelled before going into another coughing fit.

Ash saw her head go under the water, and he immediately took a deep breath before diving underneath to get her. He swam towards her with all of his might and grabbed onto her legs to push her further upward. Once he saw she above the water, he joined her.

"Ash!" Serena yelled again once Ash came up.

"Serena! I'm so glad you're okay!" Ash exclaimed as he gave her tight embrace, which Serena returned despite her spluttering.

"Where is everyone?!" Serena cried as she and Ash held each other for support.

"I don't know! I can't see anyone because of all of these waves!" Ash replied.

"What if we are the only ones who survived this?!" Serena cried again.

"We can't be! I'm sure our water Pokemon are around somewhere. They aren't going to let our friends drown," Ash assured.

Just as he said that, he looked around and saw Leaf and Gary emerge from the waters with their Dewgong and Blastoise, respectively. They were coughing up a fit like Ash and Serena but appeared okay. Wartortle and Goldeen emerged from the waters next. Upon seeing the two, they immediately swam towards them so they were able to grab hold of them. At least now, Ash and Serena didn't have to worry about going under. They noticed Leaf had lost her white hat as well in the ensuing chaos, but that didn't matter. At least she and Gary were safe.

Brock came up next with Staryu, Starmie, and Shellder. The three Pokemon seemed to be supporting him because he looked almost ready to pass out. Ash and Serena's eyes lit up with alarm when they saw him with two backpacks draped over his arms. They were the ones that had Pikachu and Cubone! They tiredly joined the group before stopping in the raging seas.

"Guys! You're all okay!" Ash cried with joy as Brock handed their backpacks back to them. Ash and Serena sighed with relief when Pikachu and Cubone poked their heads out of their respective backpacks and smiled at them. It truly was a miracle they were okay and had managed to stay in their backpacks within the chaos.

"Not all of us," Brock panted. "I can't find Misty anywhere! That's why it took so long for me to come up. I don't see any sign of Magikarp, either!"

"What?!" Ash exclaimed as he frantically looked around to find any sign of the two.

"She was the first to fall in out of all of us," Leaf said worriedly. "You don't think she…"

"There's no way," Ash interrupted. "Misty is training to be a master of water-type Pokemon and is a great swimmer. There is no way she would go like this."

"How are we supposed to look for her?" Serena asked. "If we have any of our Pokemon look underwater, we are going to drown in these waves!"

Ash bit his lip as he thought of that. How WERE they going to search for Misty? He looked back towards the waters worriedly as they waited for her to come up. She just had to make it out of this alive. She just had to! Sure, he and Misty argued and fought quite often, but she was the first new friend he made on their journey. He wouldn't accept one of his friends dying because of his decision to brave the waves.

"You guys stay up here. I'm going to search for Misty on Wartortle," he told them

"You can't, Ash!" Serena warned. "You could drown in those waves even if you do have a water Pokemon with you!"

"Besides, we need to find a way to call for help!" Gary added. "There is no way we are strong enough to make it through this storm now that we are missing a person! We just have to believe in Misty's will to live!"

Ash gritted his teeth. He hated to admit it, but his friends were right. They wanted to find Misty, too, but logic was telling them otherwise. This was a ferocious storm that already almost killed them once. They may not make it a second time. The situation was looking pretty grim for the group.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Misty was steadily floating towards the bottom of the ocean, the huge impact from the water had knocked her unconscious. Magikarp had seen its master falling and was frantically paddling after her. It hated the fact that it was a horrible swimmer. Even if it had learned the basics and was no longer splashing, it still had a ways to go.<p>

Magikarp saw Misty finally open her eyes and noticeably gasped despite being underwater when she saw Magikarp coming. The poor fish Pokemon was trying its hardest despite making very little progress. Misty regained her senses and began swimming towards Magikarp before grabbing onto it and giving a signal to start swimming upward.

The fish Pokemon nodded its head and began flailing around in an effort to break the surface. They were so far away, and Misty's weight was pulling it down, though. Magikarp wished it wasn't so weak. Misty had done so much for it in the past couple of months by teaching it swim and loving it despite it being so pathetic. Now, when its trainer was needing it most, it was unable to return the favor. It glanced out of the corner of its eyes and saw Misty was losing air fast. She began having a strained expression on her face as her lungs desperately began screaming for oxygen.

Magikarp's eyes widened when it saw the peril Misty was in. If it didn't get her to the surface soon, she would drown, and it would be all its fault. It couldn't let that happen. It had to save Misty! These waves be darned! It had to save her! It just needed to be more powerful!

Misty looked down at Magikarp and felt bad for how much her Pokemon was struggling to save her. It was a small fish, and she never felt she truly appreciated the fact for the Pokemon it was. She had taught it how to swim better and loved it like her other Pokemon, but deep down Misty still believed Magikarp to be pretty dopey. Now, it was being anything but that and even trying to save her life! If only it wasn't the end of her life when she finally realized that. Her last bit of oxygen was escaping her and she was beginning to black out.

It was at that moment that Magikarp began glowing white…

* * *

><p>"I don't understand how we are going to get out of this!" Leaf choked as the group looked around for any sign of a boat or ship. They knew that was foolish because there would be nothing of the sort out in a storm like this, but there were no other options.<p>

"Never give up until the end!" Ash assured her. "There has to be a way out of this!"

"I don't think your little motto is going to get us out of this one, Ash! There's no way our Pokemon can take this storm! The only way we would be able to make it is if we had a really large flying or water-type Pokemon!"Gary shouted.

"We can't give up!" Ash yelled. "There has to be something!"

"You're so naïve!" Gary retorted. "You think that just because you say some stupid saying that it will get you out of every situation, but the world doesn't work like that!"

"So you're saying we should just give up?!" Ash growled, getting fired up.

"No! I'm saying we need to think logically about something we can do instead of waiting for something to happen. Our Pokemon can't fight these waves!" Gary fired back.

Serena, Leaf, and Brock watched worriedly from the side. Misty was missing, and Gary and Ash seemed to be starting a fight. It had been a while since they've had one like this, but it certainly wasn't going to help the situation.

"Please stop fighting, guys," Serena said, trying to play peacemaker between the two. "We can't fight. We need to work together."

"What do you suggest we do then?!" Gary snarled at her.

Serena shrunk back under Gary's intense glare. It had been a while since Gary had done that. Normally, he was a decent guy around her.

"Don't shout at Serena!" Ash roared at him.

"Shut up!" Gary yelled back.

"Enough, Gary!" Leaf spat as another wave washed over them. "You're acting like a big jerk! We need to work together, and it isn't helping that you're making enemies out of everyone!"

Gary sighed once Leaf got onto him. Here he was, acting like a great big jerk again after promising Leaf he would stop doing that in the Rocket cell. Why did he always have to do this and antagonize everyone who was just trying to help? Even if the situation was bad, that didn't excuse his behavior.

"Alright. I'm sorry, Serena, and Ash, too. I just don't know what to do right now with Misty missing and our Pokemon not strong enough to take these waves," Gary said.

"I don't think it's going to end here for us, Gary. Something good has got to happen. We were the trainers brave enough to take these waves on no matter how bad the storm is. There is now way we are going to go like this," Ash assured.

As if to answer his statement, the waters began to slosh underneath them even more than usual. The group exchanged nervous glances at this. Whatever was going on underneath them was something very large.

"Wha-What is this?!" Serena cried.

Just then, a stream of water erupted next to them, sending droplets raining down all over them. When the group looked up at what had caused the spout, they screamed in horror.

A Gyarados had emerged from the seas. Gyarados was a giant sea serpent-like Pokemon that always had an extremely short temper. There were always horrible stories told about these Pokemon by sailors. They truly were the terror of the seas. The Gyarados gave a mighty roar and looked down menacingly at the group.

"Oh, great! Just when this couldn't get any worse!" Gary cried as the all stared up worriedly at the Gyarados.

Ash gritted his teeth once again as he looked at the Gyarados. They didn't think fighting it was an option. Their Pokemon were having enough trouble just staying above the water. There would be no way they could fight in the condition they were in. It was then he noticed something on the Gyarados's back. He squinted to get a better look and gasped in surprise when it was a person. Closer inspection revealed Misty!

"Guys! It's Misty!" Ash yelled as he pointed to her.

"Oh my, gosh! How is she riding that Gyarados!?" Serena exclaimed.

"You don't think that's…her Magikarp?!" Brock said incredulously.

Misty smiled and waved down at the group before pointing her Gyarados to get the group. The giant sea serpent obeyed and dove down underneath them in the water before lifting them up on its back high above the waves. Everyone was staring in complete shock at the situation that was taking place.

"Is-is this Magikarp?" Brock asked.

"It sure is!" Misty smiled as she patted it. "It evolved to save me. I was almost a goner!"

"That's so awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu said from the backpack.

"Yep! Getting to the island will be a breeze now! These waves are going to be no match for Gyarados!" Misty smiled before pointing her index finger forward. "Full speed ahead!"

Gyarados gave another mighty roar before powering through the waters with ease. It was true the waves were still humongous, but Gyarados was stronger. Misty was riding at the front on its back with a determined expression on her face as she stared ahead. The group couldn't help but think she looked pretty awesome controlling a Gyarados like this. They were one of the hardest Pokemon to tame.

After riding for quite a while, the group saw what looked like a large castle off in the distance. Was this the New Island that they were supposed to come to from the invitation? It did mention a large castle in the middle of a small island and this certainly fit the description. Also, was it just them, or was the storm letting up quite fast.

"That's weird," Ash commented as they looked up and saw the clouds thinning.

"Didn't your mom say that the source of the storm was coming from New Island?" Serena asked confusedly. "If that's the case, why is it calmest here instead of worse?"

"It reminds me of a hurricane," Brock spoke up. "The center of the storm has an eye where it's always calmest."

"Even so, this is all a little strange. I can't help but feel apprehensive," Serena said as they drew closer to the island.

"It will be okay," Ash assured her as he grabbed her hand. "Everything will be fine."

Serena nodded her head after Ash said that and returned his smile. She then looked back towards the rest of the group at the island and large castle ahead of them. After a long and arduous storm to go through, they had finally made it to New Island, home to supposedly the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. They had no idea what was in store for them here, but they would soon find out. Regardless, it was sure to be an experience the group would never forget.

* * *

><p><strong>First part done! Next part is next week! See you all then! <strong>

**It's almost been one full year since I posted this story on this website. Who knew I would have this many people who read it one year later? I was hoping to have the Kanto arc done after a year, but sadly it isn't so. Despite this, I only have about five to six chapters left to write in the Kanto arc so I'm approaching the end! Regardless, thank you all so much for the support you have shown for this story! It truly is amazing how much you guys like it and I couldn't be happier to have such awesome fans as you!**

**Happy (almost) one year to this story!**

**Chapter 50: Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part Two**

**Answering the Questions:**

_What will Ash do after he has the eight badges from Johto?_

_**It will probably be the Celebi arc I'm planning. It could also happen when he only has seven badges, though. If it does, Ash and co. will merely head to the Pokemon League afterward, but there will be a few chapters in between regardless.**_

_Will Maxie by misguided in goals and Archie be the more ruthless one like drowning the whole world and not caring who gets caught in the crossfire like his team?_

_**I don't want to reveal too much about Archie and Maxie. I'm going to maybe switch their personalities and have Archie be more misguided with a big heart while Maxie being cold and calculating.**_

_What do you plan to do with Team Rocket after Johto?_

_**You'll see.**_

_Does Leaf have a crush on Gary?_

_**She might, but it isn't a very big one. There will be several small hints at different shippings for both Leaf and Gary throughout the anime.**_

_Do Kanto and Johto have separate elite four members and champions?_

_**Yes, they will be different in this fic and Lance won't be the champion of Johto. It isn't Red, either. You guys will know when the time comes. The only Elite Four members of Johto I will reveal are the obvious ones like Will, Karen, and Koga who will have promoted by then. Bruno won't be there, either.**_

_About Serena's father, is it someone we know from the manga or anime?_

_**Hohoho! I'm not revealing anything AT ALL about who Serena's father is! He is still a long ways off from appearing anyway. There was a brief mention of him at the beginning of this chapter if you squint. The ONLY thing I will say is that Serena did indeed get her psychic powers from her father and not Grace (obviously).**_

_How many Pokemon are you planning to evolve in this arc?_

_**Misty's Gyarados in this chapter was the second to last one. The only other pokemon who evolves this arc is Krabby to Kingler. Pidgeotto won't evolve until the next arc.**_

_Will we expect some changes in Giovanni's personality when he faces Silver again?_

_**I can't reveal anything about that or even say if there will be another meeting between the two unfortunately.**_

How do you plan to have Serena learn about pokemon performance? In the orange islands or in johto?

_**Serena will learn about them later on in this arc but won't actually start performing until the Johto arc.**_

_Is the gang still having a pallet town get together after everything that happened to them?_

_**Sort of like they did in this arc, but after Mewtwo Strikes Back, Ash and Gary will be mostly trying to train, and Serena needs to try to conquer the Battle Chateau.**_

_Will silver appear at some point in johto/ next team rocket encounter?_

_**Silver will appear before Team Rocket does in Johto. As stated before, he and Ash won't have an exactly pleasant first meeting, but the hate will mostly come from Silver's side. There will be many verbal exchanges against them. It's probably best if you just read how their encounter turns out when the time comes.**_

_Will there be any repercussions from Giovanni over the executives refusing to disband Team Rocket like he ordered?_

_**Yes, but not in the way you expect.**_

_Will Ash catch all the turtle type and crustacean type Pokemon too in the other region?_

_**All the ones he catches in canon, including Torkoal! ;)**_

_After the movie three parter, how many chapter are left for the Kanto arc before the Orange Island arc starts?_

_**It will be around 10. The remaining chapters will cover Togepi hatching, another chapter or two of the Battle Chateau, and the Pokemon League. The Kanto arc will end as soon as the competition is over and the Orange League arc will pick up where Kanto leaves off when Ash returns home briefly.**_

_Does Giovanni actually care about his Persian?_

_**Persian is to Giovanni what Pikachu is to Ash. Of course Ash treats his Pikachu better.**_

_Will Ash catch any of the clones?_

_**No.**_

_When you get to Hoenn and then Sinnoh, will the Legendary crisis be similar to the games, I.e a combination of Emerald and ORAS in Hoenn and Platinum in Sinnoh?_

_**The plot will mostly be the same but have many differences, sort of like how the Silph co and Lavender Town chapters were.**_

Y_ou know how there was that radio in that cave in HGSS? Will you be adding that part?_

_**It's kind of irrelevant to the plot to have a full scene devoted to that. There is not even a guarantee that Giovanni will return.**_

_Are you going to be incorporating any features from the games into your story, such as the Pokemon Daycare or the underground bases for Diamond and pearl?_

_**Yeah. They will probably be mentioned at some point.**_


	51. Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part Two

**A/N: Hey, everyone. I had a big goof in the first part of this story that I corrected on the first night of posting it, but in case you noticed it, it's been fixed since then. I said Gary had a Kingler when he really should've had his Blastoise with him. That being said, I fixed it so don't be confused when Gary busts out his Blastoise in this chapter and be like, "Why didn't they use it to help cross the ocean?" Thank you to powerstaark for pointing that out to me.**

**Anyway, here is the second part. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: See all other disclaimers. They basically say the same thing.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 50: Mewtwo Strikes Back Part Two<p>

The group reached the shoreline of New Island in an oddly quiet tone. It was definitely a relief they had finally made it, but the sudden calm of the storm was very eerie and unsettling. They were expecting to be excited upon accomplishing such a feat and reaching the island where the greatest Pokemon trainer was said to reside, but after the events that happened recently, they weren't so sure anymore. Were their parents in the right to be nervous about letting them go?

Gyarados lowered its body and allowed the group to climb off it before letting out a soft roar. Once they were off, Misty rubbed it on its large forehead as thanks for getting them safely across the waters. It was rather surprising that Gyarados had managed to retain its friendly personality as a Magikarp since they were known to be so ferocious. They were either really lucky or Misty was just that good of a trainer to be able to control Gyarados so quickly. Ash couldn't help but have a new found respect for Misty after saving them all like this.

"Thanks a lot, Misty," Ash said genuinely.

"Don't thank me. Thank Gyarados," Misty replied with a light giggle as she continued to rub it.

"Of course," Ash replied as he approached the intimidating Pokemon and looking it in the eyes. He had to admit that it was pretty strange to have such a usually bad-tempered Pokemon staring back at him with warmth in its eyes. "Thanks a lot, Gyarados. You saved all of us."

Gyarados gave a light growl of approval before raising itself up to its full height once Misty was done rubbing it.

"You've been through a lot so far, Gyarados. Why don't you take a good rest?" Misty suggested while returning it to her pokeball.

With that, the group turned back around and faced the large castle in front of them. If they thought it was big from far away, it was even bigger up close. They looked around for any sign of festivities or people to greet them, but didn't see anything of the sort. If it wasn't for the castle, the island would have looked like a barren wasteland.

They tentatively walked to the front door and discovered it was extremely large, as well. It was brown and stretched far above them at least to almost twenty feet. They looked to see if there would be some sort of doorbell but found that was not the case. What were they supposed to do then? Simply knock?

Ash decided to be the first as he reached out his hand and knocked firmly without making too much of a loud noise. The group then waited to see if anyone would answer. They doubted it would be the master trainer himself and probably one of the many servants or maids he had. After almost thirty seconds, there had still been no answer from the door. The group was beginning to wonder if they were even heard.

"I guess we should go ahead and enter. No one's coming," Gary said as he began walking forward to push the door open.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" Serena asked from behind him.

Gary turned back around to give an inquisitive glance at Serena. "Well, yeah. We aren't getting anywhere by just standing here," he replied.

Everyone else saw the logic to that as they all grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. It was surprisingly light considering how big it was. With all of their strength combined, they opened it with very little effort.

The castle was very dark once they entered. They were very few lanterns lining the wall giving off a small glow, and the whole room appeared to be made of nothing but rock. The room was rather small and only seemed to have a staircase that spiraled upward quite a ways. The group wasn't even able to see the top. The castle was just as eerie on the inside as it was on the outside.

"Piiiiika," Pikachu said in wonder as it looked around.

"Ash, suddenly I'm not so sure about this place," Serena muttered with a hint of fear in her voice.

"It's too late to turn back now, Serena," Gary answered instead. "We've made it here so we might as well see it through. Besides, if we turn back now, we will have to go through that storm again. Since we almost died last time, that isn't something I want experience again so soon."

"It'll be fine, Serena. I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you," Ash said reassuringly with a thumbs up. "If it'll make you feel better, you can hold my hand."

Everyone stared in surprise. Ash was actually inviting a girl to hold his hand?! They knew he and Serena were a couple now, but still!

Serena graciously accepted the invitation and grabbed Ash's jhand for support. She then leaned in against him and immediately relaxed. She felt like such a coward right now for having a castle intimidate her like this, but as usual, Ash was the one who calmed all of her fears. She truly felt lucky to have him as a boyfriend right now.

The group was just about to start ascending the staircase when they saw a lone figure coming down already. They discovered it was a young woman dressed completely in robes with only her face showing. She was carrying a lantern in her hand for guidance against the dark room. Upon closer inspection, the group realized this was the woman who was in the hologram in the invitation.

"Welcome, Pokemon trainers," she greeted in a monotonous tone. I see you have made it here to the home of my master, the world's greatest Pokemon trainer. May I see your invitations as proof you were invited?"

"Uh, sure," Ash replied as he, Serena, and Gary pulled out their invitations and showed them to the lady. Ash then motioned to Brock, Misty, and Leaf. "These three came as our guests."

"Understood. That is acceptable," the woman uttered before turning back around to the staircase. "Please follow me. I will direct you to my master."

With that, she began ascending the staircase with the group following her. As they were walking, Brock had an extremely puzzled look on his face. This lady was just as beautiful in person as she was on the hologram, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. She was so familiar despite having most of her face covered. There were only so many women in the world who had this effect on him. Very rarely did a new person do this so she had to be someone he already knew. Then it hit him.

"Wait a second!" Brock spoke up as he pointed his finger at the woman, alerting the rest of the group. "You're the missing Nurse Joy, aren't you!?

"Huh?!" the rest of the group gasped in surprise as they turned to look at the lady in front of them again.

The woman turned back around and gave the group another emotionless stare. Now that Brock mentioned it, her face did look a lot like all the Nurse Joys they've met. Was she really the one who was missing, though?

"I am sorry. I do not understand what you are talking about," the woman muttered. "I have always lived here at the castle with my master. I do not know a Nurse Joy."

"That's really weird. My instincts are never wrong when it comes to beautiful women. You look just like her," Brock said in confusion as he looked closer at her.

"Well, Brock does have that type of talent," Misty added thoughtfully with her finger to her chin.

"You must be mistaken. I am not a Nurse Joy," the woman replied robotically as she turned around to continue up the staircase.

The group followed her once more, but couldn't shake the feeling that she was hiding something from them. Not to mention her behavior was extremely strange. Ash, Brock, Misty, and Serena were highly reminded of another individual who acted like this not too long ago.

"Hey guys. Doesn't this lady's behavior remind you a lot of how Sabrina was before she got her emotions back?" Ash whispered to them.

"You're right," Serena replied quietly. "She doesn't seem to have any emotions whatsoever."

"What are you guys talking about?" Leaf mumbled from beside them.

"We faced a gym leader a while back named Sabrina of Saffron City. She had lost all of her emotions as a result of her psychic training. It wasn't until my Haunter stepped in that she was able to regain her feelings," Ash explained.

"Oh yeah. I remember something like that, too, when I faced her," Gary whispered. "You're telling me you were the one who saved her?"

"He actually was," Misty replied.

"That sounds like something you would do, Ash. You just have that personality that always wants to help others, and it's part of what makes you a great Pokemon trainer," Leaf said with a smile.

"Heh. Not bad, Ashy-boy," Gary added with a smirk.

"Eheheheheh. Thanks guys," Ash replied with embarrassment at the praise he was getting from his friends.

"Even if she isn't the missing Nurse Joy, I find it strange that she seems to be the only servant here at the castle. You would think there would be a lot here considering how big it is," Misty noted, getting the conversation back on track.

Despite trying to keep their voices down, they were still loud enough for the woman to hear they were talking about her. She either didn't let it bother her or didn't care in general as she continued up the staircase as if they weren't talking at all.

After a long trek, the group finally made it to the top of the staircase. It ended to another set of large double doors, but not as big as the ones at the entrance. The woman opened the door and gestured the group to go inside.

"I will inform my master of your arrival. Please wait in here," the woman said as the group passed her. She then left the room and retreated to another set of stairs that went further up the castle.

As the group took in the appearance of the room, they were glad that there were finally several lights on in this room. The well lit room was a stark contrast to what the rest of the castle had been like so far. There was a table in the middle of the room with a basket of fruit on it and a small fountain off to the side. On the other side of the room was a helix that continued to spin upwards to parts unknown of the castle. It appeared to be a strange transporter of some kind.

As they looked around more at the room, they realized they weren't alone in here. There was another single person in the room who was simply sitting at the table with a frown etched on his face. It didn't take the group too long to figure out that it was Paul. He apparently had managed to get a across the ocean on his Fearow and got here before the rest of them did.

Deciding that there was nothing else to do at the moment, the group approached him while they waited. Upon seeing they were coming over, Paul rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

"So you actually managed to cross the ocean? That's really surprising," Paul muttered, speaking specifically to Ash.

"Yeah. We crossed the ocean on Misty's Gyarados," Ash answered. There was no need for Paul to know they almost died a couple of times on the way over here.

"Whatever," Paul muttered before turning away from the group.

"Still the charmer as always, aren't you," Misty scowled at him.

"So you're this Paul I've heard about," Gary spoke up as he stepped in front of the others and glared at Paul.

"Yeah. What of it?" Paul asked coldly as he turned back around and fixed Gary with a glare of his own.

"Gary, it isn't a good idea to…," Ash began but was shoved back by Gary.

"I hear you train your Pokemon almost like a boot camp! You work them tirelessly and throw away any Pokemon who doesn't meet your standards! That's despicable!" Gary accused angrily.

"Great. I was hoping at least one of the trainers here would have some sense about training Pokemon the right way, but since you're friends with _him, _I should expect nothing less," Paul said with disdain

"That's terrible! Just who do you think you are treating Pokemon like that?!" Gary shouted.

"I should be asking you that. You're Gary Oak, aren't you?" Paul asked.

Gary glared back. The way Paul had said his name didn't sound like a casual question. It sounded more like his voice was filled with disgust. Once more, it looked like strangers knew who he was just by looking at him. Such was the life of having a famous family.

"Yes. That's me," Gary replied.

"You think that just because you're the grandson of Professor Oak and son of the Kanto champion that it automatically makes you a good Pokemon trainer. The reality is you're probably a terrible trainer, and your own ego only makes you think you're good," Paul spat.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Gary shouted.

"It means that at least I earned my skills at battling rather than having to ride on the popularity of my family to get anywhere. You're pathetic," Paul said spitefully.

Gary gritted his teeth at Paul's words as he shrunk back. Those words really stung. He hated to say that, but there was some sort of truth to Paul's words. His old self was a very arrogant boy and always thought he was the best with nothing to back it up with. Now that he was actually a Pokemon trainer and out in the real world, he used to have a cheerleading squad that followed him around everywhere and only increased his arrogance. Then he was captured by Team Rocket and imprisoned at their base. That was when he realized that his thinking was wrong and wanted to really make a name for himself rather than live in the shadow of his relatives. He wasn't like his old self anymore.

"Now just a second! Where do you get off?!" Leaf demanded as she stepped in front of Gary. "I've only met you once before, but even I can tell you're nothing but a big jerk! Gary really is a great Pokemon trainer! You have no right to say those things to him!"

"What would you know about battling? You aren't even a trainer. They're just a collection to you," Paul spat.

"Excuse me!? They are not! I love my Pokemon and treat them all equally! Getting to know a Pokemon and raising them is the best part of my journey! The same can't be said for you!" Leaf fired back with disgust.

"Heheheh. If that's how you feel, how about a Pokemon battle? I'll prove it to you," Paul offered.

Leaf was about to accept, but Gary put his hand out in front of her to stop her.

"No, Leaf. I'll battle him," Gary said firmly.

"Gary. Paul's not the best person to get into a confrontation with," Serena warned.

"It's isn't about that," Gary asserted. "I can't let him get away with insulting Leaf and me like this. He needs to be taught a lesson and fast!"

"Even so, do you think that it would be a good idea to have a battle here of all places? We could get thrown out!" Misty tried.

"I don't care! I'm going to prove to this guy that my Pokemon journey isn't just some big ego trip anymore!" Gary replied hotly as he continued to glare daggers at Paul. He then withdrew a pokeball and threw it forward. "Nidoking, I choose you!"

Ash could do nothing but stand there and watch. He knew this wasn't such a good idea, but he had no room to tell Gary to ignore Paul. He himself had fallen for Paul's taunting more times than he could count. It would be rather hypocritical of him to tell Gary any different. He secretly was hoping Gary would beat Paul, though.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu said, as if asking Ash why he wasn't stopping Gary.

"Sorry, buddy. It's just you know how I get when I'm around Paul. I have no right to tell Gary to stop," Ash murmured back.

"Heh, a Nidoking, huh?" Paul smirked before putting on a serious expression and standing up from his chair. "Magmar, stand by for battle!"

He then threw the pokeball forward and released the spitfire Pokemon. It gave loud cry and stood in front of Paul, ready to battle. Ash remembered his first battle with Paul and how he had a Magby at the time. It must have evolved since then.

"A Magmar? Nidoking and I can handle this! Right, Nidoking?" Gary asked his Pokemon.

Nidoking gave a roar in agreement.

"Well, your move," Paul said as he put his hands in his pockets.

"Fine then! Nidoking, Horn Attack!" Gary yelled.

Nidoking gave a roar and charged forward towards Magmar. It then lowered its head with the intention to stab it. Magmar and Paul did nothing, however.

"_This is typical of Paul's strategy. He's letting Gary make the first move so he can test what kind of battler he is. Then he makes his move," _Ash thought. He was about to warn Gary of Paul's intentions, but it was too late.

"Magmar, grab Nidoking's horn!" Paul ordered.

Just before Nidoking was about to attack Magmar, the spitfire Pokemon reached out and clamped its hands around Nidoking's sharp horn, catching it and Gary completely off guard. Because only the tip of Nidoking's horn was lethal and contained poison, Magmar was unharmed.

"What?!" Gary cried.

"Fire Punch," Paul said next.

Magmar wound back a fist of fire before punching Nidoking square in the stomach. The Drill Pokemon made a gasp of pain as it took several steps back from the burning jab, but it was made of tougher stuff than that.

"Swing your tail around and send Magmar flying!" Gary shouted.

Nidoking regained its senses and swung its large tail around much faster than one would expect. Before Magmar could react, it was knocked square in the midsection by Nidoking's tail and sent flying backwards before landing on the ground.

"Your Nidoking has good endurance. I'll give you that, at least," Paul murmured as Magmar got back up from the ground.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Gary cried. "Nidoking, use Earth Power!"

"Use Flamethrower!" Paul countered.

The two attacks flew toward each other and collided in midair, creating an explosion. Once the smoke cleared, both Mamar and Nidoking were locked arm in arm in a trial of will, trying to gain an advantage over the other. They appeared to be evenly matched. However, before the battle could go on any longer, the large double doors were opened once more, drawing everyone's attention back to it.

The same servant woman from before entered again before turning to the group and giving them a stoic expression.

"Stop the battle. My master will be very displeased if there is any battling before he arrives," she stated.

Gary and Paul turned and gave a heated glare at each other. Despite having just met, they clearly had a strong dislike for each other. It may have rivaled even Ash and Paul's dislike for each other. There were so many words said in their looks to each other. This Pokemon battle was far from over and would definitely continue in the future. They finally broke eye contact with each other before calling off their Pokemon and heading over to the woman with the rest of the group. Magmar and Nidoking let go of each other before following their trainers.

"My master has decided that everyone worthy of an audience with him has arrived. He will be here shortly," the woman said.

"So we're not going to wait for any others to come?" Serena asked with confusion.

"Only the trainers capable of braving the storm have proven themselves worthy in my master's eyes," the woman replied.

The group exchanged glances upon hearing that. What was that supposed to mean? Was this planned all along? Did the world's greatest Pokemon master know that there would be a massive storm? The group was now positive something wasn't quite right.

"Wait. You're saying that the storm was some kind of test?" Ash asked in confusion.

"My master wants you to release all of your Pokemon from their pokeballs and have a seat," the woman uttered, ignoring Ash's question.

The group decided it best to obey. Even Paul didn't put up an argument. They took out their pokeballs and released their Pokemon. Ash released Charizard, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Pidgeotto, and Dratini. Serena released Charla, Jigglypuff, Nidorina, Scyther, Hitmonlee, and Eevee. Brock released his Onix, Graveler, Vulpix, Rhyhorn, Golbat, and Kabuto. Misty released Staryu, Starmie, Goldeen, Gyarados, Psyduck, and Shellder. Gary released his, Arcanine, Blastoise, Kingler, Dodrio, and Golem. Leaf released her Venusaur, Dewgong, Sandslash, Ninetales, Beedrill, and Venomoth. Finally, Paul let out his Electabuzz, Rhydon, Fearow, Tentacruel, and Exeggutor.

"I can't help but wonder, why would your master ask us to release all of our Pokemon before he sees us?" Ash wondered.

"Do not worry. My master's intentions will be clear soon enough," the woman answered.

The group gave the stoic woman a wary glance before heading back over to the table and sitting down. Most of the water Pokemon went over to the fountain and got into the water where it was more relaxing while the other Pokemon took to simply conversing with each other or standing by their trainers.

As Ash sat down, Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder as expected, but he was surprised when Dratini hopped into his lap before curling up and going to sleep.

"Oh? Haha. I guess you would rather stay with me, Dratini?" Ash guessed.

Dratini gave a soft coo in response as it continued to rest in Ash's lap. It wasn't up to meeting all of Ash's other Pokemon still and would rather stay by the boy who was going to show it the world. Though it had only recently been captured and been with Ash a short time, it had grown rather fond of him.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Leaf gushed as she placed her hands on her cheeks.

The raven-haired boy gave a smile at the shy Pokemon, and he turned and noticed Paul glaring at him before turning away with a light grunt. That suddenly reminded Ash that Paul had caught a Dratini back in the Safari Zone, too. Only the one he caught was pretty mean-spirited. Perhaps it was best that Paul didn't have his Dratini here with him at the moment to avoid as much trouble as possible.

Rather than sit down like the rest, Gary took to standing on the other side of the room as far away from Paul as possible. His back was turned, and he had his head down. It wasn't like him to be the one to avoid everyone like this so all of his friends knew he must be very angry or upset right now. Gary had probably never had his pride hurt like that before. His Pokemon were around him trying to give him comfort, but to no avail.

Ash could fully sympathize with Gary at the moment. Most of Paul's words were as sharp as a knife, and the worst part was, Paul actually believed everything he said with no remorse, and it looked like Gary believed it, too. Leaf was about to go over to talk to Gary, but Ash put up a hand to stop her.

"Hold on, Leaf. Let me talk to Gary," Ash said gently.

Leaf give a small smile and slowly nodded her head in understanding before allowing Ash to go. Ash carefully picked up Dratini and stood up from his seat before making his way over to Gary with Pikachu following him. Gary gave a brief glance in Ash's direction when he saw him approaching but quickly turned away again.

"Gary?" Ash started.

Gary didn't reply at all. If it wasn't for the fact that Ash was right next to him when he said it, he wouldn't think Gary had heard him.

"You really can't take what Paul says to heart. I don't claim to know how Paul thinks because I don't, but I do know that he'll say whatever it takes to…," Ash started.

"Ash," Gary interrupted without looking at him, which caused Ash to be quiet. "What do think of me as person? Tell me the truth. I've known you longer than anyone else here so I need to know."

Ash stared at Gary as he thought of how to reply. In the past, Ash would have immediately called Gary an arrogant jerk who only cared for himself. Now, he didn't think so anymore within the past year when Gary showed he could actually be human. Ash didn't have a famous family so he didn't know what growing up in that type of lifestyle was like. Ash always wondered if he had an upbringing like Gary if he would be just as cocky as he was. This Pokemon journey seemed to do a lot of good for Gary. Sure, he had a cheerleading squad with him at first but not anymore.

"Well," Ash began as appeared to get deep in thought. "I know you sometimes let your pride get the best of your words and actions."

"I thought as much," Gary replied with a sigh.

"Still," Ash continued. "I know you are a great Pokemon trainer who really cares for his Pokemon. You can be a really good friend and have good leadership when the time calls for it, too, and it shows. I don't think Serena and I could've made it through Silph Co. without some of your quick thinking."

Gary finally turned around at Ash and gave him an incredulous look. Despite all of the years of teasing and bullying, Ash still thought of him as a good friend? He remembered that's what Leaf was telling him back when they were in the Team Rocket prison cell. It wasn't that he didn't believe what she was telling him, and what she said really helped, it's just Gary had to hear this from Ash, too, for confirmation. They really did like him.

"So you really think of me as my own person and a good friend, and not just part of a famous family?" Gary asked.

"Of course! Don't listen to Paul! He doesn't even know you! He only believes his methods are right and anyone who doesn't agree with him is pathetic!" Ash told him.

"Well, yeah," Gary agreed.

"I've met Paul a few times in my travels so far, and everything he said to me, I've let it bother me, but I have to remember that what he thinks isn't true. I now get angry when I see him not because of what he thinks of me like in the past, but because of how he treats and trains his Pokemon. Any Pokemon who doesn't have the best stats are worthless to him. Take Pikachu and Dratini here for example," Ash said as he gestured to the sleeping dragon-type and the yellow rodent by his side. "I know for a fact that these Pokemon are strong because I've actually spent time with them. Pikachu has overcome incredible odds against Pokemon I don't think a normal Pikachu could beat. Dratini here may be shy, but it takes a lot of strength to try to overcome that which is what it's doing. Paul fails to look at the hearts of Pokemon."

Gary couldn't help but let out a smile at Ash's words. According to his friends who really mattered, he was Gary Oak the person, not just a part of his famous family.

"Thanks a lot, Ash. That really means a lot to me," Gary said as he clapped his hand on Ash's shoulder.

"No problem! What do say we head back over to the others?" Ash suggested with a grin.

"Sounds good, pal!" Gary agreed.

Serena and Leaf were watching the exchange between Ash and Gary with a smile on their faces. There never would have been such a talk between those two in the past, but they really seem to have grown since starting their journey.

"I don't think even those two realize how good of friends they are," Serena commented to Leaf.

"Yeah. Underneath all of the arguing and rivalry between them, they really do like each," Leaf added.

Gary and Ash were just about to head over when their attention was drawn to the helix-like transporter that was at the far side of the room. A blue beam suddenly shot down in middle of it, snapping everybody else out their musings, as well.

"Here he is. My master is now arriving," the woman announced monotonously.

The group began to squint their eyes to see if they could see any sign of a person coming through the transporter. This was it. The world's greatest Pokemon trainer was about to make his appearance. They couldn't help but feel a little anxious as the transporter glowed in front of them. They didn't know whether to feel excited or intimidated with what's happened so far since they got here. The exception was Paul, who merely had a look of curiosity on his face.

A figure finally began to make its way quickly through the beam of the transporter, heading towards the ground. Ash, Misty, Brock, Serena, and Paul gave a strange glance at the being that was coming. Whatever was coming clearly didn't have the shape of a human. What was going on? What was that thing?

Gary and Leaf, on the other hand, appeared to have a growing sense of dread on their faces. The outline of this figure was all too familiar to them. This couldn't possibly be the greatest Pokemon trainer that the woman was referring to, could it? Just please don't let it be that. They hadn't forgotten about what happened the last time they encountered this being, if that was the case.

The being finally made it all the way down, and as soon as it touched the ground, the beam disappeared, letting the beings full features be shown. No, this definitely wasn't a human standing in front of them. It was Pokemon.

The group immediately put on a look of pure confusion. They thought that the world's greatest Pokemon trainer was coming down the transporter. Was this just the Pokemon he was using? Granted, it was a Pokemon they had never seen before, but still. Ash turned to look at the others and noticed all of the color had drained from Leaf and Gary's faces. Last time they faced this thing, it had a bunch of armor on so they were unable to identify it, but even though it wasn't wearing any this time, Gary and Leaf had that awful feeling return like last time. There was no mistaking it.

"It-it can't be," Gary stuttered.

"What's going on?" Ash asked them.

"Ash, that's…that's Mewtwo!" Leaf exclaimed.

The others immediately widened their eyes at that revelation as they turned back to the Pokemon in front of them. This was Mewtwo?! This was the Pokemon that had been cloned from the legendary Pokemon, Mew? This was the Pokemon that had completely destroyed Leaf and Gary's Pokemon under the command of Giovanni?!

As if for confirmation, the woman said, "This is the world's greatest Pokemon trainer as well as the world's strongest Pokemon, Mewtwo."

"Mewtwo?" Ash muttered in thought as he stared at the Pokemon in front of him.

"That's ridiculous!" Paul suddenly said from beside everyone. He was the only one who didn't appear afraid right now. "A Pokemon can't be a Pokemon Master!"

"Quiet, human. From now on, I make the rules," Mewtwo and the woman said at the exact same time.

The group furrowed their brows at this. This explained the woman's strange behavior. She was under hypnosis and being controlled by Mewtwo this whole time.

"It talks?" Gary asked in confusion.

"It must be because of its psychic abilities," Misty muttered.

Paul, on the other hand, was gritting his teeth in anger. He wasn't used to being talked down to like that. So this Pokemon thought it was big and bad, did it? Well, he'll show it!

"Electabuzz! Standby for battle and use Thunderpunch!" he ordered.

"Wait! Don't!" Ash cried at Paul, but it was too late.

Electabuzz crackled with electricity as it ran forward and began to charge up its fist. It was about halfway there when Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue. Electabuzz was lifted off its feet and tossed to the back of the room like a toy. It then hit the wall and slumped the ground in pain.

"What?!" Paul exclaimed in confusion before he too was lifted off of his feet and thrown backwards.

The group watched in surprise and horror as Paul was flung across the room and into the fountain. He emerged from the water a few seconds later and looked extremely angry. Ash went over to help, but Paul immediately shoved Ash out of the way and gave a death glare at Mewtwo in a rare display of emotion.

"Everyone! Attack that Mewtwo!" he commanded.

All of his Pokemon roared in anger at Mewtwo for harming their master. They all ran forward to attack it, but just like with Paul and Electabuzz before them, they were lifted off their feet and thrown backwards. As Paul saw this, his anger melted into uneasiness. He wasn't afraid, but he was far from comfortable. How could one Pokemon be able to take out his strongest Pokemon with little effort?!

"Child's play," Mewtwo muttered before addressing the woman in front of him. "Your usefulness has ended."

Then with a wave of his hand, the woman blinked, and her glazed over eyes seemed to return to normal. She began to moan in confusion before stumbling forward like she was going to faint. The parts of clothes covering her face came off in the process, revealing pink hair in two buns. She was the missing Nurse Joy, after all!

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried as he went over to catch her before she hit the floor.

"Wh-where am I? How did I get here?" Nurse Joy wondered as she looked around in confusion.

"You've been under my control recently. I transported you here from the Pokemon Center. Your knowledge of Pokemon physiology proved useful for my plan," Mewtwo answered.

"I don't get it! What's going on?! Is this some sort of scheme that you're doing for Team Rocket?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Team Rocket?" Mewtwo questioned thoughtfully. "So that is what that man called his group. He never told me their names, just that I was his slave."

"Wait. You aren't working with Team Rocket anymore? Then why are you doing this?" Serena asked.

"Humans have done nothing but betray me since I was born. Because I am a clone, they treat me as an experiment rather than a living being. Humanity has turned its back on me, so I have turned my back on humanity," Mewtwo answered.

"Not all humans are like Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed. "They're an evil criminal organization! You can't base all of us people over that one gang!"

"Silence, human!" Mewtwo yelled as his eyes glowed blue.

Rather than being lifted off his feet, Ash suddenly felt his whole body begin stinging in great pain. Ash gasped and fell to the floor on his hands and knees. He was trembling all over as he tried to fight the pain in him. The only thing that had been able to counter any psychic abilities in the past was his aura, but it didn't look like it was activating right now.

"Ash!" Serena cried as she and Leaf ran over to him.

Ash continued to grimace in pain as Mewtwo continued to torture him. Tears began to fall from Serena's eyes as she looked up angrily at Mewtwo. She couldn't believe a Pokemon could be so coldhearted like this.

"Stop it!" she cried. "You're hurting him! Stop!"

Mewtwo finally relented his psychic attack and stared disdainfully at Ash and Serena.

"You're a fool," Mewtwo uttered to Ash. "All humans are despicable creatures, and your Pokemon are no better than you are for allowing you to enslave them."

"Pika! Pika Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu said angrily at Mewtwo.

"Cubone bone bone!" Cubone added with just as much intensity.

"You're saying I'm wrong?" Mewtwo asked with a small bit of surprise in its normally monotone voice.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu yelled again.

"You say that human isn't your master? He is your friend?" Mewtwo echoed. He then addressed Cubone. "And you're saying that girl like a mother to you?"

Both Pokemon nodded their heads in confirmation.

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed at the two Pokemon. "You two are worse than any other. There is no way a Pokemon can be friends with a human, and they most certainly cannot act as a parent!"

Mewtwo then shot out a blast of psychic energy at the two. Ash and Serena ran as fast as they could and leaped at their Pokemon. They grabbed them and spun out of the way of the attack just in time. The blast of psychic energy continued to travel until it hit the wall in the back of the room, causing a small explosion. The group couldn't believe Mewtwo had actually tried to harm their Pokemon for just trying to reason with it!

"Are you okay, buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Pika," Pikachu responded in the affirmative.

"How about you, Cubone?" Serena asked.

"Cubone!" it answered, as well.

"You are a disgrace, allowing humans to save you. Humans and Pokemon can never be friends,"Mewtwo said scornfully before adding. "This is a twisted world so I am the new ruler of this world and everything in it."

"You're just a bully! You think that just because you have such strong powers that you can throw around any Pokemon or person you please!" Misty shouted at it.

"Do not lecture me on mistreating anything, girl," Mewtwo growled. "You have no idea what I have experienced with being mistreated. I was used as nothing but an experiment or slave the first part of my life. All of this was the fault of humans. You are all a dangerous species. You brought me into this world with no purpose but to be your slave."

"Your purpose wasn't just meant to be a slave, Mewtwo! You can do you what you want!" Ash shouted.

"You're right. I now have my own purpose. My storm will create my own world…by destroying yours," Mewtwo said.

"So this storm was caused by Mewtwo this whole time? I thought it was strange how even the weathermen were confused by this," Serena commented.

"So you hate humans, and you're going to destroy all of us to save Pokemon?" Gary asked hotly.

"No," Mewtwo replied with a shake of its head. "You're Pokemon will not be spared. As I said, they are all a disgrace for allowing themselves to be enslaved by you."

"If you're a Pokemon, there's no reason why I can't capture you!" Paul shouted at Mewtwo. He then pointed his index finger forward. "Magmar. Use your Flamethrower! Let's see how this thing does with attacks from a distance!"

The group turned in surprise at Paul. Was he insane?! He actually believed he could try to capture Mewtwo?!

The Magmar took a deep breath before blowing the largest Flamethrower it possibly could. The attack soared through the air towards Mewtwo, but the psychic Pokemon merely raised its hands and actually dissolved the attack in midair! Its eyes then glowed blue and sent Magmar flying into the wall once more.

Paul couldn't believe this was happening. All of his Pokemon were being absolutely crushed by this thing with no effort. How could something this powerful even exist?!

"You're a fool," Mewtwo said to Paul this time. "Your Pokemons' attacks cannot harm me. My powers are too great. Nothing can defeat me."

Ash gritted his teeth as he stared angrily at Mewtwo. It didn't matter if this Pokemon had a hard life so far. That gave it no right to treat humans and Pokemon this way! It had to be stopped!

"I suppose you won't mind proving that in a real Pokemon battle then, would you?" Ash asked.

"Is that a challenge?" Mewtwo questioned in a slightly amused tone.

"You bet it is!" Ash yelled. "My Pokemon and I have been through so many things together! We would never to lose you, right guys?!"

All of Ash's Pokemon cried out in agreement.

The group looked on in wonder at Ash for attempting to stand up to Mewtwo while Paul watched Ash with frown on his face. This kid was either extremely brave or extremely stupid. He saw what happened to his own Pokemon just a second ago when he tried to attack Mewtwo. They didn't stand a chance! What made Ash think any different? Was it because of his corny training of his Pokemon through love and friendship? Yeah right.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed once more. It was then the group began to hear strange noises going on below them. They were very indistinguishable. Soon, the floor began to open up as figures began to rise out from them. They were revealed to be three Pokemon coming from the holes: A Charizard, a Venusaur, and a Blastoise. They looked normal enough, but they had strange, dark markings all over their bodies.

"I started out with a Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle, but for their evolved forms, I used their genetic material to create even more powerful copies," Mewtwo explained.

"What?! These Pokemon are clones, too?!" Serena cried. All of this was getting too weird!

The noise that were made by the copies was now replaced with a rumbling noise all around to their right. The group and their Pokemon looked around for the source until the wall on the right side began to rise slowly into the air. It didn't a take long for the group to see there was another room beyond this door. Higher and higher the wall rose until the room on the other side was fully revealed.

"It's a stadium?" Gary asked in confusion

"Mewtwo must have planned this all along," Brock muttered in understanding.

Mewtwo then levitated off of the ground and floated over to where the stadium was. His clone Pokemon doing the same. Getting the silent understanding to follow, the group made their way off to the side, also. Once they made it over, Mewtwo stood on one side while the group stood on the other. They were going to show Mewtwo just how wrong it was.

* * *

><p>Mewtwo eyed the humans in front of it with an amused expression. It knew for a fact that none of these Pokemon could stand up to its clones. Their abilities had been far enhanced beyond any normal Pokemon. Having a battle like this was completely unnecessary, but if that's what it took for these humans to understand their hopeless situation, then so be it.<p>

"So which of you shall battle me first?" Mewtwo asked.

"I will!" Gary declared as he stepped forward with Blastoise. "I'm going to use my first and strongest Pokemon against you! There's no way we're going to lose!"

"Is that so? Well, I will even the playing field and use Blastoise, as well," Mewtwo responded as his cloned Blastoise stepped forward and let out a cry.

"We aren't going to lose to a fake! We've got this Blastoise!" Gary encouraged.

"Blaaaaaast!" Blastoise agreed.

"You may make the first move," Mewtwo said.

Gary narrowed his eyes at Mewtwo. This was just like before when he faced Mewtwo at the Viridian City Pokemon gym. Giovanni had told Gary to make the first move, too. The same thing happened with Paul earlier. Though he technically wasn't facing Mewtwo itself now, Gary knew this was a trap. If Mewtwo was going to taunt him like this, Gary wasn't about to humor it. There had to be something else rather than just rush it. Maybe improve its defenses?

"Fine then. Blastoise! Improve your defense by using Iron Defense!" Gary shouted.

Blastoise gave a reply and appeared to be concentrating hard. After a few seconds, It began to glow for a second before stopping. When it was finished, it appeared to be a lot shiner to signal the attack was successful.

"How pathetic. Increasing your defense will not protect it against this Blastoise," Mewtwo muttered.

The clone Blastoise gave a mighty cry before launching a Hydro Pump from the two cannons from its shell. Gary and Blastoise's eyes widened at the speed of the attack. Despite this, they figured they would be okay do to it not being a very effective attack. That was until the attack actually connected. Blastoise went flying backwards before landing on its shell where it didn't get back up.

"What?!" Gary cried as everyone else gasped. One of Gary's best Pokemon was knocked out after only one attack?!

"Your Blastoise needs training," Mewtwo said with a slight smirk.

Gary grit his teeth as he ran over to his fallen Blastoise. He couldn't believe something like this could have happened. How could his Blastoise have lost so easily? This didn't make any sense! It was his strongest Pokemon!

"Now who will battle me next?" Mewtwo asked in a bored tone as the clone Venusaur stepped forward.

"I may have not had a formal invitation, but my Venusaur would like a taste of yours!" Leaf stated as her fully evolved Bulbasaur stepped forward like Mewtwo's Pokemon did. Just because she wasn't aiming to be a trainer didn't mean she never battled with her Pokemon regularly!

"That is acceptable. We may now begin," Mewtwo uttered.

"Venusaur! Use Vine Whip!" Leaf yelled. If she was unable to attack it directly, she could try something indirect like this by using its vines.

The clone Venusaur responded by unleashing its own Vine Whip. Several vines from both sides clashed together as they tried to compete for dominance. After a few seconds, the clone Venusaur's Vine Whips found an opening and knocked Leaf's Venusaur's vines away. It then reached out and grabbed her Venusaur with its vines before hurling it across the stadium. Venusaur landed with a thud and didn't get back up.

"Venusaur!" Leaf cried as she ran over to it.

The remaining group continued to stare flabbergasted at the strength of Mewtwo's Pokemon. How could they knock out their Pokemon with just one attack? Even Paul couldn't help but be surprised at this.

"Now which of your Charizard's shall battle me?" Mewtwo asked referring to Charla and Charizard.

The two Charizard looked at each other as if deciding who should go. They both wanted to battle and both wanted to prove Mewtwo wrong.

"I have a better idea. Both of your Charizard should battle mine. That shall certainly prove my extra powerful clone Pokemon's abilities more than your pathetic, weak ones," Mewtwo suggested.

Both Charizard felt fire in their eyes at that comment. They were not weak by any means! They were not going to be mocked like that. If this Mewtwo thought that, they were going to prove it wrong! The both stepped forward onto the stadium floor and nodded to each other. They were going to take out this clone Charizard together. There was nothing they couldn't do when they were a team!

Ash and Serena stood worriedly as they watched their Charizard. They knew they were powerful Pokemon but also saw how easily, Paul, Gary, and Leaf's Pokemon were defeated. They hoped that two Pokemon would be enough to win against a clone. At least that will undermine Mewtwo's power a little bit which will help.

"We may now begin," Mewtwo stated as the clone Charizard stepped forth.

Charizard and Charla gave a mighty roar before taking flight and going straight towards the clone Charizard. It responded by taking flight as well and going towards the open sky. The other two Charizard followed it. Once they were in the air, they began trading blows back and forth. Despite Charla and Charizard's best efforts to keep it busy by attacking from opposite sides, they couldn't find an opening. The clone Charizard would always be able to block with some type of parry.

Charla finally decided to try something different and flew at the clone in a zigzag pattern to make its movements more unpredictable. The clone Charizard's eyes widened at this as it tried to keep up with Charla's movements and hold off Ash's Charizard at the same time. When it finally got close enough, Charla swung its fiery tail around and slapped the clone right in the face. It had scored at hit!

Unfortunately, the clone Charizard recovered quickly and grabbed Charla's tail before it could spin out of the way. It then swung Charla around like a baseball bat and struck Charizard with Charla, knocking it backwards and stunning it. It then hurled Charla to the ground as hard as it could before flying over to Ash's Charizard and slapping it with its tail which it sent it to the ground, too. The clone Charizard then breathed in and unleased the largest Flamethrower anyone in the group had ever seen. Charla and Charizard were engulfed by the massive flames as they fell. When the attack ended, both Pokemon were lying on the ground next to each other, defeated.

Ash and Serena let out a gasp as they ran to their fallen Pokemon like the others before them. This was unreal! Not even two of their Pokemon teaming up was enough to take out he clone Pokemon. How was this possible?! How were they that powerful?!

"You are fools," Mewtwo said. "Your pathetic Pokemon were no match for mine. I had their special abilities greatly enhanced when I made them. You were doomed from the start."

The group glared at Mewtwo. So that's what it was! It made sense. All of their Pokemon had been defeated by some type of special attack!

"And now," Mewtwo began as it lifted its hands into the air, "As victor of the Pokemon match, I shall now claim my prize. Your Pokemon!"

Several objects appeared from seemingly nowhere and flew towards the group and their Pokemon. They looked like pokeballs, but also different. They were completely black in color and much bigger than the average one. Before they even knew what hit them, Charla, Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise were sucked in by one of the pokeballs. The objects then flew off into a part of the building unseen.

"Wh-what's happening?!" Serena cried as they watched.

"He's trying to take our Pokemon!" Ash yelled as a couple more were captured.

It was then the group registered the severity of situation. They sprang into action and began to collect as much of their Pokemon as they could from the incoming black pokeballs. Some Pokemon began to attack the pokeballs themselves only to be captured as soon as another ball made contact with them.

Ash yelled out when he saw Pidgeotto attempting to fly away. Unfortunately, the balls were faster than it was. It was inside one of them in seconds. Serena turned and saw Hitmonlee, Jigglypuff, and Scyther forming a circle around Nidorina, Eevee, and Cubone. They were trying to fend off as many pokeballs as they could and were being quite successful. However, it was clear they were tiring out. Serena looked on with horror as she saw three black pokeballs coming for them from above, out of their line of sight.

"Look out!" she cried, but it was too late.

The pokeballs sneaked up on Hitmonlee, Jigglypuff, and Scyther, and sucked in the three Pokemon. Upon seeing this, Nidorina, Eevee, and Cubone made a run to Serena. The honey blonde girl left Ash's side and ran to them, as well. If she could just reach them, she might be able to protect them.

However, that wasn't the case. Serena cried out when two pokeballs came out of nowhere and captured Nidorina and Eevee, effectively sucking them inside and carrying them off. Her eyes widened when she saw another pokeball coming towards Cubone. She made a dive for Cubone and grabbed it just before the pokeball did. She immediately scooped the lonely Pokemon in her arms as it threw a Bonemerang at the incoming black pokeball, disabling it momentarily. Serena smiled at Cubone before hugging it tight and running to go find Ash.

Paul was attempting to fight off the pokeballs himself as he used his fists, kicked them, hit them with his backpack, anything to keep them away. His Pokemon were attacking them, too. Their efforts were futile as the pokeballs soon found their way around Paul and captured his Pokemon. Paul gave out a cry of rage as he saw his Pokemon were captured, too, but could do nothing but watch them be carried off.

"Vulpix, no!" Brock cried as the fox Pokemon was taken from his arms. He then turned and saw Graveler and Onix captured, too. He then turned to Misty. "I say we don't try to fight the pokeballs anymore and just make a run for it!"

"Good idea!" Misty agreed as she called over Staryu, Starmie, and Psyduck. Gyarados, Goldeen, and Shellder had already been captured.

The three Pokemon then hurried over to their trainer while more black pokeballs chased them. Psyduck was soon smacked in the backside due to being slower.

"Psy aye aye aye aye aye aye aye!" Psyduck wailed as it frantically waved its arms back and forth as the pokeball sucked it inside of it. The remaining pokeballs then surrounded Staryu and Starmie before capturing them, as well. They then sneaked behind Brock's remaining Pokemon and captured them, too. Brock and Misty could do nothing but look on in distress as all of their Pokemon were captured. They didn't even have clue where the pokeballs were going.

"It is futile to resist," Mewtwo uttered amongst the chaos.

Ash's Wartortle and Bulbasaur were putting up a good fight against the pokeballs. They were backed into a corner of the room using whatever attacks they could to fend off the black pokeballs. Since they were in a corner, the pokeballs couldn't sneak up on them from behind like they had with the others.

Ash, with Dratini still in his arms and Pikachu by his side, ran up to the two and began to help them fight the pokeballs before a thought came to him. There was no way the pokeballs could capture them if they were already inside their pokeballs!

"I've got it! You'll be safe inside your pokeballs," Ash realized as he pulled them out.

The two Pokemon turned and nodded their heads while Ash returned them to their pokeballs. He then turned to Dratini.

"Alright, Dratini. In you go. You'll be safe in there," Ash told it as he fished out Dratini's pokeball.

Dratini nodded its head but soon cried out in alarm as it saw one coming directly behind Ash. The raven haired boy turned and ducked just in time as the pokeball soared over him. He then shielded Dratini from the incoming black pokeballs until something unexpected happened. They went over to Wartortle and Bulbasaur's pokeballs before actually capturing the pokeballs!

"What?!" Ash shouted as he watched with a baffled expression as his pokeballs were sucked into the black ones before being carried off. How was that possible?!

That moment's distraction was all that was needed for another pokeball to sneak up on Ash and strike Dratini. The dragon Pokemon's eyes widened as it turned to Ash with a pleading expression as the pokeball opened up to take it. Ash immediately made a grab for Dratini as he saw the Pokemon leave his grasp. However, all his hands met were air. Dratini's eyes watered before the pokeball completely sucked it in, too. Ash watched with despair as it left with Wartortle and Bulbasaur to parts unknown in the castle.

By that time, Serena had reached him. She was panting and out of breath from all the running she had done. Cubone was still in her arms.

"Serena!" Ash yelled as he went over to her.

"They have all my Pokemon except Cubone, Ash!" Serena cried as tears ran down her face.

"I know. They capture all of mine except Pikachu," Ash said before turning to glance at the rodent, only to find it wasn't there.

"Pikachu?!" Ash called as he frantically looked around. His eyes widened as he saw the yellow rodent running away from a hoard of pokeballs that were chasing it. Before long, it had been backed against the spiral transporter and was trapped. Without thinking, Ash tore after Pikachu as fast as he could. It must have run off when it saw the pokeballs coming that Ash didn't see in all the confusion. Ash couldn't believe he let something like this get by him after all he and Pikachu had been through.

Serena ran after Ash, but stopped when almost ten black pokeballs appeared in front of her. They began to circle Serena before swooping in to take Cubone. She threw her arms around the young Pokemon in her best efforts to shield it from the dark pokeballs. She knew should couldn't block them forever, though. Maybe Cubone would be safe inside of her backpack! Serena quickly unzipped her backpack before placing Cubone inside.

"You'll be safe in here," she told it.

Cubone nodded as she closed the opening. Serena looked up to see five black pokeballs hovering next to her. They all zoomed towards the backpack and continually bounced off of the material. Serena thought she might have protected it, but that was until another black pokeball and came and sliced a small slit in her backpack before going inside. How could they do that?!

"No!" Serena screamed as she unzipped her backpack again as fast as she could to get the trapped Pokemon. She opened it just as the pokeball connected with Cubone. She watched with utter devastation as Cubone looked up at her with a teary eyes before disappearing inside of the black pokeball. It then flew out of Serena's backpack before flying off with the rest.

Serena reached out and grabbed onto the black pokeball and attempted to pull back, but he black pokeball's tug was stronger. It was yanked out of her hands before flying off. Tears began to fall as Serena watched the dark pokeball get further and further way. She couldn't believe it. She had failed to protect even Cubone. As Serena turned to look around the room, she saw all of her friends and Paul grimacing in despair. She then realized all of their Pokemon had already been captured. The only one left was Pikachu…

Ash managed to reach Pikachu and shielded him from the pokeballs. They all bounced off the raven-haired boy as he gritted his teeth from the onslaught. They hurt a lot more than they looked when striking him. Pikachu stopped attacking and looked at Ash with wonder.

"Just run Pikachu! I'll be fine!" Ash told it while panting.

Pikachu reluctantly turned away from Ash and began to make its way off of the spiral transporter while more pokeballs began to chase after it. Unbeknownst to Ash and Pikachu, the rest of the group was silently cheering for it as it ran away and managed to shock the balls away from it each time. If it was able to escape the pokeballs, maybe they could find a way to release their other Pokemon.

Pikachu's endurance had other plans, however. Pikachu had made all the up the spiral transporter in the room and was getting pretty tired from the constant running and Thunderbolts it did. Pikachu looked down and saw Ash had recovered from the pokeballs and had begun to run up the spiral staircase, also.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried at Ash.

"I'm coming, Pikachu! Don't worry!" Ash shouted as he ran.

Pikachu once more Thundershocked at black pokeball that had come to take it. It hoped Ash could reach it soon. It couldn't hold up much longer. Pikachu's eyes then widened horror as it saw at least twenty pokeballs coming for it. There was no way it could get rid of all of them with how tired it was. Ash must have realized this, too, because he began to pick up his pace. He was almost there, but the pokeballs were faster.

Not knowing what else to do, Pikachu leaped off of the platform and dived to the ground just before Ash reached it. Everyone gasped in surprise when they saw Ash actually dive off the transporter after Pikachu! Ash began to force himself downward in order to get to Pikachu faster. He was just about to reach it when a black pokeball soared past him before striking Pikachu in midair.

"No! Pikachu!" Ash cried as the rodent went inside. The pokeballs had captured everyone's Pokemon.

Ash glared as the pokeaball began to fly away. He wasn't going to let it get away with Pikachu that easily! He reached out and grabbed the pokeball as it went to pass him. To his great surprise, the pokeball began to pull him along, as well. As Ash was being carried off, he began to try to pry the pokeaball open with his bare hands, but to no avail. He then looked to see where he was going and saw an opening in the floor. His eyes narrowed. If they were taking Pikachu, they were taking him, too!

"Ash!" Serena screamed as she chased him down the room.

"Wait, Serena!" Leaf called out as she and Gary tried to reach out and grab her and missed.

Ash braced himself as the narrow opening drew nearer. He didn't care what happened to him as long as they didn't take Pikachu. He repositioned his body so he would be able to fit in the opening. Within the seconds, the pokeballs went through, taking Ash with them. Serena gasped as she saw the opening began to close. She had to make it! She wasn't going to let Ash go in there alone! She had to save her Pokemon, too! Serena made a dive and slid into the opening just before it shut completely. Both she and Ash were now gone.

The rest of the group had their mouths open in horror at what had just transpired. Their Pokemon had just been stolen by Mewtwo, and they had been powerless to save them. To top it off, both Serena and Ash were now missing. Who knows where that opening would lead them? Would it lead them straight into a death trap? They turned back to look at Mewtwo and saw it had a smirk of satisfaction on its face as it leered at the humans before it. They could only imagine what Mewtwo had in store for them now.

High above them, hiding behind a pillar, Mew watched the scene with interest. That raven-haired boy and honey blonde-haired girl were pretty interesting. They made to go after their Pokemon in the face of danger. If it recalled correctly, it could've sworn Articuno mentioned two humans it met who fit that description who had great potential in saving the world. Could that be them? Deciding to investigate matters for itself, Mew turned around and flew off to another part of the castle where the trapdoor lead. Maybe it should meet with this boy and girl and find out what they are all about.

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><p><strong>Well, I hope I'm doing a good job so far now that the canon events are finally starting to happen from the movie! Make sure to leave a review! The final part of the Mewtwo arc is next week on Tuesday, and then the chapters after that are downhill as we near the end of the Kanto arc (finally).<strong>

**All I can say is "Wow". Just "Wow". I'm in complete surprise that my story has actually surpassed 2000 reviews. I was shocked enough to even get 1000 because I honestly didn't expect to get that much, either. Let alone 2000.**

**Thanks to everyone for making this story the huge success that it has become! I'm more determined than ever to finish this series so as not to disappoint so many people! Thank you so much everyone! You all rule!**

**Chapter 51: Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part Three**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will there be comical interruptions every time Serena attempts intimate bonding with Ash?_

_**No, not every time.**_

_Ash's Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Totodile, Cyndaquil, Chikorita will all reach the final evolutionary stage? _

_**They all will eventually. By eventually, I mean some may not even reach their final stages until sometime in the last story of the series. Bulbasaur, for instance, won't be evolving anytime soon as it's not ready to do so yet like in canon.**_

_In the future arcs, there will be cases like Ash's Charizard and Serena's Charla?_

_**There won't be, unfortunately. At least as far as I can tell. In Hoenn, for instance, Ash will still get Treecko, May will still get Torchic, and Serena will get Mudkip instead of Brock. Brendan will be in Hoenn, also, and I haven't decided which starter he she should get yet. There simply isn't enough room for too many starters for our heroes. The only reason it happened this time is because Ash got his Charmander a different way than a starter. I thought it would be a cute idea at first, but I don't want to beat a dead horse by having the same situation in any more arcs.**_

_Will Serena catch any pseudo-legendaries?_

_**Yes. I've already planned what her first one is going to be.**_

_Will Ash catch a Pokemon that evolves with high friendship?_

_**Yes.**_

_How is it that Kabuto can come out of it's Pokeball for a comidic moment with Brock, but Gary's and Leaf's Pokemon can't during a crisis when they are captured by Team Rocket?_

_**Because their pokeballs were taken away by Team Rocket when they were captured.**_

_Is Juan going to make an appearance in Sootopolis City with Wallace when the gang gets there?_

_**So far, yes. I haven't fully decided on making him or Wallace the gym leader yet.**_

_Where was Richie in this chapter?_

_**He either wasn't invited by Mewtwo or didn't want to push his Pokemon to try to cross the sea. He won't reappear until the Pokemon League.**_

_Will it play out the same with Ash being caught in Mew and Mewtwo's attacks or will it be someone else?_

_**Now why would I want to reveal something like that? **_

_If James is going to make an appearance in Johto, will he still become the "flaming Moltres" he was meant to be?_

_**As hilarious as that episode was, and still is, there will no reference to James the Mighty Moltres in Johto. Sorry guys.**_

_Will Aerodactyl battle in the Pokemon League? If yes, will he go on a rampage if he is hurt too much?_

_**Yes. It will definitely battle in the Pokemon League. As for the second question, I won't say.**_

_Are you making a Star Wars reference or was that the actual title of the movie?_

_**Mewtwo Strikes Back is the actual name of the movie.**_

_Will Dratini play a big part in battling Mewtwo?_

_**No. No more than any of Ash's other Pokemon. Dratini is still more of a pacifist right now.**_

_Will you possibly delve deeper into the mystery of the GS Ball?_

_**I will certainly attempt to.**_

_In the orange islands do you plan for ash to catch lapras the same or another way?_

_**A different way.**_

_Will the Celebi arc be similar to the Celebi event in HGSS?_

_**No. It will be completely different.**_

_Once you've finished this arc how long will it be untill you start the Orange islands arc?_

_**I answered that in the last chapter. Around 10.**_

_Will any haunting flashbacks for serena occur before we meet him?_

_**When the time comes, I believe I will have great build up before Serena (and readers) finds out who her father is, complete with flashbacks, both good and bad.**_

_What arc will Serena's father appear in?_

_**Not until Sinnoh or the last story in the series.**_

_Will Ash (or anyone for that matter) catch Lord Goomy?_

_**Ash will have Goomy and all his canon Pokemon by the last story at least.**_

Will Serena (or, once again, anyone) evolve her Eevee into Sylveon or Umbreon?

_**Serena's Eevee will evolve in the Johto arc but I won't reveal which one. There will be clue in the Kanto arc, though, that's coming up. Be on the lookout for it!**_

_Are you planning to make Silver meet Paul?_

_**I don't have any plans for them to meet yet.**_

_Will Paul receive a beating in a battle by Mewtwo?_

_**Did this chapter answer your question?**_

_Will mewtwo erase everyone's mind like in the cannon and if he does will Ash and Serena remember have Aura and Psychic powers?_

_**No. Everyone will remember. Mewtwo won't erase their memories.**_

_This won't be the last of Mewtwo at the end of this Arc, will it?_

_**No. It will definitely appear in the future.**_

_I find it highly improbably that Misty was able to tame Gyarados so quickly? Will there be any bumps in the road?_

_**Gyarados was listening to Misty last chapter because it needed to save her and everyone else's lives. It will still maintain its friendly disposition as a Gyarados, but it won't always be so easy to control.**_

_You said something along the lines of Ash having the ability to call upon legendary pokemon in situations. If that's the case, will Mewtwo show up in Johto to help with Team Rocket?_

_**Mewtwo will appear again in the future, but I won't say when.**_

_Is Squirtle going to be fully evolved by the time Bulbasaur evolves for the first time?_

_**It's possible. It's already a Wartortle and I already stated that Bulbasaur isn't evolving anytime soon.**_


	52. Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part Three

**A/N: And here is the final part of the Mewtwo arc! Please enjoy it, R&R, and all that other stuff.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

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><p>Chapter 51: Mewtwo Strikes Back Part Three<p>

He was sliding.

That was the first thought that hit Ash once he entered through the trapdoor. As soon as he made it in, there was a sharp turn downward. In order to keep from crashing into the side of the narrow passageway, Ash had to let go of the dark pokeball that contained Pikachu. As soon as he let go, he dropped a short distance and began sliding down the passageway quickly. Just because he let go of the black pokeball, though, didn't mean he let it leave his sight. Ash kept his eyes on it the whole time on the way down.

Ash slid out of the narrow tunnel and landed on his back with a thud. It wasn't painful so he was able to quickly recover. Ash saw the dark pokeball soar over his head and over to a very large machine. It rivaled even the resurrection machine Ash had seen on Cinnabar Island. Ash leaped to his feet and sprang after the pokeball as several mechanical hands came out of the machine and grabbed it.

Ash made another dive and managed to grab hold of the pokeball as the hands were trying to pull it away. It then became a tugging battle between Ash and the hands as they tried to fight over the pokeball which held Pikachu.

"You're not…taking…Pikachu," Ash said through clenched teeth.

Ash heard a skidding noise behind him as someone else apparently made it into the room, as well. He then heard an audible gasp that he knew all too well to be Serena's. He turned around and saw her running towards him as fast as she could. No words needed to be said as she grabbed onto Ash's back and began to pull along with him to get back Pikachu. In reaction to this, the machine let loose even more mechanical hands to grab the pokeball, but Ash and Serena held fast. They didn't even notice an image that had appeared on giant computer screen next to them that looked like DNA strands.

After what could have been a couple of minutes of tugging and pulling, the wires connected to the mechanical hands started sparking, and their pulls became clumsier. Ash and Serena's eyes lit up when they realized they were starting to win. The interruption of the machine's natural functions must be causing it to short circuit! The wires began to spark more and more as Ash and Serena tugged even harder. Ash gave a loud scream of defiance before the pokeball was finally ripped from the mechanical arms' grasps. He and Serena toppled backwards onto the floor and let out a painful groan from the impact. The dark pokeball rolled to a stop next to them. Once it did, it opened up to finally reveal Pikachu.

The yellow rodent was shivering once it came out of the pokeball. The last time it was in one was before it met Ash, and thought it would never have to be in one again. Truth be told, it was quite a frightening experience.

"Pikachu!" Ash spoke up.

Upon hearing its trainer's voice, Pikachu gave a quick shake before turning to Ash. Upon seeing Pikachu was released, Ash put an overjoyed expression on his face. He quickly sat up and opened up his arms for the Pikachu to jump into. The rodent Pokemon complied and happily leaped into Ash's arms, and they embraced.

"Pikachu! I'm so glad you're okay!" Ash exclaimed as he hugged the rodent.

"Pika Pi!" the rodent replied happily.

Serena watched the two with a smile on her face until she took a good look at their surroundings. She and Ash had been so caught up in trying to free Pikachu that they didn't even notice what was around them or where they were. It was a very large room with very few lights on to illuminate it, making it rather dark. There were several empty glass tubes filled with liquid, too. The main feature, however, was the extremely large machine that had tried to take Pikachu. She noticed many of the other dark pokeballs entering to the machine. She wanted to rescue her Pokemon and the others but they were completely unreachable. It was then she noticed a large computer and raised her eyebrows at the DNA symbol.

"Ash, what's going on over there?" she asked while pointing to the computer.

Ash stopped hugging Pikachu and looked up to where Serena was pointing. He also gave a confused look at the DNA strands. They continued to stare until the DNA symbol began to transform into a silhouette of a Pokemon. Then another DNA strand appeared until it took on the shape of a Pokemon, also. Then the process repeated itself.

"I don't know, but…" Ash replied with a bewildered expression.

He was cut off by Serena letting out a loud cry of surprise. He quickly turned in her direction and saw her pointing in the direction of the glass tubes. He quickly followed her gaze and let out a gasp of surprise himself at what was happening.

Several different types of beings were shooting out of the machine and into the glass tubes that connected them. As Serena and Ash took a closer look, they could see they were Pokemon! More and more Pokemon continued to pour from the machine. They looked just like a lot of the Pokemon that were taken. Wait. Were their Pokemon all taken just to be put in glass tubes? This was really strange.

"Cubone!" Serena cried as she saw the lonely Pokemon come out of the machine and slide down the glass tube.

Serena ran over to it and placed her hands on the glass. Cubone appeared to be unconscious as it wasn't responding at all to the distressed calls of Serena. As Ash continued to look around, he saw all of his other Pokemon in glass tubes, too: Pidgeotto, Dratini, Wartortle, and Bulbasaur were all were unconscious as they continued to float lifelessly. There had to be a way to free them!

"I don't get it," Ash muttered. "What was Mewtwo's purpose for capturing our Pokemon like this?"

"Ash! Look up there!" Serena shouted as she pointed.

Ash looked to the machine again, and his eyes widened. Coming down one of the glass tubes this time appeared to be none other than a Pikachu! How was that possible?! He had rescued Pikachu before the machine to get it! Ash ran over with Pikachu by his side as they stared at the Pikachu in the glass tubes. It did look sort of like his Pikachu, but appeared a little rougher in some spots. No one else in the group had a Pikachu except him. He then turned around and stared at all of the Pokemon across the room, and his eyes lit up in understanding.

"Serena, I think I know what's going on," he uttered.

"What?" Serena asked as she turned away from the glass tube Cubone was in.

"They're clones," Ash stated.

"Clones?" Serena echoed.

"That's right," Ash confirmed. "Mewtwo must have captured our Pokemon so he could make clones out of them. It's just like he did with that Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise. No one else in our group has a Pikachu. If these really were our Pokemon, a Pikachu shouldn't be in the glass tubes, also. It all fits."

"Chuuuuu," Pikachu mumbled as it looked at its clone in the tube.

Serena turned back and looked at the Cubone in the glass tube. It looked so much like the one she was used to, down to the last detail. Was Pikachu's clone different because it wasn't able to fully scan it because of them pulling it away in time?

"But why would Mewtwo want to create an army of cloned Pokemon?" Serena asked as she backed away from the clone Cubone.

"That one I don't know. What exactly is Mewtwo trying to do?" Ash wondered aloud.

His eyes then lingered around the room until he noticed a small computer in one of the corners of the room. Deciding if he could find any answers on that, Ash made his way over to it with Serena and Pikachu following him.

Behind them, they didn't notice Mew had entered the room through a small opening in the ceiling. Its eyes scanned the room, and it looked in wonder at the machine as it continued to spark and the clones in the glass tubes. It then spotted the raven-haired boy and honey blonde-haired girl. It followed them over to the computer and hid behind one of the tubes so it wouldn't be seen. It would wait a few moments before revealing itself.

"Pi?" Pikachu questioned as it turned around. It thought it heard a noise.

"What's up, Pikachu?" Ash asked it.

"Piiiiiiika,"Pikachu replied in confusion as it scratched its head. It really thought something or someone was behind it. Maybe it was just its imagination.

"Well, if you think you hear something, let us know. We can never be too careful right now," Ash told it.

"Chu," Pikachu nodded its head in response as it and the others turned their attention back to the small home computer.

"Is there a way to turn this on?" Ash asked more to himself as he looked around for some sort of "on" button. He finally looked at the back of the monitor and spotted a button before pressing it. That sure as an odd place to put a button.

The computer screen began to flicker after Ash pressed the button. However, nothing appeared to be coming up. All there was were a bunch of messed up colors and what appeared to be static on the screen. There was no picture at all whatsoever!

"Mmm, no good," Ash mumbled as he went to turn it back off until a voice came from the computer which made him stop. It was filled with static, but still very understandable.

"Our day has finally come," the voice on the computer said. "In just a few short hours, our attempt at cloning a Pokemon from the Pokemon, Mew's, DNA will finally be completed! We have had many failed experiments in the past, but our constant funding of the project by Giovanni has allowed us to keep going."

Ash and Serena narrowed their eyes at this as the voice cut off and went back to static. So this project was conducted by Team Rocket all along. It now made perfect sense how Giovanni was so informed of the project back in the Silph Company. Their thoughts were interrupted by the same voice as before speaking again.

"This is it! The clone of Mew has finally awoken! This is the most success we've had in ages. It appears confused as it why it's here, but it will know its purpose soon enough. We shall call this new Pokemon 'Mewtwo'!" the voice continued.

"So Mewtwo wasn't lying when it said it was going to be used as nothing but an experiment. It must have felt terrible," Serena commented with a hint of sadness in her voice. The voice then spoke once more. Ash and Serena's eyes widened when they heard how panicked the voice sounded this time.

"This isn't happening! Mewtwo's anger is too immense! It is extremely unstable and destroying everything around it! It's already ruthlessly killed some of our workers in its rampage! I won't be last much longer myself! This power Mewtwo holds is too great for anyone to be able to try to control! We were fools to do this project without realizing the consequences! We wanted to create the world's strongest Pokemon, and we succeeded…,"

With that, the voice stopped again, and the computer screen shut off. That must have been the last recording before the lab had been destroyed. So this whole time, Mewtwo wanted revenge on humans for not treating it like a living thing, only as a disposable experiment like all the failed ones before it. Ash and Serena suddenly felt sympathy for Mewtwo at the hard life it must have endured after being trying to be used by the scientists and Giovanni. Still, that didn't excuse Mewtwo for wanting to destroy all of mankind.

"So is this the original lab Mewtwo was created in since this is this is where the recording is at?" Serena asked curiously as she looked around.

"It would make sense, but Mewtwo destroyed it," Ash answered as he furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

"I think Mewtwo was the one who created this castle," Serena said. "It destroyed the lab, then must have built this castle from the ground up using the rubble."

"That's sounds right," Ash agreed. "This whole thing was planned all along by Mewtwo. Because of Team Rocket's mistreatment of it, all people and Pokemon are having to pay the price. Team Rocket may be gone, but the aftermath of them is still here."

"So what are we going to do?" Serena asked worriedly.

"What else?" Ash asked as he turned his hat backwards. "We're going to stop Mewtwo!"

"But how are going to do that?! Mewtwo is too powerful!" Serena cried.

Before Ash could come up with a response, a noise once again interrupted them that seemed to be coming from the glass tubes. The group turned and rose their eyebrows in alarm at what was taking place. The liquid in the tubes appeared to be draining out and onto the floor below. The clone Pokemon themselves were quickly lowered, also. Before long, a small opening appeared in the tubes and the clone Pokemon emerged from the tubes, one by one. High above them, Mew was watching the proceedings with a curious look on its face.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled as it leaped on top of Ash's shoulder in case they attacked.

That wasn't the case, however. The Pokemon that were in the tubes stood in place for only a second before turning and walking deliberately towards the exit. It was like they knew exactly where to go despite just being born and not being told anything. It was really strange.

"Where are they going?" Ash muttered rhetorically as they watched the Pokemon.

The Pokemon continued to pass by the trio without even acknowledging they were in the room. As Serena saw the Cubone clone and the rest of her Pokemon pass by, she instinctively wanted to reach out and grab them but restrained herself. She had to keep letting herself know that these weren't her true Pokemon. The nearby exit slid up to reveal a long hallway. The Pokemon all entered the room before they were out of sight, and the door slid shut.

Before the two humans and Pokemon could contemplate the matter further, there was a loud noise that was coming from the machine. They had completely forgotten about how they short circuited it in all the confusion of discovering the clones and Mewtwo's backstory. By the way the machine was starting to smoke, things didn't look good.

"Watch out! It's going to blow up!" Ash cried as he threw himself in front of Serena and tackled her to the ground in order to shield her. Serena let out a gasp of pain once she hit the ground but didn't complain due to Ash trying to help her. Pikachu hit the floor, also. Mew continued to peer in curiosity from behind the glass tube.

The machine sparked one last time before shaking violently and exploding, creating a loud noise as the room shook from the force. Bits of debris pelted Ash as he continued to shield Serena from the blast. He didn't care if he was hurt, but he had to protect her! Black pokeballs flew in every direction because of the blast and landed on the ground. Despite this, the explosion was surprisingly small for such a big machine. It didn't take out the whole room and the people and Pokemon in it.

Ash slowly lifted his head after the explosion took place and carefully looked around the room. The clone machine was no nothing more than a pile of rubble while the black pokeballs were unharmed and scattered across the room. All of the pokeballs then began to open up to reveal all of the group's Pokemon.

All of the Pokemon looked around in confusion for a moment before realizing they were finally out of the dark pokeballs. Ash and Serena's Pokemon's eyes then landed on their trainers, and they immediately ran to them. The rest walked towards them, also. The Pokemon didn't know why, but they felt drawn to the two humans in the room. Mew continued to watch.

"Everyone!" Ash exclaimed happily as all of his Pokemon collided with him in joy, Serena's doing the same.

The all shared a group hug at being reunited once more. Serena had to be careful as the larger Charla came in for the hug, too. Cubone was practically choking Serena due to clinging her so tightly. It had never been captured in a pokeball before, and to be captured in one against its will like that had made it very afraid. The only one who wasn't joining in the hug was Ash's Charizard. It just stood off to the side and watched the proceedings. As Ash looked up at Charizard, the fire lizard gave a smile and thumbs up to Ash to which he returned. Even if Charizard wasn't exactly into the "hug" thing, it still showed it was happy to see Ash again. Once the reunions were out of the way, Ash decided it was time to take action. He then noticed that even the Pokemon that weren't his had surrounded him and Serena.

"Everyone, it's great to see you all again. I don't know if you're aware of this, but you all were captured by those dark pokeballs so clones could be created from you," Ash revealed.

At this, many of the Pokemon exchanged confused glances with each other while a few looked to become quite angry and unsettled. What was the meaning of this?!

"I'm not sure what exactly it is that the clones are planning to do, but it can't be good. Most likely, they are going to be used by Mewtwo. We have to band together to stop them!" Ash continued.

"How are we going to stop Mewtwo, though? It's so powerful," Serena pointed out.

"That doesn't matter anymore," Ash replied. "What matters is that we have all overcome impossible odds in the past, and this time is no different. I'm not going to let Mewtwo's confusion about people destroy the world. Who's with me?!"

All the Pokemon in the room gave a roar or a cry of acknowledgement towards Ash. They were going to help stop Mewtwo and save the world. It didn't matter if their clones were stronger in special abilities or not. They had a stronger will and wouldn't falter.

"Then let's go!" Ash declared as he stood up from the ground and made his way to the exit. Pikachu, Serena, and Cubone were just behind him, followed by their Pokemon and then the other's Pokemon.

It was then Mew finally decided to make itself known to the group. It flew out of its hiding space and flew down to where Ash and the others were. The legendary bird trio wasn't lying when they told it telepathically about these humans. Pokemon just seemed naturally drawn to them. It was quite interesting.

Ash and Serena both widened their eyes at the new species Pokemon flying in front of them. Was this even possible? Could the mythical Pokemon Mew actually have come down and flew up to them so willingly?! People had searched their entire lives for any trace of this Pokemon but never found anything. How long had it been here? Did it just arrive or was secretly was watching them for a while? Mew stared at Ash and Serena for a moment before doing playful flips in the air.

"Mew," it said in its high-pitched voice.

"Is-is that really Mew?" Serena breathed.

"I don't know. Why is it here?" Ash wondered in equal amazement.

Mew stopped playfully twirling and fixed Ash and Serena with a stare of its own. It then closed its eyes and Ash and Serena suddenly felt their minds filled with a powerful presence. It was unlike anything they had ever experienced before and almost made them a little dizzy from the sudden appearance of it. They then heard a voice in their heads. It was very squeaky, but at the same time seemed to hold authority. It was hard to describe.

"_I'm here to help," _the voice said before the presence in their mind was shut off.

Ash and Serena jolted from the shock before looking at Mew. It must have just communicated to them through their mind. It must have been able to do that because of Ash's aura and Serena's psychic abilities. It was a shock enough for Mew to appear before them, but now it just communicated with them on top of that!

"So you're aware of the situation with Mewtwo, and you know that it was cloned from your DNA?" Ash asked.

"Mew," it replied while nodding its head before it put its thoughts in Ash and Serena's heads again. _"I'm going to fly ahead of you and talk to Mewtwo."_

"Thank you," Ash responded. "We're going to need all the help we can get. If anyone can get Mewtwo to listen, it would be you."

Mew gave a light giggle before summoning a small bubble. Ash watched curiously as Mew brought the bubble over to Ash's face before popping it on his nose. It then let out another giggle while Ash gave it a questioning look.

"What was that for?" Ash asked.

Mew didn't respond. It instead did another midair flip before flying off into the same passageway it used to enter the room.

"It seems Mew is a pretty playful Pokemon," Serena commented.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "Playful or not, it's still going to help us stop Mewtwo."

* * *

><p>Back in the main room of the castle, Gary, Leaf, Brock, Misty, Paul, and Nurse Joy continued to eye Mewtwo warily. The clone Charizard, Venusaur, and Blastoise were still by its side. Ever since Ash and Serena had disappeared and their Pokemon were taken, Mewtwo hadn't said a word. It was almost as if he was waiting for something to happen. The group didn't have much to say either of the situation. They were either in too much of a shock at what had happened or at a complete loss at what to do.<p>

Mewtwo closed its eyes for a moment as if it was concentrating. The first sign of movement from the cloned Pokemon caused the others to snap their attention back to it. Mewtwo then opened its eyes and fixed the humans with a gaze of its own before speaking.

"The Pokemon clones are now complete," Mewtwo stated.

"What do you mean? There are more clones?" Brock asked.

"They were copied from your own Pokemon. That is why I captured them," Mewtwo explained.

The group let out a collective gasp upon hearing that.

"Now that it has been complete, you humans and your Pokemon have served their purpose," Mewtwo continued.

"So what are you going to do with us?" Gary spat.

"I will spare your lives…for now," Mewtwo answered as it opened its arms once more.

Several walls opened up to reveal the outside. The storm was still brewing all around them and looked even more menacing than it did when they first got there, if even possible. The clouds were completely black and frequent lightning flashed across the sky.

"But you cannot escape your fate. The hour of my vengeance draws near," Mewtwo finished.

"You're actually going to send us back out into that storm?!" Misty shrieked in horror.

"I am. You served your purpose and may go," Mewtwo confirmed.

"But we'll be walking straight into a death trap if we go back out there. You're essentially killing us!" Leaf argued.

"I already told you. I plan to destroy all of humanity for betraying me. That includes you. We cannot live together in this world peacefully. Go and enjoy your final moments before the storm takes you," Mewtwo replied.

"If you are going to do that, you might as well kill us now!" Gary snarled. "It'll save us the swim back to land! There's no way I'm going through that again!"

"Do not pretend to understand meee, human," Mewtwo uttered dangerously. "None of you will ever know what I went through."

A couple of doors then opened up from behind the group, drawing their attention to them. Several Pokemon emerged from the doors in a single file line. Their movements were deliberate almost as if they were all destined to come to this room. The group initially thought it was their own Pokemon coming into the room until Mewtwo spoke its next sentence.

"Behold. These are the clones of your Pokemon. A new age shall rise up where we shall rule this world. We will not be persecuted by you humans or your servant Pokemon anymore. Clones will inherit the world," it said.

"You can't," a voice spoke up.

Everyone looked around in wonder at who could have said that. It was then the trap door where Ash and Serena vanished to opened once more. Ash was the first to step out of the trapdoor, followed by Pikachu, Cubone, and Serena. Their Pokemon were after them, and finally the other group's Pokemon.

"It's Ash and Serena!" Leaf stated happily while the others looked on with a smile. Paul merely grunted in acknowledgement.

"We aren't going to let you get away with this," Ash spoke again as they continued to walk forward.

"Oh? What are you going to do about it, human?" Mewtwo asked with disdain. "Your Pokemon are hopeless against my clones. You cannot win."

"You have to listen to us, Mewtwo!" Ash pleaded as he came to a stop. "Humans aren't your enemies! It was Team Rocket that used you and betrayed you! They were bad humans to begin with, but they're gone now. You don't have to worry about being betrayed anymore!"

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

"You're right. I won't have to worry because I am destroying humanity," Mewtwo replied.

"I don't mean it like that!" Ash said while shaking his head. "There are good people in this world, too! Let us help you!"

"Fool! I do not need help from anyone! Least of all from you humans!" Mewtwo said with growing anger.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed blue once more, and Ash found himself lifted off the ground. He then began causing Ash physical pain just like before. Ash realized this is what Pikachu must have felt like inside of Kadabra's Confusion attack. Ash felt his limbs outstretched as far as they would go, and he began to scream in pain. Mewtwo then jerked its head, and Ash was flung backwards.

"Ash!" Serena screamed as she saw him being thrown out through the open sky above them.

As Ash continued to soar through the air, he saw the floor and everyone below getting further away. With as far away as he was being flung, he didn't know if he would fall on the ground or the ocean when he eventually stopped. Either way, Ash knew he wouldn't survive. Humanity was going to fall due to Mewtwo's horrible misunderstanding, and there was nothing he could do about it. Ash shut his eyes for what felt like the end, but something stopped him. It was something quite soft.

Ash opened his eyes and looked around in confusion until he noticed he was in a pink bubble. He then looked to the side and saw Mew staring at him with a slight smile on its face. Mew then began to gently guide Ash back to the ground while it followed him.

"Thanks a lot, Mew. You saved me," Ash said gratefully.

"Mew," it squeaked in reply.

Everyone on the floor below immediately got a surprised expression on their face, especially the ones who hadn't seen Mew yet. One of the rarest Pokemon in the world just appeared inside of the castle in front of their eyes and saved Ash from certain death! They almost couldn't believe their eyes. Out of everyone, however, no one was more surprised than Mewtwo.

"Can it be?" Mewtwo asked in wonder as it saw Mew approaching the ground with Ash.

"What's Mew doing here?" Gary asked in amazement.

"It's going to help us stop Mewtwo," Serena answered as she watched.

"You mean you actually spoke to it!?" Leaf exclaimed.

"Yes. In the basement when we went to chase after our Pokemon," Serena replied.

"That's amazing," Misty mumbled as they once more turned their attention back to Mew.

Once Ash and Mew reached a suitable distance, Ash was carefully set on the ground while the bubble around him disappeared. Serena immediately went over to Ash and wrapped her arms around him in a hug, which he returned. Ash really had scared Serena when he was sent flying. He was really fortunate to have Mew there.

Mew then went to float over to Mewtwo, but it was immediately attacked. Mewtwo didn't give Mew any leeway before charging up a Shadow Ball and launching it towards the new species Pokemon. It spun out of the way but didn't have long to recover as Mewtwo charged up another Shadow Ball and shot it towards Mew.

However, Mew gracefully dodged each Shadow Ball that Mewtwo threw at it. It was even giggling while dodging the attacks, almost as if it thought the whole proceedings were a game. Naturally, Mewtwo wasn't exactly pleased by this and narrowed its eyes at Mew as the new species Pokemon came closer. Once Mew stopped a short distance away from it, Mewtwo spoke.

"Mew. So finally we meet," Mewtwo uttered.

"Mew," it replied.

"That doesn't matter. I may have been cloned from your DNA, but I am going to prove to you that Mewtwo is better than the original and superior to Mew," Mewtwo continued

"Mew Meeew?" it questioned.

"This world isn't big enough for two of us!" Mewtwo declared as it rose off of the ground and launched another Shadow Ball at Mew.

The New Species Pokemon twirled out of the way and turned around to fly off and get the fight away from the others. Taking the bait, Mewtwo flew after it, launching Shadow Ball after Shadow Ball but missing each time. It was beginning to grow slightly frustrated.

"Why are you fleeing from me?" Mewtwo asked. "Are you afraid to find out which of us is greater?"

"Mew Mew," it said.

"You say that I'm letting my emotions get the best of me? That my anger is misdirected?" Mewtwo echoed.

"Mew," it confirmed.

"What would you know about my anger? You were not there when I was betrayed!" Mewtwo hollered before sending another Shadow Ball at Mew.

Mewtwo had made sure to put extra force and speed behind this Shadow Ball. It actually took Mew by surprise as it collided with Mew and sent it spiraling off into the sky and out of sight. Everyone stood in amazement at what had just happened. Mew was among the rarest and most powerful Pokemon in the world. Was it really taken out by only one attack by Mewtwo? What would happen now?

"Hmm hmm," Mewtwo chuckled before turning back to everyone below it. "Do you see? This proves that the original is nothing compared to copies. Not even Mew can take down its clone."

No sooner had Mewtwo said this that it felt a powerful force coming behind it, and very quickly at that. It turned around just in time to see a Shadow Ball right in its face before smashing into it. Mewtwo gasped in pain as it was sent sailing backwards and crashed into one of the walls, creating a cloud of dust from the impact. Impossible! Its Shadow Ball had been directed back at it?! Mewtwo quickly recovered from the strike and glared as the culprit revealed itself to be Mew, looking no worse for the wear. It flew down rather casually as if it never redirected a powerful attack back at its adversary.

The people and Pokemon below couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. For such a powerful and rare Pokemon. Mew sure was playful and rather carefree sometimes. Mewtwo noticed this too and grew angry.

"So you do have fight in you, but I have no time for your games. Destiny is at hand!" it said angrily.

Mew continued to float back down until it was once again in front of Mewtwo. It tilted its head in wonder at Mewtwo, almost with child-like curiosity.

"We are left with no choice and must fight each other to end this debate," Mewtwo stated. "Who will rule? My super Pokemon, or your pathetic group of spineless, inferior Pokemon?"

"Mew Mew Mew," Mew said.

"No. We are stronger. We were made with abilities far greater than the originals," Mewtwo replied.

"Mew Mew Mew Mew Mew Mew Mew Mew!" Mew stated. It looked like it was having a serious discussion with Mewtwo at the moment. Mewtwo glared at Mew before closing its eyes and allowing Mew to communicate with it telepathically. The group stood and watched the proceedings with interest. They were wondering what Mew was saying to its clone. They hoped it would be able to reach Mewtwo with its own words in private.

After a moment, Mewtwo opened its eyes and forcefully blew Mew back from breaking the connection. Despite Mew attempting to try again, Mewtwo blew it back a second time. Despite the playful nature of Mew, it seemed to almost give a sad look at the clone Pokemon.

"So you say that being enhanced with better abilities means nothing? Real strength comes from the heart? What a pathetic thing to say," Mewtwo uttered darkly. "You act as though you understand me just because I am your copy, but though we share the same DNA, you will never know how I feel!"

Mewtwo then angrily shot a Shadow Ball at Mew who spun out of the way. Mew then looked at Ash and Serena with no hint of playfulness or childishness on its face. It looked completely serious. It closed its eyes and Ash and Serena could hear Mew speaking to them once more, and it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

_"I have failed to persuade Mewtwo. It seems inevitable. A fight is fixing to break out. You and your friends need to leave while you can to avoid being hurt," _the voice squeaked.

Both Ash and Serena tensed up at those words. So not even Mew could stop Mewtwo's rampage? Would nothing be able to convince Mewtwo that it was wrong?

Sensing the urgency of the situation and Ash and Serena's alarmed looks, Brock went over to them.

"What did Mew say?" he asked with growing dread.

"It said that it wasn't able to convince Mewtwo and that we need to get out of here to save ourselves before it's too late," Serena answered seriously.

Everyone gasped at those words. It seemed that it had finally boiled down to what the group wanted to do the least. It appeared that Mewtwo was going to try to be taken down by force, and it wasn't going to be a good sight. They felt great pity for the hostile Pokemon. It had done such terrible things to them, but it truly was lonely and felt as though no one cared about it. It feelings were damaged too badly.

Paul was the first to speak up after that. He turned and addressed his Pokemon."Well? What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here before we're caught in it!"

His Pokemon nodded and began to make their way over to their trainer, but a Shadow Ball exploded in front of them to keep them from going any further. Paul and his Pokemon turned upward in anger to find the culprit was none other than Mewtwo.

"I'm afraid I can't let you and your Pokemon leave now," Mewtwo said. "We are forced into an ultimatum. Your Pokemon shall fight their clones. This is the only way to prove who is stronger."

Paul gritted his teeth and glared at Mewtwo but said nothing else. He had seen Mewtwo's powers enough on his Pokemon and Ash to know that it wasn't a good idea to give a nasty retort to the Pokemon.

"Mew Mew Mew!" Mew said.

"My clones don't need their special powers to prove their worth," Mewtwo replied. "I will block all of the Pokemons' special abilities with my psychic powers. Now we shall see who triumphs!"

"Our Pokemon aren't going to get caught up in a fight against your clones! They don't need to fight to know they matter!" Ash shouted.

As Ash turned to his Pokemon for support, he saw they all had their heads down, ready to charge at the Pokemon who cloned them, except Dratini and Pikachu. They didn't exactly seem to want to go the peaceful route. Sadly, it didn't look they had the same views as Ash.

"Um, guys?" Ash stuttered.

Without warning, every other Pokemon in the room gave a battle cry and charged headfirst at each other. They crashed into each other full force and began to grapple with the other. Because they had their special abilities blocked, they were resorting to whatever they could to harm their opponent: from biting, head butting, body slamming, or just punching the other across the face.

Meanwhile, Mew and Mewtwo had formed a protective psychic barrier around each other, Mew's pink and Mewtwo's blue, and began to duel each other. They rose high into the air as they blasted various attacks at each other. A few attacks would manage to hit the barrier, but most of them ended in a draw.

The group could do nothing but watch the brutality of all the attacks. Every attack by one Pokemon would result in a true cry of anguish from the opposing Pokemon. Ash saw the clone Charizard bite down on the neck of his own Charizard and couldn't help but gasp. To make matters worse, his own Charizard grabbed its clone around the neck in a choke hold before forcing it to the ground. He saw his Bulbasaur constantly butting heads with the clone Bulbasaur. They were getting massive bruises and bumps on their heads but didn't seem to care. The two Wartortle had each other in a headlock while the Pidgeotto were continuously stabbing each other with their beaks. It was a truly horrific sight.

"Pokemon aren't meant to fight like this," Nurse Joy muttered sadly. "What could ever come out of this?"

"Nothing….but pain," Leaf answered gravely.

Paul was used to being harsh with his training, but even he wouldn't have gone this far. His training was solely used to toughen his Pokemon up, but even he could see that this was a hopeless situation. The Pokemon were evenly matched and would only wind up destroying the other before long.

"Hey! Listen to me! I order you to stop fighting!" Paul shouted at his Pokemon, but it only fell on deaf ears.

Brock went over to Paul in an attempt to console him, but Paul rudely shrugged him off and continued to yell in vain for his Pokemon to quit fighting.

Cubone was clinging to Serena's leg the entire time in fear of meeting its clone. It didn't need to wait long, however. The clone Cubone had sneaked up behind it and whacked it on the head with its bone. Cubone's eyes welled up with tears at the painful blow while Serena glared down at the clone Cubone to tell it to stop. Before she could utter any words, Cubone had leaped at its clone in anger and tackled it to the ground. It then began mercilessly beating its clone with its bone until it was pushed off by the clone, and the process repeated itself.

"Stop, Cubone!" Serena yelled as she ran forward to get it, but was held back by Misty.

"Don't, Serena! You could get seriously hurt trying to stop a battle like that!" Misty warned.

Serena pulled out of Misty's grasp and ran forward anyway, but that was until Gary grabbed her. She struggled as much as he could in his grasp, but he held firm. Serena finally slumped over in his arms before realizing he and Misty were right. She then cast a glance over at Ash from Gary's arms and saw him staring at her with a firm look. She was helpless to do anything to aid Cubone at the moment now that its mind was made up to fight, too.

Dratini had leaped into Ash's arms in an attempt to shield itself away from the fighting, but that was until its clone showed up. Dratini peered over Ash's arms fearfully while Ash glared at the clone.

"Dratini doesn't want to fight! Leave it alone!" Ash told it harshly.

To his great surprise, the clone Dratini shook its head. It then motioned for Ash to set Dratini down. Ash gave it an inquisitive look and obeyed before waiting to see what would happen. Dratini shrunk away from its clone and darted behind Ash's leg before the clone shook its head once more and looked at the moon showing in the clear sky. The storm clouds were still swirling around it, but the sight itself was still beautiful.

Dratini cautiously looked around Ash's leg and searched its clone's eyes for any sign of hostility, but found none. Dratini slowly slid out from behind Ash before looking up at the moon, as well, and nodded at its clone. The two then continued to watch the moon together despite all the violence that was happening around them.

Ash smiled sadly at his Dratini and the other watching the moon together. Why couldn't all the other Pokemon get along this well? It was like all they knew was to fight and that would solve everything, but it was quite the opposite. Ash then looked around for any sign of Pikachu and saw it staring straight ahead with a surprised look on its face. Ash followed its gaze and gasped when he saw Pikachu's clone, too. The clone had its cheeks sparking and looked ready to fight, but Pikachu just shook its head.

Angered by this, the Pikachu clone ran forward and slapped Pikachu across the face. It then looked at Pikachu for some sort of retaliation, but Pikachu just shook its head once more and ran off with the clone following it. Pikachu was refusing to fight.

"Pikachu!" Ash called but felt a hand on his shoulder.

Ash turned and saw Serena staring at him with a heartbroken look on her face. Her eyes welled up with tears as she watched all of the horrible fighting going on. She looked completely helpless after seeing all of her Pokemon fight.

"Ash, what do we do?" she asked, hoping he had at least some sort of idea.

"I-I don't know," Ash admitted. He was always able to come up with some sort of solution, but now…

"I can't believe this," Gary mumbled as he came up beside Ash. "No Pokemon should have to go through this. At this rate, they aren't going to stop until they or their opponent is dead."

"Dead?" Serena asked, horrified at thought.

Gary nodded grimly and pointed his index finger back to the fighting. As Ash and Serena looked again, they could see all of the Pokemon were clearly tiring out. All of them were panting constantly before throwing themselves at each other once more. Seeing that they weren't doing enough damage to their opponent, they were all becoming more lethal with their attacks.

Charla, Charizard, and their clones had taken to raking their claws across their opponents' throats in an effort to suffocate the other. Blood poured from their wounds as they did whatever it took to win. Gary's Blastoise and its clone had taken to slamming their hard shells on the soft parts of their bodies. What disturbed the group the most was a sickening squelch every time the shells connected. The two Gyarados both had their teeth around each other's necks, violently thrashing back and forth. If that kept up, the group wouldn't be surprised if one of the Gyarados's heads were torn completely off of its body. This wasn't just a fight anymore. It had turned into a death match.

Ash cast his eyes upward to see Mew and Mewtwo continue battling each other. Despite having great powers, it was clear they were tiring, as well. Just like the real Pokemon and their clones, Mew and Mewtwo were too evenly matched to gain any progress. They were getting nowhere.

"This is so horrible," Serena gasped as she felt tears come to her eyes. She felt Misty come up and rub her back in a consoling manner, but the truth was Misty was crying, too.

Pikachu, meanwhile, had been backed into a corner and had nowhere else to go. The clone stood in front of Pikachu before glaring and slapping Pikachu across the face again. Pikachu looked back in pity at its clone and shook its head. The clone Pikachu then shouted at Pikachu to fight back, but the yellow rodent shook its head each time. It knew that this fighting was pointless and would only lead to more suffering. It refused to fight.

The clone Pikachu got a little more aggressive in its attacks and began trying anything to get Pikachu to attack. It would tackle, bite, slap, choke, but nothing was working. It was soon wearing itself to exhaustion as Pikachu simply took any attack that was thrown at it. Pikachu couldn't give in to this.

"Why can't Mewtwo see that all of this fighting is wrong? How could its heart be so twisted to think that everything would be solved by this?" Misty asked, teary eyed.

"It's Team Rocket's fault," Ash mumbled in a dark tone. "They are the ones who betrayed and used Mewtwo as nothing more than an experiment. Now everyone else is having to suffer for their crimes."

Ash then cast another glance at the two Dratini who were simply staring at the moon together. This was proof that the real Pokemon and the clones could get along if they would stop fighting and seeing the other as inferior. He then looked at Pikachu once more. It looked pretty tired, but even then it refused to fight back. Its clone was working itself ragged and screaming at Pikachu to attack, also, but the yellow rodent sadly shook its head each time. Finally, unable to take it anymore, the clone fell over in Pikachu's arms in complete fatigue.

Ash sighed in pity at this and looked back towards the other Pokemon. They seemed to be at their last bit of strength. They were weakly throwing light punches at the other in a desperate attempt to make the other fall first. Some of the rivalries had already ended in a draw. Both of them were just collapsed on the floor, too tired to go on. It wouldn't be long until every Pokemon would faint. Even Mew and Mewtwo were clearly getting exhausted. Their attacks were becoming more desperate, yet less accurate. This had to stop.

"No more," Ash muttered in a low tone.

The group cast a look at Ash in confusion. Some of them didn't quite know what he meant by that while others simply hadn't heard him.

"No more of this," Ash said again.

"What are talking about, Ash?" Gary asked him.

"No more of this fighting. It has to stop. Someone has to take a stand and refuse to fight. Just like Dratini and Pikachu," Ash stated and motioned towards the dragon and his yellow rodent partner who was still rubbing its fatigued clone's back comfortingly.

"But what can we do?!" Serena cried frantically. She didn't like seeing any of her Pokemon, particularly Cubone, fighting to the death like this, but until Mewtwo sees reason, it would continue.

"I know Mewtwo went through a lot since it was involved with Team Rocket, but that doesn't excuse any of this. Someone has to prove to it that this isn't the answer. I'm not going to let this go on any longer!" Ash declared as he clenched his hands into fists.

He looked up and saw Mew and Mewtwo descending closer to the ground. They both had exhausted looks on their faces. They then gave the other a look of determination and began summoning the largest amount of psychic energy anyone in the room had ever seen. The two Pokemon were clearly putting all of their energy into one attack. It looked like they were completely serious now.

Ash narrowed his eyes as he saw the Pokemon began charging up. He knew what he had to do, and he was fearless to do it. He swore when he started this Pokemon journey that he would protect his friends and Pokemon no matter what, and he meant it. No matter what.

Brock and Misty noticed the look in Ash's eyes and gave him a worried expression. They have seen that look before. It was when he was about to face Giovanni. His eyes had shown nothing but solid determination, and no matter what it took, he would do what needed to be done.

"Ash…," Brock began, but Ash put up his hand to stop him.

"Don't Brock. I'll do what it takes to stop this fighting. I'm not letting Mewtwo destroy all humans because of what Team Rocket did," Ash said.

Gary and Leaf caught on next to what Ash was doing after he said that, and they stared fearfully at him.

"What are you saying, Ash?" Leaf mumbled with wide eyes.

Ash didn't answer as he turned his hat backwards once again. He knew all of his friends were watching him and becoming suspicious of what he was doing. He knew that if he told them, they would object to it, but there really was no other way. He never gave up until the end, and that included going extreme, also. There was no other way.

Ash was going to sacrifice himself.

He then stole a glance at the person he cared about most in his life, Serena. Her eyes were shining with tears as she looked back at him. Ash hadn't outright said what he was going to do, but by the way Serena was looking at him, she must have had a pretty good idea. She had such a pleading look in her eyes that Ash almost changed his mind, but this was going to be for humans worldwide. As long as all of the Pokemon, his friends, and Serena stayed safe, it was all the resolve he needed to follow through with it.

"Ash."

Ash made an inward grimace at his name being called in no more than a whisper. It was more of a whimper, actually, and he didn't need to turn around to know who it was: Serena. He felt all the eyes of his friends boring holes into him with their gazes. Despite all this, that wasn't going to stop Ash.

"Ash, no!" he heard Serena scream.

Ash didn't listen, though. He took off at a full sprint towards Mew and Mewtwo. The two Pokemon didn't even seem to notice Ash coming. They were too worn out and busy charging up their attacks for another strike. Ash began hearing the desperate pleas and cries of his friends among all of the chaos around him. He heard Pikachu calling out to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his other exhausted Pokemon weakly raise their heads with a pleading look. He even heard Paul screaming at him to stop.

Out of all the voices though, he heard Serena the most. Her voice had always been like music to his ears, but now, all he could hear was pain. His time of being together with her had been entirely too short. He would have liked nothing more than to be spending time with her. They could be training together, or even going on a…date, but they never got to enjoy each other, and Ash was full of regret for doing this. Even still, this ensured she and everyone else would make it through this. If only he would be able to see them live on.

"Stooooooooooooop!" Ash screamed at the top of his lungs.

Ash charged in the middle of Mew and Mewtwo as soon as they unleased their attacks. He briefly saw the two Pokemon widen their eyes in surprise at the sudden appearance of Ash. They tried to redirect their attacks but to no avail. Ash saw the psychic energy coming towards him and braced himself. This was it. The attacks collided right into each other, causing a large explosion, and Ash was in the center of it.

Everyone watched in horror as they waited for the smoke to clear and the dust to settle. It was taking far too long for anyone's liking. Serena couldn't bear it anymore with what just happened. She rushed forward herself to check on Ash, but Gary held her back once more. He hated doing this, but he couldn't let her rush into danger like that.

"Let me go, Gary!" Serena screamed as she thrashed around wildly.

"It's too dangerous!" Gary argued. "We can't lose you, too!"

The smoke finally began to thin out, and the people and Pokemon could see a vague outline starting to take form in the cloud. Further thinning revealed the form to be Ash. He was hovering in midair and surrounded by a blue glow. One who had experienced it would think it was his aura activating once more, but this was a different glow. While Ash's aura glowed brightly and beautifully, this glow had a dark, dim, and depressing feel to it, like a candle that had just been blown out. Ash was suddenly lowered back to the floor and set down on his stomach. Ash gave a small twitch, and moved no more.

"_Fool,"_ Mewtwo said, sounding very surprised_. "Why would you try to stop our battle?"_

Unable to bear it anymore, Serena tore herself out of Gary's grip and sprinted straight towards Ash. Gary did nothing to stop her this time as he couldn't believe it himself. This wasn't really happening, was it? Out of the corner of her eye, Serena saw Pikachu tearing across the room as fast as it could, as well. They both didn't stop running until they reached Ash and knelt down next to him.

"Ash, wake up," Serena whimpered as she shook him, but got no response.

Growing more alarmed, Serena checked his pulse, and she gave an audible gasp when she didn't feel anything. It was completely still, and not to mention, Ash wasn't breathing, either. Serena's frantic look sent the message across the room, confirming what everyone feared.

"Please no," Misty whispered as she cupped her hand over her mouth.

"Pika Pi. Pikachu," Pikachu said as it shook Ash, as well.

Starting to seriously worry, Pikachu took matters into its own hands and began shocking Ash with a Thundershock to jumpstart his organs, but still got no response. Not one to give up so easily, Pikachu tried shocking Ash again, and again, and again. Each time bore no results, however.

"Ash, come on! Please don't do this! You can't leave me like this!" Serena cried desperately.

No matter how many screams Serena did or how many Thundershocks Pikachu used, it soon became quite clear that Ash wasn't coming back. He really did stop the fighting as all the Pokemon had quit as soon as Ash stepped in. All eyes were now on him. They were in complete shock at his ultimate sacrifice. He paid with his life.

Ash Ketchum was now dead.

Serena's breathing became very rapid upon realizing this. She couldn't believe it. They boy whom she always loved was now gone. They had only just now become a couple and had absolutely no time to spend together. They had made a promise to stay together forever at the start of the journey and always be there when the other needed help, and now he was gone. How was she supposed to go on without Ash?

"Ash," Serena sobbed leaned over his body and tears began to spill from her eyes, splashing onto the floor or on Ash.

Pikachu watched in utter helplessness. All the good times it and Ash had spent together held true in its head. Ash was the one who showed it how to trust humans again. It had been Ash who showed it the way and allowed it reach its maximum potential. They had done everything together since they met. They ate together, battled together as a team, connected with each other through aura, and slept together. Now their adventures had come to an end just like that.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu mumbled as it began to cry, as well, over its fallen trainer.

Gary, Leaf, Brock, and Misty watched from afar. It wasn't long before they joined Serena and Pikachu in crying as well, each with their own fond memories of Ash. Gary remembered how he and Ash fought so many times when they were younger over who was better, but they finally began to understand and respect each other. Ash was one of the few people, along with the other Pallet Town natives, who liked him for who he was. Leaf remembered all of the fun adventures she and Ash had when they were younger and how they were as close as any sibling most of the time. Brock recalled how it was Ash who caused his father to come out of hiding and reveal himself, allowing Brock to follow his dream of being a Pokemon Breeder. Ash was his little buddy and just like a little brother. Misty remembered how she and Ash had really gotten off on the wrong foot when he stole and destroyed her bike. Overtime, however, she and Ash had become good friends even though they would fight a lot. They really did like each other, and now…

Paul was watching the situation in complete shock. He couldn't believe that moron had rushed into two psychic Pokemons' attacks like that! What was he thinking?! Paul looked around at all of the Pokemon and people staring at Ash, and growled in annoyance when he felt his eyes water a little bit.

"Idiot," Paul mumbled before turning away from everyone so they wouldn't see him like this.

It wasn't long before Ash's Pokemon began joining in the crying, also. Even the tough Charizard was crying for its fallen trainer. After that, all of the Pokemon began to have tears of sorrow go down their faces because of Ash's sacrifice, even the clones. Every Pokemon and person in the room was now crying to some extent, except Mew and Mewtwo, who looked around in wonder at what was taking place.

"_These Pokemon are…crying for this human's sacrifice," _Mewtwo thought to itself. _"Why would this human do something like that? Are there actually good humans in this world? Did I make a mistake?"_

"_It's true there are bad people in the world, and you seem to have experienced among the worst," _Mewtwo heard Mew say. "_But as this boy Ash has shown,_ _humans can also be a species who really does care about the wellbeing of others."_

"_I…see," _Mewtwo muttered as it watched. Maybe its time getting to know this boy was too short, but now, it may never know.

Serena was now crying fiercely over Ash's body. She didn't think she would ever get over this. Ash was not only her best friend, but also the only boy she ever loved. Why did something like this have to happen? She remembered his raven hair, his dark brown eyes, his comforting words, his determination, his caring nature. Serena loved everything about Ash, even his flaws such as his eating habits. She'd never get to experience those things ever again. What was she supposed to do now? Serena was so caught up in her sorrow and misery that she didn't notice all the tears from the Pokemon beginning to sparkle.

Indeed, all the tears were shining as all the Pokemon cried. What was even stranger is that they seemed to begin to float on their own accord. The tears then started to flow towards Ash and went from shining to glowing. Pikachu and the other humans took notice of these events and looked around in confusion as they watched the odd, yet strangely beautiful occurrence.

"What's going on?" Leaf wondered as she watched the display.

"The tears of a Pokemon's sorrow," Brock trailed. "I think I remember the harbor manager mentioning something like this."

The others gasped upon hearing that as they turned back to all of the Pokemon and Ash. Sure enough, they weren't normal tears like they were used to seeing. They continued to flow and wrap themselves around Ash in a misty blanket. It wasn't until long that Ash began to glow himself.

With Ash's glowing, the dark storm clouds surrounding New Island began to dissipate. Sunlight was beginning to show once more all around them. It wasn't long until the rumbling of thunder and flashes of lightning quit. All that was left were the beautiful sun's rays as it bathed the castle in a warm embrace. The terrible storm Mewtwo created was finally gone.

"Pi?" Pikachu asked hopefully as it saw what might be happening. It then let another lone tear fall on its eyes and onto Ash, and Ash stopped glowing.

Serena was the only one who hadn't noticed what was taking place as she was too busy crying over Ash's body. She had her head resting on his body while she cried into his chest. Her movements came to a halt though when she felt a small twitch in Ash's body. She gasped when she could've sworn what she felt like breathing and…a heartbeat?!

"What?" Serena mumbled as her tear-stained face looked up to see Ash was actually breathing.

"Pikachu?!" Pikachu exclaimed as Ash let out a groan.

Everyone else in the room put on shocked expressions, but they all turned to pure joy when they actually saw Ash open his eyes. He was okay! He was alive!

"Ash?" Serena breathed as Ash looked around until finally his eyes met hers.

For a while, neither of them said anything. They were too stunned beyond words to speak. It was almost as if what was happening wasn't even real. Ash could have sworn he would be killed by that psychic attack, and Serena knew that Ash really had died just a moment ago. It wasn't until Ash spoke that finally broke everyone out of their trance.

"Heheheheh. Hey, Serena," Ash grinned as he sat up.

"Ash!" Serena exclaimed as she crashed into him with a massive hug. She threw her arms around him with incredible force which effectively knocked him back onto the ground.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as it leaped on top of Ash also and began hugging him as hard as its tiny arms could.

"Pikachu!" Ash smiled as he gave the rodent a hug, as well.

"Ash! I thought…I thought…," Serena stuttered, but found herself unable to finish. She was crying again, but this time through tears of joy.

"I don't quite get it, either," Ash replied as he continued to hug Serena and Pikachu.

"I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come back!" Serena continued to cry.

"I made a promise, didn't I?" Ash asked, causing Serena to look at him. "We're staying together forever!"

Serena's lip quivered in when Ash said those words. He had never broken a promise yet to her. She thought this would have been his first one, but even that came through in the end. They would never be apart, and Ash promised her this. They would always be together forever, and nothing was going to change that.

"That's right. Together forever," Serena said contently as she leaned her head against Ash's chest.

"Chaaaaa," Pikachu cooed it was snuggled into Ash's chest, too.

It wasn't long before Ash felt a being slam into him with the force of a hurricane. Ash let out a grunt of surprise as he turned to see the force was Leaf. She had her arms wrapped around Ash's neck so tightly that he was almost choking him, but she didn't seem to care.

"Leaf…I can't breathe," Ash half-choked, half-laughed.

"Shut up, you jerk," Leaf mumbled playfully as she released him.

Ash then looked to see all of his other friends and Pokemon approaching him, also. His Pokemon all tackled him to the floor, almost completely smothering him in affection. Ash laughed at all of his Pokemon's delight of him being okay. There was no other Pokemon he would rather have, and likewise when it came to his Pokemon and a trainer.

Brock wasn't too far behind as he knelt down and gave his little buddy a noogie on the head, which Ash tried to unsuccessfully get away from due to his Pokemon still being on top of him. Misty also came by and gave Ash a hug before whacking him on the head for being so reckless. Ash rubbed his sore head, but then gave Misty a cheesy grin because he knew that she was just worried about him.

The only ones not joining in the hug were Gary, Paul, and Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy had a small smile on her face at Ash's bravery while Gary and Paul merely watched the proceedings from the side before turning to look at each other and frowned. It wasn't long until the frown turned into a smirk, and they looked away from each other to continue watching the joyful reunion. It seemed even Paul and Gary could put away their mutual dislike for each other due to the circumstances.

Everyone was so caught up with being together with Ash again that they didn't notice Mewtwo and Mew approaching them. Pikachu was the first to notice and prepared to spark its cheeks but relaxed when it saw no hostility coming from Mewtwo. This exchange drew the others' attention away from Ash as they also stared at Mewtwo. Upon realizing that Mewtwo was looking at him specifically, Ash stood up from the ground and locked eyes with the genetic Pokemon.

"_Ash Ketchum, you selflessly sacrificed yourself to save the Pokemon. I was the one who pitted them against each other. That was wrong," Mewtwo told him._

"Mewtwo…," Ash trailed.

_"It wasn't until I set aside their differences did I see the power they all shared deep inside. You have my thanks," _Mewtwo continued.

_"Mew!" _Mew added while flying around Ash playfully in a circle.

"Heheheheh. You're welcome," Ash replied embarrassedly after receiving such praise from powerful Pokemon.

"_I see now that the origins of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are," Mewtwo said._

"So what are you going to do now?" Ash asked it.

"_Ash Ketchum, I now sense that you have a power unlike anything I have experienced before. It intrigues me. I sense that you will be a very important concept in making this land right again,"_ Mewtwo told him.

"Me?" Ash questioned. There someone goes again by saying how important or special he is. Mewtwo must be talking about his aura.

"_Yes. This hatred I had for humanity only bred more hatred and almost destroyed the planet_. _I cannot let that happen again and would like to atone for the mistakes I've made," _Mewtwo said.

"How are you going to do that?" Ash asked.

"_I would like to aide you in your quest, Ash. Should you ever have need of me, all you have to do is call me. I will be with you and provide you with any assistance necessary,"_ Mewtwo offered.

"You really want to help me?" Ash asked in bewilderment.

"_Yes. I have set up a link between us. You may communicate with me anytime during your quest by using the special gift you possess. You have done much for me by showing me the error of my ways. This is the least I can do," _Mewtwo said.

"Oh. Wow. Thanks," Ash muttered in surprise.

"Mew!" Mew added as it went over to Ash before smiling and closing its eyes to communicate.

"_I'll help, too. If you need of assistance, please call on us," _rang the squeaky voice of Mew in Ash's head.

"Thank you. I will," Ash replied gratefully, still a bit amazed that two powerful Pokemon were willing to stay in touch with him.

Mew gave a playful giggle before flying around Ash once more and joining Mewtwo by its side.

"Heh. Ashy boy making friends with two of the world's most powerful Pokemon. Who knew?" Gary smirked to himself as he watched the proceedings.

Suddenly, Mew and Mewtwo began to rise into the air away from the group. Everyone then noticed that the clone Pokemon were soon surrounded by a blue aura and began to rise into the air, too. Higher and higher they rose until they all began to fly away from the group. They all watched with a look of contentment on their face now they knew the threat from Mewtwo was finally over. Pikachu and Dratini waved goodbye to their clones while the others waved back.

"So where are you all going?" Ash shouted up at Mew and Mewtwo.

"_Somewhere where we can all live in peace, away from humanity. Though you and your friends understand us, not all humans do yet. We shall never forget any of you. We only ask that you not forget about us, as well. Remember who we are and that we exist in this world, too," _Mewtwo answered.

"_Goodbye…Mew and Mewtwo,"_ Ash thought.

"_And farewell to you as well, Ash Ketchum," _Ash heard Mewtwo echo in his thoughts. Initially startled by this, Ash soon smiled to himself. It seemed his aura had activated for the briefest of moments with Mewtwo's psychic abilites. The link between them had worked, after all.

Just then, a bright light began to flash around everyone and their Pokemon, Everyone looked around in curiosity at what could be happening. The room they were in seemed to melt away into the light as it got brighter and brighter. Soon, there was nothing but white, and Ash had to bring his arm up to shield himself…

* * *

><p>Ash then felt a jolt as he landed on something hard. The next thing he noticed was the sound of ocean waves. He brought his arm down from over his eyes and saw he was staring at an ocean. Closer inspection revealed he was back at the wharf they left off of to get to New Island. Ash then looked around and saw Serena and everyone were back with him, even the Nurse Joy that was missing. They were at the mainland again.<p>

"Chuuuu," Pikachu commented as it looked around.

"Are we back?" Misty asked as she looked around.

"We are. Do you think it was Mewtwo who brought us back here?" Brock inquired.

"It had to be," Gary mumbled an answer. He then looked down and saw all of his pokeballs were back on his belt. "It seems like Mewtwo transported our Pokemon back to our pokeballs, too."

"Hey, guys," Ash spoke up, bringing their attention to him. "I think it's best if we don't tell our parents or anyone else about what took place just a while ago. Something like this is just best kept a secret."

Everyone nodded in agreement. If their parents knew what had happened, they would probably ground their kids for life for doing something so dangerous. If anyone else knew, the media would undoubtedly be all over the place trying to search for Mewtwo and the clones. If they ever found them, it would be a total disaster.

"Ketchum" one voice called out.

The group turned and saw the voice belong to none other than Paul. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at Ash straight in the eye with an unreadable expression. Ash stared back in astonishment that Paul was actually the one to talk to him first in quite a while. They continued staring until Paul finally spoke again, and what he said next genuinely surprised the group.

"That wasn't bad. I'll see you at the Pokemon League," he muttered before turning around and started to walk away.

The group stared after Paul with a dumbfounded expression. Did Paul actually almost compliment Ash?! That was probably the closest thing to something nice Paul ever said to Ash, no, to anyone in all honesty. Maybe after seeing these events at Mewtwo's castle take place, even Paul couldn't remain stone cold forever. There might be hope for even him, after all.

"Thanks, Paul! I'll see you there, too!" Ash hollered after him.

Paul didn't answer but just kept walking away. He didn't need to acknowledge Ash for the group to know he heard what was said. Nothing more needed to be exchanged between the two at the moment. Paul showed the slightest bit of respect for Ash right there, and their actions would do the rest of the talking at the Pokemon League. They would just have to wait until then. The group stared after Paul until he rounded a corner and was soon out of sight.

"So what now?" Leaf asked the group.

"Well…I don't know about you all, but I've got some training to do for the Pokemon League!" Ash answered as he pumped his fist into the air.

"I'm right there with you, Ash! I don't know how long I'll be in Pallet Town, but we better be having plenty of battles when I stop by," Gary said.

"Count on it, Gary!" Ash replied as he gave Gary a thumbs up, until he remembered Serena, who had been oddly quiet since the mention about what to do next. He turned to her and gave her a smile. "And we can't forget you, either, Serena! You have a Battle Chateau to conquer! You're going to beat those Chatelaines for sure!"

"Sounds great, Ash!" Serena answered with a forced smile.

Nobody but Ash and Leaf seemed to pick up on this as Ash gave Serena a serious expression. It was then Serena knew that he would be wanting to talk to her later on. Serena nodded her head at Ash to signify she got the message before turning away. The Pokemon League was approaching soon and Ash would be wanting to go to a new region after this. Would he really be willing to wait for her in Kanto while she finished the Battle Chateau? Serena mentally kicked herself as of course he would wait, but at what cost?

"In the meantime, I say we head back to Pallet Town. We've all got a lot of training to do," Brock smiled.

"Yeah. Let's go for real this time," Ash agreed. He mightbe staying at Serena's and not in his house at the moment, but he had no doubt he would be tasting some of his mom's home cooking once he got back. It was calling his name.

The group then turned to depart for Pallet Town with their adventure at New Island behind them. Everyone had their own thoughts about the experience and had learned a lot from the encounter. With Mewtwo,s words, they believed they might be fortunate enough to see Mew and Mewtwo again. It was certainly unforgettable part of all of their journeys, but for now, the return to Pallet Town was at hand. Ash had the Pokemon League approaching in a month, and Serena had the Battle Chateau to conquer, it would be a busy time for everybody. No matter what, though, they were determined to overcome the obstacles. It was part of the road to becoming a Pokemon Master.

As Ash walked along, he thought her saw a flash of movement along the corner of his eye. It almost looked like a pink bubble with a small being in it. He and Pikachu stopped and quickly jerked their head towards the sky to see if it was possible, but it was already gone.

"Ash?" Serena questioned as she turned around once noticing he wasn't beside her anymore

"Heh, it's nothing, Serena. Let's go," Ash smiled to himself as he continued on. He cast one more glance of at the sky as he walked before facing Pikachu and nodding to it, which the rodent nodded back to. Maybe it was just Ash's imagination, but then again, maybe it wasn't. Time would tell.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, everyone. It's all downhill from here. There are only about ten chapters left in this arc to post, and I only have about three left to write. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be done with this arc in about a month…or less if we're lucky. I'm writing the Pokemon League chapters right now, and I must say, they are turning out quite nicely with what I have to work with. Be prepared for some unexpected surprises to happen there, both good and bad. And what about Serena and the Battle Chateau?! You all will know soon enough!<strong>

**The next chapter will be up next Tuesday, and I will see you all then. Thanks for all the reviews, support, and PMs you guys send to me. I know I say this all the time, and it must be tiring, but I really do appreciate them all. Thank you.**

**Chapter 52: Cubone and Togepi**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Mewtwo regain his memories about Amber?_

_**No, it won't.**_

_Does Ash's Aura only come out at "random" points because he hasn't he training to "will" it out? or does it come out only when it "feels" like the small amount can help?_

_**A little bit of both since Ash can't control when it comes out. The only time he was able to will it out so far was his battle with Giovanni, and even then, he couldn't use it to his fullest extent.**_

_Do you intend to handle mega evolutions like in the game or the anime?_

_**More like the anime. Ash has a whole slew of Pokemon that can mega evolve, and it wouldn't be fair if all of them could at any time.**_

Y_ou're not going to have Ash and Serena always charge into danger together are you?_

_**No. I won't. Ash charged straight into Mew and Mewtwo's attacks by himself after all.**_

_You mentioned that ash will get lapras, snorlax, and 1 other pokemon in the orange islands. Which pokemon is it? Or is it a surprise?_

_**It's nothing super awesome, but I don't wish to reveal any of Ash's non canon Pokemon until he catches them.**_

_Will misty just get poliwag or a couple more?_

_**Misty will still get Poliwag.**_

_Will Serena catch any in the orange islands?_

_**Serena will catch either one or two new Pokemon in the Orange Islands. One I know for certain, the other I'm going back and forth. Sometimes I want it and other times I don't want it.**_

_Can you reveal any Pokemon Ash, Serena, and the rest of the gang will get in the next arc?_

_**Ash will catch Lapras, Snorlax, and another Pokemon. Misty will get Poliwag, Tracy will get Scyther, and Serena will get one or two new Pokemon. Yeah I know I gave a wise guy answer by only revealing the canon Pokemon. I just don't like to reveal noncanon Pokemon. Sorry.**_

_Is the "saving the world" the Pokemon Movie Power of One?_

_**No. It's something completely different. Don't worry. There will be more foreshadowing later on in the Kanto arc.**_

_Do you plain to do the harthome city tag battle ?_

_**I don't know. It's too far off for me to plan yet.**_

_Why there any other trainers who made it to the island? Were these the only ones to take the risk of getting there?_

_**Yep. Just like in the canon movie, only a few trainers braved the waves. Only here, I switched the CoDs for Leaf, Paul, Serena, and Gary. I always wondered why Gary wasn't at the island in canon….**_

_Will N make an appearance in the future? If he does which region?_

_**Yes. N will definitely be in this story, and so will the rest of Team Plasma, but I won't reveal how, why, or what region they appear in. Team Flare will be in the series too, but like Team Plasma and N, I won't reveal anything about them.**_

_Will you have the pokemon league be like the anime?_

_**So far, the chapters I've written for the Pokemon League have diverged quite a good deal from canon. I'm rather proud of myself as I was worried it would be pretty similar.**_

_Will Paul start to develop some respect for Ash and his friends after everything that happens involving Mewtwo?_

_**As this chapter has shown, Paul has a very small shred of respect, but we'll see how long that lasts.**_

_Will ash and serena will have any fights (serious or notsoserious) and will they affect any plot elements_

_**Yeah. There's one huge fight I actually have planned between them ,and I know what it will be about, but it won't be in the Kanto or Orange Island arcs. Any smaller ones that appear in the story will just come and go.**_

_How many chapters will each of the arcs have?_

_**I think I've already answered this a couple of times but….**_

_**Kanto: Either 60 or 61**_

_**Orange Islands: 15-20**_

_**Johto: 50-60**_

_**Hoenn and Battle Frontier: around 60 (possibly 65-70 depending on how long the Battle Frontier part is)**_

_**Sinnoh: around 60**_

_**Final story: around 30**_

_How similar to the anime storyline will the Orange Islands arc be?_

_**I'm not exactly sure as Orange Islands was the toughest for me to plan out on being different so we'll just have to see as I go along.**_

_Will Ash and Serena ever catch any legendary Pokemon?_

_**I don't plan on Ash or Serena catching any legendary Pokemon, but they will befriend them all.**_

_Will Charla wear some sort of accessory to recognize herself?_

_**When Serena starts to do Pokemon Performances, it will.**_

_Since Team Rocket will be going to the Johto region, I'm assuming that means they won't appear in the Orange Islands?_

_**You assume correctly! There will be no villains in the Orange Islands arc (except Lawrence III)**_

_What made you decide not to include Paul in the Orange islands, johto or hoenn?_

_**So I don't beat a dead horse. It would be boring if Paul was Ash's rival every region. When I reintroduce Paul in Sinnoh, he and Ash can start their rivalry afresh since they will be older and can apply different things they learned in the years they didn't see each other.**_

_When do you intend for the heroes to gain Mega Evolution?_

_**I've already revealed it to be Sinnoh.**_


	53. Cubone and Togepi

**A/N: I have received many, many, many questions and comments (both good and bad) regarding Serena's new haircut and whether or not I will put it in my story. Truth be told, I actually like her new look and thinks she looks rather cute. As far if I will put it in my story, I'm not sure yet. If Serena does cut her hair in this fic, it won't be in Kanto or the Orange Island arcs. I will wait to see what the anime does regarding her new look and make my decision based off of that. Hopefully that satisfies everyone's curiosity.**

**I've also listened to many people's requests and have now posted Ash and Serena's team on my profile page. It will change every time Ash or Serena catches or releases a Pokemon. **

**Now on to the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 52: Cubone and Togepi<p>

Morning sunlight peaked through the windows of Pallet Town. It was the morning after the group had encountered Mew, Mewtwo, and the other clone Pokemon. As agreed, they didn't tell their parents about any of those events. When asked about what took them so long to get home, the group merely responded that they waited for the storm to die down at the wharf before coming home. All of the adults seemed to accept that, with the exception of Red, Blue, and Rose who smiled knowingly. The group wasn't sure if that was because they were on similar adventures growing up or because Red's aura detected a lie. Regardless, the group was glad they didn't tell the others.

Now, the Gabena household was pretty packed with guests. Unfortunately, Ash's house would still have a few more days of repairing before he and his family could move back in. Serena and Grace stayed in their respective bedrooms while Delia and Red took the guest bedroom, leaving Ash with the couch in the living room. He didn't mind, of course. Having spent so many nights sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag when he wasn't in a city gave Ash the ability to sleep anywhere and be comfortable.

It was truthfully the best sleep Ash had in quite a while. He had no problems to deal with. Giovanni was gone, Mewtwo was on the right side, the incident of his parents' past was behind him, and he had all eight badges. Only the Pokemon League separated Ash from being a Pokemon League champion. Then he could face the Elite Four. Today would be his first full day of Pokemon training since coming back to Pallet Town.

Unbeknownst to Ash, Serena Gabena was coming down the stairs of her house and into the living room. Despite the restless events the past few days, she had been the first one up on purpose this morning. She set her alarm clock for six in the morning so she could get up early. Why? As celebration for winning all eight badges, Serena wanted to cook Ash a victory breakfast using the cookbook Brock had given her on her birthday. This would be her first attempt all by herself since Brock showed her how to cook. She even left Cubone asleep in her bed so she could be alone.

As Serena padded across the carpeted living room, she spotted Ash sleeping on the couch across from her. It warmed Serena's heart to see him look so peaceful right now. She crept over to her boyfriend as quietly as she could, her slippered feet making little to no noise. Once Serena reached the couch she leaned over the back of it stared lovingly at Ash. He was lying on his back with Pikachu on is stomach. The yellow rodent was rising and falling slightly in tune with Ash's gentle breathing. She thought Ash looked so cute like that and felt herself blushing. Despite them being together now, Serena still couldn't resist that sometimes. She smiled to herself and continued to make her way over to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>The noises that were being made in the kitchen weren't what awoke Ash later that morning. It was the smell of delicious food. Ash's mouth was already watering as he cracked his eyes open and was greeted by the sun in his eyes. Ash turned away from the window which shook Pikachu awake, too, before giving a stretch. He figured everyone else must already be up and Mrs. Gabena would be working on cooking a large breakfast for everyone. He slowly sat up on the couch and let out a big yawn before standing up and heading to the kitchen. Pikachu leaped onto his partner's shoulder, as usual.<p>

When Ash entered the kitchen, he was surprised to find it wasn't Grace who was cooking and causing the delicious smell. In fact, Serena was the only occupant in the kitchen at the moment! She appeared to be just finishing up and was pulling a very large pan of some sort of casserole out of the oven. She set the pan down on top of the stove before pulling off her oven mitts and turning to find Ash watching her. She gave slight jump at his sudden appearance but soon smiled.

"Good morning, Ash," she greeted with smile before turning to the yellow rodent on his shoulder. "And you, too, Pikachu."

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu responded happily.

"So I see you're cooking. It smells awesome," Ash said as he made his way over to her to see what it was.

"Thank you," Serena replied. "It's a recipe I got from the cookbook Brock gave me. It's a breakfast casserole and consists of eggs, hashbrowns, sausage, milk, and even a few secret ingredients that Brock scribbled down to make it even better."

"Heh. You can always count on the Brockster to have some good ideas," Ash said before adding, "You made this by yourself?"

"I sure did!" Serena answered with a giggle. "I woke up really early this morning so I could make enough for everyone, but it was mainly for you getting all eight badges."

"Thanks a lot, Serena. If it tastes even half as good as it smells, it'll be great," Ash said.

"Why don't you try it out first?" Serena suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash said as he took the large spoon from Serena's outstretched and took a scoop from the casserole. He took a bite and his eyes lit up with how good it was. "This is amazing, Serena!"

The honey-blonde haired girl beamed upon hearing that. "I'm so glad you think so, Ash. This is the first thing I made all by myself with no help from anyone!"

"If I already hadn't known you, you could've fooled me. You're a natural!" Ash stated as he reached down with his spoon to take more, but a light slap on the hand from Serena stopped him.

"Now, Ash. I let you have the first taste, but wait for everyone else to come in before we start eating. I tried to time it just right for when everyone gets up so we can all eat together," Serena scolded with her hands on her hips.

Ash couldn't help but inwardly laugh at Serena's appearance. She was wearing a cooking apron around her pajamas with her hands on her hips and a stern expression on her face. In short, she looked and sounded like a mother just then. It was probably her time with Cubone that helped. Besides a mother, Serena probably make a good wife one day, too. Wait! What!?

"So what are you going to do as far as training goes today?" Serena asked him once losing the stern expression on his face.

Ash pushed the thought of Serena looking motherly out of his head before answering. "I want to be able to spend time with each of my Pokemon today, particularly the ones I haven't gotten to train much yet, like Dratini and Aerdactyl. I want all of my Pokemon to be in tip top form for the Pokemon League!"

"That sounds like a plan!" Serena smiled, until Ash asked her a question next.

"And are you going to be training to beat the Battle Chatelaines to conquer the Battle Chateau, too?" Ash inquired.

Serena cast a look towards the ground as she knew where Ash was going with this. Ash's journey through the Kanto region would be ending soon, and he wanted to know what she was going to do in the meantime about the Battle Chateau. She still had four Chatelaines to defeat and had no idea what to do in such a short amount of time. Would she leave it undefeated or not?

"I don't know," Serena replied with a sigh. "I don't understand how I am going to beat them all in such a short amount of time."

"You shouldn't let that stop you, Serena. Haven't things always worked out in the end?" Ash asked her.

"Yes," Serena answered. "But what am it supposed to do this time?"

Ash stared at her with a sympathetic look. Maybe he was being too hard on her right now. He wasn't in the exact same situation right now and didn't feel pressed for time like Serena did. He would wait a million years before going to another region if that's what it took for Serena to conquer the Battle Chateau, but he also knew she would never do it. They were almost at a stalemate with the situation. He would wait for Serena to conquer the Battle Chateau and put his journey on hold, or they could travel to a new region together while putting Serena's journey on hold. It was a very difficult decision. Ash was always one to come up with a solution, but right now, he was at a loss. For Serena's sake, he hoped something would present itself soon.

* * *

><p>The breakfast that Serena cooked had been delicious. Grace, Red, and Delia had woken up about fifteen minutes after Ash, and everyone sat down and enjoyed the great breakfast Serena had cooked. Grace complimented on how great her daughter had done much to Serena's embarrassment. She was glad everyone enjoyed her food, but of course, was most happy Ash enjoyed it.<p>

After finishing the big breakfast of the casserole, Ash and Serena wasted no time in heading to Professor Oaks' lab to see their Pokemon with Pikachu and Cubone following them. Grace, Red, and Delia offered to clean up the kitchen so their kids could begin training as fast as possible, which they appreciated. Ash and Serena figured Brock and Misty were already up and could meet up with them there. Leaf and Gary would most likely be there, too.

Once Ash and Serena reached the lab, they were about to knock when the door was flung open, and Brock was standing there with an excited look on his face. Ash was about to ask Brock what was up, but didn't have to when Brock spoke first.

"Guys! Great timing! I was just about to come get you both! The egg is going to hatch soon!" he said quickly.

Ash and Serena's eyes lit up in alarm at that news. The egg was fixing to hatch, and they almost missed it?! They quickly followed Brock through lobby of the lab and into the backroom where the egg was being kept. The last time Ash and Serena were in this room was when they were receiving their first Pokemon, but that was beside the point. Unbeknownst to them, Cubone had a look of wariness on its face.

Professor Oak and Daisy were already in the lab, along with Misty and Leaf. It wasn't too surprising that Gary wasn't there as watching someone else's egg hatch wasn't really his thing, or he could have already left to train somewhere. Upon seeing the arrival of Ash and Serena, Professor Oak gave them a smile. He carefully took the egg out of the incubator and set it gently down on the table so everyone could see.

"Ah! Ash! Serena! I was worried you two would miss the hatching of the egg! It's fortunate that you were already coming," Professor Oak commented.

"Thanks for taking care of the care of the egg for us," Ash panted to Professor Oak and Daisy once he, Serena, and Brock came to a stop.

"It was our pleasure, Ash. It's always exciting to see the hatching of an egg. Grandpa and I have never seen this type of egg before, honestly," Daisy replied.

Pikachu and Cubone jumped onto table while the humans crowded around in anticipation for what was to come. With the exception of Professor Oak and Daisy, the group had never seen a Pokemon egg hatch before. Ash and Serena had their heads closest to the egg, but Misty was trying to push them out of the way since she was the furthest back.

The egg then began to crack slightly and gave off a dim glow. The egg continued to crack more and more, but for some reason, the middle part remained perfectly hard. The top and bottom of the egg finally broke open to reveal what looked like a…faceless yellow oval. The group raised their eyebrows at this until the pale yellow oval unfurled into spikes of a crown of some sort. Short, stubby hands and feet sprouted from the side and bottom of the egg, respectively. Finally, the oval top turned upward to reveal a face with black eyes and small nose and mouth. The middle part of its body was still remained in its toy designed shell.

"Togeprrriiiii!" the newborn Pokemon chirped. It then gave a yawn and looked up at all who were surrounding it. Its face first saw a raven-haired boy to its left and a honey blonde-haired girl to its right. There were several others beside it, but these two were the closest to it. They must be the ones!

"Togepriiiiiii!" it cried happily again.

"Uh…what Pokemon is that? I've never seen that before," Ash muttered.

"You're in luck my boy. That is a Togepi! It's an extremely rare Pokemon not found in the Kanto region!" Professor Oak proclaimed.

"Really?!" Ash exclaimed as he looked back at the new Pokemon. He, Serena, and Leaf then took out their pokedexes to scan the new Pokemon.

"Togepi, the spikeball Pokemon. This Pokemon is considered a symbol of good luck and brings happiness to people who treat it kindly," informed the pokedexes.

"Oh! It's so cute!" Leaf squealed.

"It sure is!" Misty agreed as she pushed past Ash and Serena and picked up the new born Pokemon. She gave giggle of delight and gave the Pokemon a warm smile. "Hello there, Togepi!"

Togepi gave Misty a look of confusion and said nothing in return. It cocked its head to one side before doing something completely unexpected. It began to cry, and not just small sniffles, either! It was completely bawling in Misty's arms.

"Oh! Did I do something wrong?!" Misty cried, quite worried she did something to offend Togepi.

"Hold on, Misty. Let the Pokemon breeder take care of this one," Brock interjected as he gently took Togepi from Misty's arms and gave it a smile of its own. "There. There. It's okay. The Brockster knows how to care for you."

Much to Brock's surprise, Togepi only seemed to cry even louder at Brock. He was as gentle and soothing as he could be with this Pokemon. There wasn't a Pokemon alive that he wasn't able to become friends with immediately, with the exception of his Rhyhorn. Was he possibly losing his touch?

"Maybe I should try it. I've taken care of plenty of baby Pokemon myself so I know how to handle it," Professor Oak suggested as he took Togepi next. Like Brock and Misty before it, the spikeball Pokemon didn't let up on its crying. If anything, it was practically screaming and crying itself silly. Did this Pokemon like anyone?

"Pika Pi. Pikachu?" Pikachu commented as it tried to make funny faces at Togepi to make it laugh, but to no avail.

Togepi then turned around in Professor Oak's arms before facing Ash and Serena. It stretched its stubby arms as far as they would reach in their direction. It was clear that it was trying to get to them.

"Oh? I think this Togepi wants to go to you two," Professor Oak translated.

"Well, I guess I could give it a try, but I don't know what could make me so special compared to everyone," Serena said as she took Togepi next. She then attempted a smile at the Pokemon in what she assumed to be a motherly smile. She hoped her experience with Cubone would pay off.

As soon as Togepi was in Serena's arms, it immediately stopped crying and put on a happy expression. It began laughing and waving its arms around joyfully like it never cried in the first place. It was just like Serena had that magical touch.

"Wow. That's amazing, Serena. Are you just that good?" Misty wondered.

Togepi then saw Ash and motioned that it wanted him to hold it, too. Ash raised an eyebrow at this. Why on Earth would a newborn baby Pokemon want him to hold it of all people? Sure, it was him that Togepi's egg was given to, but he knew nothing about caring for babies. He attempted to try with Cubone, but it had mainly been Serena who cared for it, not him.

"Uh, okay. I'll try it," Ash responded as Serena gave Togepi to him. Like Serena before him, Togepi once more gave a delighted expression to Ash and hugged his arm affectionately with its stubby arms.

"Hey. I guess Togepi likes me, too. Who knew?" Ash said rhetorically.

"I don't understand, though. Why does Togepi like Ash and Serena but no one else?" Misty asked in a somewhat upset tone.

Everyone seemed to think for a second until Daisy Oak spoke up. "I think I've got it! When Togepi hatched, the first things it saw were Ash and Serena. Once that happened, it stared at them for a while, but when Misty took it, it started crying. The same happened with Brock and Grandpa until Serena and Ash took it back."

"So what does that mean?" Ash asked.

"It means Togepi really thinks you and Serena are its parents!" Daisy explained.

"Huh?!" the group gasped.

"Me? A parent?" Ash questioned as he looked with wide eyes at the laughing Togepi in his hands.

Serena, on the other hand, beamed at this. "Oh wow! This is so cool! We get to act like parents to this Togepi and raise it!"

"Well, Ash! It looks like you and Serena can be closer than you think through this!" Brock commented as he clapped his hand on Ash's back.

Cubone, however, didn't seem too thrilled about this news. All this Togepi seemed to do was scream and cry unless it was with its parents. It was so needy and clingy! Cubone eyes suddenly lit up with realization that it wasn't like this too long ago, either. It was entirely dependent on Serena ever since its real mommy was shot, and it really liked Serena. It wanted to start fighting alongside her other Pokemon to help her win, but a small part of it still wanted to be loved and taken care of. It was just a lonely Pokemon that wanted attention, but now this Pokemon had just been born, and everyone was fawning over it, even Serena. Would it be replaced now that a younger Pokemon was here? Would it have to grow up right now and not receive the attention it used to? It looked up at Serena beaming over the Togepi, and she didn't even seem to notice it at the moment. With a heartbroken expression and a sigh, Cubone hopped off the table and quietly sneaked out of the room without anyone noticing, not even Pikachu.

"Now Ash. My research has shown me that Togepi are very dependent their first stages of life. Unlike some Pokemon who are able to battle and be ready for training as soon as they hatch, that isn't the case for Togepi. It must be loved and cared for like any human baby," Professor Oak said.

"Yeah…," Ash muttered. It wasn't like he wasn't excited about the prospect of raising and having a rare Pokemon like this. It was just he didn't think he was cut out for the role of a father very well, yet. He didn't have a lot of experience with this since he grew up half of his life without a dad. Of course, he's forgiven Red since then, but Ash still had no idea how to act like a parent.

"Ash? Don't you think that's great we get to raise this Pokemon together?" Serena asked unsurely once she and the others saw his expression.

"Do you guys really think I have what it takes to raise this Pokemon?" Ash inquired as he looked around at the others.

"Ash, you are one of the kindest trainers I know. You will do great!" Leaf answered, trying to boost his confidence.

"Trainer maybe, but parent? I'll probably screw up a lot," Ash countered.

Serena got a serious expression as she placed a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. Normally, he would be the one reassuring her, but this relationship worked both ways and she would help him out, too, when he needed it.

"Ash. No one is a perfect parent. We will all make mistakes at some point, but that is so we can learn from them in the future. How good a parent you are is judged by how much your child loves you, and I think this Togepi will completely adore you by the time it grows up. I know you will love this Togepi just as much as your other Pokemon, and it will love you in return. Plus, you won't be alone anyway. We are all here to help you," Serena said.

Ash looked back down at the Togepi appraisingly. Could he really do this? Did he have what it takes to be a good parent? He was surprised to see Togepi give a huge yawn before hugging Ash's arms again. The spike ball Pokemon certainly seemed trusting of Ash and believed that he would be a good dad to it. Maybe he could try this parent thing out, after all.

"You're right," Ash agreed as he smiled at the Togepi and then everyone else. "I may not be perfect, but this Togepi seems to like me, and I won't let it down! I'll do my best and raise this Togepi into a Pokemon to be proud of!"

"That's the spirit, Ash!" Brock approved.

"What do you think, Togepi?" Ash asked it.

"Togeprriiii!" it chirped again.

"Heehee! It looks like you're going to be a big brother again, Pikachu!" Serena giggled.

"PikaPi!" the rodent happily responded as it hopped on Ash's shoulder and grinned at the Togepi, who returned it. As long as Togepi was with one of its parents, it seemed to like everyone. It was on that note that Misty, Brock, and Professor Oak didn't take it personally.

"I bet you're excited to be a big brother, too, right Cubone?" Serena asked as she turned to where the lonely Pokemon was, only to discover it wasn't there anymore. "Cubone?"

Everyone then started to glance around to see where Cubone was, but it wasn't anywhere in the room! Only now did the group realize that they hadn't heard a word from Cubone since entering the room.

"Pikachu, did you see where Cubone went? It was closest to you," Ash questioned the rodent.

"Chuuuuuu," Pikachu shook its head at the question.

Serena then got a frantic look on her face. She made to dash out of the room in an attempt to go search for it, but Togepi's shrill cry reminded her of the new baby. She looked back and forth from Togepi to the doorway as if deciding who she should go to, but Ash saved the day.

"Go ahead and look for Cubone, Serena. I'll take care of Togepi. Now's a good a time as any to try this dad stuff," Ash said.

Serena shot Ash a grateful look at that. "Thank you, Ash. I know Togepi will be just fine with you."

With that, Serena left the room, leaving Ash and the others to look after Togepi. Ash looked at the Togepi in his hands with bit of uncertainty. Despite this, the Togepi looked absolutely thrilled to being held in its "daddy's hands". It continued to smile and laugh like nothing could ever being it down. That is, of course, unless someone else was holding it.

"Well, don't just stare at it, Ash. Say something to it," Misty urged.

"Uhhh….hi Togepi. I'm your….dad?" Ash ended the last part in a question.

Everyone face palmed at this. Ash had a long way to go.

* * *

><p>As Serena left the room, she thought of which way she should go. She called for Cubone throughout the building but never received an answer. It was really unlike Cubone to not come running to her the first time she would call for it. The only conclusion could be was that Cubone wasn't inside of the lab. It must have gone outside, but why? Furthermore, how on Earth would it have reached a door handle?<p>

Either way, Cubone couldn't have gone far. She doubted Cubone would leave the lab through the front way so it must have gone to Professor Oak's reserve through the backdoor. Why would it leave the room in the first place? Serena knew that Cubone was a little apprehensive about the arrival of Togepi lately, but she also thought that it would at least stay to meet it.

Serena ran to the door that led to Professor Oak's field and stepped outside. She scanned the area for any sign of the lonely Pokemon, but saw no trace of it. No sooner had Serena taken two steps to look for Cubone that she felt a weight on her leg. Looking down, Serena saw the culprit was none other than Omanyte clinging to her leg with its slimy tentacles, as usual.

Letting out a sigh but trying not to be annoyed, Serena pried Omanyte off her leg and brought it up to face level.

"Hey, Omanyte. Would you have happened to see Cubone anywhere out here?" she asked the prehistoric Pokemon, trying to sound casual and not panicked.

Omanyte rustled its slimy tentacles continuously in an effort to grab onto Serena again, but it ended in failure. Ultimately giving up, Omanyte relaxed in Serena's outstretched arms before nodding. It then pointed several of its slimy tentacles to a small patch of small trees not too far to Serena's left.

"Thank you, Omanyte," Serena replied with a quick hug before setting it down and running to the patch of trees.

As soon as Serena moved, Omanyte took that opportunity to attach itself to Serena's leg again. The honey-blonde haired girl looked down and saw the Pokemon staring up at her affectionately. Giving up on trying to get the prehistoric Pokemon off of her, Serena waddled as fast as she could to the trees. Once she reached them, she heard what sounded like continuous clunks against wood. Following the sound as best as she could, Serena entered the small clearing and took in her surroundings.

Cubone was off to the right in the clearing. It was using its bone as a boomerang and trying to throw it at an apple hanging from a branch. However, its aim was off, and the bone kept hitting the tree instead, which explained the clunking.

Serena breathed a sigh of relief at finding Cubone before breathing a puff of annoyance. She was going to scold Cubone for running off like that until she noticed something strange. Cubone was normally very accurate with throwing its bone despite its young age. It was missing every shot this time, though. Serena knew something must be seriously wrong with Cubone if its aim was this bad, or it may not even be trying. Either way, something was bothering it.

"Cubone, you had me really worried. You don't need to run off like that without telling me first," Serena called out to it as she stepped into the clearing.

Cubone turned towards Serena with a slightly guilty expression before turning back to the opposing apple and throwing the bone again. It didn't really want to let Serena know about its feelings for growing up. It was hoping to let out its frustration on this darned apple, but its feelings were in the way and causing its aim to be off.

"Something must be bothering you if you are doing this," Serena brought on as she bent over next to it. "Will you tell me what it is?"

"Bone," Cubone said in slight distaste as it pointed to a certain figure on Serena's leg right now.

"Oh, right. You don't want Omanyte to be here right now," Serena realized with a slight giggle before addressing the prehistoric Pokemon. "Omanyte, could you leave Cubone and me for a little bit? We would like to talk alone."

"Ooooommm," Omanyte muttered before jumping off Serena's leg and crawling off through the trees.

Satisfied with the results, Serena once more turned to Cubone and finally was able to kneel down fully since Omanyte was off her leg. "Now will you tell me what's bothering you?" she asked kindly.

"Bone," Cubone replied in little more than a whisper as it threw the bone again and missed.

"Does it have anything to do with Togepi?" Serena asked, realizing Cubone probably wouldn't say anything unless asked directly.

Cubone finally stopped throwing its bone at the offending apple and turned to face Serena fully for the first time. It supposed that it was pretty obvious that its situation would have something to do with the newborn Pokemon. Cubone didn't dislike Togepi or angry that it was born, but when it heard that Serena would be its mommy, it couldn't help but be jealous. Serena was ITS mommy! Was it wrong for it to be selfish of Serena when its real mommy was killed by Team Rocket? Despite this, it nodded its head at Serena, confirming her suspicions.

"What's wrong with Togepi?" Serena questioned.

Cubone looked away from Serena again towards the ground. It didn't really know how to respond to Serena without sounding selfish or childish. It knew that it was wrong, but it couldn't control how it felt.

"Are you upset that I'm going to be Togepi's mommy like I am to you?" Serena continued to press.

Cubone whipped its head in Serena's direction. She hit the nail on the head. It didn't need to nod its head for Serena to know she was right this time. Cubone's expression said enough.

"Cubone, I can't be your mommy forever. You know that, right?" Serena stated.

"Booone?" Cubone questioned as it looked up at Serena with watering eyes. Was she going to abandon it?

"No. I didn't mean it like that. We'll still be together, but I can't baby you forever. You will have to grow up eventually, and I think that time is now," Serena said

"Cu…," Cubone mumbled.

Cubone didn't know why it wanted to be so attached to Serena. Was that just its nature to want to be taken care of by others for the rest of its life? Surely by now it was old enough to battle and possibly even live by itself out in the wild. Was it because it couldn't let go of the past? Was its past trauma haunting it from wanting to grow up? It just wanted to feel safe, and that was easy to do when it was being babied all of the time.

"I know you feel safe and secure with me, Cubone. That's why I'm staying with you, but if I don't let you grow up, it will only hurt you," Serena reasoned.

"Bone?" Cubone asked curiously.

"If you stay the way you are now, you will never grow stronger. You will always be dependent on others and never be able to take care of yourself. There are times when I will not be around, and you will have to defend yourself," Serena continued.

Cubone looked away to the side briefly. She did have a point. It couldn't stay this way forever.

"I'm telling you this because I love you, Cubone. I want you to be the best you can be and stronger than anything I know," Serena finished.

Cubone stared up strangely at Serena. She really didn't want to baby it anymore. Even if it wasn't for Togepi, Serena had this thought for quite a while now. Togepi being born just sped things up. Now a new Pokemon was going to need taking care of like a baby, and Serena and Ash would need to devote their time to it, but what could Cubone do to repay Serena for everything she did for it?

As if reading Cubone's thoughts, Serena gave her answer. "The greatest thing you can do for me now is to show me how much stronger you've gotten since we first met. I want to see that I've parented you properly and see that you have grown up just fine. It's what all mothers wish for."

Cubone felt tears come to its face at Serena's words. She really did love it, and it loved her back. Knowing that things would be different from now on, Cubone ran forward and hugged Serena's right leg tightly as it started to cry fully.

"Oh, Cubone," Serena smiled as she let a few drops escape her own eyes before embracing Cubone back. "Just because I can't be your mommy anymore doesn't mean I still don't love you. We will still have a lot of fun together and be great friends."

She was right. Cubone was long overdue to stop acting so childish. It was time to be the baby no more. It's told itself over and over, and even had a few talks with Pikachu, about wanting to battle and fight for Serena. It was going to show her how much stronger it was gotten and help her win her Pokemon battles. It was going to show those Pokemon what's what. It let go of Serena and wiped its eyes before staring up at her with determination.

"What is it, Cubone?" Serena asked when she saw the look in its eyes.

"Bone," Cubone replied seriously as it pointed to an empty pokeball on Serena's belt.

"You mean you actually want to travel in a pokeball like my other Pokemon and fight for me?" Serena questioned with wide eyes.

"Cubone!" it replied.

"Cubone, that makes me so happy! Thank you! You'll be fantastic! I know it!" Serena said as she hugged Cubone again

After staying that way for a few moments, Serena looked down at Cubone and gave it a warm smile. "What do you say we get back to the others? I'm sure Togepi can't wait to meet its big brother!" she suggested.

"Cubone!" the lonely Pokemon answered with a nod.

Together, the two then walked out of the clearing back to where everyone was in Professor Oak's lab. They couldn't wait to let everyone know of Cubone's decision of wanting to grow up and battle like the other Pokemon. Before they left, Cubone glanced back at the apple it had been trying to hit since it got here. It then stopped and faced its target with a look of determination.

"What is it, Cubone?" Serena asked curiously.

Cubone didn't answer as it threw its bone one more time at the apple. The bone soared through the air and struck the stem with perfect precision. The apple fell to the ground with a clunk once it landed. Satisfied with itself, Cubone ran forward and plucked the apple from the ground and hurried back over to Serena before continuing on.

* * *

><p>"Ah, so Cubone's finally going to start battling for you?" Brock nodded in approval once the group heard the news.<p>

"That's so cool! Congratulations, Cubone!" Misty told it with a happy smile.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu ran over to shake its little brother's hands and pat its back.

Cubone rubbed the back of its head nervously before spotting Togepi in Ash's arms. Instead of frowning like last time, Cubone did just the opposite. It smiled at the young Pokemon and motioned for Ash to set it down.

"Oh? Sure," Ash said as he set the baby Pokemon on the ground in front of Cubone.

For a while, Cubone and Togepi didn't do anything to each other. The simply stared. Cubone seemed to have a neutral expression on its face while Togepi had a childlike wonder as it stared at the older Pokemon. Finally, Cubone walked forward and extended its hand for a handshake from the baby Pokemon, not knowing what else to do.

Togepi stared at the open gesture for a moment in curiosity before doing something else. It laughed and ran forward before knocking Cubone over on its backside. It then crawled on top of Cubone and laughed again. Cubone gave an annoyed look at Togepi in response

"Heehee! I don't think Togepi knows what a handshake is yet, Cubone," Serena said in an amused tone at the situation. "I think that's just Togepi's way of saying it likes you. I bet you will be a great big brother to it. You might even be then one to help it grow up on day!"

Serena then knelt down and hugged Togepi and Cubone. Togepi chirped happily at the affection from Serena while Cubone smiled despite itself before getting a mischievous glint in its eyes. It leaped away from Serena which caused her to look at it with confusion. Cubone then began making fighting motions with its hands to indicate it wanted a battle and be caught like any other Pokemon.

"You really want to battle me first, Cubone?" Serena asked with wide eyes.

"Cubone!" it replied.

"It seems it's a Pokemons' natural instinct to want a battle no matter what the circumstances. I think it will be a good experience for both you," Professor Oak told Serena.

"Well, in that case, you're on, Cubone!" Serena said as she looked down at it.

* * *

><p>The group was now standing outside in Professor Oak's field. Serena stood on one side while Cubone stood on the other. Serena had to admit that it felt kind of weird to be facing Cubone like this, but knew it was for the best. What better way for Cubone to get its first taste of battle than one in where it is officially caught?<p>

Serena went over in her head as to which Pokemon she could use against the lonely Pokemon. She certainly wasn't going to overdo it and use someone like Charla, Hitmonlee, Scyther, or Jigglypuff. She needed something that would be close to the same level as Cubone. She needed a Pokemon that would give a challenge for Cubone, but also not incredible hard. She needed something like…

"Oooommm," Omantye muttered as it suddenly attached itself to Serena's leg again.

"Omanyte?" Serena questioned as she looked down at the Pokemon.

Cubone mentally frowned at this but shook its head away from these thoughts. It didn't need to get jealous every single time another Pokemon was showing Serena affection. Even so Cubone personally thought this Pokemon was a little annoying with its literal 'clingy' nature.

"Why don't you use Omanyte to battle Cubone, Serena?" Ash asked her while he held Togepi. "You haven't used it yet, so I bet this will be a great first battle for both Cubone and Omanyte."

"I think that's a great idea, too," Brock chimed in. "You would need to train Omanyte one day, it might as well be now."

"Oh? Well, do want to battle for me, Omanyte?" Serena asked it.

Omanyte said nothing as it continued to look up at Serena. The group was starting to wonder if Omanyte suffered from slowness in a much similar fashion to Psyduck or Slowpoke. It clearly didn't look like the sharpest tool in the shed. It was like all Omanyte knew how to do so far was cling to Serena in some way, shape, or form.

Finally, Omanyte unstuck its tentacles from Serena's leg and leaped off of her onto the ground. It then crawled in front of her and faced Cubone with what looked like its first ever serious look. Maybe it was capable of battling after all when the situation called for it. It was quite a contrast.

Cubone then held its bone to the side as it got ready. It had learned the basics of battling from Pikachu and watching Serena's other Pokemon. In the process, it had learned a few tricks of its own. It couldn't wait to show Serena what it had learned. Wait, did it just think of her as 'Serena' and not its mommy? That felt so weird. Pushing those thoughts away, it focused once more on the shelled Pokemon which would soon be its opponent.

Serena stared at the Pokemon that she once took care of like a baby. This was it. It was her time to finally attempt to capture Cubone. She almost had second thoughts about this despite what she said to it earlier, but as she looked at Cubone's eyes, she saw a hardness that showed nothing but its resolve to do this. It was what Cubone wanted now, as well. At last, Serena made her move.

"Omanyte, use Water Gun!" she called.

Omanyte spread out its tentacles to reveal a small opening and shot a burst of water straight a Cubone. Since it hadn't battled before, the attack was a little wobbly, but with more practice, Serena was sure the attack would be perfected.

Just before the Water Gun reached Cubone, the lonely Pokemon extended its arm holding the bone and twirled it around like a baton. The water attack hit the bone and began to fan out in many directions due to its twirling. The jet of water soon stopped and Cubone was completely unharmed by the attack. It then let out a proud smile at Serena.

"Ah, Cubone used its bone to block the Water Gun. That was pretty clever," commented Brock.

"I wonder if a certain yellow rodent had anything to with that," Ash said as he gave a knowing smile at Pikachu on his shoulder.

"Pihihihihi," chuckled Pikachu as it rubbed the back of its head. Being an experienced battler, Pikachu was able to learn Cubone's strengths and weaknesses. It had taught Cubone to use its bone for not only offense, but defense, too. That was just one of the many tricks Pikachu taught to it.

Serena couldn't help but smile back at Cubone for dodging the attack, but knew she had to focus on the task at hand. If Cubone was able to whisk away its water attack weakness like that, she doubted it would be able to do the same thing with mud due to how thick it was. She then called out her next attack.

"Use Mud Shot, Omanyte!" she said next.

Omanyte scraped up a large amount of mud with its tentacles and flung them towards the lonely Pokemon. As expected, Cubone didn't attempt to block the attack this time. It leaped out of the way of the mud and threw its bone at Omanyte for a Bonemerang attack. Cubone had now gone on the offensive.

Serena knew that Omanyte was going to be too slow to dodge the incoming bone, but she had a reliable move to use in situations like these. "Use Protect!" she hollered.

Omanyte extended its tentacles and formed a shining barrier around it. The bone bounced harmlessly off the shield and flew back to its owner's hands who caught it skillfully. Cubone then threw the bone once more for another Bonemerang. Since Omanyte was unable to use Protect continuously, it was unable to form another shield and was smacked in its soft innards by the bone, causing it to stumble backwards in pain.

Serena thought hard about what she could do. It definitely made the playing field rather difficult with how slow and immobile Omanyte was. It couldn't just stay in one place forever and dodge attacks while Cubone was able to run all over the place. Protect certainly wasn't going to last forever as what was just shown. There had to some type of move Omanyte had that would increase its speed.

_"Think Serena!" _she thought to herself. She remembered studying her pokedex on all of her Pokemon in her spare time but was only able to go over Omanyte's known moves briefly. She wracked her brain to think of anything, and there was one move that stuck out to her. It was a rather odd move that she read about, but it seemed to make sense. She could try that!

"Use Shell Smash, Omanyte!" she called.

"Shell Smash? What's that?" wondered Ash aloud.

"My pokedex was able to tell me about that move when I was studying one of my Pokemon," Leaf answered beside him. "It's supposed to weaken and lighten the shell on a Pokemon. This lowers their defense but raises their speed, attack, and special attack."

"Okay. So it's a trade-off?" Ash concluded.

"Right. In this case, Omanyte needs all the speed it can get since its going against a hyper Pokemon like Cubone," Leaf confirmed.

Ash had to give credit to Leaf and Serena. He had learned a lot of the attacks his Pokemon could learn by studying his pokedex about them, but apparently nowhere near the level of those two. Serena was a studious person to begin with, and Leaf's desire was to fill up the pokedex which probably meant she spent a lot of time gathering as much information as she could about the attacks of Pokemon, too. He could learn a thing or two from them. It would probably help out when he entered the Pokemon League soon

As Ash turned back to Omanyte, he indeed saw Omantye's shell glowing white. Once it was finished, its shell appeared little smaller and…lighter? Had it shed a few layers of its shell somehow?

"Now use Rollout!" Serena yelled.

Omanyte withdrew inside of its small shell and began rolling towards Cubone as fast as it could. The group was rather surprised at how fast it could roll. That Shell Smash must have really helped it. Cubone appeared to be surprised, too. It blinked in surprise before Omanyte slammed into it. Before Cubone could fly away a good distance, Serena had already called out her next command.

"Grab onto to Cubone, and use Tickle," she said.

Omanyte jumped after Cubone before quickly coming out of its shell and grabbing Cubone with its slimy tentacles. It then began to wiggle them all over Cubone's body, causing it to laugh hysterically. Cubone was so busy laughing that left it wide open for another attack, which Serena took advantage of.

"Use Constrict!" she yelled.

Omanyte then began to wrap its tentacles around parts of Cubone's body to bring it into submission. Cubone was giving a mighty struggle to try to break free, but Omanyte's tentacles were many. Serena thought she about had the match, but Cubone managed to slither the arm holding its bone free and smacked Omanyte for a Bone Club attack. The spiral Pokemon grimaced and released its hold on Cubone, but Serena managed to call out another attack as Cubone was still gasping from the constriction.

"Use Water Gun again!" Serena called.

Omanyte once more shot a jet of water at Cubone. The lonely Pokemon was unable to bring up its bone this time and was sprayed by the current. It was pushed backwards before landing on the ground, moaning in pain from the super effective hit.

Serena inwardly cringed at hurting Cubone like this. Her motherly instinct was telling her to run towards it and give it a hug, but she knew she couldn't do that. This was a match to catch Cubone, and that's what she was going to do. Pushing away her mother side and summoning her trainer side, Serena pulled out an empty pokeball and took a deep breath at what she was about to do.

"Pokeball, go!" she cried as she threw it forward towards Cubone.

The pokeball sailed through the air until it connected with Cubone. It was sucked inside and began shaking back and forth. As it was, Serena started to have a flood of memories of all she and Cubone had done together up until this point. She remembered their first meeting in Lavender Town at Mr. Fuji's house. It had been so cold and lonely at first from the emotional trauma of watching its mother die. After it got a chance to say goodbye to its mother through its ghost at Pokemon Tower, it had warmed up considerably. Cubone and Serena had really hit it off there, and it decided to come with her due to how motherly she could be, and that's where their true bond started. Serena was raising Cubone almost like a human. She had taught it how to eat and drink properly. She remembered when it was lost in the snowstorm and how she and Ash had to look for it and Pikachu. She remembered all the rude, yet funny awakenings she received from Cubone when she was asleep. Now here Cubone was. It had come such a long way since they first met and was now ready to officially be caught.

Serena was snapped out of her thoughts by the imperative dinging noise. Knowing what that meant, Serena focused on the unmoving pokeball in front of her. A lone tear managed to escape her eye at this, but she and Cubone knew that with this chapter of their lives closing, a whole new slew of exciting adventures could soon begin. She was very proud of Cubone. It was with that thought where she went over to the pokeball containing Cubone and held it out in front of her.

"Well, I caught Cubone now," Serena said more to herself than anybody else. Now that it was in a pokeball, Serena knew they wouldn't be able to spend every moment together like in the past. Cubone would have to be rotated just like any other Pokemon she had. It was quite saddening, but also for the best.

Serena felt a hand on a shoulder and turned around to see Ash, Pikachu, and Togepi smiling at her. She then felt a slight pressure on her leg and looked down to see Omanyte hadn't wasted any time in clinging to Serena's leg again now that the battle was over. It had done surprisingly well its first battle, and so had Cubone, of course.

"Thank you, Omanyte. That was a really great job you did," she told it with a smile.

"Ommmm," it replied slowly, but Serena could detect the slightest hint of appreciativeness in its tone.

"That was brave of both you and Cubone," Ash said to Serena before wrapping her in hug with Togepi and Pikachu joining. "I imagine that was a pretty difficult thing for both of you, but you held tough."

"Yeah. I know things are going to be different now, but Cubone and I will move forward together," she replied.

Ash and Serena then released each other before Serena held out her new capture and released Cubone. The lonely Pokemon appeared and looked around before staring up at Serena. It didn't look hurt or scared from being inside of a pokeball for the first time, with the exception of the black pokeballs from Mewtwo. It took the situation really well.

Serena then knelt down to be more eye level with Cubone despite Omanyte on her leg. "Hey there, Cubone. I'm really proud of you for that battle you gave me. Thank you. You can bet I'll be using you a lot from now on so you better practice up!"

"Cubone bone!" it replied with determination before jumping into Serena's arms and embracing her. Now that it was captured, it would redouble its training so it could be a worthy Pokemon for its mommy…err…Serena! Oh…the heck with it! They would always have that special past bond. Cubone couldn't wait to see the exciting battles it would have now that it had grown up!

* * *

><p>It had been a few hours since Serena had caught Cubone. They were both now hard at work with their first real training session. Serena had all of her Pokemon sparring with each other, trying to cover each other's weakness. The only Pokemon of Serena's not participating was Slowpoke. Serena had tried to convince the dopey Pokemon that it would need to train if it hoped to get stronger, but all it did was stare blankly ahead like it hadn't heard her. Serena was worried that if this kept up, she may never get to use Slowpoke for anything.<p>

Cubone was currently dueling with Eevee. Cubone and Eevee were both very hyper Pokemon that would complement each other well while batting. Thought quite mobile, Cubone was still a tad slow, so having a quick and agile Pokemon like Eevee to train with would really help it out. As Serena saw how hard Cubone was working, she had no doubt that it would fit in just fine with the rest of her team.

Serena then heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Ash was standing there, along with Togepi and Pikachu.

"Hey, there, Ash? Did you get any training in?" she asked.

"A little," he replied, before making a gesture to Togepi, "But this one wanted some attention, too. I think it's ready to see you now."

"Is that so?" Serena asked with a grin as she took Togepi from Ash. "Did you miss me, Togepi?"

"Togeprriii!" it chirped happily.

Serena gave a quick glance at Cubone from the corner of her eye, but it seemed to either not mind or not notice the interaction between her and Togepi. It continued to duel Eevee as if nothing happened. Yes. Cubone really would be just fine.

"Anyway, besides Togepi, there's another reason I came to see you," Ash said, turning her attention back to him. "I have some great news!"

"Really? What is it?" Serena asked curiously.

"Well, all of us know your problem with the Battle Chateau," Ash began, the 'we' referring to him, Brock, Misty, and Leaf. "We made a call to the Battle Chateau in Viridian City a short while ago."

"A call? What for?" Serena wondered as she arched an eyebrow.

"We explained to Hennessy that it was important you finished the Battle Chateau as fast as possible because of personal reasons," Ash continued. "He told us we would have to speak to the Battle Chatelain there for any ways to help. The Chatelain at the Viridian City Chateau today was none other than Nita!"

"Nita?" Serena echoed, remembering the quirky, bright, blonde-haired lady she lost to recently.

"Yep! It turns out she was still impressed with that battle you gave her a while back. She told us she would be inviting all of her sisters to the Viridian City Battle Chateau tomorrow for you to meet and face them!" Ash finished.

"All of the Battle Chatelaines are going to be there tomorrow for me?" Serena breathed with wide eyes. She must have really made an impression on Nita for her to do this for her.

"Yeah. Nita said she couldn't wait to battle you again and really wanted to help you out with this situation so that's why she's doing this," Ash said with a smile.

"Wow," Serena murmured in amazement, until a though occurred to her. "Wait. How am I going to face all four Chatelaines in row? One was hard enough. It will be impossible for me to beat all of them without a break!"

"You won't be facing them back to back. Nita said it'll be a double battle," Ash explained.

"A double battle?" Serena questioned.

"Yep. They said you would face two of the Chatelaines with two of your Pokemon while they would each use one of theirs. Then you would have a small break so you can face the other two. If you beat them all in a double battle, they will still realize you as a great trainer and say you conquered the Battle Chateau!" Ash exclaimed.

"Oh," Serena said quietly. It truly was a kind thing that Nita was doing this for Serena, but she didn't know how she could beat all of the Chatelaines in one day.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked in confusion once he saw her expression.

"Ash, I really appreciate this, but I don't know how I can beat them all. I've already lost my first match with them. Now I'm supposed to face them all at the time," Serena replied.

"That was a really close match, though. You only lost to Nita by a few seconds," Ash countered.

"I know, but still…," Serena trailed and looked to the ground. Why was she so unsure all of the sudden? She and Ash had been searching for a solution to the Battle Chateau for quite a while. Now that an opportunity has finally presented itself, she was wanting to back down. Was she just making excuses?

"Serena, you can do this. I know you can," Ash told her seriously. "Remember what you told me during all of my previous battles, especially against Giovanni? Well, I'm telling you the same thing now."

Serena looked up at Ash and saw he was staring her straight in the eyes. Despite her unsureness, Serena found herself unable to look away. He was making a valid point.

"All of us are here for you, Serena, especially you're Pokemon. Look at how hard they are all training for you right now. They aren't doing this so you can not finish your goal," Ash said with a gesture to Serena's Pokemon.

Serena spared a look to her Pokemon and saw they had all stopped their training to watch. They had overheard the conversation and were staring at Serena with determination. They were just as ready as the next Pokemon to take on any challenge, from Charla all the down to Cubone. Ash was right. She as always telling Ash that she and all of his Pokemon were there for him during his tough battles. Now, it was her turn. There was certainly no harm in attempting this. As many times as it would take, she would do this.

"Never give up until the end," Ash concluded with his mantra.

Serena giggled lightly to herself at Ash using his famous line. The opportunity to conquer the Battle Chateau had come, and she was going to take it! They could do this!

"Alright, Ash. I'll do it," she said with a nod.

"There you go! You'll do great tomorrow, Serena. Me, Pikachu, and everyone else will be right beside you, cheering you on," Ash replied.

Serena nodded again before turning to her Pokemon. All of their attention was fixed solely on her now. The all eagerly awaited to hear what she had to say.

"Alright, everyone," she began. "We are going to be facing against all of the Battle Chatelaines tomorrow! It will probably be the hardest battles we've faced so far. We lost once before, but we're stronger now! Let's do it!"

All her Pokemon cried in agreement at Serena's motivational words. They would definitely be trying their hardest tomorrow. They were going to do their trainer proud!

"Let's put all our hands in then!" Serena declared as she held her hand out.

All of her Pokemon then crowded around her to join in. Charla was first followed by Cubone, then one by one, her other Pokemon. Even Slowpoke had somehow gotten the message and was in the circle.

"You join us, too, Ash," Serena told him as she turned to look at him.

"Sure. Why not?" Ash replied as he went over and placed his hand on top of all of the Pokemon's and Serena's hands or tentacles or anything they could use. Pikachu placed its paws on top of theirs, and finally, Togepi leaped from Serena's free arm and landed on top everyone else's, laughing merrily.

"Alright, everyone. On three!" Serena smiled. "One…"

This would be it. They didn't know why, but they felt this was going to be a great battle tomorrow. The Pokemon had never worked as teams in a double battle, but they weren't going to let Serena down!

"Two…," Serena continued.

Her Pokemon got in the ready. They were going to make sure all of Professor Oak's field…no…all of Pallet Town heard them. They were super pumped and ready for any challenge in their way. Yes, they were aware that it would be the toughest battle for them so far, but they were so much stronger now. Here they go…

"Three!" Serena finished.

Everyone broke off and cheered as loud as they could for tomorrow. It was going to be a big day for Serena.

* * *

><p><strong>Cubone has now officially become one of Serena's Pokemon and been captured in a pokeball. Togepi finally hatched and Ash and Serena are its parents. <strong>

**Another Battle Chateau chapter is next week and it will be the last one. Serena will be having a double battle with two of the Chatelaines at a time. I saw there were times in the games when you could face two at a time so why not now? Will it be good or bad for Serena? It is also the longest chapter that I've written so far (around 20,000 words and took forever to type!) See you all next Tuesday and have an awesome week!**

**Chapter 53: Serena's Chateau Finale!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_In AS when you go into Archie's room, you find a picture of a young Archie, a young Shelly and Jirachi. Will this picture and Jirachi have great significance in Archie's development as a character and antagonist?_

_**I don't know yet.**_

_Will James and Jessie ever turn away from evil? Will there be Rocketshipping_?

_**I won't reveal the future of Jessie, James, or Meowth about if they turn away from evil or not. Right now, however, they still criminals. If they were to ever turn good, Rocketshipping is certainly a likely scenario.**_

_Even though as won't catch legendaries can he still battle with them like against Tobias_

_**No. Ash will never use legendaries for personal Pokemon battles.**_

_When will Ash and Serena share their first kiss?_

_**Well, technically, Ash and Serena have already kissed. Serena kissed him once in chapter 35 and again in chapter 40. If you mean when will they share their first kiss together…you will see. I believe the time they share their first kiss will be appropriate. A couple of people seemed to think that it would be when Ash was revived, but I purposely didn't do it at the moment. I have another situation in mind. Fear not, it isn't THAT far away.**_

_Will you do something similar like make a wardrobe change for everyone before or after the kanto arc?_

_**Ash and Serena will definitely have a wardrobe change for each new region. I know Ash doesn't technically get his first one until Hoenn in canon, but here, he changes his clothes after Kanto, and so will Serena. Misty will change her clothes, too, for the Orange Islands. Brock will be with Professor Ivy during the Orange Islands so he won't change his clothes until Johto.**_

_When making the story and having Ash or Serena get what Pokemon, did you ever consider giving Ash or Serena's Pokemon nicknames? And if so, what kind of nicknames?_

_**I did but decide against it. The thing with nicknames is that very few people agree on what a good nickname is. What I think is a good nickname may be hated by everyone else on the planet, or vise versa. It's easier for the Pokemon to not have any so everyone is pleased. The only exception I made was Charla so it could be distinguished from Ash's Charizard ,and even that nickname I just pulled straight from the anime rather than make one up myself.**_

_Will Serena ever catch her own Rhyhorn?_

_**Probably not but you never know.**_

_Tracey will still have Venonat and Marill besides Scyther, right?_

_**Of course.**_

_Will Ash ever get to pull Brock by the ear in future Arcs?_

_**I don't know. He probably won't get the opportunity with Misty or Max around. An unimportant detail like that isn't something I plan out and just happens if it happens.**_

_Will Dratini evolve, if it does will it still have a shy and nervous disposition?_

_**Yes. Dratini will evolve at some point in the series. When it evolves, it will have overcome it's extreme shyness.**_

_Have you decided who Ash's Sinnoh rivals will be? Can we expect some of the same ones from the anime like Nando, Barry, and Conway?_

_**Yeah. They'll be there.**_

_Will there be any legendary pokemon that will befriend only serena?_

_**Hmm…there might, or at least ones that are closer to Serena than Ash.**_

_Are you gonna have Cubone evolve?_

_**Maybe, but not for a long while.**_

_Just when will Ash and his friends encounter Mew and Mewtwo again?_

_**I don't wish to reveal that. Sorry.**_

_Will there be a tournament in the Orange Islands arc?_

_**There will be a small one at some point.**_

_I'm also surprised you didn't include Amber in any way. Could you not find a way to make it work, or have you not watched The Birth of Mewtwo?_

_**I've seen the birth of Mewtwo, but Mr. Fuji wasn't a part of Mewtwo's backstory in this fic. Considering that, I wrote out Amber, but Mewtwo still remembers Charmandertwo, Squirtletwo, and Bulbasaurtwo. They were mentioned briefly in this fic.**_

_How many of the remaining chapters will be the Pokemon League?_

_**The Pokemon League starts in Chapter 55 and lasts until probably 61.**_

_Do ya think Paul and Ash will eventually become friends like they did in the anime?_

_**They will, but I won't reveal when.**_

_Will Ash or serena get any shiny pokemon besides Ash's Noctowl?_

_**If they do, it would only be one other shiny Pokemon for the whole series. Shiny Pokemon are supposed to be extremely rare and unique. If Ash or Serena had multiple shiny Pokemon, that would really undermine their rarity.**_

_Are Ash and friends going to have more of the different type of Pokeballs when they met Kurt?_

_**Maybe.**_

_What will the main reason be for our heroes traveling to Johto? _

_**To travel a new region and see the new Pokemon there, of course. It's the same as canon. All other events are a subplot.**_

_When will Ash get Serena a new hat?_

_**He will get her a new one before Kanto ends. It will be part of her wardrobe change for Orange Islands and Johto.**_

_Will May or Dawn get contest ideas from watching Serena's performances? _

**_Yes. Some._**


	54. Serena's Chateau Finale!

**A/N: Please enjoy this 23,018 word chapter everybody (not even including the author's note). Don't feel like you have to read it all in one sitting if you can. Now, without further ado, here is the Battle Chateau conclusion.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

><p>Chapter 53: Serena's Chateau Finale!<p>

"Are we set to go?" Serena asked once she and the rest had gotten their things together.

The group was standing outside of Serena's house and preparing to depart for Viridian City. Their destination had turned out to be an extremely mixed bag for the group, in particular for Ash and Serena. On one hand, Viridian City had been where they both were creamed at the Battle Chateau their first try. It had also been where they had their first encounter with Team Rocket, and where Ash had to face the leader of the criminal organization himself to get back his mom who was captured. There had been positives in that city, as well, however. Ash had earned his eighth badge. Team Rocket was disbanded, and of course, it's the place where Ash and Serena had finally become a couple.

Now, their reasons were different. They were going for Serena's chance to finally conquer the Battle Chateau. Her current rank of Duchess was a testament to how hard she and her Pokemon had battled to make it. She had to defeat four very skilled sisters called Chatelaines to truly master it now. The prize for conquering the Battle Chateau was said to be your picture on the wall and a 'fabulous prize'. The group couldn't help but wonder what it was since the staff and advertisements were pretty tight-lipped about it.

"Yeah. I think so. We'll meet up with Brock, Misty, and Leaf at Professor Oak's," Ash replied.

"So Gary isn't coming?" Serena asked a little sadly. It would have been nice if he was there, too.

"Gary disappeared again this morning and didn't answer when I called his Pokegear. He must be really hard at training somewhere," Ash answered.

"Ash, don't forget. You have to train hard, too! The Pokemon League is less than a month away, and it will be no good if you aren't in shape," Delia reminded.

"Togepriii!" Togepi piped up in Ash's arms.

"See? Togepi even thinks so," Delia pointed out.

"Right, Mom. I'll train as soon as we get back. I promise," Ash said as he smiled sheepishly.

"Let him relax, dear. Ash has proven to be a natural. He can afford to take a break every now and then," Red said as he placed his hand on Delia's shoulder.

"I know. I just want my baby to be his best," Delia stated.

Ash blushed in embarrassment at his mom calling him her baby. This didn't go unnoticed by Pikachu who was snickering quietly but just loud enough for Ash to hear. Despite all that has happened recently, she was still the same old mom.

"Feel free to make yourselves at home while we are gone. Our house is your house. Our Rhyhorn just had its breakfast so you shouldn't need to worry about it," Grace told Ash's parents kindly.

Grace had decided to accompany her daughter for her big day. It really thrilled Serena to know that her mom cared enough about her goal to come, too. Serena knew her mom was originally a little disappointed that she chose something else besides Rhyhorn racing, but she was still supportive of her goals, regardless of what they were. It would be the first time her mom would be watching her do a Pokemon battle, and Serena couldn't wait to show how far she had come.

"We really can't thank you enough for opening your home to us like this while our house is being fixed, Grace," Delia said.

"It's no trouble at all, really. Company is always welcome," Grace smiled.

"Come on, Mom! We need to hurry up and go! We aren't driving there! It will already take us a few hours!" Serena urged as she tugged slightly on Grace's arm.

"Alright. I'm coming," Grace answered as she followed her daughter and Ash down the driveway. It really did please Grace that Serena was so determined about her goal. Even if it wasn't Rhyhorn racing, she was doing something she wanted, if only for a short time.

* * *

><p>The trip to Viridian City had been fairly uneventful, much less interesting than Ash and Serena's last encounter through here. The big reason was there wasn't a huge flock of Spearow chasing them. The group simply left the wildlife alone this time. Despite this, Ash couldn't help but briefly wonder whatever happened to the Spearow he hit and the flock that chased him.<p>

They had arrived by the middle of the afternoon so there was still plenty of time to participate in the Battle Chateau before it closed. The Pokemon Serena had taken along with her to battle were Charla, Hitmonlee, Jigglypuff, Nidorina, Scyther, and Cubone. All of her Pokemon looked fine before they left Professor Oak's lab that morning, but still, it wouldn't hurt to make a quick stop by the Pokemon Center before trying the Battle Chateau. Serena needed to make sure all of her Pokemon were as healthy as possible before trying something so crucial.

Upon entering the Pokemon Center, Ash, Misty, and Serena let out a gasp. The center had been heavily damaged the last time they were here and was under construction for many months. Now, the place looked just like new! It was a testament to how much time had passed since the group started their journeys.

"So I guess this place was finally repaired after so many months," Serena stated as they looked around.

"Why do you say that?" Grace suddenly asked. "I talked to you and Ash that night on the video phone, and everything seemed fine."

Ash and Serena couldn't help but sweatdrop at that. They had never told their parents this was the place they first encountered Team Rocket, but Serena just let that one slip. Seeing as Team Rocket was gone now, they supposed they couldn't hide it forever.

"Well, uh, this is…where we first encountered Team Rocket. They were trying to steal the center's Pokemon," Ash muttered sheepishly.

"Oh, you two," Grace sighed as she put her hand to her forehead. "You couldn't even stay out of trouble for one day."

Ash and Serena couldn't help but raise their eyebrows at this. They were expecting a lot more dramatic and upset reaction from Grace, but she took it rather well. Maybe the fact that Team Rocket wasn't a threat anymore had something to do with it. Regardless, the two were thankful they didn't receive an earful.

"Heehee! That's Ash for you! Always getting in trouble!" Leaf giggled.

"Like you're one to talk," Ash told her with an eye roll.

"Anyway, we should go see how Nurse Joy is doing, and...," Misty started but stopped as she saw Brock was already at Nurse Joy's desk.

Unlike all of the last times when Brock was flirting with Nurse Joy, he was just standing there, not saying anything. His face was as red as a tomato, and he was shaking in an uncontrollable urge to take Nurse Joy's hands but was restraining himself. This was probably the most difficult thing he's ever done!

"Hello. May I help you?" Nurse Joy asked kindly when she saw Brock wasn't doing anything.

"Nurse Joy…," Brock said in little more than a whisper. Oh, how he wanted to sweep her off her feet and take her away! She would remark on what a charming and handsome man he was. They would give each other a passionate kiss! It would be Brock's dream come true…but Kabuto's wiggling pokeball told him different. Brock had learned quickly that if he said the wrong thing to Nurse Joy, he would be getting a claw to the backside. He could sense Kabuto's glowing red eyes watching his every move. That was much worse than Misty's ear pull.

"Um…are you okay? Was there something you needed?" Nurse Joy tried again.

"Nurse Joy…," Brock mumbled again before falling onto the ground in defeat. He couldn't do it.

"I'll take it from here, Nurse Joy," Misty said as she and the rest of the group came over. Misty then astutely grabbed Brock by the ear and dragged him away.

"But…but I didn't do anything," Brock muttered as she was pulling him across the floor.

"You're embarrassing us," Misty sighed as she dragged him along, but figured she could soften up a bit. "But you did do much better for yourself that time. It's a great improvement."

"Nurse Joy! How have you been? Do you remember us?" Ash asked brightly once that display was over.

"Of course I do! You are the ones that saved this Pokemon Center from those thieves a while back," Nurse Joy replied with a smile.

"That's right! This place sure has come a long way since we were last here!" Serena commented.

"It has, hasn't it?" Nurse Joy asked rhetorically before adding. "I take you all have come a long way, too."

"We sure have! In fact, I'm needing my Pokemon checked out before we head to the Battle Chateau. Would you be so kind?" Serena asked as she gave her pokeballs to Nurse Joy.

"I'd be very happy to," Nurse Joy replied as she handed them to Chansey. She then remembered something. She looked over at Misty and called her over. "Miss, I have something to tell you."

"Me?" Misty asked in confusion as she let go of Brock and walked over to join the rest. "What is it, Nurse Joy?"

"I remember the last time you were here. You brought in a destroyed bicycle. It was yours, correct?" Nurse Joy.

"Oh, right! It was," Misty replied as her eyes lit up. She then gave a glowering look at Ash and Serena.

In truth, Misty had completely forgotten all about her bike in the time they had traveled together. She didn't even remember how she met up with Ash and Serena. The only thing that mattered to her was that they were all friends now and the circumstances didn't matter. Of course, that was until the memory was just resurfaced by Nurse Joy.

"Eheheheheh! Come on, Misty. It's in the past. It was to save Pikachu, remember?" Ash laughed nervously as he and Serena instinctively took a few steps backwards.

"You two still owe me a bike, you know," Misty glared as she started stomping towards them, but Nurse Joy quickly intervened.

"Oh, no! There's no need! You see, I've been fixing your bike in my spare time since you left!" she hurriedly said once she saw the confrontation about to break out.

"Oh? Really?" Misty asked with interest as she stopped her advance and looked at Nurse Joy.

"Yes. It was heavily beaten up and blackened, but a lot polish as certainly fixed that. It shouldn't be too much longer before it's ready for you to ride again," Nurse Joy continued.

"Seriously?! Thank you so much!" Misty said jubilantly as she clasped her hands. "My bike is going to be okay!"

Ash, Serena, and Pikachu let out a huge sigh of relief. They really dodged bullet right there. What better way to start a fight with Misty than opening an old wound like that? At least they might be able to move on now. The two noticed Grace, Brock, and Leaf sidle up to them out of the corner of their eyes with curious glances on their face.

"So…what's the story with Misty's bike?" Brock whispered.

"Don't ask," Ash mumbled.

"Are we good now, Misty? No more need to worry about your bike, right?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Hmmm…I suppose with all the stuff we've been through, we're even now. As long as my bike still gets fixed, I won't hold against you anymore," Misty decided as she looked at the two.

"I'll have it ready as soon as I can!" Nurse Joy added as Chansey came back.

"Chansey! Chansey!" the pink Pokemon said brightly.

"It appears Chansey has examined your Pokemon, and they are fighting fit, Serena," Nurse Joy said with a smile and handed them back.

"Great! Thank you, Nurse Joy!" Serena replied as she clipped them to her belt.

"Well, Serena? Are you ready to become a "Grand Duchess?" Ash asked her.

"You bet! Let's do it!" Serena replied enthusiastically.

"Take care, everyone!" Nurse Joy called before addressing Misty. "Make sure to check back here often for the progress of your bike!"

"I will!" Misty answered with a nod.

The group was just about to turn and leave when they saw someone appear from a different area of the Pokemon Center. It was actually someone they hadn't seen in quite a few months. The jet black hair, red cap, and thin figure were unmistakable, though. The boy turned, and upon seeing the group, headed over to them, particularly Serena.

"I thought I might find you here," the boy stated as he crossed his arms and grinned.

"Calem!" Serena exclaimed as she ran forward to give her friend a hug. "What are you doing here?!"

Calem welcomed the embrace and returned it warmly. "Well, I might have heard that a certain someone had reached the rank of "Duchess" from one of the Chatelaines, and she would be coming today to challenge them," he answered.

"So Nita told you? I guess she caught the hint when I mentioned we were friends," Serena figured. Nita really was sticking her neck out for Serena. The honey-blonde haired girl would have to make sure to thank her.

"Yeah. It was her," Calem confirmed before turning to the rest of everyone. "How are all of you?"

"We're doing just fine, Calem," Brock answered before going over to shake the boy's hand.

"So this is Calem? Serena told you all about you! I'm her mother, Grace," Grace introduced as she went forward to give the boy a hug of her own.

"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Gabena," Calem answered.

"Oh! And this is one of my best friends, Leaf," Serena spoke up as she practically dragged Calem over to the brown-haired girl.

"I see. You're quite a lovely young lady, too," Calem said to Leaf as he gently shook her hand.

"Heehee! You sure are a charmer!" Leaf giggled like a little schoolgirl.

Ash watched all of these exchanges with an unreadable expression. The truth was he had no reason to not like Calem. He was a nice, pleasant person who wasn't stuck up or a jerk in the least. Ash knew that Calem wasn't a rival for Serena because he and she were already a couple. Still, Ash could be a little protective of Leaf, too. Despite this, Ash knew he was being completely unfair to Calem with his past attitude and could certainly get along with him like everyone else. Calem never showed any bitter feelings to Ash, and Ash would do the same. Serena could definitely have boy "friends".

"Calem! How's it going?" Ash spoke for the first time as walked forward with his hand out.

"Hey there, Ash! I'm doing great!" Calem responded as he returned the handshake.

"_Yep" _Ash thought to himself. There was no hidden message in Calem's handshake. He was a genuine person.

"You're going to watch my battle against the Chatelaines, right?" Serena asked hopefully.

"I sure am! That's exactly why I'm in Viridian City!" Calem answered.

"You came all the way here for me?" Serena asked, impressed.

"Well, there is one other reason, but it can wait. I wouldn't miss an opportunity for one of my friends to win against the Battle Chateau," Calem replied.

"That reminds me. We heard you conquered the Chateau not too long ago," Brock remembered.

"Heh. Yeah. I did," Calem replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"That's right! That was so amazing! What did they do when you won?!" Serena almost demanded.

"Slow down, there!" Calem laughed as he motioned his hands downward before replying. "First, I got my picture taken. The Chatelaine I beat last, who happened to be Nita, also, wanted a picture with me, too. Then, Hennessy gave me a plaque, which I transferred back home in Vermillion City, and they gave me their promised prize, in short."

"Hey, Calem, if you don't mind me asking, what is that special prize they give you if you conquer it?" Serena asked curiously.

"Heh. It wouldn't be any fun if I spoiled the surprise, would it?" Calem smirked mischievously.

"Fine. Be that way," Serena pouted before sticking her tongue out playfully.

"You'll see soon enough what it is, anyway, Serena. I know you'll win," Ash said, jumping into the conversation.

"Mmmhmm! You're right, Ash! I can do this!" Serena agreed.

"In that case, shall we head, out 'Duchess Serena'," Ash said in a mock gentlemanly way as he held his arm out.

"It will be my pleasure, 'Sir Ash'," Serena giggled as she took his arm.

With that, the group strolled out of the Pokemon Center en route to the Battle Chateau. Ash and Serena were in the front, followed by Leaf, Brock, Misty, and Grace. Calem brought up the rear.

As they were walking, Leaf hurried up next to Serena and whispered, "Calem sure is the gentleman, isn't he?"

"I know. He's a great friend," Serena giggled back.

"Since he's just a friend, you wouldn't mind if I got to know him better, would you?" Leaf playfully asked.

"Heeheehee! Do you think he's handsome, Leaf?" Serena smirked with a sly smile.

"Maaaaaaybe," Leaf responded with another giggle.

"_Girls," _Ash thought with a mental eye roll as Pikachu snickered at their behavior. Still, that conversation brought great comfort to him. There was nothing he had to worry about with Serena when Calem was around. They were just friends. Whatever stupid reason he had for being distant to Calem could be a thing of the past.

* * *

><p>"Welcome to the Battle Chateau, beaus and dames!" Hennessy greeted as usual.<p>

"Thank you, Hennessy," Serena replied with curtsey. Calem bowed even though he wasn't going to be participating. It just felt right even after he already conquered it.

"You must be Serena! I've been informed of your possible arrival today! You are having a very special matchup between all of our Chatelaines, correct?" Hennessy inquired.

"That's right!" Serena confirmed with a nod.

"Excellent! May I just see your ID and symbols to prove your identity?" Hennessy requested.

"Of course!" Serena answered as she handed the required items to Hennessy.

After glancing over them, Hennessy nodded his head before giving the items back to Serena and bowed.

"We most graciously have anticipated your arrival, madam. Please follow me to the dressing room," Hennessy said as he turned to leave, the group following suit.

As they walked, the group was getting several curious glances, particularly at Calem and Serena. A few people were whispering back and forth to each with things along the lines of, "She's battling all four Chatealaines today?" or "Isn't that the boy who beat the Battle Chateau not too long ago?"

It was slightly unnerving for Serena, but a quick glance at Calem showed he was rather unbothered by the huge amount of attention. Was he used to it by now or something? Did people already recognize Calem everywhere he went just because he beat the Battle Chateau? Would they do the same for Serena if she won it?

Sure enough, a maid was already waiting at the end of walkway and gave a polite bow to the approaching group.

"Hello. Would please follow me to the changing room?" the maid asked.

Serena nodded and followed the maid off, leaving the others behind. She gave a quick glance behind her and saw everyone nod their heads at her. As she was going down the hallways, she realized that if she did conquer the Battle Chateau, this would be her last time of putting on these clothes. Did they let her keep them as a souvenir? Her time at this Battle Chateau couldn't be any more different from last time. It was this same Chateau where she competed for the first time. Of course, she was beaten badly, but now, she was competing to be the champion. How fitting this would be her first and possibly last Chateau to compete in.

Wait. If she won, what does she do next?

* * *

><p>As Serena came back to the group from changing, she noticed they were all looking up at certain wall. Following their gazes, she noticed there were several pictures of different people and their Pokemon. All seemed to be taken in the Battle Chateau as everyone had formal clothing on and holding a huge plaque in their hands. It was then she realized that this was probably the wall of all the challengers who managed to conquer the Battle Chateau.<p>

"Hey, everyone," Serena greeted as she approached them, drawing their attention back to her.

"Hey, Serena. We were just looking at Calem's photo on the wall. This has all the people who made it past the Battle Chateau," Ash replied, confirming her thoughts.

Serena followed their gazes to the general vicinity they were looking at, and it didn't take her long to see Calem's photo. He was standing proudly and had his hand up with his fingers pointing in a V sign. A group of his Pokemon was all crowded around him. Besides his Dodrio, Serena saw he had an Exeggutor, a Cloyster, an Electabuzz, a Vaporeon, and a Rapidash. It was quite a diverse group of Pokemon. Serena briefly wondered if she would be able to win against Calem again should they compete now.

"It must feel great to have such an accomplishment under your belt, Calem," Serena said to him.

"Well, yeah, but now I've beaten the Battle Chateau, I'm kind of at a loss for what to do now," he answered.

This caught Serena's attention as she and everyone turned to face him. Calem was going through what Serena was worried would happen. He couldn't find another suitable goal.

"You could always try the Pokemon League," Ash suggested. "I'm sure with that awesome group of Pokemon you have, you would do very well."

"I've considered it, but even if I do start, I would need to wait awhile before I begin again since this year is almost over. I also want to try something different since most of my friends are already competing in the Pokemon League," Calem replied

"You really can't think of anything, Calem?" Serena asked a little discouragingly.

"Well, there's one thing I've been selected for that I could do. I'd rather not say what it is, though, because it's kind of confidential," Calem said quietly.

"Confidential?" Serena repeated.

Before Calem was able to elaborate on what he mean, the group was interrupted by Hennessy giving a loud shout. He was followed by a particularly large number of other servants and maids.

"May I have your attention, everyone?!" he called out, snapping all heads in his direction. "It gives me great honor to present to you all four of our Battle Chatelaines today! Please show them the courtesy they deserve!"

The butlers and maids then stood in two lines with small path to walk between in the middle. They all bent over to give the deepest bow they were humanly able to. The group thought this was a little extreme but followed their example anyway and each took a bow. Many other kids and teens in the Chateau humorously seemed to snap to an attention stance like they were in the military. They probably didn't know what to do, not too unlike Serena was the last time she was meeting a Chatelaine.

"Are all of the Chatelaines extremely hard to beat?" Serena whispered to Calem.

"They are. All four of them are very different in personality, but equally strong," Calem responded.

"Are they all equally beautiful?" Brock asked hopefully, but a deadpan look from everyone else made him close his mouth?

It wasn't long until the group heard the sound of clicking high heels. They had come to associate that sound with Nita the last time they were here and knew they were about to see her and her sisters at any moment. Serena spared a glance upward and saw four bodies going through the opening between the maids and butlers in a single file. Serena couldn't make out what they looked like because their parasols were blocking their faces from view. One of them had the expected yellow and orange outfit which Serena assumed to be Nita, and the others had similar bizarre outfits but different colors. One was clothed in blue and gray, one in red and pink, and the other in green and black.

The four assumed Chatelaine sisters continued walking to the group before stopping in front of them. Hennessy then made a motion for the group to rise from their bows and curtseys, and then signaled everyone else to do the same.

The four parasols then snapped shut and thrust behind the Chatelaines' heads, finally revealing their faces. There was Nita, of course, whom the group met previously and looked rather excited. The other next to her looked nervous and had thick blue hair that curved inward slightly before stopping at her cheeks and wore a blue hat. The one next to her had red hair with four huge curls of hair and a red hat. Two stopped on both of her cheeks while the others went down a little further and stopped at her shoulders. The look on her face tended to suggest she was rather arrogant. The last one had dark green hair that turned into a massive spiral on the side of her head and ended at her shoulders with a large green hat on her head. Like the previous sister, this one looked rather arrogant, but not to the same degree. With how bizarre their hairstyles were, the group couldn't help but wonder how long the last two sisters spent every day trying to get their hair like that. Hours?

Before anyone could get a word out, Brock spoke first. He ran forward and stopped just in front of the four Chatelaine sisters, taking them and the others by surprise.

"Be still, my aching heart!" Brock cried. "There are so many beautiful women in front of me that I can't control myself! Please let me….Aughhh!"

Kabuto had immediately popped out of its pokeball and stabbed Brock in the back with its claw. Brock fell to the ground where Misty took over and dragged him away by the ear.

"I can't control my hand from grabbing your ear so we're even," Misty muttered as she pulled him along. Despite trying keep neutral, Brock still had a long way to go to cure himself of his flirting tendencies. He may be able to resist one Nurse Joy, but not four Chatelaines.

Serena stared worriedly at the Chatelaines in front of her after Brock's little display. She hoped that she and her group hadn't caused a bad impression on them because of that. Nita had her eyebrows raised slightly while the blue haired ones was looking nervously back and forth, and the last two gave a sigh and rolled their eyes. Serena was pretty embarrassed for her and Brock.

"Forgive that interruption, madams. That young man was not the one whom you were to face," Hennessy gently interrupted to help out. Serena flashed him a grateful smile.

"It sure isn't!" Nita added as she smiled broadly in Serena's direction. "It's that wee lass right over there!"

The other sisters' eyes then shifted over to Serena. The honey-blonde girl attempted to give them all what she hoped was a confident smile, but she found it somewhat hard. The three sisters, particularly the red-haired and green-haired one, had very piercing gazes as they scrutinized her.

Finally, the green-haired one approached her and returned the smile, but the group couldn't help but think it was a little on the arrogant side. All the Chatelaines were probably nice, particularly Nita, but they also seemed to harbor an air of snootiness. Maybe it was just the way they were raised or the posh atmosphere of the Battle Chateau?

"How do you do, young missie? My name is Morgan. I'm the eldest of all of us four Chatelaine sisters. We all thank you for taking part in our cherished Battle Chateau," the green-haired woman said.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, as well," Serena answered with a quick curtsey, having recovered from her initial nervousness of seeing them all at once.

"I'm Dana! Thank you for coming! We all praise your bravery of attempting to challenge all of us in one day!" the red-haired woman spoke next as she also walked up next to the eldest.

"You already know me, of course! I'm the youngest, Nita. It is smashingly good to be able to face you again in battle! I hope you'll put on a great show like last time! I did call all of my sisters over here, after all!" Nita said eagerly.

"Oh! That's right! Thank you so much for doing that, Nita! It really means a lot to me!" Serena answered appreciatively.

"Think nothing of it, pet! I always look forward to a crackin' good battle with people!" Nita laughed.

"Now, Nita? We haven't had the lovely chance to battle the dear guest yet. Please try not to spoil the experience for us," Morgan scolded.

"Right. Sorry, sister," Nita replied sheepishly.

"What a moppet," Dana added.

The group exchanged glances with each other at this. As usual, it seems there was a little bit of teasing when it came to the youngest sibling. It didn't seem too much different from Misty's situation, after all. Out of the corner of their eye, they could see Misty with somewhat of a sympathetic look in her eyes towards Nita. She would know all about that considering how she practically threw herself into sibling stories during her and Nita's last encounter.

The group then turned to see there was one Chatelaine sister that hadn't greeted them yet. It was the blue-haired one, and she appeared quite shy compared to the other ones. While Nita, Morgan, and Dana appeared to be bursting with confidence, this one was…not. She was behind the other three with one hand behind her back and the other one was twirling her short blue hair.

"Evelyn? Don't just stand there. Come greet our dear challenger," Morgan called out to her.

The young, blue-haired woman shuffled forward, avoiding eye contact with Serena and everyone else in the room. Once she was in front of Serena, she immediately looked towards the floor as if there was something interesting there. Despite this, Serena attempted a smile to her out of politeness. Maybe that would get her to say something.

"It's nice to meet you…Evelyn?" Serena guessed the last part, judging from what Morgan had said.

"Ummmm…Welcome t-to the Battle Ch-Chateau. My n-name is Evelyn. Oh! B-b-but you already knew th-that , didn't you?" Evelyn stuttered.

"Evelyn! Quit twirling your hair like some nervous schoolgirl. It looks terrible!" Morgan berated.

"S-Sorry!" Evelyn quickly apologized and immediately took her finger out of her hair.

There were clearly some family issues going on with these Chatelaines. Did they act like this all the time when they were together? Is that why they were always at separate Chateaus every day so they could keep away from each other? Serena was under the impression that she was going to be in double battle with two of the Chatelaine sisters at a time. How were they going to work together if they couldn't even seem to get along?

"It's such an honor for us to be here today! My daughter Serena couldn't wait to try for her title as Grand Duchess of the Battle Chateau!" Grace cut in, trying to ease the obvious tension between the sisters.

"Ah, yes! You're her Ma! It's such a smashing good thing to meet ya!" Nita exclaimed as she frantically shook Grace's hands.

"No, please! The pleasure's all mine!" Grace laughed while the rest of the group sweatdropped.

Morgan then cast a glance at Calem and smiled. "Ah! You're that wee lad who gave us all a sound beating the last time we saw you? How are you, love?"

"I've been doing very well, Ms. Morgan. It's nice to see all of you are doing okay, too," Calem replied with a bow.

"Are we ever going to get to the battle or just talk all day? Togepi is getting restless with us just standing here," Ash whispered to Brock, gesturing to the squirming Pokemon in his arms.

"I don't care which one we do as long as I can look at those Chatelaines," Brock whispered back with a goofy grin on his face.

"While I always enjoy talking to my guests before I battle them, I believe we should begin our battle lest we stay overtime," Morgan suggested.

"Excuse me, Ms. Morgan. How will I be battling all of you?" Serena asked politely.

"You will be facing two of us at a time in what's called a double battle. Are you familiar with them at all, love?" Morgan inquired.

"Well, I know that each person uses two Pokemon, but I've never participated in one before," Serena answered as she looked upward in thought.

"Yes. Each party battles until both Pokemon are down. The one with a Pokemon left standing is declared the winner. Because you are facing two of us, we will all use one Pokemon each," Morgan responded.

Serena looked down towards the ground. Could she really pull this off? It's true she felt confident, but she had never been in a double battle. Her Pokemon always helped each other in training, but could they really work as a team to overcome Serena's toughest battle yet? She would have to be extra careful and pay attention to both of her Pokemon in order to win. Who would work best battling beside one another? Scyther was a loner most of the time and preferred to battle by itself so it might not be the best option for a double battle. Jigglypuff could cause some issues, too, despite greatly improving its attitude over the past few months. The Pokemon that would probably be most willing to work with others would be Hitmonlee and Charla. She would have to make sure at least one of those Pokemon was in each of her battles against the Chatelaines.

"You'll do great, Serena! I hear double battles are really fun and exciting!" Ash told her, trying to boost her mood.

"We're all here for you, sweetie," Grace added.

"I've been in a few myself. They can really help strengthen the bond between each of your Pokemon because they have to work together to win," Calem finished.

"Let's get on with the battle pets! I'm gettin' a wee bit antsy just standing here!" Nita spoke up.

"Patience, Nita. Our dear guest will not be battling you first," Morgan told her.

"No guff?! Why?!" Nita exclaimed while throwing her hands into the air.

"Is your head cut, girl? Your elder sisters would like to battle the lassie, as well. It wouldn't be fair if you battled her first when you already have before," Morgan answered somewhat arrogantly.

Nita gave a slight huff in response but said nothing else. She was right what she said about her sisters in their last encounter. They did tend to pick on her a lot, especially Morgan.

"Now that that's out of the way, you will be battling my dear sisters, Evelyn and Dana, to begin with. Should you defeat them, you will face Nita and me," Morgan continued.

"Oh! That's perfectly fine! Thank you!" Serena said quickly with a curtsey.

"Grand! Please follow us," Morgan said with a smile before nodding to Hennessy.

"Of course! Right this way, madam!" Hennessy responded with a quick bow before leading them away. The group briefly wondered if he ever noticed the exchanges that went on between the sisters.

As the group began to follow the Chatelaines and Hennessy, they couldn't help but think how strange the sisters all were. They were all nothing alike and each had their own distinct personality with the two youngest, Evelyn and Nita, seeming to catch the brunt of the older twos' jokes. All seemed to forget their banters a split second later as they were all laughing animatedly with each other now in a somewhat haughty manner. If anyone could relate to them, however, it would be Misty.

"Is that how it is with you and your sisters?" Ash whispered.

"Yeah. You've seen it yourself, after all. My sisters and I argue a lot, but we really do love each other. If we were to ever have a double battle together, we would make quite a team. I'm sure it's the same for them," Misty answered.

The group nodded their head in understanding. That's just the way sibling bonds were, it seemed. Serena wasn't going to dismiss the Chatelaines inability to battle together just yet. They were already great trainers to begin with if Nia was any indication, and combined, it would quite difficult to take them down.

Upon finally reaching the battle room, Serena received a quick hug from Ash and Grace, followed by a thumbs-up from Calem before she headed over to her side of the room. Dana and Evelyn walked to the other side while Morgan and Nita joined the rest of the group on the sidelines. Nita had her fists clenched as she leaned forward and looked upon the coming battle eagerly while Morgan simply folded her arms and awaited the coming battle calmly. A judge stood in the center while Hennessy gave one last bow before leaving the room.

"Evelyn and I have a perfect combo! You can't take us on, little missie!" Dana shouted from across the room.

"I'm not all flash like my sister Dana when it comes to talking," Evelyn mumbled quietly. Serena barely heard her.

"Do try to give us a flashy performance," Dana finished.

"_Here we go," _thought Serena. _"I can do this. I get the feeling this is going to be my last opportunity to face the Chatelaines before I'm in a bad position of choosing to stay with Ash or finish the Battle Chateau."_

"Let's go, Serena!" she heard Ash shout.

Serena cast a look towards the left and saw all of her friends, mother, Nita, Morgan, and finally Ash looking at her with expectant looks. They all believed she could do this. The last thing she had to do was believe in herself. She lost to the Chatelaines once, but that was the only win they would have.

"This is a special double battle between the Chatelaines, Evelyn and Dana, against Serena Gabena. The Chatelaines will be using one Pokemon each while our challenger will use two Pokemon. The battle shall continue until each Pokemon of one side can't battle anymore! Please choose your Pokemon now!" the judge announced.

"Evelyn and I will go ahead and show you our Pokemon first, lassie!" Dana called out before addressing her sister. "Are you ready, Evelyn?"

"Y-Y-Yes. I am," Evelyn confirmed.

"Grand! Go Flareon!" Dana shouted.

"Vaporeon! P-Please come out," Evelyn said.

Two fox-like Pokemon came out of their pokeballs and took on a battle stance. One of them was covered in reddish-orange fir with dark eyes and a black nose. However, its very bushy tail, fluffy collar, and tuft of fur on its head were bright yellow. It looked like it had just come out of a blazing inferno. The other one looked aquatic and resembled a mermaid and light blue in color except for its ridges on its head and back which were dark blue.

"Vaporeon and Flareon," Serena mused to herself as she and Ash took out their pokedexes to scan them. Leaf had already encountered them in the past so she didn't need to look them up.

"Vaporeon, the bubble jet Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee when exposed to a Water Stone. Its cell structure is similar to water molecules. It can melt away and become invisible in water. Flareon, the flame Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee when exposed to a fire stone. It has a flame chamber inside of its body and can have its body reach incredible levels of heat when it stores enough energy," the pokedexes said.

"So these are two of the evolved forms of Eevee," Serena muttered as she looked over to the two Pokemon. She thought about her own Eevee. If it were ever to evolve, these were two of the options she had to choose from. She knew of three Pokemon Eevee could evolve into: Flareon, Vaporeon, and Jolteon, but there were said to be even more under special circumstances. For now, however, she was happy with the way her Eevee was, and it seemed content, too.

Right now, though, she needed to figure out which Pokemon to use against them. She still reminded herself that Charla and Hitmonlee would be the best team members, but decided on Hitmonlee due to Charla's weakness against water. She also remembered hearing something about Flareon having the Flash Fire ability which would make its fire attacks useless, too. That meant the best was Hitmonlee for this battle, but what about her other Pokemon? Nidorina, Jigglypuff, Scyther, or Cubone? As previously mentioned, Jigglypuff and Scyther would have the most trouble battling with another and would probably need more training. Cubone would be strong against Flareon but weak against Vaporeon. Nidorina didn't really have an advantage over either Pokemon so it broke even. That was probably her best option despite a rather strange matchup.

"Hitmonlee, Nidorina, come on out!" she called as she released the two Pokemon.

Nidorina appeared with a cry and took a battle ready stance, too. Serena had given it a good meal before coming to the Battle Chateau so it was full and ready to fight. It looked over to its partner in battle and raised an eyebrow in question when it saw the Hitmonlee calmly doing its pre-battle meditation.

"Nidorina?" it questioned the kicking fiend.

"Leeeeeee," it breathed in response before opening its eyes and standing up.

"Those two are kind of a strange combination. Do you think they will be able to pull off a win like that?" Misty questioned.

"I don't know. Nidorina and Hitmonlee have never really been training partners so they don't know very much about each other's strengths and weaknesses. It may be hard to form a good combination from them, but Serena might surprise us. It was a risky move, regardless, because it's against the Chatelaines," Brock answered.

Calem was thinking along the same lines as Brock as he watched the battle. Despite this, he knew Serena could overcome the odds. Her Charmeleon had defeated his Dodrio, after all, when they last saw each other.

Grace, meanwhile, was really excited to see her daughter battle for the first time. She didn't quite know what to make of the matchups due to her inexperience as a trainer. She had been a Rhyhorn racer, instead, but what she did know, is that she could believe in Serena's determination.

Ash had been the one to encourage her this whole time. He trained with Serena all yesterday afternoon to get her prepared for this. If there was ever a time for Serena to against all of the Chatelaines, it would be now. He gave a nod to Serena who noticed the gesture and nodded back. There was a silent understanding between them to do their best.

"Are both sides ready?" the judge asked as he raised his flags in the air.

All three trainers nodded while their Pokemon crouched down, ready to attack as soon as their trainer commanded it. Here it comes.

"Begin!" the judge shouted and waved the flags down.

"You dears know what to do! Let's start our match off by cloaking the battlefield in steam!" Dana shouted.

"Y-Yes," Evelyn added rather lamely.

The Vaporeon and Flareon nodded before shooting a Water Gun and Flamethrower into the air, respectively. The two opposing attacks met halfway before a cloud of steam erupted from the center, making it hard for anyone to see.

"_They're already starting the battle by giving us a disadvantage. I should've expected nothing less,"_ Serena thought to herself as she squinted her eyes to try to see. She then called out, "Hitmonlee, you can sense where Vaporeon and Flareon are, right?"

"Lee," Hitmonlee nodded before motioning for Nidorina to come over next to it.

The Poison Pin Pokemon scrambled over next to its partner and pricked its large ears upward to listen while Hitmonlee calmed its mind and tried to sense their opponents' presence. Flareon and Vaporeon weren't especially fast Pokemon so they wouldn't be charging at them from inside the steam. It would be a long-ranged attack the two would need to look out for.

As expected, the two heard the commands of Flamethrower and Water Gun next and prepared themselves. Hitmonlee and Nidorina crouched down and awaited for the attacks to come through the steam, but they weren't appearing. Vaporeon and Flareon must be taking their time and changing their location to fool their opponents. Hitmonlee closed its eyes and concentrated harder to try to sense where they were, but their constant moving made it difficult.

Finally, it heard a cry and a rush of attacks shooting for them. Hitmonlee opened its eyes and expected the attacks to come from the same direction, making an easy dodge. It and Nidorina's eyes widened when they saw an attack coming from either side of them. The Water Gun came from the left and the Flamethrower came from the right. Hitmonlee immediately picked up Nidorina and leaped forward just in time. The force from the explosion of the attacks combining still threw it off balance. It landed rather ungracefully on the floor before setting down Nidorina.

Serena knew she couldn't just stand there all day. Her Pokemon were waiting for her to issue an attack. She was just rather awed about how in sync the Vaporeon and Flareon were. Despite the sisters' constant feuding, they really did know how to work as a team. This would actually prove to be more difficult than facing them individually.

"Hitmonlee, use Hi Jump Kick! Nidorina, use Double Kick!" Serena yelled.

The Pokemon obeyed and began running at their opponents. It was a little hard to see in the steam, but their excellent senses allowed them to pinpoint where their opponents were. Dana merely smirked at this while Evelyn got a somewhat confused expression. This girl thought she could win by simply ordering her Pokemon to attack?

"That won't work against Evelyn and I's combination, little missie!" Dana declared. "Flareon, Fire Spin!"

"Use Water Pulse," Evelyn muttered.

Flareon shot a large amount of fire at the Pokemon duo as they were running towards them. Hitmonlee noticed this and tried to redirect its running, but Flareon made such a large spiral that it couldn't. Soon the vortex of fire closed in around Nidorina and Hitmonlee, rendering them unable to move. Flareon then got underneath Vaporeon before boosting it high into the air off of its back. Vaporeon was flung high above the top of the vortex and looked straight down from the top. It then fired a huge ball of water directly downward. The ball shot through the flames with nowhere for Hitmonlee and Nidorina to escape to because of the fire surrounding them. The Water Pulse reached its marks, blasting Nidorina and Hitmonlee backwards through the flames and onto the ground.

"_There's got to be some way to slip up those two," _Serena thought desperately, noticing that she was losing. _"I know!"_

"Nidorina, use Ice Beam on the floor!" Serena called.

Nidorina obeyed and shot a large beam of ice from its mouth all across the room. Soon the carpet was made of nothing but ice which caused quite a bit of unbalance for its opponents. Flareon and Vaporeon instantly began stumbling in order keep on their four feet.

"Great, Nidorina! Use Poison Sting and Hitmonlee use Mega Kick!" Serena shouted.

Nidorina obeyed and slid forward in order to use the attack. However, the important thing that Serena forgot was the floor may have been icy for Vaporeon and Flareon, but it was also slippery for Hitmonlee. While Nidorina slid forward on its knees. Hitmonlee immediately tripped and fell flat on its face before looking up and glaring at Nidorina. The poison Pokemon gave a sheepish scratch on its head before turning around and shooting several poison needles from its mouth. The attack connected with its targets which caused the two to grimace, but it clearly could have done more damage.

"_What's Serena doing out there?_" Ash thought as he watched the battle. "_She isn't having the two work as a team at all!"_

Serena berated herself on forgetting something like that. Using Ice Beam to make the floor slippery would normally be a good strategy. It had worked several times in the past, but that would only be if Nidorina was battling by itself. Serena had to think about how one attack affects everyone on the field, not just the Pokemon using it. These double battles were a lot tougher than they seemed.

"Flareon, melt the ice with your Flamethrower," Dana called out.

Flareon launched a stream of flames through its mouth which liquefied all of the ice in seconds.

"Now use Smog, pet!" Dana ordered next.

"Use Aurora Beam into the Smog, Vaporeon" Evelyn said.

Flareon opened its mouth and breathed out a noxious brown cloud from its mouth and launched it into the air. The Vaporeon then launched a cold beam that glowed many colors into the fog causing a chain reaction. The smog and glowing beam mixed before forming a freezing, poisonous cloud which settled around Hitmonlee and Nidorina. Hitmonlee covered its nose to avoid breathing in the fumes. Its intense meditation had given it a tolerance to the cold so it was able to withstand it. However, Nidorina wasn't so lucky and was both coughing violently and shivering, not knowing which was worse.

"Now use Quick Attack!" both Chatelaine sisters commanded.

The two Eeveelutions darted towards their targets at breakneck speed. Hitmonlee saw them coming through the cold smog and quickly grabbed Nidorina who was still having a coughing fit. It then quickly rolled out of the way of Vaporeon, but Flareon was still able to hit it. Hitmonlee grunted in pain before soaring backwards onto the ground. It couldn't protect Nidorina forever.

"My, my, my. What a pity? Is this all you have?" Dana asked Serena in a disappointed tone. "Nita talked you up quite a bit, saying you had potential. I have yet to see that."

"You'll be catching it later from us, Nita," Morgan told her sister as she crossed her arms. "This lassie is not even providing a challenge for Dana and Evelyn. Why did you call us here just to waste time with her?"

Ash couldn't help but glare at Morgan for putting Serena down like that. What did she know about Serena? His girlfriend was an excellent battler! She usually came up with great strategies to win, and her Pokemon were top notch, too! They can't judge her battling skills by just one encounter with her. A double battle was something very new to Serena. She just had to adjust. Ash had no doubt he would be shaky, too, if he were competing right now. Ash then shouted out to her.

"Serena! You need to focus on the strengths of both Hitmonlee and Nidorina! Use them to your advantage and combine their skills like Dana and Evelyn are doing!" he called.

Serena heard what Ash said and knew that's what she had to do, but what did Hitmonlee and Nidorina have in common? Absolutely nothing. She should've thought these double battles through a lot more clearly before she began. What on Earth could she do to have them work as a team? She was sure Hitmonlee and Nidorina were more than willing to, but she had to issue a command first. The calling of Flareon and Vaporeon's next attacks snapped Serena out of her thoughts.

"We should just finish this with a Flare Blitz, Flareon," Dana sighed. "Maybe we will have a better challenge another day."

"Y-Y-Yeah. Use Hydro Pump, too, Vaporeon," Evelyn said.

Flareon became enveloped in a huge flame and charged towards. It had such power that parts of the carpet were being stripped bare. Vaporeon took a deep breath shot a massive jet of water from its mouth. Both Pokemon grimaced as they saw the attacks heading towards them. It was either be hit by a Flare Blitz or a Hydro Pump. Neither option seemed more appealing.

Serena thought as hard as she could about situations like this. There had to be something she could do to at least stop one of the attacks! If she could do that, maybe she could stand a chance with the other. Vaporeon had a jet of water coming towards them. Nidorina had Ice Beam. Maybe that could stop it!

"Nidorina, use Ice Beam on that Hydro Pump!" Serena shouted.

Nidorina nodded and shot a beam of ice once more from its mouth. It collided with the Hydro Pump as the two struggled for dominance. Due to the advantage, the Ice Beam started to solidify the Hydro Pump, and within seconds, the large jet of water had turned into a large chunk of ice and fell onto the floor with a resounding crash.

"That was close," Serena said to herself until she remembered Flareon still charging towards them. She then saw the ice from the Hydro Pump just sitting there and an idea came to her. "Hitmonlee, use… Mega Kick on that shard of ice!"

Hitmonlee looked back at Serena and gave an approving nod before leaping into the air and kicking the huge ice piece as hard as it could, making sure to aim for Flareon. The large chunk of ice shot through the air towards the very surprised fire-type. Flareon's eyes widened when it saw the frozen projectile blasting towards it and tried to redirect its attack, but was unsuccessful. The massive ice piece slammed into Flareon despite its Flare Blitz and knocked it clean across the room where it hit a wall before falling to the ground with a dazed expression.

"That was great, Serena!" she heard Leaf yell.

"That sounds more like Serena," Brock smiled and folded his arms. "That's how they can work as a team."

Ash smiled in triumph when he saw Morgan raise her eyebrow in interest, and Nita gave her an "I told you so" look. That will show her not to judge Serena so quickly.

"Serena really has gotten a lot better since I first faced her," Calem said to Ash.

"You have no idea," Ash replied with a grin.

"Hmm? Well this is a surprise. Maybe you have some fight, after all," Dana stated rather haughtily as Flareon got up and joined with Vaporeon once more.

"W-W-We'll have to make sure not to do that again," Evelyn agreed. "Use Aqua Ring on both you and Flareon."

The Vaporeon obeyed and seemed to concentrate before a ring of water appeared around itself and Flareon. Despite Flareon being a fire-type, it still got the benefits from the move. Now its health could be gradually restored.

"Serena's going to have to attack them fast and hard now," Calem stated grimly as he watched. "If she can't cause enough damage in a short amount of time, those two will keep regaining health and be almost impossible to knock out."

"So she'll need to use powerful and effective moves?" Misty inquired.

"Right," Calem confirmed.

"So do Hitmonlee and Nidorina have any good moves?" Ash asked, wanting to know as much about any Pokemon as possible, of course.

"Well, Hitmonlee has some pretty powerful attacks, being a fighting-type, but it's Nidorina I'm little worried about," Calem answered.

"You sure know a lot about Pokemon. You wouldn't by chance be trying to fill up your pokedex too, would you?" Leaf asked with interest as she sauntered over to Calem.

"Hahaha! No, I'm not actually. I just think it's crucial to know as much about a Pokemon's move set as I can. That way I can be prepared for anything," Calem explained.

"Ash could learn a thing or two from you, Calem. He only seems to know his own Pokemon's moves," Misty teased, causing Ash to glare at her.

"_Excuse me, but who was it that just got all eight badges of Kanto?" _Ash thought, but chose not to voice his opinions to avoid an argument. He wanted to focus on Serena's match right now.

"_Okay. I made one good combination. What's something else I can do?"_ Serena thought again to herself. Maybe she could try something similar to what she did previously?

"Use Quick Attack again!" the Chatelaine sisters commanded once more.

"Quick, Nidorina! Use Ice Beam on the floor, but focus on one spot!" Serena called out as the two fox-like Pokemon began to speed towards Nidorina and Hitmonlee.

"Not so quick, pet! Use Flamethrower on that Ice Beam, Flareon!" Dana called.

No sooner had Nidorina began to shoot Ice Beam on the floor than Flareon had already produced a Flamethrower. The two attacks met, and the Ice Beam immediately fizzled out. The two Chatelaines' Pokemon collided with Serena's Pokemon, knocking them back once more.

"Use Fire Spin again," Dana smirked.

The fire-type attack once more shot from Flareon's mouth and swirled around the two Pokemon getting back off the floor. Not one to be outdone like that again, Hitmonlee once more grabbed Nidorina and jumped over the flames before they got too high, but that's what Dana and Evelyn wanted. As soon as Hitmonlee got out of the flames, the two saw an Aurora Beam heading straight for them. The attack struck Hitmonlee right in the center where it dropped Nidorina before falling onto the floor in pain.

"Hitmonlee!" Serena cried.

"Nido Nidorina!" Nidorina encouraged as it shook Hitmonlee.

"Leeeee," the kicking fiend breathed to indicate it still had fight in it. It stood back onto its feet, but it was getting pretty tired by having to save Nidorina from a lot of the attacks.

"That Hitmonlee is pretty tough, lassie," Dana stated. "I say we try to take it out first. Do you agree, Evelyn?"

"Y-y-yes. We should," Evelyn answered.

"Use Quick Attack and surround Hitmonlee!" the two shouted.

The two Eeveelutions began running in circles around Hitmonlee and Nidorina in an effort to confuse them. Hitmonlee tried to sense their movements with its mind, but they were too quick for it to keep up with.

"Use Poison Sting across the whole area to stop them, Nidorina!" Serena cried.

Nidorina opened its mouth and began shooting several glowing needles from its mouth and spun as fast as it could while launching the attack. It wasn't long before Flareon and Vaporeon ran straight into the needles which immediately made them grimace and slow down. Serena was about to order another attack, but Evelyn and Dana beat her to it.

"Use Flamethrower on Hitmonlee!" Dana called.

"Use Ice Beam on Hitmonlee," Evelyn added.

Flareon and Vaporeon got on either side of Hitmonlee and launched their respective attacks to their target. Hitmonlee's options were limited as it certainly didn't have enough time to dodge the attacks. The attacks soared through the air and collided with Hitmonlee head-on.

"Monlee!" Hitmonlee cried in pain as it collapsed onto one knee due to the attacks. It was sweating because of how much pain it was in. It didn't think it could take any more attacks.

"Can you stand, Hitmonlee?" Serena cried out.

Nidorina stared worriedly at its partner. Hitmonlee was in so much pain because it was constantly trying to protect it. Nidorina wasn't necessarily a weak battler, but it wasn't the strongest of its trainer's Pokemon, either, and it knew so. It preferred to eat or help support on the sidelines when working together. It could definitely battle if it needed to and had quite a few victories. However, this time, it couldn't even help that much with Hitmonlee. If it could lend its strength to Hitmonlee, and still support it, they might be able to take out these two. Flareon and Vaporeon had great combinations of attacks, why couldn't they? Nidorina then felt itself glowing with energy and became enveloped in a blue.

"What's going on with Nidorina?" Serena wondered aloud as she watched.

Nidorina then directed its energy towards Hitmonlee, and the kicking fiend suddenly felt itself overflowing with strength, like it had been supercharged. Hitmonlee suddenly stood on its two feet and took on a fighting stance, ready to take out its opponents.

"What just happened?" Ash asked everyone around them, hoping they at least had some idea.

"I think Nidorina just learned the move Helping Hand," Brock responded as he folded his arms.

"It's a move that's perfect for double battles because it lets one Pokemon boost the power of its partner so its moves are more powerful," Calem elaborated.

Serena's eyes lit up in excitement once she heard that. With Nidorina being able to lend its strength to Hitmonlee, they should be able to pull of some great combos. They could really work as a team, after all. Suddenly feeling confident, Serena called out her next command.

"Hitmonlee, use Hi Jump Kick! Nidorina, use Poison Sting!" she yelled.

"Prepare to dodge it, my pet," Dana said.

"Y-y-you, too, Vaporeon," Evelyn added.

They were expecting Hitmonlee to run up to their two Pokemon and try to attack physically, giving them plenty of time to dodge. It was very surprising when Hitmonlee instead leaped into the air before swinging is leg around in a full circle. A blast of energy from the force of Hitmonlee's kick erupted from its foot and sped towards the two dumbfounded Pokemon. That must have been because of Helping Hand's power boost!

The massive burst of energy landed just in front of Vaporeon and Flareon, creating an explosion and blasting them off their feet. That's when Nidorina got a clear shot with its Poison Sting and shot the glowing needles at the Pokemon. It finally got good aim in and was able to cause some good damage that time. The two Eeveelutions landed on their sides with painful grunt before standing up again.

"What power! Quite impressive. That's more like it," Dana praised. "Now try to entertain us!"

"Use Ice Beam on the ground but concentrate it on one spot, Nidorina, and then use Brick Break, Hitmonlee" Serena commanded.

"Not so fast, lassie! Use Flamethrower again, Flareon!" Dana shouted.

Nidorina had done the attack much faster now, and was already through before Dana had even finished talking. A large block of ice now stood where the Ice Beam was concentrated. Hitmonlee jumped into the air and raised one of its seldom used arms before slamming it down on the block of ice, completely shattering it towards its opponents. Many shards of ice blasted through the air, completely bypassing the Flamethrower and striking Flareon and Vaporeon continuously. Ice wasn't normally very effective on their typing, but the shards were so prickly and moving so fast that it actually really did sting a lot. Unfortunately, the Flamethrower kept going and stuck Nidorina, engulfing it in flames. Nidorina gave weak cry before collapsing on the ground, struggling to stay in battle.

"This is going on a wee bit longer than it should," Dana said. "Knock those two out with Flare Blitz, my pet," Dana told Flareon while Vaporeon was still struggling to stand up. The ice shards had been slightly more effective against the water type because the other shards melted fast after hitting Flareon's hot skin.

Flareon gave another cry before becoming enveloped in fire and tearing off down the battle room straight towards Hitmonlee.

"Use Hi Jump Kick again, Hitmonlee!" Serena yelled.

"Use Flamethrower to stop it!" Dana countered.

Flareon blew forth a hot flame from its mouth even though it was still charged with Flare Blitz. It must have been really trained to do two attacks at once like that. Hitmonlee's eyes widened at the coming flame and quickly spun out of the way which caused its aim to be off and the flash of energy missed Flareon completely and it crashed into Hitmonlee full force. Hitmonlee brought up its foot just in time and yelled in pain at the attack before trying to push Flareon back. The two were in a huge competition for dominance. By that time, Vaporeon had gotten up and Evelyn issued her next command.

"H-h-help out Flareon, Vaporeon," Evelyn muttered.

Vaporeon also gave a cry before charging forward to help Flareon. Hitmonlee's eyes widened once more when it saw Vaporeon coming towards it coming towards it. If those two combined their efforts, that's all that would be needed for Flareon to get the advantage and probably knock it out with Flare Blitz. Hitmonlee began struggling even harder to push Flareon back with its strong foot powered by Helping Hand, but Flareon was fairly strong, too, and powered by Flare Blitz.

"Watch out, Hitmonlee. You have to break free of the contact and try to get away!" Serena yelled at it, knowing what was fixing to happen.

The kicking fiend knew she was right and was about to break contact to give itself a chance when it saw Nidorina getting back up. The poison Pokemon quickly shook itself and noticed the danger Hitmonlee was in. Serena saw it get back up to and quickly pointed her finger in Hitmonlee's direction before giving her next command.

"Hurry and help Hitmonlee before Vaporeon reaches it," Serena yelled.

"Use Hydro Pump to stop Nidorina," Evelyn said once she heard that.

While still running, the Vaporeon once more opened its mouth, and a jet of water exploded from it. The attack soared through air, but Nidorina was faster and rammed its body into Flareon, slightly hurting itself from the fire that Flareon was enveloped in, but still okay. Flareon stumbled, and Hitmonlee and Serena saw their chance.

"Use Mega Kick!" Serena shouted.

Hitmonlee immediately pushed its leg with all of its might and threw Flareon from its body, right into the path of the incoming Hydro Pump. Flareon gritted its teeth just before the attack struck it. The Hydro Pump blasted Flareon right in the center of its body. It was thrown clear across the room by the force of the super effective attack. Flareon hit floor and skidded several yards before stopping in front of Dana's feet.

Vaporeon couldn't help but feel guilty as it saw its partner hit by its own attack and saw how the attack had blown Flareon clear over its head. However, that moment's distraction was all that was needed for Serena to order her next attacks.

"Use Double Kick, Nidorina, and Use Hi Jump Kick, Hitmonlee!" she ordered.

The two Pokemon charged forward and Vaporeon was met with two pairs of feet to its face, one from Hitmonlee, and another from Nidorina. The attacks connected and Vaporeon cried out in pain before flying backwards towards Flareon. The fire-type had managed to stand up again, but not for long as it saw Vaporeon heading straight for it.

"Try to dodge it," Dana called, but it was too late.

Vaporeon crashed into its partner with the force of its full body, and the two Eeveelutions fell into a heap, one on top of the other. They gave a weak cry and moved no more.

"What a croc!" Dana exclaimed.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle! The winner is Serena Gabena!" the judge declared as he waved his flag in Serena's direction.

Serena stood in shock. She had just won her first double battle, and against two Chatelaines to top it off. She actually pulled it off!

"I won!" Serena cried as she ran forward to Hitmonlee and Nidorina to embrace them both. "You two did so awesome together!"

"Nidorina!" the poison pin Pokemon smiled through its tired state and looked up towards Hitmonlee. Its stomach then growled, and it blushed in embarrassment. It couldn't help but want a nice meal after a hard fought battle.

"Monlee," Hitmonlee responded and nodded its head to Nidorina before accepting Serena's hug. It believed it might have found a new training partner in Nidorina. That is, of course, if the gluttonous Pokemon would quit stuffing its face all of the time.

The two Chatelaines returned the Pokemon before smiling appreciatively at their pokeballs. The two then walked towards Serena where they were soon joined by the other sisters and rest of the group. Serena looked up and actually saw the Chatelaines besides Nita actually smiling at her for a change.

"F-fair play, dear trainer!" Evelyn stuttered.

"To think you would be able to break through Evelyn's and my combination! I haven't had a trouncing that good since that lad over there!" Dana said, referring to Calem.

"I'm impressed, as well. Maybe Nita was correct about you, after all," Morgan said as she rubbed her chin.

"See!? See?! I told you! This wee lass is pretty good!" Nita exclaimed.

"Settle down, Nita. I say we give our dear challenger a break now," Morgan suggested thoughtfully. "We should go and have a little lunch before meeting here in two hours. She shall face us then. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes. Of course!" Serena answered.

"Very well. We shall take our leave, sisters. Please rest during this time," Morgan said gently as she strode out with Dana and Evelyn following her. Nita gave a quick smile and a wink before hurrying to catch up. With that, they were gone.

* * *

><p>"Eat up, you two! You definitely deserve it!" Serena said cheerfully as she served Nidorina and Hitmonlee their food, courtesy of Brock's cooking. She then sat down to feed Togepi before she would eat, too. The baby Pokemon couldn't have solid foods yet, but once again, thanks to Brock, a good formula was designed to feed it with until the time came. They were at a nearby café in Viridian City. Since Serena had two hours to take a break, now was as good a time as any to eat something. They had all of their Pokemon out so they could have a snack, too, with the exception of Misty's Gyarados considering how big it was. Since they were on the outside patio and not indoors, this wasn't a problem for their Pokemon.<p>

Nidorina wasted no time in digging into the meal while Hitmonlee took its time. It preferred to enjoy its meals slowly and savor the taste of the food rather than pig out. Hitmonlee found that it could still be full by taking its time and letting it settle. By eating less food, it could focus instead on strengthening its mind and still be in tip top form.

Hitmonlee then cast a glance at how Nidorina and the raven-haired boy were devouring their food and couldn't help but sigh. Nidorina noticed its glance and gave Hitmonlee a thumbs up. The kicking Pokemon quirked an eyebrow at this but slowly returned the gesture. What a foreign concept doing this "thumbs up" was to Hitmonlee. After doing a team battle with it, Nidorina felt closer to the fighting Pokemon. Maybe they could work together again in the future!

Nidorina looked back towards it food and discovered it was gone! All it took was a quick look to the left and saw it was none other than Misty's Shellder chewing the food without the least bit of guilt on its face. The sneaky Pokemon must have used its long tongue to take the food while Nidorina wasn't looking! Upon seeing that the poison pin Pokemon was watching it, Shellder stuck its long tongue out. While some might confuse this as its natural expression, there was something taunting in the way it was doing so.

"Shellder! That wasn't very nice!" Misty scolded after witnessing the event.

Shellder turned back to Misty and blushed before hopping over and licking her leg. Misty recoiled at its slimy tongue but sighed in defeat. What was she going to do with this mischievous Pokemon?

Nidorina's eyes watered like it was about to cry but soon saw Hitmonlee had pushed its food over in front of it. Nidorina looked up hopefully at Hitmonlee, and the fighting-type gave a polite nod to show it was okay. Shooting a grateful smile towards it, Nidorina continued scarfing down the rest of Hitmonlee's food while Hitmonlee decided to just find a nice quiet place to meditate. That would prove rather difficult with the amount of people and Pokemon around, however.

"That Shellder of yours looks like it's a handful," Calem commented to Misty before taking a bite of his food.

"It is," Misty confirmed while she massaged her temple. "The first thing it did when I caught it back on the Seafoam Islands was lick me right across the face."

"I liked your meeting with Psyduck better," Ash cut in. "It kissed you!"

The whole table erupted into laughter at that while Misty glared. That had been so gross when Psyduck did that. Casting a glance, she noticed that the yellow duck Pokemon was completely oblivious to being mentioned. It was just chomping away contently at its food. Despite this, Misty couldn't help but smile. It's her lovable, clueless, duck, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Nidorina and Hitmonlee seem to be hitting it off better now," Brock mentioned, changing the subject after he saw the display between the two Pokemon.

"Have you thought about which two Pokemon you are going to battle with next, dear?" Grace asked Serena, drawing all eyes to said girl.

"Hmmm…," Serena mumbled thoughtfully as she looked over all the Pokemon with her at the moment.

Rather than eating its food normally, Scyther preferred to stab its sharp claws through the food before bringing the bits to its mouth and ripping the piece off its claw and swallowing it whole. It was pretty savage looking, to be honest. Going along with her thoughts earlier, Scyther didn't seem like it would be the best teammate at the moment. She hated to say it, but it might actually throw the other Pokemon under the bus just to save itself to keep fighting.

Her eyes then moved over to Jigglypuff who was merrily eating away. It looked so cute and happy while doing so. Serena and everyone else in the group weren't fooled, however. Underneath that adorable exterior was a fierce fighter but also a bad-tempered Pokemon. As if to emphasize the point, Misty's Shellder had just started to go after Jigglypuff's Pokemon food with its long tongue, too, but a dark and menacing look from the pink puffball immediately made it shrink back and go about its business. Though its attitude had improved significantly since she first caught it, Jigglypuff still had a tendency to be the center of attention and might not do as well in a double battle.

Next was Charla, who was of course, eating next to Ash's Charizard. It was her first Pokemon and was definitely one of her strongest and only fully evolved Pokemon that required evolution. Speaking of evolution, Charla had seemingly gotten away from its trendy fashion love compared to when it was a Charmeleon or Charmander. All it seemed to like to do now was battle or spend time with its boyfriend. Despite this, Charla would undoubtedly be a powerhouse against Nita and Morgan. It did almost beat Nita's Dragonair last time, after all. It would also certainly be willing to work with other Pokemon to help Serena accomplish her goal, too. That was one Pokemon she could use.

Last, but not least, was Cubone, who was sitting the closest to her. It was her most recently "captured" Pokemon. It was the Pokemon she had taken care just like she is Togepi now. It had grown a lot during that time. If she were to use it in her Battle Chateau match, she wasn't sure if Cubone could handle such a difficult match. Not to mention, its very first battle would be a team battle. Serena knew Cubone would do anything for her and certainly be willing to attempt to work with Charla, but once again, could it handle the battle? It was such a difficult decision on who to use. She couldn't use Nidorina and Hitmonlee again because they were still tired from the last battle.

Togepi's light chirp made Serena snap out of her thoughts as she looked back down towards the baby Pokemon. In her preoccupation, she had unknowingly stopped feeding Togepi. The little Pokemon was reaching up towards the bottle, still eager to have more.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Togepi," Serena said apologetically as she resumed feeding it.

"Priiiiii!" it cried happily before taking the bottle once again.

Serena looked back up at her mother and friends and saw they were still anticipating an answer from her. She slowly inhaled and exhaled before giving her answer.

"I don't know," she finally said as she looked back down at Togepi to avoid eye contact with everyone. "I just wonder how many of my Pokemon are actually suited for double battling with no prior experience. Charla would be probably be fine, and I know Cubone would want to work together, but all my others…,"

"You could swap a few out from Professor Oak's lab," Leaf suggested.

Serena shook her head. "It wouldn't make much of a difference. Eevee is too playful right now to try to work together with another. Slowpoke probably doesn't know how to battle at all, and like Cubone, Omanyte doesn't have a lot of battle experience. I guess I really didn't think this through when I agreed to do a double battle with the Chatelaines."

"It was the only way you could do it, Serena," Ash tried. "Nita's sisters weren't willing to stay at the same Battle Chatelaine for more than a day. I went ahead and agreed without really asking you."

"I know you did it to help me, Ash, and I know you're right," Serena replied with a smile. "It's just I don't know how I'm going to win this. I know my Pokemon are strong enough to win, but it's because of my lack of training them in double battles that I'm worried."

Charla and Cubone happened to hear the conversation and frowned. They didn't think Serena was at fault for this. She was worried that they wouldn't be able to work as a team because she had never trained them? Well, they were certainly prepared to try! The two Pokemon nodded to each other before abandoning their food, and in Charla's case its boyfriend, to go and address Serena. Shellder didn't waste any time in using its long tongue to slurp up their remaining Pokemon food. The two Pokemon glared at it but just shook their heads to face Serena again.

"Hey. What is it, you two?" Serena asked once she noticed Charla and Cubone looking at her.

Charla gave a light roar while Cubone began twirling its bone like a baton, trying to show off all of its tricks. Charla then picked up Cubone and held it high in the air like a trophy. Cubone struck a pose and flexed its tiny arms as a show of its strength.

"I think those two are saying they want to participate in the next double battle, Serena," Brock explained.

"You really don't mind?" Serena asked hopefully to them.

Both Pokemon shook their heads in response. They were going to win!

"They're going to do great, Serena! They do have a great trainer, after all!" Ash said with a smile, causing Serena to blush and smile sweetly back at him.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said as it went over to pat Cubone on the back. It was proud of its little brother for trying something new despite not battling before.

"Cubone," Serena started as she set down Togepi and took its tiny hands in hers, "This is going to be a very difficult battle to win, and you've never had a real Pokemon battle before. I know you've been training with Pikachu and my other Pokemon, but I'm just worried for you. I don't want you to bite off more than you can chew."

"Cubone bone!" Cubone responded as it shook its head vigorously. Serena had been very good to it, and it wanted to repay the favor! It wasn't going to let her down like that!

"Cubone actually might be right, Serena," Brock spoke as he rubbed his chin. "Even though Cubone's never battled before, it has seen several battles and trained really hard. It isn't a starter Pokemon like your Charla was when you first tried the Battle Chateau. That at least has to count as some experience."

Serena turned back to Cubone and saw the hard determination in its eyes. They showed no fear or reluctance or hesitation. It truly believed it had what it took to win this for Serena. Besides, it would have Charla there to help it out, and Charla has had experience fighting the Chatelaines so it would know what to expect. How could Serena say no to that face?

"Okay, Cubone. If you really are sure of this, it's good enough for me. Let's do it!" Serena said with a nod.

Upon hearing this, Cubone put a big smile on under its skull helmet and leaped into Serena's arms for a hug.

Serena returned it before looking up at Charla, too. "I know last time wasn't the best experience with the Battle Chateau, but we've got this now! We'll show them just how much stronger we are, Charla!"

Charla roared in approval before blowing a stream of fire into the air as a show of its strength. It seemed to have adopted that trait from Ash's Charizard. Speaking of the other fire lizard, it came over and growled lightly at Charla before blushing, which Charla returned to it. Despite being more used to it by now, the group still thought it was rather funny seeing two fire breathing dragons being affectionate to each other.

With that, Charla grabbed Cubone from Serena and headed a short distance away with Ash's Charizard in tow.

"Where are you going?" Serena called after them.

"I imagine they're just going to get some training in so they can learn each other's strengths and weaknesses. You might want to go with them," Calem suggested.

"Of course!" Serena cried hurriedly as she stood up from her half-finished lunch. "Ash, finish feeding Togepi! I've got to get ready!"

With that, she took off after her two Pokemon, eager to not let her rematch against Nita and her sister a repeat of last time. She was going to win this.

"Uh, sure," Ash muttered as he reached over for Togepi. "Come here, Togepi. Would you like some more of Brock's formula?"

"Priii!" it chirped at being held by its daddy.

"There we go. Ready for the choochoo trainer to go in!?" Ash smiled as he took the bottle and put it to Togepi's mouth for it drink from.

"Ash, who would have thought you could sound so…motherly," Leaf laughed at him, emphasizing the last word.

"Pikahahaha," Pikachu laughed openly at its trainer trying to act like a parent.

Ash then noticed that all of his other Pokemon were either laughing or snickering, too. He blushed in embarrassment. Maybe he was overdoing it a little bit. He still had a lot learn.

* * *

><p>Here Serena was. It was her battle against Nita, the Chatelaine she had lost to before, and Morgan, the oldest sister and probably the most experienced at battling. It could possibly be her final fight in the Battle Chateau depending on how she did. It would be difficult but not impossible. She didn't make the same mistake as with Hitmonlee and Nidorina by sending them into battle without getting to know each other more. No. In the brief time she had, Serena let Charla and Cubone try different combinations with each other and learn about others strengths and weaknesses beforehand. She could do this.<p>

"Ya mind yourself since I battled ya?" Nita asked from across the battle room.

"I have! I'm going to give you a show you'll never forget!" Serena called back.

"Crackin'!" Nita replied with a smile.

Serena had all of her friends and mother still supporting her. They were currently off to the side of the battle room along with Dana and Evelyn. The two Chatelaines had their arms crossed as they watched. Ash was almost as just as eager for this battle as Serena. He, Pikachu, and Togepi were at the very edge of the line where guests could watch with his eyes wide and fists clenched. If he was any further up, he would need to be called to stand back.

"Now, Nita. Try not to act as though you know what the outcome of the battle will be. We haven't even started the match yet," Morgan scolded.

"Sorry, sis," Nita muttered.

"This will be an official match between two of our Chatelaine sisters, Morgan and Nita, and the challenger, Serena Gabena for her title of Grand Duchess. It will be a double battle, and the team that has at least one Pokemon standing will be declared the winner. May the battlers please choose their Pokemon!" the judge yelled.

"Go, Charla and Cubone!" Serena shouted as she released the two prepared Pokemon.

Charla and Cubone appeared with a roar and a cry, respectively. They were ready to win this match for their trainer! It was up to them, and they weren't going to let her down! In turn, they knew she wouldn't let them down, either! They were prepared for whatever Pokemon Nita and Morgan decided to send out.

Serena herself was actually curious which Pokemon they had, too. She wasn't quite sure if Nita would use a Pokemon that previously battled with Serena or if she would use something new altogether. Judging by the Pokemon Dana and Evelyn had, Morgan might have an evolution of Eevee, too, but there were only three that she knew of, right? Would Nita possibly have a duplicate of one of her sisters or a new Pokemon? Her question was soon answered when Nita and Morgan sent out their Pokemon.

"Come out please, Jolteon," Morgan said calmly as she released the Pokemon.

Jolteon was a fox-like Pokemon covered in yellow, needle-like fur with long pointed ears and a white rough around its neck. It seemed to radiate with electricity around its body. It was the other evolution of Eevee that Serena was expecting.

"So that's Jolteon," Serena mumbled as she and Ash took out their pokedexes to scan it.

"Jolteon, the lightning Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee when exposed to a Thunderstone. This Pokemon can easily become sad or angry. Every time its mood changes, it stores electrical power," said the mechanical machines.

As Serena looked up from her pokedex, she noticed Nita hadn't sent out her Pokemon yet. She was merely staring at her pokeball with a huge smile on her face.

"Nita, dear. Go ahead and send out your Pokemon," Morgan told her.

"I'm just super excited for this smashing battle with my newly evolved Pokemon. I can hardly contain myself. This will be its first battle in its new form!" Nita said excitedly.

"How nice," Morgan said dully. "Please do hurry up. We haven't got all day to stand here."

"Yep! Go, Umbreon!" Nita yelled as she released another Pokemon the group wasn't aware of yet.

The new Pokemon appeared with a cry and gave long stretch before getting into a battle ready stance. Umbreon was a sleek Pokemon with fur as black as night and crimson eyes. It had a bushy tail and long ears with a yellow band around each of them.

Everyone besides the Chatelaines in the room tilted their heads at this. This Pokemon certainly looked somewhat like an Eevee, but not one they had heard of before. Was there another one they weren't aware of?

Ash, Serena, and even Leaf opened up their pokedexes to scan the new Pokemon to see what it had to say about it.

"Umbreon, the moonlight Pokemon and the evolved form of Eevee when exposed to high friendship at nighttime. The rings on its body glow eerily in the dark, and it can spray poisonous sweat from its body," the pokedexes said.

"High friendship? What does that mean?" Ash asked to no one in particular.

"I think we've seen it before," Brock answered. "Remember how Koga had a Crobat when you first faced him. A Golbat was said to have evolved into Crobat through high friendship, too. This must carry the same idea."

After knowing what he was saying, Brock looked back towards Golbat's pokeball and smiled. He wondered if he would ever be close enough to Golbat. They had bonded quite well over the past several months, but would it ever be enough to be considered for evolution? Was that even how it works? As a Pokemon breeder, it was part of his job to find out.

Serena once more thought of her own Eevee. She wasn't planning on having it evolve anytime soon, but if it did, which would it become? There were so many choices. It wasn't called the evolution Pokemon for nothing.

"Alright! The match starts now! Begin!" the judge declared.

"Use Quick Attack, Jolteon," Morgan said as the lightning Pokemon dashed forward

"Ya think your Nidorina is the only one who can use Helping hand, pet?" Nita immediately asked. "Morgan and I will prove you wrong with our unbreakable combination! Use Helping Hand, Umbreon!"

"_Umbreon knows Helping Hand, too?" _Serena thought.

"Now why didn't we think of that?!" Dana suddenly exclaimed from the side.

Nita's Umbreon began to glow with a white aura which suddenly shot forward into Jolteon, giving power to its attack. The Jolteon then became even faster and was across the large room to its opponents in seconds. Its target seemed to be Cubone.

"Quick Charla! Protect Cubone and brace yourself!" Serena yelled out.

"Charla immediately flew in front of Cubone the second Jolteon reached it. Charla reached out with its arms and caught Jolteon, halting the lightning Pokemon in its tracks. Despite this, Charla skidded back several yards and grimaced in pain due to the impact. That Helping Hand really did help power up normally weak attacks.

"Hmm Hmm! Discharge, Jolteon," Morgan smiled.

Before Charla could recover from the Quick Attack and release Jolteon, it unleashed a bunch of electricity from its body. The bolts went everywhere but struck Charla the most. The fire dragon roared in pain before hurling Jolteon away from it.

"Use Bonemerang on Jolteon, Cubone!" Serena called.

Cubone nodded and got a running start before skillfully throwing its bone at Jolteon. The electric type narrowed its eyes as it saw the bone was about to hit it in midair. Morgan was prepared, however.

"Please use Double Kick to knock that troublesome bone away, Jolteon," Morgan told it.

Jolteon then landed on the ground from Charla's throw and reared its hind legs back before kicking the bone twice back to its recipient. The bone reciprocated back to Cubone who caught it and glared at the Jolteon, who glared back. Charla shook itself from the electricity and joined Cubone by its side once more.

"They seem to take our attacks pretty well, Umbreon. I say we fix that! Use Screech!" Nita shouted.

Umbreon then opened its mouth and released an earsplitting noise across the room, forcing Charla and Cubone to cover their ears and grimace. Even Serena, Ash, and the others had to cover their ears. The only ones who appeared unaffected were Nita, Morgan, Jolteon, and Umbreon.

"Use Pin Missile!" Morgan shouted for once.

Jolteon opened its mouth and sprayed a barrage of needles at its opponents. Charla and Cubone grimaced in pain from the continuous attack. Pin Missile normally wouldn't be very effective against a Charizard or Cubone, but Screech had drastically reduced their defense.

"Use Flamethrower to burn away that Pin Missile, Charla!" Serena yelled.

Despite the pain, Charla opened its mouth to reveal the hot flames. The Flamethrower completely scorched the Pin Missile and kept going. Jolteon and Umbreon had to leap out of the way to avoid it.

"Now use Focus Energy, Cubone!" Serena said next.

Cubone took a deep breath and closed its eyes. It felt like it was able to focus better now and land its attacks at its opponents weak points more easily now. It was pumped up!

"That should make things a little easier for Cubone," Calem said and folded his arms. "It probably doesn't have a lot of power now, but now the fact that it'll get critical hits more easily should make up the difference."

"Is it permanent?" Ash asked him.

"It is," Calem answered and then added as an afterthought. "I'd like to battle Serena again at sometime soon myself to see how much better she's gotten since I last saw her."

"Charla, use Smokescreen! Cubone, use Bone Rush!" Serena yelled.

Cubone took off running while Charla unleashed a black smoke from its mouth which covered the battle field. Even though the Jolteon and Umbreon couldn't see, they weren't particularly worried. They would still be able to sense where their opponents were.

"Nice try, pet, but our Pokemon will be able to know where your Pokemon are at before they can attack! We've already trained them for tricks like this," Nita smiled.

"That's why I had Cubone use Bone Rush!" Serena called back.

Morgan and Nita raised their eyebrows in question and were surprised when they already found Cubone descending on their Pokemon. That was a lot faster than they thought!

"Jump out of the way, Jolteon," Morgan said.

"You too, Umbreon!" Nita shouted.

Jolteon was quick enough to evade Cubone, but Umbreon wasn't so lucky. The lonely Pokemon was upon Umbreon a second later and began smacking it with its bone continuously. The moonlight Pokemon gritted its teeth as it was hit. Cubone then clubbed it one last time and Umbreon gave an especially big cry of pain on that one. It must have hit a weak spot!

"Crackin'! This ain't good! Use Assurance, Umbreon!" Nita called.

Umbreon gave a dark look to Cubone and rammed into it quite hard. The attack was extra powerful because Umbreon had just taken recent damage. Cubone was sailing backwards and threatened to hit a wall, but Charla flew into the air and caught it before gently setting it back on the ground.

"Nice catch, Charla!" Serena praised.

Charla gave a nod to Serena before smiling down at its smaller partner. Cubone gave it a thumbs up in return. The two then looked to see where Jolteon had gone but discovered it wasn't there anymore!

"Use Thunderbolt, my dear Jolteon," they heard Morgan say.

The two frantically looked around before finally glancing upward and saw Jolteon in the air descending upon them. It was almost unreal how fast Jolteon was and how high it could jump. Its body crackled with electricity before shooting a bolt of lightning downward to Charla.

"Protect Charla, Cubone!" Serena yelled.

The lonely Pokemon dove into the way of the attack and began twirling its bone like a baton. The electricity bounced harmlessly off the bone, completely negating the attack. Jolteon wasn't so easily stopped, however.

"Use Quick Attack," Morgan said.

The Jolteon shot forward with the speed of a bullet and rammed into Cubone, sending it spiraling backwards and landing a short distance away from Serena. It slowly got off the ground and shook itself. That Screech and Helping Hand really made the Quick Attack hurt more than it should.

"Try to use Flamethrower on Jolteon, Charla!" Serena yelled.

Charla once again blew forth the raging hot flames from its mouth. Jolteon easily evaded the attack and darted forth once more and used Quick Attack. It struck Charla hard in the stomach, sending it skidding back and grimacing in pain.

"_That Jolteon is fast. Every time I order my Pokemon to attack it, it just easily moves out of the way. Ash had this problem when he faced Koga's Crobat, but Charla and Cubone don't know any moves that never miss like Haunter did," _Serena thought.

She wasn't able to think long, though. Nita's Umbreon had recovered from the series of attacks that Cubone made with Bone Rush and was ready for more. It got running start before Nita commanded her next attack.

"Use Confuse Ray!" Nita yelled.

"Use Thunderbolt," Morgan said with a smile

Umbreon's eyes glowed blue as it continued to run towards Charla. The fire dragon turned to look away from the attack but was immediately met with Jolteon to its side. The lightning Pokemon was just seconds from zapping Charla.

"Try to fly away, Charla! Go help it, Cubone," Serena yelled.

Cubone ran forward towards Charla as fast it could while the fire dragon tried to take flight in an effort to get away from the two Eeveelutions. Jolteon launched the attack upward which struck the fire dragon causing it to roar in pain from the super effective attack. It was then Umbreon was able to leap right in front of its eyes and used the Confuse Ray. Charla wanted to look away but was unable to in time. Its eyes glowed blue as well for a moment before a dazed look entered its eyes.

"Charla?" Serena called out worriedly.

Charla didn't appear to hear Serena, however. It began to randomly fly in erratic patterns around the room. It didn't even seem to know what it was doing! It crashed into walls several times, but despite this, it kept resuming the same thing. It had definitely become confused.

"Smashing! Now that Charizard is taken care of, we can take out that Cubone and then finish the other off with a bang!" Nita smiled.

The Eeveelutions then sprinted into action and surrounded Cubone. The lonely Pokemon immediately stopped running and stared fearfully at the two bigger Pokemon in front of it. It hopefully looked at its partner for help, but Charla was too busy flying around crazy-like to know what's going on.

"_There has got to be some way to snap Charla out of its confusion!" _Serena thought desperately. She had to think. What were all the other ways she or her friends' Pokemon got out of situations like this? Calling out to it probably wouldn't work.

Ash wanted to call out to Serena in order to help her out but was worried that it was against the rules. In the past, he knew a large impact to the head would usually have Pokemon regain its senses if it was confused or not paying attention. Cubone's bone would be perfect for something like this! He then looked over at the slightly panicking Serena, silently hoping she would look in his direction and understand what he was trying to tell her.

"Use Pin Missile, Jolteon!" Morgan called.

Jolteon's fur seemed prick up once more as it shot several more needles in Cubone's direction. Cubone shielded itself as much as it could with its bone, but it was having little success.

"Use Bone Rush on Jolteon, Cubone!" Serena yelled. She didn't like the fact that she could only attack one Pokemon at a time, but Cubone knew no wide coverage attacks.

Cubone dashed up as fast it could to Jolteon. Once more, the lightning Pokemon easily leaped out of the way, but Serena and Cubone knew it wasn't going to do that. Cubone then threw its bone in the direction Jolteon had jumped, but the lightning Pokemon dodged that, too! Cubone then felt a blow to its backside which sent back onto the ground in pain. It turned out the culprit had been Umbreon who had sneaked up behind Cubone for a Faint Attack.

Serena knew the situation wasn't looking good. Charla was flying around senseless, not even paying attention to what was going on around it. Cubone just didn't seem to have the power to take on Jolteon and Umbreon by itself, which is what she was worried about all along. She gritted her teeth as thoughts of the worst case scenario began to flood her mind. What if she lost this match? She doubted the Chatelaine sisters would give her this opportunity again. If that was the case, how was she supposed to continue having time to do the Chateau and still be with Ash? She would be right back to square one!

As Serena remembered Ash, she got the feeling that he was looking right at her. A quick glance of her head confirmed it to be true. Ash was staring right into eyes as if trying to tell her something. It had to be something obvious or helpful that she was simply forgetting in her panic. They didn't have the connection with aura or psychic right now so there was no way she could read his mind to find out. She shouldn't really need it in this situation, though, right? She and Ash were a couple now. Their bond could be stronger than that. They should be able to finish each other's sentences and read minds! He must be wanting her to remember something about the battle since that was the situation at hand. Did it have anything to do with releasing Charla from its confusion? Despite Ash being a good distance away, she could still see his dark brown irises, and they held so much meaning inside of them despite Ash not saying anything. She saw him glance in the direction of Cubone ever so briefly and understood what he meant.

XXX

"_Hahahaha! Cubone's bone has enough force to bring anyone back to reality!" Ash laughed._

"_Cubone bone!" Cubone agreed._

XXX

That was it! Serena could use Cubone to snap Charla out of its confusion! All it would need is a good smack! It worked so many times in the past with similar situations, such as Serena's oversleeping. It had to work now! She then smiled at Ash to show she understood what he was trying to say. With that, she focused once more on the battle. The moment seemed to last an eternity, but it had only been a few seconds in reality.

"Cubone! Take careful aim on Charla and use Bonemerang!" Serena yelled.

Cubone briefly glanced at Serena in confusion before its eyes lit up in understanding. It then began to focus on Charla's wild movements and tried to predict where it would go. It wouldn't get too many shots at this with two evolved Pokemon surrounding it. Speaking of…

"Not today, pet! Use Quick Attack, Umbreon!" Nita shouted.

"You too, Jolteon," Morgan added.

Cubone's eyes widened as it saw the two Pokemon coming towards it very quickly. If it didn't throw it now, it would get another chance for a while. Taking a leap of faith, Cubone threw the bone in what it hoped was going to be Charla's destination. The two Eeveelutions slammed into it a second later. Cubone went soaring backwards and landed on the ground once again. It almost had the wind knocked out of it from the double whammy. It wasn't used to battling like this and didn't think it could hold out much longer.

Cubone's bone, however, continued to soar through the air towards Charla. The fire dragon was still zigzagging and crashing into the walls. The bone still looked like it was on track through. Serena and Cubone watched hopefully as the bone continued to soar straight for Charla's head. Closer and closer it got. It was almost there! She might still have a chance if Charla recovered from its confusion! And then…

It missed.

Serena's heart sank as she saw the bone just miss Charla and continued sailing past it. Poor Cubone just didn't have enough time to properly aim. Not to mention that Charla's movements were too unpredictable. Now that Cubone didn't have its bone, it would be utterly defenseless against the Chatelaine's Pokemon. To top it, Charla was still confused and would probably knock itself out before long.

Serena then looked down towards Cubone and saw it was actually smiling despite the situation. She looked towards the bone and saw it changing direction! Of course! Cubone wasn't just throwing its bone normally to hit Charla! It threw a Bonemerang in case it missed so it would get a second chance. How could she have not remembered that! Was it just her general nervousness of the situation?

The bone arced completely and once more was flying towards Charla, but Nita and Morgan didn't seem to notice. They were too busy focused on Cubone, thinking the chance to literally knock Charla out of its confusion had come to pass. The bone continued to sail through the air. It was almost at Charla again. Serena held her breath, and it connected!

The bone clonked off Charla's head and fell to the ground. The fire dragon immediately held the spot where it hit in pain and rubbed it. It then shook its head as its eyes lost the blue tint. It worked! The bone actually brought Charla back to its senses! It didn't waste any time in flying straight towards Cubone, making sure to pick up its bone from the floor as it flew by.

"Good job, Serena," Ash said to himself.

"If I'm not mistaken, I bet you had something to do with giving Serena that idea," Calem said from beside Ash before adding, "You two must have a great bond."

"Yeah. We both just tend to know what the other is thinking," Ash replied with a smile.

"What a croc that was! Use Confuse Ray again, Umbreon!" Nita said, now noticing Charizard wasn't confused anymore.

"Use Thunderbolt, Jolteon," Morgan said.

"Use Flamethrower, Charla!" Serena yelled.

The Chatelaine's Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other. Charla immediately looked away from Umbreon's eyes and flew out of the way of Jolteon's Thunderbolt in order to dodge it. It then looked like it was preparing a Flamethrower to Jolteon, which of course, the lightning Pokemon was ready to doge. Just as Jolteon prepared to jump out of the way, Charla switched targets to Umbreon. It then let loose the hot stream of fire. Where Jolteon would have been fast enough to dodge, Umbreon wasn't. It was completely engulfed in the fire and stood there stunned when the attack finished, but Charla didn't stop there. It flew to Umbreon and grabbed it before lifting it high into the air. Charla then swooped over to Cubone and tossed it its bone. It then signaled for Cubone to get on its back, which it happily obliged.

"This ain't good! Use Confuse Ray now that the Charizard is close to you!" Nita shouted.

Umbreon attempted to use Confuse Ray again, but Charla immediately roared right in Umbreon's face with a look that could kill, causing it to shrink back. Charla was really getting tired of that attack. It would be darned if this Pokemon confused it again. Serena and the rest of the group sweatdropped. They couldn't tell if Charla was actually using Scary Face the move or just making a scary face in general.

Morgan twisted her face as if deciding what to do. She didn't want to have Jolteon use any electrical attacks or Pin Missile because it would hit Umbreon, too. Even with the use of Helping Hand earlier, Umbreon was still struggling to break free. She and Nita could do nothing but watch. Morgan could have Jolteon use an electrical attack on all three Pokemon, but that would be rather heartless because of Umbreon even though it was the best strategy right now.

"Use Faint Attack!" Nita cried desperately.

"Use Bone Club, Cubone!" Serena countered.

Cubone leaned over Charla's shoulder and clubbed Umbreon as hard as it could, effectively halting the attack. Umbreon got a dazed look on its face and Serena decided to go in for the finisher.

"Use Seismic Toss, Charla!" she yelled.

Cubone hopped off of Charla so it wouldn't get caught up in the attack. Charla began flying as high as it could and began going in circles to build momentum.

"Nita, you little waster! Do something!" Morgan yelled.

Nita seemed to think for a second before an idea came to her head. She then smiled.

"Use Sucker Punch, Umbreon!" she called.

Umbreon shook itself from the disorientation Bone Club gave it. It then pushed through the dizziness that it was getting from Charla spinning and reared one of its paws back before striking Charla hard across the face. The fire dragon roared in pain and let go of Umbreon. As Umbreon fell to land gracefully on the ground, Charla roared in aggravation that its finisher was canceled out like last time when it faced Nita.

Serena, however, had learned from her mistakes last time and was prepared. Charla had Cubone to help it now. As soon as Umbreon did the Sucker Punch, Serena had Cubone spring into action. As the moonlight Pokemon fell, its eyes widened in surprise as it saw Cubone leaping right at it, higher than one would expect for such a small Pokemon.

Predicting what would happen, Morgan ordered her next attack now that Umbreon was free of Charla. "Use Thunderbolt, Jolteon!"

"You know what to do, Cubone!" Serena yelled.

Cubone nodded its head as it concentrated. It would need perfect aim in order to pull this off. All that training it had with its bone would be tested. It took a brief look at Jolteon and saw the electricity fly from its body. It saw Umbreon falling towards it and saw its eyes beginning to glow blue. It was going to try a Confuse Ray, but Cubone would make sure it didn't do it in time. It grabbed its bone with both of its hands and wound around like a baseball bat. It swung with all of its might and Umbreon was knocked back into the air.

Like Flareon and Vaporeon before it, Umbreon was knocked right in the way of Jolteon's Thunderbolt. The attack struck Umbreon instead of Charla, and the moonlight Pokemon cried out in pain from the attack. Charla then took its chance and grabbed Umbreon again now that it was stunned. It wasn't going to miss this time.

"That was great, Cubone!" Serena praised. "Now use Bone Rush to distract Jolteon!"

Cubone obeyed and immediately rushed towards the lightning Pokemon. Jolteon easily avoided the attack, but Cubone went after it again. Both it and Serena knew the intention wasn't to actually hit Jolteon. It was to keep Jolteon busy while Charla finished off Umbreon.

The fire dragon went in for another Seismic Toss now that Umbreon was back in its grasp. The moonlight Pokemon was still crackling from electricity after being hit by its teammate's Thunderbolt and didn't have the strength to do Sucker Punch right now. It began to get dizzy as Charla began to fly around in circles again. Once it was satisfied, it heard Serena's command.

"Use Seismic Toss, Charla!" she yelled.

"Crackin'! Use Sucker Punch again, Umbreon!" Nita yelled, but it still was unable to.

Charla immediately dove for the floor. Once it picked up enough speed, it threw Umbreon with all of its might downward. Umbreon sailed through the air, and for good measure, Serena called out another command.

"Use Flamethrower, Charla!" Serena yelled.

Charla once more released the flames from its mouth. As Umbreon was heading for the floor, it saw the flames coming closer and gritted its teeth. Umbreon was engulfed in flames just before hitting the ground, creating a huge booming noise. The flames from the Flamethrower erupted in all different directions upon hitting the ground with Umbreon, but not far enough to harm anyone else in the room. When the smoke cleared, Umbreon was on the ground, clearly knocked out.

"Alright, Serena!" Ash yelled.

"What a trouncing! I can't believe this!" Nita exclaimed.

"Lovely, Nita. Now I need to take care of the guest myself," Morgan sighed.

Knowing that Umbreon was taken care, Charla roared in victory before going to pick up Cubone. It spotted the lonely Pokemon still at it with Bone Rush despite the threat of not particularly needing to anymore. Charla swooped in and scooped the Cubone up in its arms before placing it on its back. With that, they went after the Jolteon.

"How troublesome," Morgan said in a slightly annoyed tone. "Jolteon, use the fastest Thunderbolt you can. Make sure that Charla can't dodge it."

"Jolt! Jolt!" Jolteon cried before stopping and blasting a massive amount of electricity at the Pokemon duo.

"Block it, Cubone!" Serena shouted. Just because Charla couldn't dodge it didn't mean Cubone was too slow to throw it bone in the way.

The bone spiraled through the air into the path of the Thunderbolt, effectively negating the attack. Jolteon and Morgan growled in frustration upon seeing this.

"Pin Missile!" Morgan tried again.

As Jolteon shot another steam of needles from its mouth, it was clear it was getting tired as its movements were more sluggish. It hadn't really taken a lot of damage, but it had dodged an insane amount of times which was starting to take its toll. Both Charla and Cubone had taken heavy damage and were about at the end of their ropes, but they still had each other which really put them in a better mindset than Jolteon.

"Flamethrower, Charla!" Serena yelled.

Charla instantly shot forth another Flamethrower, completely incinerating the Pin Missile and causing any that remained to fall to the ground. Morgan finally cast a worried look as she saw her Pokemon's main two attacking moves could be countered so easily. It was with that in mind that Serena decided to go on the offense now as a surge of confidence went through her.

"Use Ember, Charla!" Serena called.

Despite not using the move in quite a while, Charla still knew Serena's strategy. Ember was still its quickest attack. Charla instantly blew forth the small bits of fire like a machine gun. They sped through the air and struck the Jolteon which was too slow to dodge for a change. It howled in pain and stepped back out of reflex before glaring at its adversaries.

"Use Quick Attack, my pet!" Morgan shouted desperately.

With the two of its main attacks out of the question, Jolteon had no choice but to rush at the two in hopes to hit them. It couldn't dodge forever. Unless that Charizard used Ember again, it should still be fast enough to dodge any attacks. It then leaped up at its two adversaries with the intent to crash into them. If it could stun them long enough, maybe it could get a few attacks in.

"Bonemerang, Cubone!" Serena yelled.

As Cubone threw the bone straight at Jolteon, it almost smiled. Despite getting a little tired, it could easily dodge that bone even in midair. It could feel its trainer's smirk behind it. Yes. I could do this. That was until Serena called her next attack.

"Use Flamethrower on Cubone's bone, Charla! Then flap your wings on the fire!" Serena yelled. She didn't know what compelled her to say a something crazy like that. It just felt right.

Nevertheless, Charla obeyed and blew forth the hot flames onto the spinning bone. What surprised everyone in the room was the when the flames started to surround the bone, turning it from just a normal bone to a fiery projectile of doom. When the wind from Charla's wings hit it, not only did the bone speed up, but it also fanned the flames making them larger, and by that time it was only a second away from hitting Jolteon.

The lightning Pokemon's eyes widened as it saw the flaming object come closer to it. There was no way it could dodge with how large those flames were. Cubone's bone collided with it head on, causing an explosion. Jolteon was sent sailing back towards the ground, but Cubone jumped off Charla's back and chased it down, catching its bone as it went.

"Use your wings to give Cubone speed, Charla!" Serena called again.

As the fire lizard began flapping its wings, Cubone was reaching an amazing speed as it zipped through the air after Jolteon. It had a look of pure determination in its eyes as it saw the helplessness on Jolteon's face as it saw its opponent gaining on it.

"Do it Cubone! Bone Club!" Serena shouted.

"Do something, Jolteon!" Morgan cried out.

That last command was lost, however. Cubone brought its arm down in an arc forward and bashed its bone against Jolteon harder than it ever had before. Jolteon cried in pain as the impact only increased its speed to the floor. Less than a second later, Jolteon hit the floor where a resounding crash was heard. Cubone landed on the floor on both feet while Charla flew in next to it and landed. Both Pokemon and trainers waited to see if Jolteon would get back up.

"Jolteon," Morgan asked quietly.

"Joooooolt," it muttered weakly. It couldn't fight anymore.

The judge raised his flag in the air. "Both of the Chatelaine's Pokemon are unable to battle! That means the victory goes to Serena Gabena of Pallet Town!"

Serena stood there, completely dumbfounded. She couldn't believe it. She actually pulled it off! She actually won! This was probably her most amazing victory ever! She just conquered the Battle Chateau! She did! She believed in the strength of her Pokemon for a double battle, they came through for her! She had the best Pokemon a girl could ask for. She wasn't broken out of her trance until Cubone collided into her chest for a hug, followed by Charla. The fire dragon tackled her on the ground and began licking her face with its long tongue. It was a very sweet, albeit slightly gross, gesture.

"Charla! That tickles!" Serena laughed, now that she's recovered from the shock.

She then turned and saw her friends coming towards her with Grace in the lead. Charla allowed Serena up so she could greet her mother. She stood up and welcomed the warm embrace her mother gave her, followed by Leaf, Calem, Pikachu, and last but not least, Misty and Brock.

Serena, that was amazing! You beat the Chatelaines!" Leaf exclaimed.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie! You did incredible!" Grace told her daughter through tears of joy.

"That was well done, Serena. It's great to have a friend that's going on the Battle Chateau wall with me," Calem said.

"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu added.

Serena looked up from the embrace of her friends and saw Ash standing there with a huge smile on his face. He was standing there expectedly but still wanted her to have a moment with her friends and mother. Upon seeing Ash, everyone stood back and allowed her to go to him. Serena walked forward with a smile just as big. Ash began to close the distance, and within seconds, they were in a huge embrace with Serena resting her head blissfully on Ash's shoulders

"I'm so happy for you, Serena! You were incredible!" Ash said while they continued to hug.

"Thank you, Ash. I couldn't have done this without you," Serena replied.

"Heh. Don't say that. You had it in you the entire time," Ash smiled.

"No. I mean it," Serena said as she lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes. "It was you who encouraged me to never give up until the end. It was you who told me I would find a goal to do. It was you who told me everything would turn out okay, and it did. It was all because of you, Ash. This was both of our victories."

Ash stared at Serena in surprise. He knew he had thrown in a few encouraging words but didn't know he made that much of impact on her. That was probably one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to him. It was made all the better that it came from Serena. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed and turned red.

"Eheheheheh! Thanks, Serena. You know I'll always be here for you with anything," Ash finally spoke.

"I know. I'll be here for you, too," Serena answered before she leaned her head back on Ash's shoulders.

"Ahem!" a voice said from beside them.

The two turned to find the four Chatelaine sisters standing there with very broad smiles on their faces. In perfect sync, the four then curtseyed to Serena.

"On behalf of the Battle Chateau, we concede defeat to you, Serena. You have given us all a good trouncing. You have officially conquered the Battle Chateau. What a magnificent performance," Morgan said with a smile.

"You're really special!" Dana added.

"Y-Y-Yes. Great performance!" Evelyn said.

"Astoundingly smashing battle, lassie! Wouldn't have expected any less from ya!" Nita exclaimed.

Serena, for once, rubbed the back of her neck in an embarrassed manner at all of this attention. Normally, it would have been Ash who would do something like this, but Serena apparently picked up that gesture from him. They were clearly rubbing off on each other. Despite her embarrassment, she did enjoy the praise she was receiving.

"May I ask something of you, dear?" Morgan began, addressing Serena.

"Oh, certainly," replied Serena.

"Would you consider working here?" Morgan requested, jumping straight into the point. "We would be famous in a day if we had someone like you working here. Oh, what a profit we would make. We would even make you a special outfit so you would match us Chatelaines!"

"You want me to be a Chateau Chatelaine?" Serena asked in an amazed tone.

"Absolutely, pet!" Nita chimed in eagerly.

"Of course, there would be a few contractual obligations. For one, you would have to live at one of our Battle Chateaus the rest of your life. You wouldn't have very many days off, either," Morgan continued to list the cons.

Ash briefly thought about what Serena would be like as a Battle Chatelaine. He honestly couldn't imagine her wearing a bizarre outfit like that or talking in that heavy accent they all shared. It would be extremely weird. He almost shuddered at the thought but didn't show it because it would be a little rude. Most importantly, however, if Serena were to be a Battle Chatelaine, they wouldn't get to travel together again and rarely see each other on top of that. He, as well as everyone else, looked over to see what Serena thought, but it seemed like the honey blonde-haired girl knew her answer before the request was even finished.

"I appreciate the offer very much, but I'll have to pass on it," Serena answered as politely as she could.

"Oh? If you don't mind me asking, any particular reason why?" Morgan inquired, clearly surprised.

"Well, it would be fun to be one of the leaders of a Battle Chateau and challenge new trainers every day and look…flashy while doing it, but I enjoy traveling too much to do it. I don't think I would be satisfied staying in one place right now. I want to continue traveling with my friends and doing new things with them every day. Most importantly, there's…," Serena trailed, giving Ash a knowing look, which he smiled back.

"Ah! Young love! If only I had time for such a thing!" Nita commented, getting the gist from the way Ash and Serena looked at each other, causing the two to blush.

"Now, Nita. Don't get them all flustered like! It's none of our business," Morgan scolded lightly before looking back at Serena. "Well, if you are sure, we will honor your decision. Just know, the offer will always be open should you change your mind."

"Of course. Thank you very much," Serena replied.

Calem, meanwhile, regarded Serena with a curious look. He wondered what Serena was going to do now that she conquered the Battle Chateau. It would be extremely unlikely that she could do what he is going to start doing. So what were her plans now? Surely she had to have some other sort of goal in mind. He briefly remembered her saying she likes to dress up in different outfits and always look her best. As he thought, an idea suddenly hit him. It was only something he himself recently found out about.

_"I wonder if Serena has ever heard of Pokemon Performing,"_ Calem thought to himself about the idea.

* * *

><p>"Okay, everyone! I would like for you all to give a big smile for the camera!" Hennessy said as he prepared to snap a picture from a camera perched on a tripod.<p>

Currently, Serena had all of her Pokemon out as they all crowded around each other with Serena in the center. She was holding a large trophy in her hands. It was golden and in the image of the Battle Chateau itself. Underneath the trophy was a stand that spelled "Grand Duchess Serena Gabena" in cursive on it. This would most likely be the photograph that would go on the wall in the Battle Chateau so they needed to make it a good one. After that, she was allowed to take pictures with her family, friends, or a combination of the two. Those, of course, would be transferred to her home. Grace had already said these pictures and symbols would go great next to her Rhyhorn racing awards. Serena beamed upon learning that.

Upon seeing Hennessy was getting ready, Serena gave the biggest smile she could while her Pokemon did the same. Afterward, Serena wanted to a take a picture with just Ash alone before the others. The Chatelaines almost insisted Ash comb his hair before standing next to Serena to avoid the contrast in outfits, but Serena intervened saying she preferred Ash just the way he was.

As he stood next to her, ready to take the picture, Ash gave a sideways glance at Serena and couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked right now. Her hair was absent of being down and in the small ponytail towards the end. Instead, she had a giant pink ribbon in her head, holding it in a large ponytail that reached her shoulders. Combined with the elegant pink dress she was wearing, Ash thought she looked like a real princess. He unknowingly had a blush creeping upon his face when he heard Hennessy snap the picture.

Alarmed, Ash turned to the camera, this time blushing in embarrassment rather than the way Serena looked. As the photo slid out of the slot, Hennessy looked over it to make sure there were no smudges or blurs before chuckling to himself. He then handed the picture to Serena who looked over it with Ash, and Ash looked away sheepishly. In the photo, Serena had a lovely smile on her face and looked as happy as could be. Ash, on the other hand, was looking sideways at Serena and blushing like mad.

Pikachu had run up Ash's shoulder to get a good look at the picture before snickering. The others soon joined in before smiling to themselves at the funny look on Ash's face, even Togepi. He could be so awkward sometimes.

"Heheheheh. Sorry, Serena," Ash mumbled lamely.

"No. That's okay, Ash," Serena replied as she stared at the picture herself before giggling. She was extremely happy Ash thought she looked pretty enough to blush in the picture. Rather than taking another one, Serena preferred to keep it. Call it a little egotistical, but Serena was always overjoyed when Ash would compliment her on the way she looked. Blushing was just as good as words in her opinion.

After Serena had taken all of the pictures she wanted, the Chatelaines and Hennessy approached her with her final symbol and plaque commemorating her achievement. As Serena took the items from Hennessy's hands, she looked at items closely. The Battle Chateau was something she had started almost a year ago, and now she finally completed it. She was a Grand Duchess and would go down in Battle Chateau history. It was quite overwhelming for her.

"Well, my dear. I assume you are wanting to know what you prize is for conquering the Battle Chateau?" Morgan said with a smile.

Serena looked back up at Morgan in a surprised manner. Truth be told, she had actually completely forgotten about that in her excitement. Everyone else stared curiously at Morgan, wondering the same thing, too.

"Well, normally the prize is we would offer Grand Dukes and Duchesses to become one of our honorary Chatelaines, or at least give them honorary visits every time they come, which is a good prize in itself. Seeing as you already declined that, however, there is an alternative," Morgan continued as she brought into view something for all to see.

It was a Pokemon egg.

"A Pokemon egg?" Serena questioned as she looked at the Chatelaines confusedly.

"Not just any Pokemon egg, pet," Nita said. "There is a very special Pokemon in here that isn't native to the Kanto region. I was a real pickle getting this egg, I say!"

"Cool! What Pokemon is inside of it?" Ash asked eagerly, jumping into the conversation.

"Now, why would we want to spoil that for ya?" Nita asked with a wink. "You'll see in due time."

"Wow. Another Pokemon egg," Serena muttered as she took it and examined it. It honestly didn't look anything too special. It was rather plain looking and olive green in color. Past experience has shown Serena not to judge a book by its cover, though. Regardless of whatever Pokemon was inside of it, Serena would still love it just like any other Pokemon she owned.

"Keep in mind, that egg is rather fresh and will take quite a while to hatch. You mind yourself until that time comes, ya hear?" Nita asked.

"Of course," Serena answered before turning to Ash and giggling. "Heehee! This is already the second Pokemon egg received on our journey so far!"

"Yeah. I know you'll be a great trainer to whatever Pokemon is inside there," Ash said.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added.

Cubone looked on with a smile to itself. It looked there would be another Pokemon it could be a big brother to. While starting off as one of the youngest Pokemon, it was quickly becoming one of the oldest along with Pikachu. It was quite a change.

"Thank you very much!" Serena said with a smile as she looked back once more at the Chatelaines.

"No problem, pet! Make sure to go far with all you endeavors! We'll be rootin' for ya!" Nita replied with a wink.

_"Endeavors,"_ Serena thought again. That's right. What was she going to do know that she conquered the Battle Chateau? She was going to cheer Ash on of course at the Pokemon League, but what about after that?

* * *

><p>The group was now standing on the outskirts of Viridian City. They all just had a great feast in celebration of Serena's victory at one of Viridian City's fanciest restaurants. It was well into the evening now and would definitely be dark by the time the group returned to Pallet Town. It was time to say goodbye to a friend, however.<p>

"You're leaving again already?" Serena asked Calem sadly.

"Yeah," Calem replied. "I need to stay the night here as I'm meeting with a certain someone early tomorrow morning. It's pretty important, and I can't miss it. That's actually the main reason I was in Viridian City in the first place."

"I see, but we'll see each other again, right?" Serena asked hopefully. She couldn't help but wonder if it had anything to do with that something Calem mentioned he might be doing. As much as she wanted to ask him, she didn't want to appear nosy and believed Calem would tell her if he could.

"Who knows? There might be a time when our paths will cross again. You have my Pokegear number, right?" Calem asked.

"I sure do!" Serena nodded.

"Just call me if you ever want to talk," Calem continued.

"Heehee! You wouldn't mind if I had your number, too, would you?" Leaf asked with a giggle. The group couldn't help but think she was acting like a little bubbly schoolgirl, right now.

"Oh! Of course! If you really want it!" Calem said with a sweatdrop.

"No, it's fine. I don't want to be a bother," Leaf continued to giggle.

"So, Serena. I can't help but ask," Calem spoke up, drawing attention to him. "Have you thought about what you are going to do now that you conquered the Battle Chateau?"

"Well…," Serena started as she thought.

Not too recently, she had been extremely worried about not being able to complete the Battle Chateau, or how it would take her a while to do it. Now that she had conquered it, she didn't know what she could do. She wasn't as worried as she was when she first began her journey. It was part of the fun of discovering the different options she had. Despite this, it was always nice to have something to consider.

"I'm not really sure," she said at last.

"Well, I was looking through this magazine at the Pokemon Center in Viridian City before I met up with you and happened upon this article," Calem said as he handed the magazine to Serena.

"Really?" Serena asked as she took a quick look at the headline and raised an eyebrow.

"Pokemon Performing?" she inquired and looked up at Calem.

"Well, yeah. I know you like fashion and coming up with any creative ideas so I thought it might interest you. Just read the article when you get a chance, and you know, mull things over," Calem replied.

"Hmm…," Serena mused as she looked over the article. There was certainly nothing wrong with checking it out in her free time.

While no one else in the group had heard about it before, Grace had. It was actually something quite common back in her home region of Kalos. Many trainers competed in what was called "Pokevision" and competed in various performances with their Pokemon ranging from tricks to fashion designing. Being as young as she was when they moved, Serena wouldn't remember anything like that. It would make sense that Calem would know about it considering he's a Kalos native, too. She remembered thinking Serena would make a great fashion designer at the start of her journey, maybe this wasn't too different.

"Well, with that, I better head off," Calem said as he tipped his red hat at everyone.

"Goodbye, Calem, and thanks for cheering me on," Serena said as she gave him a hug.

"No problem," Calem replied as he returned it.

"I think it's so great Serena has met you," Grace spoke. "The Kalos region is so far away, and I know it's nice Serena has someone to relate to with her hometown."

"Of course!" Calem nodded before turning around. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Calem!" Serena waved as he started off. The rest of the group began waving, too, while Leaf waved the most frantically out of all of them, and Togepi merely laughed playfully.

As Calem became further away, Serena eventually put down her hand and watched with a smile. She didn't know how, but Calem might prove to be a big influence on her life. It wouldn't be as much as Ash, of course, but still a big one. He just presented her something that he thought would be interesting to her. He was such a nice boy to do that. It was with that in mind that she knew she would see Calem again. It was now time to think about other things again. Now that she had completed her goal of becoming a Grand Duchess, she now needed to be there for Ash as he finished his goal: winning the Pokemon League. Speaking of…

"Well, Ash. Now that Serena has become a Grand Duchess, maybe you should follow her example and finally get some training in. The Pokemon League is less than two weeks away!" Misty told him.

"I know! I know!" Ash hurriedly said as they started on the road back to Pallet Town.

"It will be here before you know it," Brock added.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to train. We're going to win, right buddy?" Ash asked Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" it responded and pumped his fist into the air.

"In fact, I think I'll start tonight! Last one to Pallet Town is the rotten egg!" Ash shouted as he took off running.

"Wait, Ash! You know I hate it when you get head starts like that!" Leaf called after him as she gave chase, followed by Serena, Brock, Misty, and finally Grace.

"You know I can't run like I used to!" Grace tried yelling as she took up the rear.

It was true. Serena had finally achieved her goal of conquering the Battle Chateau. Now that it was over, it was Ash's turn. He knew there would be some seriously tough trainers he would be battling at the Pokemon League. Well, they would have to be good if they got all eight badges, namely Gary and Paul. Ash was going to make sure he put everything he had into these last two weeks. He was Ash Ketchum, and he was going to be the best, like no one ever was.

* * *

><p><strong>Serena has first heard about Pokemon Performing but won't just jump right into it. She will be thinking hard about what her next goal will be. That will be most of her role throughout the Orange Islands as she competes in various things to decide what's best for her. <strong>

**As mentioned, Serena's egg is a long way off from hatching. It won't hatch until sometime in Johto.**

**Calem will have a very important role in his next appearance which is set for Johto. How? You will just have to wait and see. (He won't be a Pokemon Performance rival to Serena)**

** The next chapter will be up next week! Have an awesome week! Live long and prosper!**

**Chapter 54: The Path to the Pokemon League**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Misty be shown training with her Gyarados?_

_**Sometimes.**_

_When will Eevee evolve? Will it evolve by happiness/friendship or a stone?_

_**I already said it won't evolve until Johto, and I won't reveal how it evolves or what it evolves into.**_

_Will Ash get any other electric types besides Pikachu?_

_**If he does, it won't be for a very long time. I want Pikachu to be his only electric type for a while.**_

_Will Ash get a Darkrai?_

_**Like with any other legendary Pokemon, probably not but will befriend one.**_

_I was wondering what you plan to do with Gary after the Kanto arc. Is he gonna become a pokemon professor like Oak, continue with his journey like Ash and visit the other regions and battle more gyms, or is he going to become the new Viridian Gym leader?_

_**Well…right after Kanto while they are in Orange Islands is neither of those, but Gary will visit the Johto region like Ash and probably become a Pokemon researcher after that.**_

_Will Ash ever help his Pokemon create original moves or combine moves?_

_**Yes.**_

_Are they still going to meet Bruno of the Elite 4 before the Indigo League begins?_

_**You'll know soon enough, along with the rest of the Elite Four. **_

_When will ash and serena go on another date?_

_**I'm trying to squeeze one into the Pokemon League chapters right now.**_

_When Serena starts doing pokemon performing will jigglypuff be stubborn again?_

_**Not stubborn. More like wanting to be the star of every show. It may let the performing go to its head which would result from a talk from Serena.**_

_Are you planning to make orangeshipping on the orange islands_

_**Probably not. Misty will like Rudy more since she already met him in Chapter 35.**_

_How do you plan on advancing and developing Ash and Serena's relationship from here on out?_

_**Through talks, spending more time together by themselves, dates, being a mom and dad to Togepi, things like that**_

_Whom will Togepi be an official part of the team? Ash or Serena?_

_**I haven't decided yet.**_

_Will Ash's Charizard or Charla fall for a Charizard in the Charicific Valley?_

_**No. They are loyal to each other. **_

_Will there be a new baby pokemon?_

_**Serena's egg.**_

_Do you plan to have Brock eventually settling down with a girlfriend?_

_**Brock might get a girl, heheheheheheh.**_

_Are you going to us Great and Ultra Ball or just say with using Pokeball?_

_**If I feel the need to introduce them, then yes.**_

_Will Ash catch a Dunsparce?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Serena get ideas from May and Dawns Contests?_

_**Yes, the reverse can also hold true.**_


	55. The Path to the Pokemon League

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon**

* * *

><p>Chapter 54: The Path to the Pokemon League<p>

Grace sighed contently at the newest trophy placed neatly on the mantle. It had been almost two weeks since Serena had become Grand Duchess of the Battle Chateau. For a while, it was all Grace could talk about. The mother of one didn't waste any time placing the trophy and case of symbols next to all her Rhyhorn Racing awards. With Grace's old life as a Rhyhorn Racer behind her, the Gabena family could now add to the collection with a new set from Serena. Grace was so proud of her daughter.

She then looked down at the magazine article in her hands. It was the same one that Calem had given Serena that read about Pokemon Performing. Grace must have looked at the article more than Serena had and was definitely enthusiastic about the idea. Serena, on the other hand, wasn't so sure and said she wanted to explore her options. Grace didn't think there was anything wrong with that, of course. Looking once more back at the article, she read it to herself.

_Aim to be Queen! Do your Pokemon have special talents you believe are worth sharing? Can you maximize their potential? Become known across the region with your brilliant performances! Become a Pokemon Performer and dazzle the audience!_

Grace did truly believe that Serena would be good for something like this. For starters, she loved fashion which was part of the reason she tried out the Battle Chateau to begin with. Grace didn't want to push her daughter, though. She knew that if Serena really found something she wanted to do, she would stick with it and see it through to the end. It's just finding it was the problem. As much as Grace wanted to say Serena got that trait from her, she got it from her father.

"Mom?" a voice called behind her.

Grace spun around and saw her daughter standing behind her. Serena had her purse she got from Misty strewn over one shoulder and her backpack on the other. She was holding Togepi with both her arms. The baby Pokemon had by now gotten used to being away from both its parents at night. The first night Ash had spent the night back at his own house, the spikeball Pokemon had cried for hours on end. It was then the two decided to trade nights with Togepi at each of their house until it finally adjusted. Last night had been Serena's turn.

Grace knew this would be the day Serena would accompany Ash to the Pokemon League. It had been wonderful having her home, but now that she was on her journey, she would come and go.

"Hi, sweetie. I was just musing to myself," Grace smiled.

"What about?" Serena asked as she went over to stand beside her mother.

"I was thinking about how you've done so well at the Battle Chateau and about anything you might be planning for the future," Grace admitted.

"I know what you're thinking, Mom. It's not that I think Pokemon Performing is a bad thing at all, but it has just come on me so suddenly. I haven't really had a chance to learn much about it," Serena sighed as she looked away from her mother and focused on Togepi instead.

"I know. There is no rush. The last thing I would want would be for you to do something you weren't ready for. When the right thing comes along, I know you'll go for it," Grace said.

"I know I'll be able to find something else! It will probably be even when I least expect it! I mean, I did find out about the Battle Chateau from and advertisement at the Viridian Pokemon Center," Serena said.

"Of course. You know I'll be proud of you no matter what you do," Grace told Serena.

Serena smiled at her mother. She remembered when you was younger, her mother had pushed her so hard to become a Rhyhorn Racer. Despite Serena making it very clear she didn't like it, her mother merely told her that she just wasn't used to it yet. As Serena got older, it was clear that she was serious about not being one. Though initially saddened by that fact, Grace knew she had to let Serena do her own thing. Whatever that may be.

"Togepriiiiii!" Togepi suddenly cried, snapping Serena out of her thoughts.

"Thanks, Mom," Serena said appreciatively before giving her Grace a quick hug.

"I just want what's best for you," Grace replied as she returned it. She then looked down at Serena. "You better hurry over to Ash's house. You don't want to get a late start and arrive at the Pokemon League too late. The opening ceremony starts tomorrow."

"Right! I'll be home as soon as the Pokemon League is over!" Serena said as she ran over to the door and gave a quick wave before heading out. "Bye, Mom! Love you!"

"Love you, too! Tell Ash I wish him the best of luck at the League!" Grace called at her daughter's retreating back.

"Will do!" Serena yelled back.

Grace smiled once more as Serena left her sight. "_Yes. Whatever Serena decides to do, she will just fine," _she thought.

* * *

><p>Serena was sprinting down the road towards Ash's house. It had finally been fully repaired and deemed habitable again in the two weeks between Serena's mastery of the Battle Chateau and now. The Ketchum family had been most appreciative of Serena and Grace opening their home to them during that time, but one could tell they were extremely happy to be back in their own home.<p>

As she rounded the driveway, she began to wonder if Ash was even awake yet. True to his word, he had trained extra hard these past two weeks. All of that training had worn him out and made him sleep even later than normal. Gary had still preferred to train by himself at who knows where, but the Oak boy would still be in Pallet Town on occasion to train with Ash. They made sure to only have quick one-on-one or two-on-two battles, however, and save their real strength for the Pokemon League. It wouldn't have be any fun if they unleashed everything they had on each other before then. They were pretty equal in strength from what the practice battles had shown.

However, the best training Ash had received so far was from his dad. Red made sure to watch Ash every day this past week and give him pointers. He even had a fun match with Ash at one point. Ash lost of course, but he was still grateful Red had battled him. Despite being able to help Ash with all of his Pokemon, there was one session in particular that really stood out to Serena. It was about Ash's Pikachu and the attacks it was able to use about week in a half ago.

XXX

"_Alright, Pikachu! Use Thunder!" Ash told his rodent partner._

_Ash was currently at Professor Oak's backyard training with just his Pikachu. Serena was standing to watch from the side. She could tell it was proving to be a frustrating time for both trainer and Pokemon. Despite their efforts, Pikachu simply couldn't use the moves Thunder or Focus Blast despite using them before._

_The yellow rodent let out a yell as it threw all of its power into its electricity and let it out of its body. Despite this, there wasn't a bolt of lightning that shot out of the sky. All that happened was a Thunderbolt. It was very powerful Thunderbolt, but still not Thunder. This was the typical pattern ever since Ash had seriously trained since coming home. The results were no better with Focus Blast. Pikachu could hardly do anything with that. Ash could almost see the huge question mark that would appear above Pikachu's head at the mention of using the attack. Ash was making sure to be supportive of Pikachu, of course. He was just trying to get to the root of the problem._

"_It's alright, buddy," Ash said as Pikachu sighed that it missed the Thunder again. "That was still a really awesome Thunderbolt!"_

"_Pi Pika Pikachu," Pikachu said with a slight frown._

"_I know, but I'm sure with enough practice, you'll remember how to use it," Ash encouraged._

_Ash then heard footsteps treading across the grass to his right. He, Pikachu, and Serena turned to find Red coming towards them. Ash smiled brightly and waved his father over to them which Red tipped his hat back before reaching them. Despite Red being back for almost a month now, Serena still thought it was so great to see Ash actually be happy to see Red._

"_Hi, Mr. Ketchum!" Serena greeted with a wave once he got closer._

_Red turned and shot a grin to Serena. "How many times do I have to tell you to just call me Red?"_

_Serena giggled and felt great appreciation for Red's allowance of being so informal with him despite being an adult. Still, her upbringing of formalities simply wouldn't allow her to._

"_Alright. Mr. Red it is," she insisted._

"_Alright, Serena. You got me! I give up!" Red joked as he threw his hands up in mock exasperation. He then reached Ash before crossing his arms and smiling down. "Hey there, son. Hard at training?"_

"_Yeah," Ash confirmed as he cast a glance at Pikachu. "Pikachu and I have been training really hard!"_

_Red nodded in response. "I've noticed. You've been giving all of your Pokemon one-on-one training sessions and group training and had your undivided attention on them the entire time, which is great. I still can't help but wonder why you seem to be having the most single training sessions with Pikachu. I know it's your first Pokemon, but any particular reason why?"_

"_There is, actually," Ash sighed before looking back up at his dad. "You see, before today, during my gym matches, Pikachu was able to use some really powerful attacks. It was able to use the move Thunder when I faced Sabrina in the Saffron gym and Focus Blast in my Viridian gym battle."_

"_That's quite impressive," Red complimented while kneeling down to scratch Pikachu's ears, which the rodent appreciated greatly._

"_I really was," Ash agreed. "Now, even though Pikachu was able to use those attacks before, it's unable to use them now, no matter how hard we try. We don't know what the problem is."_

"_Tell me, Ash," Red began as he looked up from Pikachu to his son. "What were the circumstances when Pikachu was able to use these attacks?"_

"_Well, I know I had my aura activated and was connected with Pikachu and…," Ash began, but Red instantly held his hand up to stop him._

"_I think I know what the problem is already," Red said. "Riley told me you were already able to use your aura a couple of times before."_

"_What's my aura have to do with anything?" Ash wondered, Pikachu also cocking its head to the side in curiosity._

"_Isn't it obvious?" Red asked. "Pikachu was only able to use those attacks because it was boosted by the power of your aura."_

"_Oh?" Ash inquired as he and Pikachu exchanged glances._

"_That's right. When you use your aura and form a connection with Pikachu, all that extra power you are giving it allows it to use a lot of untapped power that it couldn't use normally. It gets supercharged and thus, able to use very powerful attacks like Thunder and Focus Blast," Red told Ash._

"_Hmmm…,"Ash mumbled as he thought. It did make a lot of sense, and he should've realized it from the start. Thunder and Focus Blast were some of the strongest attacks a Pikachu could learn. _

"_Chuuuuu," Pikachu thought, too._

"_So does that mean Pikachu will only be able use those attacks when I have my aura activated?" Ash asked._

"_No. I didn't say that," Red corrected. "You have had your Pikachu a little less than a year by now, right?"_

"_Yeah, but I think it had a couple of trainers before me," Ash muttered._

"_Even so, your Pikachu is still rather young despite having so much heavy battle experience so far. With those two attacks being among the most powerful it can learn, it's only natural that it doesn't remember how to use them under normal circumstances. It would be remarkable if it knew those attacks in such a short amount of time," Red elaborated._

"_I think I get it now," Ash said as realization dawned on his face._

"_Right. It's the same situation with all Pokemon. The more training and battles you do with Pikachu, the more experience it will gain. As it grows more powerful, it will eventually be able to match the level of power it had when boosted by your aura naturally. When that happens, it will be able to learn Focus Blast and Thunder again," Red continued. _

_"I see," Ash muttered as he looked down sheepishly at his partner who gave a cheesy grin back. It seemed in their eagerness, they did sort of forget something a little basic. There wasn't anything wrong with Pikachu. It just simply didn't have the experience to use those attacks naturally yet, but it would only grow more powerful in due time._

_ "In the meantime, I think I can help you maximize the potential of your Pikachu's electrical attacks," Red spoke up, causing Ash and Pikachu to look at him again._

_ "How so?" Ash wondered._

_ "All of Pikachu's electricity is stored in its cheeks, but I'm sure you already knew that," Red began. "As such, that's where most of its power comes from. If you have Pikachu concentrate all of its power into its cheeks, rather than its whole body, when using an electrical attack, it will be a lot more powerful. Why don't you try it?"_

_ "Oh. Okay," Ash replied before turning to Pikachu. "You heard him, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"_

_ Pikachu nodded before doing as Red told and focused all its power into its cheeks. It could actually feel the pressure that was building inside of that one area. Before, it let the electricity run through its whole body and shot out electrical attacks that way. Now it was a completely new feeling. Unable to hold in the pressure of electricity any longer, it released it._

_ "Pikachuuuuuuu!" Pikachu yelled as the Thunderbolt exploded from its cheeks. Unfortunately, the pressure had caused it to be a little unstable with its aiming._

_ "Whoa!" Red cried and hurriedly ducked as the electricity sped right over his hat._

_ The stream of electricity continued to speed along and struck a nearby tree. The electricity blew up upon impact, sending bits of bark flying in all directions. Once the smoke cleared, a big gaping hole was in place of the tree where the Thunderbolt hit it. Ash, Pikachu, Red, and Serena stared with wide eyes._

_ "Heh. Not bad," Red commented as he saw the damage and stood up again._

_ "Eeheheheheh! Sorry, Dad," Ash said embarrassedly, Pikachu mimicking his motions._

_ "Don't worry. It's nothing a little practice won't fix. I'm sure in no time, Pikachu will be able to us that technique perfectly!" Red smiled with a thumbs up._

_ "Yeah!" Ash agreed before giving a determined nod to Pikachu. "You ready to redouble our training, buddy?"_

_ "Pikachu!" the yellow rodent agreed and pumped its fist into the air._

_ Serena's heart warmed from the side as she watched the trio. Just less than a month ago, Ash would hardly have anything to do with his father, but now, here they were. They were like a real father and son as they were supposed to be. _

XXX

Serena snapped out of her thoughts as she reached the door. She rang the doorbell and immediately heard what sounded like a thump come from the one of the second story windows. It seemed to come from Ash's bedroom. Sure enough, a few seconds later, the bedroom window opened and Ash stuck his head out the window to see who rang the doorbell. He gave a smile once he saw who it was.

"Serena! You're here early! What time is it?" Ash asked.

It was at that moment the front door was opened and Delia stood there. She saw where Serena's gaze was and stepped out herself to see Ash there.

"Mom? You're up early, too," Ash commented.

"It's not early, Ash. Red and I have been awake for a few hours now. It's almost ten o'clock. We thought you hadn't come downstairs yet because you were busy packing," Delia told him.

A look of shock crossed Ash's face as he turned to the clock in his room. "Oh, no! I thought I set my alarm for eight! It didn't go off! I'll be right down!" he said hurriedly before withdrawing his head back in the window.

Serena giggled that the thump she heard must have been Ash falling out of bed. It would've been quite comical to see herself. Despite being a peaceful sleeper, Ash had the funniest ways of waking up sometimes. It was then she remembered she wasn't much different herself. There were times when she was dreaming about Ash and mumbling about him right in front of Misty, or there was the time when Cubone whacked her awake with its bone.

Delia then looked down and gestured for Serena to come inside. "You're welcome to wait downstairs while Ash is getting ready. Come on in," she said warmly.

Serena obliged and stepped in the Ketchum household. Despite being repaired for a while now, it still brought a smile to her face that it looked like nothing ever happened. Any furniture that had been damaged had since been replaced, but thankfully, nothing irreplaceable had been destroyed. She then entered the living room and sat down on the couch before Delia spoke next.

"Was there anything I could get you? Something to eat or drink?" Delia offered.

"No thank you, Mrs. Ketchum," Serena declined politely.

"Well, Red just went upstairs to help Ash get ready so hopefully he won't take too long. I need to finish up in the kitchen, but feel free to make yourself at home," Delia said as she disappeared back through the doorway to the kitchen.

Serena nodded as she took this time to think about all she had accomplished so far on her journey. It was hard to believe that a little less than a year ago, she wasn't even a trainer yet. She didn't know Charla, Cubone, Jigglypuff, or any of her other Pokemon. It didn't seem that long ago at all. She and Ash had been so naïve during that time, but she and Ash had actually matured a lot in that time. Serena still remembered her first day where they were chased by a flock of Spearow and met the villainous Team Rocket. Now, the evil organization was no more.

As Serena continued to think, her eyes drifted over to various pictures that were on the wall or above the fireplace. Serena stood up from the couch and wandered over to look at them from lack of something else to do. She smiled as she saw there many pictures of a younger Ash. Sometimes, he was with Red or Delia, or both. Sometimes, it was him alone. Serena smiled that there were a few pictures that she got for Ash's last birthday, too. Some had them alone together or with Leaf and Gary. She then looked at the last picture in the row and stared curiously at it. She never seemed to notice it before despite being in the Ketchum household many times.

Like the pictures before it, it showed a younger Ash, but it was before Serena met him. He looked about five years old in that picture and was doing his trademark goofy smile with his fingers held up in a V shape. Next to him was apparently Leaf, and Gary was in the picture off to the side with what looked like a scowl. It wasn't any of that which caught Serena's attention, though. There were two other people in the photo who looked roughly Ash's age, maybe a little younger. One was a girl who had blue eyes with short brown hair that hung down in what looked like two pigtail sections. Serena saw the other was a girl who had blue eyes, too, but it was much darker shade than the other girl's or her own. She also had dark blue hair that went almost all the way down her back.

The two unknown girls were on either side of him and clinging to his arms and smiling brightly. Ash had never mentioned them before, but then again, why would he? Serena knew it was probably none of her business.

She heard footsteps and turned to see Ash, Pikachu, and Red coming down the stairs. She knew that Ash was only going to pack light with the bare essentials like he usually did. She briefly wondered if Ash had specifically asked his dad to help him rather than his mom. Delia would probably embarrass him with trying to pack everything known to mankind.

"Hey, Serena. Thanks for waking me up with that doorbell. I hope you didn't wait too long," he said while scratching his cheek. He then went over and patted Togepi on the head. It chirped delightfully.

"Heehee. It's fine, Ash. I was just looking at all the pictures of us when we were younger," Serena giggled lightly.

"Yeah. There sure are a lot of good memories back then," Ash agreed as he went to stand next to her before adding, "Of course, the best one was our meeting at summer camp."

"It sure was!" Serena replied before she felt a slight blush appearing on her face.

Ash noticed Serena's eyes kept flickering back and forth to the picture that he was on with Leaf, Gary, and the two unknown girls. Feeling compelled to ask, Ash finally said something.

"Is something wrong?" he asked curiously.

Serena blushed again at being caught like this. It was pretty embarrassing when you kept giving curious glances at another person's pictures. She could've been a little subtler. Having been asked now, Serena knew she might as well say what was on her mind, though she didn't know why.

"I was just wondering who those two girls in that picture were with you," Serena answered as she pointed.

"Oh?" Ash asked as he looked at the picture himself as he gave them a scrutinizing gaze. "I remember their faces, but I can't remember their names or how I know them."

"You mean you don't know?" Red asked, speaking for the first time since coming downstairs.

"How could I? It looks like it was a long time ago," Ash replied.

"The brown-haired girl is May Maple and the other is Dawn Berlitz. Their parents are friends of the family," Red said.

"May and Dawn," Ash mused.

"Yeah. You all got along really well when they visited Pallet Town that one time. You played together all day and showed them all of your Pokemon books. They were really impressed by how much you knew about Pokemon. You were almost like their little mentor," Red added.

"That sounds like Ash," Serena smiled. "He was crazy about Pokemon even before I knew him."

"Yeah," Ash agreed as he fondly thought back to May and Dawn. Now that he was being reminded, he remembered the two had been with him and Leaf all day. They played at Ash's house. They played with the Pokemon at Professor Oak's lab. May and Dawn then got into an argument about who would marry Ash when they grew up. The adults all thought it was really cute. Ash, of course, was clueless to what that was all about.

"We never get to the see the Maple and Berlitz families as often as we like. They live far away in the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, respectively. Norman Maple is a gym leader in the Hoenn region and Johanna Berlitz was a famous Pokemon coordinator. Despite being retired, she still hosts or judges a lot of contests in Sinnoh," Red continued.

"The Hoenn and Sinnoh regions," Ash mumbled again.

"Pika Pi?" his rodent partner questioned.

"It might be really cool to see those regions one day. There are so many different places to go and Pokemon to see. I can't just limit my sights to Kanto alone," Ash said.

"That's right. A Pokemon Master travels all over the world. Neither your mother or I would approve if you stayed in your home region all the time," Red said and cracked a grin.

"Well, that settles it! I know what I'm going to be doing when I come home from the Pokemon League!" Ash declared.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, though, Ash. Focus on what's in front of you right now. You have the Pokemon League to win right now! You've trained hard, and I know you'll do great!" Red told him.

"Yeah! I'm going to make you and Mom proud," Ash stated.

"You already have," Red replied with a contented smile.

It was hard for Serena to believe. Ash wasn't even completely finished with the Kanto League, but he already knew what he wanted to do afterwards. Serena, meanwhile, was already finished with her goal, yet still wasn't sure of her goal now. Because the Battle Chateau was still a new thing, it hadn't started in the other regions yet so she couldn't do it there. She hated being this pitiful. She was right back to square one.

"Well, we should be off. I'm already running late and don't want to keep the others waiting. They should be at the lab already," Ash said.

"Oh?! You're leaving?!" Delia cried as she ran from the kitchen to embrace her son. "Be careful, sweetie. Red and I will be coming to the League in a few days to cheer you on!"

"Thanks, Mom," Ash replied as he hugged her back.

Goodbye to you, too, Pikachu and Togepi!" Delia said.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu waved back at the kind woman.

"Prriiiiiii!" Togepi chirped, as well.

"Now, Ash, I need you and everyone else to be really careful going to the Pokemon League," Red said seriously. "Victory Road has been plagued by earthquakes recently so it's even more dangerous than usual."

Ash and Serena both nodded. They had heard stories about Victory Road. It was a famous landmark in Kanto that served as the last obstacle to the Pokemon League. It wasn't too scary as long as a competent Pokemon trainer was going through, but a mediocre or beginning trainer would never be able to make it. There were all sorts of strong, wild Pokemon in there.

"Don't worry, Dad. We'll make sure to stay together," Ash assured as he gave Red a hug.

"Good. Delia and I will see you once we get there," Red said.

"You guys aren't worried about leaving the house for a while after what happened?" Ash wondered curiously. He hated to be the one to bring it up, but it did concern him.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about. We'll have this guy to look after the house when we're gone," Red smiled as he took out a pokeball and released the Pokemon inside.

Ash and Serena looked curiously to see the Pokemon in question was none other than a Mr. Mime.

"Mime Mime!" it cried.

"Your Mr. Mime?" Ash questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. It's always had a love of cleaning and gardening for some reason which is definitely outside the norm for this Pokemon. When I asked it to watch over the house and take care of the chores, it practically jumped at the opportunity," Red said with a shrug.

Ash looked strangely at Red's Mr. Mime. Come to think of it, the imitation Pokemon had been doing a lot of chores since they moved back into their house. It swept, helped his mom with gardening, and even cooked a few meals and was quite good at it. His Mom had grown rather fond of it in that time.

"Our house will be in good hands with Mimey!" Delia smiled. It looks like she even gave it a nickname.

"Sounds good!" Ash grinned as he gave a thumbs up to Mr. Mime.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Miiiiime!" it replied happily.

"I guess with that, we'll head off," Ash said as he and Serena turned to leave.

"Be safe, you two," Delia called after him.

"We will, Mrs. Ketchum," Serena replied courteously.

"See you in a little while," Red added.

"Miiiime!" Mr. Mime waved.

"Love you, too! See you at the Pokemon League!" Ash waved before stepping out the door with Pikachu and Serena.

It was now time to go to the Pokemon League. Ash had been waiting for this moment for a long time, ever since he started. It would be his first Pokemon League to compete in, and he was determined to win! He had the greatest friends and Pokemon to help him through this! He was more fired up than ever! Nothing could bring him down!

"Don't forget to change you-know-whats, sweetie!" Delia called.

Ash tripped at the statement and blushed in embarrassment. It almost mirrored the first day of his Pokemon journey.

"_Same old Mom," _he thought.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena continued on to Professor Oak's lab where the others were presumably waiting for them. They felt bad that Brock and Misty had to stay there rather than at their houses for the past few weeks, but there simply wasn't enough room at the time. However, the two constantly assured them that it was fine. By staying at the lab, Brock got to study the group's Pokemon more than ever, and for Misty, it was still a paradise for water Pokemon with all the different types there. They were really good sports about it.<p>

Serena had dropped her new egg off at Professor Oak's lab the day before for safe keeping while they were at the Pokemon League. The Pokemon Professor had assured them he would contact them if anything came up. He doubted it would be necessary, though. From what he could tell, this egg was still many months from hatching.

Ash wanted to make one last stop in Professor Oak's backyard before setting off. He had spent much of yesterday giving all of his Pokemon a pep talk but hadn't decided on which ones he would take with him. He was definitely going to make sure to use them all in the Pokemon League. It was just a matter of when.

Once the two and Pikachu reached the lab, they could already hear the commotion going on in there. Both his and Gary's Pokemon were probably going crazy with anticipation. The Pokemon were just as excited as their trainers were about the Pokemon League. Ash knocked on the door somewhat heavily to make sure they were heard above the apparent racket going on inside. A few seconds later, Daisy answered the door looking quite worn out.

"Hey there. Come on in," Daisy said while giving a smile, despite her tired state.

As soon as Ash stepped into the lab, he was immediately tackled by all of his Pokemon. Serena had to sidestep out of the way to avoid being in the pile, too. The Pokemon were either hugging him, or in cases like Primeape, were punching him in the arm as a show of affection. Yes. They were eager alright. Togepi had flown out of Ash's arms in the excitement but thankfully, Serena caught it.

"Both your and Gary's Pokemon have been restless all morning! It was hard enough to keep them in the same room! He left just a short while ago with Leaf!" Professor Oak told Ash.

"They left without me?" Ash questioned from underneath all the Pokemon.

"I'm afraid so. You know how impatient my grandson can be. Leaf wanted to stay and wait for you but ended up going with Gary so he would have someone to accompany him there," Professor Oak answered.

Ash was about to say something again but all the Pokemon on top of him made it difficult.

"Alright, guys! It's great to see you! I'm really excited for the Pokemon League, too, but I can't go anywhere if you all don't get off me!" Ash cried.

Finally realizing the truth of Ash's words, his Pokemon got off him and gave him some room. Ash sat up and panted heavily before standing up. He then dusted himself off with Serena helping him before looking at the Pokemon in front of him. Only Pikachu and Dratini remained by Ash. Pikachu was on his shoulder and Dratini was rubbing affectionately against his leg.

"I know you all want to battle for me as quickly as possible, but I can only take six of you with me at first, but I promise, all of you will fight at some point," Ash assured them.

His Pokemon nodded, ready for him to go on.

"I've decided to take Pikachu, Krabby, Dratini, Aerodactyl, Wartortle, and Bulbasaur with me for the first couple of matches," Ash announced.

All of his Pokemon nodded once more at Ash's decision. Krabby, Aerodactyl, Bulbasaur, and Wartortle stepped forth, and Ash called them to their pokeballs. He then called Dratini to its pokeball from against his leg. With that, he was finally ready to set out.

"Make sure you guys root for me while you're here," Ash told them.

"Trust me. I probably won't be able to keep them away from the TV set!" Professor Oak laughed.

Brock and Misty then went over to Ash and gave him a nod, signifying they were ready, too. They had stood by Ash his entire journey throughout Kanto, and they weren't going to stop now. Brock placed his hands on Ash's shoulders and gave him a smile.

"We're all here for you and know you'll do great, Ash. Let's go see you get that first place trophy!" he said.

"Thanks, Brock," Ash replied before turning on his heel for the door. "Our lucky star is shining today! Let's go!"

With that, Ash and Pikachu took off running out the door as fast as he could. He could barely contain his excitement as he left. Serena said a quick goodbye to Professor Oak and Daisy before taking off herself. Brock and Misty were normally exasperated about the two's eagerness for some things, but let it slide this time. They smiled to themselves at Ash's determination before giving a quick goodbye to Professor Oak and Daisy also before leaving.

Professor Oak, Daisy, and the rest of Ash's Pokemon watched the quartet leave and sighed in contentment.

"Ash and Gary are just like Red and my dad before they entered their first Pokemon League. Red won his first try and Dad got second place. Do you think it will be a repeat, Grandpa?" Daisy asked Professor Oak.

"Those two are going to do their very best. I believe with all the things they have experienced on their journey, they will do very well. Both Ash and Gary will make Pallet Town proud," Professor Oak answered.

* * *

><p>The group now stood at the entrance of a cave. Honestly, it looked no more threatening than Mt. Moon or the Seafoam Islands had when the group first entered those a while back. The group knew better by now to know that looks can be deceiving. They hadn't exactly had a great experiences in caves in the past, with the exception of meeting Articuno. It didn't really help matters with Red telling them the area had been active with earthquakes recently. They didn't know why, but every year before the Pokemon League began, it was when earthquakes were most frequent in there. It was like nature knew that this is the time when most trainers came through the area so the earthquakes happened to make things more difficult.<p>

Of course, the group knew this wasn't the only way to the Indigo Plateau, the sight of the Pokemon League. There was a long way to get there by going through Viridian City, and if the group wasn't so short on time, they might've taken that route, instead. It was too late to turn back now, though. They were already in front of Victory Road and would need to overcome it.

"You guys ready?" Ash asked as he pulled down the brim of his hat for emphasis.

"I suppose we're as ready as we'll ever be," Misty muttered.

"Ash…," Serena trailed. She still remembered how she had almost died the last time they went through a cave with earthquakes.

Ash seemed to know what Serena was thinking as he turned to her and placed his hands on her shoulders and stared deep into her eyes. Serena looked back and once again saw no trace of deception in his eyes as he spoke his next words. Ash then pulled her into a hug.

"I promise, Serena. If anything happens, I'll make sure you stay safe. I'm never letting go of you like that ever again," Ash stated.

Serena let out a sigh of contentment at his words. She knew she could always count on Ash.

"Will you stay be me the whole time we're in there?" Serena asked hopefully.

"Of course. Stay close to me," Ash said gently before they set off inside the cave known as Victory Road, Brock and Misty following them.

Victory Road was dark.

That was the best way to describe it once they entered. Mt. Moon had the artificial lights to help light the way while the Seafoam Islands had the glittering jewels to light it up. Victory Road had nothing. Well, the group could see a little bit, but nowhere near as well as they would like. They would need to be extra careful. If there was a sudden pit, they wouldn't see it coming.

As if to emphasize this point, Misty tripped over a rock sticking up from nowhere and fell flat on her stomach. She groaned in and looked at the offending rock before discovering it was actually a Geodude. It gave an annoyed expression at Misty before hopping off.

"Hey, Misty. You alright?" Brock asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I don't think I'm bleeding anywhere," Misty said as she dusted herself off. "I know Victory Road is full of wild Geodudes, but I hope they aren't going to be all over the main path like that one."

"They probably are, actually," Brock murmured as the group continued on. "We really needed a lantern for this place. I should've packed one before coming."

"I've got it!" Ash suddenly spoke. "I may not have my Charizard with me right now, but you still have yours, Serena. It can help light the way."

"Of course," Serena remembered on how they didn't think it sooner. "Come on out, Charla!"

She then pulled out Charla's pokeball and released it. The fire breathing dragon gave a stretch of its wings before looking expectantly at Serena.

"Charla, we need you to use your tail flame as a guide for us," Serena told it.

Charla nodded before grabbing its tail and holding it out in front of it. The area around the group was instantly illuminated. Though it was still fairly dark, the group could see much better than they could a little while ago. At least they would be able to see any Geodude in their paths…or bottomless pits.

"How long is this cave supposed to be anyway?" Misty suddenly asked as they walked along.

"We should be out of here by the evening. After that, it's just a couple of hours to the Indigo Plateau. If we're lucky, we should be able to spend the night at one of the Pokemon Center there. Thankfully, the Pokemon League knows there will be many people there so they have more than one," Brock answered.

"That will put us in plenty of time for the opening ceremony tomorrow! I can hardly wait!" Ash cheered.

"What's the opening ceremony supposed to be like, Ash? I've seen the matches on TV, but never the opening," Serena asked.

"It's really awesome! During the whole Pokemon League, a really huge flame burns on top of the biggest stadium there. It's said to come from the body of a Moltres itself! They light it the very first day, and then there's a huge party to celebrate!" Ash exclaimed.

"The legendary bird, Moltres?" Serena echoed in amazement.

"How would they know if the flame came from Moltres?" Misty asked a little skeptically. "Did they take it from Moltres themselves?"

"It's just a legend, Misty," Brock interjected. "The legend goes that a long time ago, on the night of the very first Pokemon League tournament ever, Moltres appeared above the stadium. Everybody was completely amazed by the sight of it. It flapped its wings so majestically. Every flap sent out a dazzling pattern of flames, lighting up the night sky. The flames from its wings eventually settled into center of the stadium and burned continuously. They say it never stopped until the tournament ended. Now, it's become a tradition to have a flame lit on the night of the opening ceremony. Moltres' virtues of majesty and power reflect the fierce competitors."

"Wooow," Serena muttered.

"As I said before, it's just a legend," Brock reiterated.

"I bet it's true," Ash commented. "After seeing Articuno in the Seafoam Islands, there's no reason not believe it's not out there somewhere."

"Moltres would really be a sight to see. I bet it's beautiful," Misty said.

"Well, no one knows exactly where Moltres stays. Articuno was always rumored to be in the Seafoam Islands somewhere, but where Zapdos and Moltres are is complete mystery," Brock mused.

"Does that mean they're always on the move?" Serena asked.

"No. They definitely have a place to rest, too. They are just so seldom seen that no one knows for sure. I bet we were the only ones to see Articuno in a long time," Brock said the last part as an afterthought.

"Leave it to Brocko to know this stuff!" Ash smiled.

It was then Charla let out a low growl and stopped. The group turned to look in surprise at it before following its gaze and gasped. Standing before them appeared to be at least four Machoke that were blocking the way forward, and it was clear they weren't just casually in the area like a Geodude. They knew exactly what they were doing. They were facing forward with very determined stares, almost like statues

"That's really weird," Brock mumbled. "There aren't supposed to be any wild Pokemon blocking the main pathway through Victory Road like this."

"Hey, Machoke!" Ash called, drawing the superpowered Pokemons' attention to him. "Will you please let us through? We need to get to the Indigo Plateau!"

"Choooke," one of them uttered while shaking its head. It then pointed forward with its index finger, signaling that the group turn back the other way.

"Well, what do you suppose we do guys? Are there any other paths we can take to get through here?" Ash asked.

Charla would have none of that, though. It stomped its feet angrily before roaring and glared at the Machoke. Upon seeing the hostile expression, the four Machoke narrowed their eyes and took on a defensive stance. They then growled warningly at Charla, ready to fight if necessary. Charla then let out a puff of smoke from its nose and looked prepared to fight. It then turned back towards to Serena to see if she would issue a command but was surprised she didn't.

"Wait, Charla!" Serena cried as she ran up to it. "It's probably not the best idea to get involved in a pointless fight with these Pokemon. I don't think their intentions for doing this are bad!"

As if for confirmation, Serena looked towards the four Machoke to see their reaction. The one that had spoken earlier, presumably the leader, slowly nodded its head. It then muttered something before eyeing Charla cautiously again.

"What's it saying, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"Pika Pi Pikachu," Pikachu said.

"So there is another way, and Machoke told you where to go?" Ash asked, getting the gist of what it was saying.

"Pikachu," it confirmed.

"See, Charla? These Machoke aren't bad Pokemon. They probably have a very good reason for doing what they're doing," Serena reasoned with it.

Charla let out another puff of smoke before sighing and turning away from the Machoke. Taking the hint that they weren't going to be attacked anymore, the Machoke let up on their defensive stances and stood stock still once again.

"I don't really think those Machoke are blocking our way. It looks more like they're guarding something," Brock said.

"What do you think it is?" Ash inquired.

"Who knows, but I doubt they'll tell us even if we asked. Let's just go the other way," Brock suggested.

"Can we take a break first? My feet are killing me. We've been walking all day, and my foot still hurts from that Geodude I tripped over," Misty requested.

Ash, Serena, and Brock cast a glance back at the Machoke who gave no sign they saw any problem with that. The Pokemon clearly were going to leave the group alone as long as they left them alone. The Machoke gave a brief look at them before staring ahead once again.

"I guess that's okay. I could use a break myself," Ash decided.

The group then went over to a nearby wall of the cave and sat down. Misty gave a contented sigh. She gently began to massage her foot in an effort to make feel better faster.

"Do you need any ice for that, Misty? I'm sure Krabby or one of your water Pokemon can make some," Ash asked her.

"No, thanks. I'll be fine," Misty assured.

Serena took this time to pull a bottle out of her backpack and feed Togepi. The spikeball Pokemon hadn't had anything since breakfast and was getting a little fussy. It eagerly accepted the bottle and took to getting its fill.

Brock opened up his backpack and pulled out a map to see their current location. He was glad he had purchased a map of Victory Road while they were in Viridian City last time. It was normally a straight shot through here, but unforeseen circumstances like this made a map necessary. If there was another way to go as the Machoke had said, it would definitely show up. Charla had come over and shined its flame over the map to give him enough light.

"Find anything, Brock?" Ash asked as he kneeled beside him to look at the map. Serena joined him while still feeding Togepi. Misty scooted over, too.

"I never realized what a maze this cave really is," Brock commented as he studied it.

"Can you even tell where we are right now?" Serena asked this time as she set down Togepi to get a better look.

"Hmm, we haven't really taken any detours and have stayed pretty much on the main path. We are on a long straight path right now. I think that will put us about right here," Brock answered, indicating the location with his index finger.

"Then where is the other path?" Ash questioned.

Brock traced along the map with his finger while giving his answer. "Judging by what Pikachu says, there is a place to take a left about fifty yards back from where we came. We'll then need to take another left, and then the second right, and then the third left, and then another right which will put us back on the main path."

"Could you repeat that? It sounds a little complicated," Misty said dully.

"I think it's better if I just keep the map out as we go," Brock decided with a sheepish grin.

"Sounds good! Let's go!" Ash commented as he stood up and Pikachu went to leap on his shoulder.

"Right!" Serena agreed as she went to pick up Togepi…only to discover it wasn't there! "Togepi?"

She then glanced wildly around. She couldn't believe it! She had taken her eyes off of Togepi for one second, and it's already walked off! Her eyes then spotted the spikeball Pokemon. It was waddling around the four Machoke while chirping happily, not having a clue what it was doing.

"Togepi!" Serena yelled as she ran for it.

The four Machoke immediately tensed up as they saw Serena coming closer. Serena didn't seem to pay them any mind as she continued to run to it. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw Togepi enter a small tunnel that was just behind the Machoke. She made a dive for it, but Togepi was already inside. She missed and landed on the ground painfully. She was about to go after it but four pairs of blue feet stepped into her path. Serena tilted her head up worriedly and saw the four Machoke glaring down at her, as if daring her to get any closer.

"Please! That's my Togepi! It's just a baby! I have to go after it!" Serena pleaded frantically.

"Chooooooke," they uttered threateningly.

"Don't you get it?!" Ash suddenly shouted, coming to the rescue. "We have get it back! I don't know why you are blocking this path, and frankly, I don't care right now! The only thing that matters is that we go get Togepi! Let us through!"

"Pikachu Pi!" Pikachu added with Charla letting out a low roar.

"Maaaaachooooke," they growled and took on defensive stances.

"I don't think they are going listen to reason, Ash," Brock muttered as he and Misty joined him and Serena.

Ash grit his teeth. He really didn't want to attack these Pokemon, but it looked like there was no choice. It was probably something important, but to them, getting Togepi was more urgent. It couldn't even defend itself yet!

"Sorry about this!" Ash said to the Machoke before giving his next order. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

The electric mouse unleashed the powerful jolt of electricity from its cheeks, shocking all of the Machoke. Charla then flew forward and kicked the Machoke backwards with its large feet. They weren't looking to knock out the Machoke, just stun them long enough to get by.

"Now!" Ash yelled as they ran by the Machoke before Brock and Misty went into the tunnel with Misty being noticeably slower because of her foot. Serena quickly returned Charla since it was too big for the tunnel and went in next. The tunnel was rather wide so all four of them could fit in side by side. The only problem is, it was small enough in height to where they would have to crawl on their stomachs.

The Machoke got up off ground and looked _extremely_ angry. They let out a battle cry as one of them picked up a large boulder and hurled it at the group. Ash was about to go in the tunnel last but had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. That boulder would definitely be powerful enough to break a few of his bones if it hit. Unfortunately, that leap placed him farther away from the tunnel.

"Come on, Ash!" Serena cried from inside the tunnel.

Ash started running for the tunnel once more as the Machoke ran towards him. Ash was silently praying he was fast enough. He really didn't want to figure out what those Machoke would do if they caught him…probably rip him in half. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to attack them like that, but he knew they had no choice since talking to them wasn't working.

Ash reached the hole before dropping down on his stomach and crawling as fast as he could to get under the hole. He glanced back and his eyes widened in terror as he saw the Machoke were gaining on him quickly now. He forced himself to forward and saw the terrified faces of his friends as he got his body under more and more. He knew the Machoke were really close judging by their expressions. Ash just got the last part of his foot in and heard one of the Machoke's fists thunder onto the ground behind him, just missing him.

"Keep going!" Ash yelled to the rest of them now that they were all inside the tunnel.

Thankfully, the Machoke were too bulky to fit inside the tunnel. That didn't stop them from trying, however. Several hands shot through the opening of the tunnel and groped around trying to catch anything they could. The group continued to crawl nonetheless until they were finally out of range of the furious Machoke. They could hear the Machoke bellowing angrily behind them and let out a sigh of relief now that they made it.

"That…was…way…too close," Ash panted.

"Come on," Brock urged gently. "Let's try to catch up with Togepi."

The group nodded and continued crawling forward. Now that Charla was back in its pokeball, it was almost pitch black again, especially since they were in an enclosed tunnel. They couldn't even see a few feet in front of them.

"Do you hear Togepi anywhere, Pikachu?" Ash asked the rodent beside him.

"Pikaaaaachu," it replied with a shake of its head. Ash couldn't see the gesture but could tell from the tone of Pikachu's voice that it was a negative.

"I'm a horrible parent. I'm a horrible parent," Serena berated herself and sniffed at little bit. "I took my eyes off of Togepi for one second, and this happened!"

"It wasn't just your fault, Serena. We're all to blame," Ash told her.

"Togepi was my responsibility at the time since I had it! If something happens to it, it will be all my fault!" Serena cried as tears started to fall freely from her face.

"We're going to find Togepi. It couldn't have gone far," Ash said. He couldn't see her tears but could tell she was crying from her sobs.

"That doesn't change the fact that I'm a horrible parent," Serena mumbled.

"How could you call yourself that? You're excellent to Togepi!" Misty stated, trying to console her.

"That's right. Just look how Cubone turned out," Brock reminded. "I don't think I could've raised that Pokemon better myself!"

"Togepi completely trusts you, Serena. If it didn't, it wouldn't get so excited every time you hold it and spend time with. It loves you. Isn't that good enough in the end to know if you are a good parent or not? That's what you told me when Togepi first hatched, remember?" Ash asked.

Serena sighed to herself. She felt a little better after hearing them say that to her, but she still wasn't fully convinced. Once they found Togepi and knew it was okay, then she could forgive herself.

"How far does this tunnel go anyway?" Misty asked rhetorically as they crawled along. It seemed to be a straight path because there were no forks in the passage as far as they group could tell. Surely they would be able to find Togepi sooner or later.

That was until their bodies met thin air.

"Woah!" Ash cried as he and everyone else immediately plunged straight down through pitch black.

"Aaaaaaaaaash!"Serena screamed as she frantically swiped her hands around, hoping to find at least something to grab on to.

The group continued to scream as they fell further and further. What made the fall even scarier was they had no idea where they were going. It was nothing but total blackness all around them as they fell. They had no idea if this was a bottomless pit or they would die on impact. All they knew was this was probably the end for them.

After falling for a few more seconds, the group felt themselves hit what felt like water. There was a resounding splash as they went under. Ash coughed violently as he threw his head up and broke the surface. He was speeding along with what was apparently a current of water. He was extremely dizzy from the impact and felt his eyes droop. He had no idea what had become of the others but knew he had to stay awake

_"Come on,"_ Ash thought to himself tiredly as everything became blurry. Despite his best efforts, it wasn't long before he passed out.

* * *

><p>"Mmmmm," Ash groaned as his eyelids fluttered open. How long had he been out? Had it been several hours? The last thing he remembered was being carried off down in the depths of the cave in a current? How had he survived that? Furthermore, how was he on dry ground now? He felt a small being licking his hand, and it didn't take a genius to know it must be Pikachu.<p>

"Hey, Pikachu," Ash mumbled dazedly.

"Pika Pi!" the yellow rodent cried in excitement at seeing its trainer awake.

"Ah, you're awake," a rather deep voice said.

Ash's eyes shot open at the unfamiliar voice as he sat up and glanced wildly around. Before his senses could fully adjust, he felt a strong hand gently push him back to the ground.

"Easy there, lad. You and your friends took quite a tumble," another voice said soothingly and seemed to belong to an older woman.

Ash felt his blurry vision start to settle, and he found himself looking at four adult faces. They looked familiar, but he couldn't recall where he saw them before in his dazed state. Upon seeing him come to, the four adults backed off to give him space. Ash made sure to slowly sit up this time and let out another cough before taking in the sight of the people before him.

The first one was a young woman with dark red hair tied into a ponytail. She wore glasses and had on a black sleeveless shirt with a purple skirt. The person next to her was a rather large and bulky man with spikey black hair. He wore no shirt which exposed his extremely large muscles and white pants secured with a black belt. He was probably the one with the deep voice. The next one was an older woman with graying blonde hair and wore a purple dress that reached her ankles. The last of them was a young man with spiky red hair and wore a full blue uniform complete with a cape. It almost looked like something a superhero would wear.

Ash's memory jarred with recognition at the faces. These people in front of him were the members of the Elite Four: Lorelei, who specialized in ice-types, Bruno, who specialized in fighting-types, Agatha, who trained mainly ghost-types and Lance, who mastered in the dragon-type Pokemon! He was actually face to face with them! How was this possible?! What were they doing here?! Was he dreaming? Ash took a good look at his surroundings and saw he was still in the cave. This part wasn't pitch black like the others. It was actually well lit, but what was causing it?

"You're the Elite Four!" Ash blurted out stupidly.

"Yes. We are," Agatha, the older woman, confirmed.

"What are you guys doing here!?" Ash blurted out again.

"I think a better question is what are YOU doing down here. You shouldn't be here," the red-haired man, Lance, answered. Ash could feel the slight threat in the voice and decided to answer as best as he could. He needed to calm down and was being quite rude at having such an encounter after almost falling to his death.

"Well…,"Ash began, but was caught off by more moaning behind him.

Ash quickly turned his head discovered Serena, Brock, and Misty slowly pushing themselves up. He had almost forgotten they were there this whole time in all of the confusion! Ash hastily crawled over to them and helped prop Serena up with his hands.

"Hey. It looks like you guys are waking up," Ash said.

"Wait, Ash?" Serena questioned as she looked at him with half closed eyes. "We're actually alive?"

"Yeah. I don't know how, but we somehow survived," Ash replied.

"That would be my doing," the young, red-haired woman spoke up. "We saw you all being carried off by the stream, and you were close to drowning. I had my Dewgong and Cloyster dive in and save all of you."

Brock, Misty, and Serena's eyes then shifted over to the voice and gasped in surprise at who it was. They were in just as much shock as Ash was at first!

"What?! The Elite Four of Kanto?! What's going on?!" Brock asked in amazement.

"Yeah. I don't understand either," Ash muttered.

Serena was just about to say something when a familiar chirp reached her ears. She glanced around and immediately put on a joyful expression. Togepi was waddling towards them looking extremely happy at seeing its parents again. Ash, Serena, and Pikachu immediately ran towards the spikeball Pokemon, and Serena picked it up as she, Ash, and Pikachu gave it a big hug.

"Oh, Togepi! I'm so glad you're safe! You have no idea how worried I was!" Serena cried.

"Priiiiiii!" it laughed like it didn't know it was missing in the first place.

"So that Togepi is yours I presume?" Agatha asked.

"Yes, it is!" Serena confirmed.

"I see. It wandered in here a short while after we saved you. Smart little thing finding this place. We were going to care for it, but it looks like there's no need now," Agatha said.

"Now that all of the formalities are out of the way, we need to know how and why you are here," Lance stated. "No one is supposed to be down here right now. Are your intentions pure or not?"

"We're down here by complete accident!" Ash cried frantically. "We had no idea anyone or anything was down here!"

"I find it impressive that you made it past my Machoke. They were supposed to be guarding this area," Bruno, the bulky man, mused.

Realization dawned on the group's face as they understood. It turned out those Machoke really were there for a purpose, after all. The group couldn't help but wonder why, though. Were they guarding anyone from meeting the Elite Four? No. That would be rather silly. It had to be something much more than that.

"Man. Those Machoke could've killed me," Ash muttered before sighing in relief as he remembered how close he was to being captured.

"I highly doubt that. My Machoke don't kill. They might have knocked you unconscious for a few days for trying to get past them, though," Bruno answered.

"You young ones still haven't answered our question about why you're down here," Agatha interjected, seeing as everyone was going off topic.

"As I said before, it's a complete accident," Ash repeated.

"That's right. We came upon the path that the Machoke were guarding. They told us to turn back which were about to do but decided to take a break first. Before we knew what had happened, Togepi had wandered off into a tunnel, and we had to chase after it. The Machoke tried to hold us back so we had no choice but to attack them and make a run for it. Once we got into the tunnel, we fell down a large pit and into a current of water. The next thing I know is we woke up here," Serena explained.-

The Elite Four members gave the group a hard stare. It looked like they were trying to determine if they were telling truth. After a couple of seconds, the four looked at each other and nodded their heads. They lost their tense looks and instead smiled at the group.

"Okay. We believe you. You certainly don't look like criminals so you can relax now," Lance said.

The group breathed another sigh of relief upon hearing that. Getting into confrontation with the Elite Four was definitely not an experience they wished to go through. There were still many questions going through their heads, though.

"So where are we anyway?" Misty inquired.

"You are in some of the deepest depths of Victory Road. Very few people even know about this area," Lorelei answered.

"Um, not to be nosy or anything and you don't have to answer, but what are all of you doing here? I wouldn't think the members of the Elite Four would be down somewhere in Victory Road of all places," Ash muttered.

"Ash! Show some respect!" Misty hissed.

"It's none of our business. It's probably best if we just leave," Brock agreed.

The Elite Four members looked at each other once again. They each had a small hint of uneasiness on their faces as they turned back to the group. It looked like they were going to choose their words carefully.

"Since you're down here, there is really no way out except forward so you'll need to come with us. There's no other way," Lorelei sighed.

"That's right. We are about to show you a very well kept secret. We need each your words that you will never ever tell anybody about this," Lance said seriously.

"Of course. We promise. We understand we were never supposed to be here in the first place," Ash answered.

"I won't tell anyone, either," Serena said.

"Or me," Brock added.

"I promise, too," Misty finished.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added for good measure.

"Very well. Please follow us," Lance ordered gently as they turned around and headed forward. The group followed closely behind.

They traveled through the corridors in utter silence. It was rather unnerving for the group to be in the presence of the Elite Four like this. They honestly believed they would never meet them in person like this, but here they were in strangest of places. The group didn't quite know what to say to the Elite Four. Praising them about how they were huge fans of all of them didn't quite seem like the proper thing to say given the circumstances. Surprisingly, Agatha spoke first.

"You children look rather familiar," she stated as they walked along. "If I'm not mistaken, aren't you two Brock Harrison, the gym leader of Pewter City, and Misty Waterflower, one to of the gym leaders of Cerulean City?"

Misty and Brock stared in surprise. Well, maybe it wasn't that surprising. Being former gym leaders, they had met the Elite Four on occasion during special conferences between all the gym leaders of Kanto in the past. Still, to be recognized seemed quite an honor.

"Yes, that's us!" Brock spoke up before continuing. "Well, I used to be the gym leader, but now my dad is running the gym while I'm traveling to be the world's greatest Pokemon Breeder."

"A Pokemon Breeder, you say?" Agatha mused. "That's quite a goal to pursue."

"I'm currently not the gym leader, either," Misty said. "I'm on a journey trying to try to be the best water-type trainer I can be."

"So you train water Pokemon?" Lorelei asked kindly.

"I do! Forgive me if I sound rude, but you were a huge inspiration for me to be my best, Lorelei!" Misty exclaimed.

"Hmmhmm. How nice of you to say," Lorelei said with a smile. The group couldn't help but notice she seemed a lot more relaxed than the other members of the Elite Four. Maybe it was just her personality.

"I think I've seen you on TV before, too," Lorelei spoke again, this time addressing Serena. "If I'm not mistaken, you conquered the Battle Chateau. Serena Gabena, correct?"

"Oh, yes I did, ma'am!" Serena answered hurriedly.

"Say now! Congratulations on your victory, lass," Agatha told her.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Agatha!" Serena replied. She was very flustered at receiving praise from the Elite Four themselves, and they actually knew her name!

"Are any of you planning on participating in the Pokemon League? You were on Victory Road, after all," Lance pointed out.

"Yes, sir. That would be me. My name's Ash Ketchum," Ash answered.

"Ash Ketchum? You must be the son of Red Ketchum," Lance figured.

"Uh, that's right. Do you know my dad?" Ash wondered.

"Of course we do! He beat all of us a while back. He was a great trainer indeed," Agatha replied.

"Wow, Ash. Your dad beat the Elite Four?" Misty asked, clearly impressed.

Ash then remembered that his father had told him about all of his victories in the past when he was younger. Beating the Elite Four of Kanto had been one of those achievements. Now that Ash thought of it, he wondered if his father ever traveled to the other regions like Hoenn or Sinnoh. Did he win any leagues there at all? Just what was it his father was doing in all this time? Ash knew it was good reason but still wished he knew.

"So you got all eight badges. Well done," Bruno nodded in approval while changing the subject.

"Thank you, but it was my Pokemon that got me this far. They battled extremely hard for me. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be anywhere. Right, Pikachu?" Ash said.

"Pikachu!" it responded happily.

"That's true. My Pokemon battled for me because they cared. I owe so much to them," Serena agreed.

The Elite Four exchanged glances upon hearing that and smiled. Lance then turned back and gave the group an approving nod.

"It seems all of you have very strong bonds with your Pokemon. You realize what it truly means to be a great trainer. Most people would say it's because of how strong they are which is why they win. All of you, on the other hand, know that your strength comes from you Pokemon," Lance told them.

"It's an uncommon trait to find in trainers these days," Agatha commented.

"Thank you so much!" Ash exclaimed.

"You don't need to thank us. We are just pointing out what you already have," Lorelei said.

As they continued to walk along, the group could feel the temperature rising slightly, but it wasn't near as bad as the time they were in the volcano on Cinnabar Island. The corridor was also steadily getting brighter. They had a feeling that whatever they were heading to would be the source of what was lighting up this part of the cave. It must be very powerful to give off so much light.

"Okay. We're getting close. It's going to be a bit of shock on what you'll see, but try not startle it," Lance told them.

The group nodded. They couldn't help but be highly curious at what they were going towards. The light was getting very bright now as they rounded another bend. The path went on for a little longer before opening up into another large room. Upon entering, the Elite Four motioned for the group to stop as they kept walking. It wasn't long before they stopped, too, and looked upward.

The group followed their gazes and let out gasp of surprise. What stood before them was an extremely amazing sight. With wings as majestic as royalty, they gave small embers with each flap, creating a flash. It had a large, flowing head crest and billowing tail with each seeming to be made of fire. It was one the three legendary birds, Moltres.

"I can't believe it. It's Moltres," Serena spoke in amazement.

"So it lives here in Victory Road in a part where no trainers go," Misty commented in equal awe.

The group couldn't believe their eyes. This was just as amazing as when they saw Articuno in the Seafoam Islands.

Moltres gave a light cry at the appearance of the humans and two Pokemon. It then slowly made its way to the ground before letting its talons hit the stone floor. It then lowered its head to listen what they had to say. It was apparently familiar with the Elite Four before it.

"Hello, Moltres. We of the Elite Four have come once again to ask that give us a flame from your wings to light the ceremony fire for the Pokemon League," Lance introduced.

The group looked on completely surprised. That was what the Elite Four were down here for?! They were asking Moltres for its flame? The legend really was true, after all! How many other people knew of this practice? Until now, the group thought the flame at the Indigo Plateau was just a normal fire, and the Moltres legend was just for fun. Ash had a sneaking suspicion it was true, but it was still quite different to actually see it with his own eyes.

Moltres nodded its head and gave another light cry in response. It then slowly rose into the air and began flapping its wings, once more creating a flash. The flames danced along through the air in such a powerful and graceful way. One would normally be afraid with the large amount of fire in the air right now, but the group somehow knew that Moltres' flames wouldn't hurt them. It was as if Moltres chose how use its flames, sort of like how someone rode a Ponyta or Rapidash.

The Elite Four glanced back and noticed the group's surprised expressions. Agatha gave a light chuckle before commenting on it.

"You four seem surprised. You've never heard of the legend of Moltres' flame?" she inquired.

"It's not that we've never heard it. We're just amazed it's really happening and that we're witnesses to it," Brock answered.

"Not many people see this," Bruno said. "The only ones who know about this are us Elite Four, the president of the Pokemon League, and the region champions, like Blue Oak. Normally, Blue will accompany us also, but he was busy with other things this year."

"So Gary's dad knew about this, too," Ash mumbled. He wondered since his dad beat the Elite Four if he knew. The Elite Four didn't mention he did, but it also wasn't necessary, exactly.

Lance brought out a large torch before presenting it in front of Moltres. The many beautiful embers showered around the group but caused no burns or caught on to anything. Finally, a rather large one settled perfectly on top of the torch. The item was immediately lit and began to burn brightly. It was quite an impressive sight to watch this.

"Thank you for your kindness in this favor, Moltres. We hope to honor you with another glorious year of battles," Lance said with a bow.

Moltres settled back onto the ground before bowing back at Lance and the other Elite Four members. It was then it took a good look at the other occupants in the room. Moltres got a fascinated expression on its face as it believed it remembered hearing about these other humans somewhere. If it recalled correctly, one of its brethren, Articuno, had told it about them. They certainly fit the description from what Articuno had said. It said that there was more to them than meets the eye.

"Ummm…," Ash muttered when he noticed Moltres looking straight at him and Serena.

"This is amazing. I think Moltres may be wanting to speak to you," Lance told them in surprise.

Ash and Serena both nervously stepped forward before they were right in front of Moltres. What on Earth could a legendary bird have to say to them? It was quite overwhelming. They glanced back and saw that Brock, Misty, and the Elite Four were just as surprised as they were. They gasped as they heard what sounded like another powerful voice in their head.

"_You were a part of the group who avoided a crisis with Mew's clone, weren't you?"_ the voice asked, presumably Moltres.

"Yes. It was us," Ash said aloud. He and Serena both knew that Moltres was able to communicate with them because of their aura and psychic abilities, but they had no idea how to respond back telepathically right now despite doing it before.

"_Articuno was right about you. It informed me that it sensed something special with each of you when you encountered it. You two may very well have a large role in saving the world when the time comes," _Moltres continued with a nod.

"Wait. Where did that come from? Didn't we do that already with Mewtwo?" Ash asked with confusion.

"_No. This is something much greater than even that. The actions of Mewtwo were certainly a threat, but it is nothing compared to what's to come. What is coming in the future is pure evil," Moltres said._

Both Ash and Serena grimaced at that. Pure evil? Certainly Moltres wasn't talking about Team Rocket! They were no more! They didn't think they could ever meet a man who was more evil than Giovanni. Was it possible there was someone or something out there that was worse?

As if reading their minds, Moltres continued. _"What I am talking about has not yet come to fruition. When it does, we are going to need all the help we can get. You two are key in stopping this."_

"What is it exactly?" Serena asked.

"_Young girl, we do not know yet as it is still too early. Our visions only allow us to know that a disaster is coming, but they don't allow us to see what it is yet, unfortunately. It is too far away," _Moltres answered with regret.

"So how far away is it?" Ash asked.

"_It is still years away, but we give you this warning now so you will be ready when the time comes. As you are now, neither of you are equipped to handle what is to come but will be in due time,"_ Moltres said.

"It must be referring to our aura and psychic powers," Ash whispered to Serena, who nodded back.

"_Yes. I am," _Moltres suddenly said in their heads causing them both to jump. It then took on a serious tone again. _"Train hard until that time comes. We will inform you as the crisis draws closer. May we meet again in the future."_

"Wait! Why us?!" Ash cried. What was it that made him or Serena so special that they were picked for something like this?!

_"Because you are the chosen ones," _Moltres answered. _"You will know what that means in due time."_

Getting the feeling that the conversation was over, Ash and Serena made their way back to the others, each thinking the same thing. It was certainly a cryptic message. What could Moltres possibly be talking about? According to it, whatever evil there was out there hasn't come to power yet so they didn't know what it was. All of the legendaries appeared to be in on it, including Mew and Mewtwo when they offered assistance to Ash should he ever need it. Articuno had apparently told Moltres about them already. They found it strange that it hadn't said anything to them when they met it. Perhaps it had just awoken and needed to adjust its powers?

"Ash, what was that all about?" Misty wondered as she scrunched up her face in total bewilderment.

"Ummm, well…," Ash muttered as he rubbed his head, not really knowing how to begin.

"Don't really know what to say, huh? Well, it's not like it's our business. When you're ready to tell us, you can," Brock told them as he crossed his arms.

"Right. Thank you, Brock," Ash replied with a grateful smile.

"I'm curious, too, but I won't press the issue. If it was something worth mentioning immediately, Moltres would no doubt tell us," Lance stated.

"So what happens now?" Serena wondered, changing the subject.

"Oh? With the flame? We usually present it to a chosen challenger of the Pokemon League to run it to the Indigo Plateau," Lance replied.

"How does someone get chosen to do this?" Ash asked.

"They are usually preselected, but our chosen athlete to do it this year hasn't shown up, which had left us in a bind until now," Lance answered as he and the other Elite Four members looked thoughtfully at Ash.

"Until now?" Ash echoed.

"I think we found the perfect candidate to present Moltres' flame this year to the Pokemon League," Lance said with a smile as he went over and handed the torch to Ash.

"You want me to do it?" Ash asked in an amazed tone.

"Yes. It takes a special Pokemon trainer to be able to speak with Moltres. It turns out your coming here was no mere coincidence. It was meant to happen," Agatha told them.

"I think Moltres approves, as well," Lance commented as he gestured back to it.

Ash looked back up to the fire bird Pokemon and saw it nod its head in confirmation. He looked back down at the torch. He couldn't believe this. He was actually being chosen by the Elite Four themselves to present the annual flame that came from Moltres itself! This was almost like a dream and such an honor!

"Well, don't just stand there staring at it, young man! You need to hurry so you can make it in time for the opening ceremony. It can't start without the flame. This passage way will take you straight out of the cave," Agatha chuckled as she indicated to a corridor towards their right.

"Oh! Right!" Ash exclaimed as he turned to go with everyone else, but there had been one thing that was still on his mind that he had to ask ever since meeting the Elite Four.

"Please! Is there any advice any of you have on what it takes to be a great Pokemon Master. I feel rude asking you this, but any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!" Ash pleaded.

The Elite Four exchanged glances with each other and looked back down at Ash. They noticed the others and even the Pikachu was looking hopefully up at them. This was definitely a group of determined individuals in front of them. Most people only hoped to battle them at first glance rather than ask for advice. It was also a rare trait in trainers now.

"My strategy is to be like the water. I go with the flow in life and become as hard as ice in battle, but a great Pokemon trainer knows how to connect with their Pokemon. It isn't just about winning a lot of badges and conquering leagues," Lorelei said.

"It's about finding your hidden strength on the inside, not just the outside," Bruno continued.

"Pokemon and their trainers should care for each other. Only then can they achieve great things together," Agatha said next.

"The bottom line is the bond you share your Pokemon. I think you already knew that, though," Lance said as he gave a knowing smile at Ash.

Ash and Serena smiled back as they thought about what they just said. At the start of their journey, all Ash and Serena cared about was catching the strongest Pokemon they could and use great strategies to win. Now, they knew there was so much more to it than that. As they went farther, they gained so much knowledge about what being a strong trainer was really about. The Elite Four just happened to confirm what they were thinking all along.

"Thank you so much," Ash said.

"Ash, even though we just met, I feel you are going to be a great Pokemon trainer and will go far in your career. Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and I will be monitoring your progress in the Pokemon League. Go and do well. We believe you have what it takes to win," Lance said as he went over and placed his hands on Ash's shoulders.

Ash couldn't help but redden slightly at the high amount of praise he was getting. All the Elite Four members were complimenting him, and they hadn't even known him that long.

"I will do my very best," Ash promised.

"We know," Lance responded.

Ash then turned to his friends. "What are you guys waiting for!? Let's get this flame to the Indigo Plateau and start the ceremony!" he cheered.

"You got it, Pokemon Master, Ash!" Brock replied with a nod.

"We're behind you all the way!" Misty agreed, too.

Ash then looked at his faithful rodent partner. It sparked its cheeks pumped both its fists into the air to show how ready it was. It was going to try its absolute best for its trainer. There was no way they were going down! Ash then saw Togepi, who looked like it didn't quite know the situation, but he knew it would be cheering for its "daddy", also. Then there was Serena who had always been there for him. She was staring at him with a look that was a mixture of admiration and solid will. He could count on her for anything. As a team, they were unbeatable.

"Let's go!" Ash called as he turned and ran for the exit with the torch held high. His friends were right behind him.

Ash didn't know how, but he already had an amazing experience by just heading on the path to the Pokemon League. He and his friends met the Elite Four and Moltres. The quartet even gave them some advice on what being a great Pokemon trainer was all about. Now Ash was more pumped than ever. With how eventful today was, he knew he was going to have an unforgettable experience ahead of him. All of his friends and Pokemon were supporting him. He was going to win and be the Pokemon League champion!

* * *

><p><strong>Well, Moltres appears, the Elite Four appears, May and Dawn are mentioned, and more foreshadowing. Yeah. I'd say this was a pretty eventful chapter! Next chapter starts the Pokemon League, and how will it go for Ash? See you all next Tuesday! Have an awesome week!<strong>

**One more thing, there is a new poll in my profile. It's nothing serious, but mainly used for fun. I've given all of Serena's Pokemon distinct personalities so I was curious about which one was your favorite. Make sure to vote!**

**Chapter 55: The Pokemon League Begins! **

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ash get an Absol?_

_**Maybe.**_

_I know you are not doing the second pokemon movie but will you still have ash called the chosen one?_

_**I've actually said from the start that I AM doing the second movie. It's the third one that I'm not doing. As far as Ash being the chosen one, if this chapter is any indication, then yes.**_

_Will a girl try to kiss Ash?_

_**Do you mean Serena? Yes. She's his girlfriend, after all.**_

_Will Tierno, Shauna, and Trevor make early appearances like Calem did?_

_**Yes. Tierno Shauna, and Trevor are set to make their first appearance in the Johto arc.**_

_Will ash get larvitar?_

_**Either Ash or Serena will get a Larvitar.**_

_You seem to be getting the chapter numbers mixed up._

_**No. I'm not. The reason why the actual chapters and ffnet. counted chapters don't match up is because there was an interlude in this story which didn't count as an ACTUAL chapter. If you want to know which chapter this story is really on, read the number next to the chapter at the top of the page before each chapter.**_

_Who will Serena have as a rival in the Pokémon performances?_

_**Shauna will definitely be one of them. Not sure yet about any others.**_

_Will take some suggestions on what pokemon the gang will catch in jhoto or will you figure it out yourself?_

_**I'd like to figure out the Pokemon myself. With as much readers as there are in this story, if I took suggestions from the readers, I would have all 721 Pokemon as suggestions so that really wouldn't get me anywhere. If I need help figuring out something, I will ask you loyal readers like I did with the chapter where Ash catches Primeape a while back.**_

_I know you want to keep shiny pokemon to a minimum but, will the red Gyarados from gold/silver be appearing?_

_**Yes, but I won't reveal if anyone from the group gets it.**_

_Will Serena cut her hair in the Johto region when she does Pokemon Performing?_

_**I don't know if Serena's cutting her hair yet.**_

_Since you say it'll be a while before Serena's Pokémon egg hatches, will she have Prof. Oak look after it?_

_**For a short time, yes. It will be at the prof's lab while the group is at the Pokemon League for sure.**_

_Can you do OC submissions for the Indigo League?_

_**Sorry. I've already got Ash's full lineup of opponents for the Pokemon League chapters. As stated earlier, I don't really want to use OC's in this story. I've told a few people that I feel the Pokemon world has enough characters to where OC's aren't necessary. **_

_How many non-canon pokemon will Ash catch in Johto?_

_**Ash honestly may not catch any noncanon Pokemon in Johto. I'm thinking of one or two but haven't fully decided yet. If there are no noncanon Pokemon captures for Ash, it will be made up by Ash still catching more Pokemon in Johto. How? With the likes of Gligar and Aipom making early appearances. (Whoops, spoiler.)**_

_**As for Serena, she will catch a total of four or five Pokemon in Johto.**_

_Are you considering a new character design for Serena like the one in the XY anime?_

_**Serena will definitely have a new outfit for Orange Islands and Johto but it isn't her new outfit in the anime…yet.**_

_Will there be more team battles in your later arcs?_

_**Definitely.**_

_Do you like Serena new hair style in the anime?_

_**I've already said I do.**_

_Do you already have an idea on who Ash will face who in the Indigo League?_

_**As I responded to a previous question just now, I have Ash's full roster of opponents lined up…for the matches I choose to spotlight. Yes. There will be just a couple of battles that are skimmed over like in the anime because writing the amount of battles that are coming up will take a mental toll on me (it already has, actually! lol).**_

_My question is will we ever see or hear about Serena's father?_

_**As I've already said several times…yes, but not anytime soon. I'm starting to wonder if some people even read these questions considering how many times I get asked the same question. How about this? If I don't answer your question from now on, it's because it was asked and answered previously ( and probably more than once). Look in the previous chapters.**_

_With what Serena had gained and accomplished throughout this arc, you won't have her stop battling, right?_

_**No. She will still battle some.**_

_How chapters will the Orange Island roughly?_

_**Look in previous chapters.**_

_Will ash or serena, catch any pokemon from Pinkan island, or possibly the crystal onix?_

_**Definitely not the Crystal Onix, and truthfully, catching a Pokemon from Pinkin Island wouldn't be that amazing considering it's the berries that make the Pokemon pink. Their color would fade overtime after being caught and just be a plain colored Pokemon again…unless of course there was a shiny coloring underneath that pink, but seriously, what are the odds of that?**_

_During the indigo league will ash be more serious than he was during the anime?_

_**What do you mean by "more serious"? He seemed plenty serious to me in the anime.**_

_You said Ash would be getting a new outfit after Kanto. Did you mean an original outfit thought of from your own mind?_

_**No. They will be outfits in canon…mostly. You'll find out what his Orange Island outfit will be soon enough. ;)**_

_Also, With Ash's Charizard and Charla be staying at the Charicific valley and if so how long?_

_**Look in previous chapters.**_

_Also, will Ash make moves like Thunder Armor, countershield, or eating moves like energy ball or ice shard and maybe shadow ball for extra power._

_**Yes. He will think up combination moves.**_

_Will Togepi still be very dependent when this egg hatches?_

_**The egg will hatch sometime in Johto. Togepi will be about where it is in Johto in canon with regards to that. Before any of you wonder if Ash and Serena will have TWO baby Pokemon to take care of, keep in mind that not ALL baby Pokemon require special nurturing right after their born. Ash's Phanpy didn't.**_

_During the Pokemon League, Ash be switching his Pokemon up each match of the four fields right and for future match too right?_

_**He will do his best.**_

_Will ash train alongside the guidance of legendary Pokemon?_

_**Hmmm…maybe.**_


	56. The Pokemon League Begins!

**A/N: There is something you all should know. It is posted at the end of this chapter so please read it. With that, please enjoy the first chapter of the long awaited Pokemon League!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 55: The Pokemon League Begins!<p>

The Indigo Plateau was packed right now. Trainers from all across the region had finally come to gather for the big event starting tomorrow. Every single one of the trainers participating had fought long and difficult battles to make it this far. They were skilled enough to receive all eight badges of the Kanto region. Some were more difficult than others, but there was no doubt they all earned the right to be here in the Pokemon League. It truly was an honor to participate.

Of course, there were only around one hundred participants this year. Only so many trainers were good enough to actually compete. The tourists are what made this place so lively rather than the participants themselves. Families, friends, and people who just love a good battle had come to see this once a year event. At the very moment, however, the Pokemon League needed one more thing before it could officially start: the flame of Moltres. Everyone was gathered side by side in a line on each side of the road.

"I can't wait to see the running of the torch. It's always so cool to see the flame lit just before the ceremony!" Leaf said excitedly as she looked for any sign of it.

"I always thought it would be really awesome to be the runner for it. It makes me wonder how they get chosen," Gary added thoughtfully.

"They say the Elite Four chooses them," Leaf answered.

"I know that, but what traits do the Elite Four look for?" Gary inquired.

Leaf didn't know so she just responded with a shrug. She then stuck her head out of the crowd to try to see if the runner was coming up soon. Truthfully, they should've been here by now as it was starting to get late. They heard the announcement that the runner would be coming soon so where was he?

* * *

><p>"There it is! The Indigo Plateau!" Ash hollered as he pointed in the distance with the hand that wasn't holding the torch.<p>

The group was riding Brock's Onix at the moment in order to get there faster. Now that he was in charge of running the torch, he knew everybody would be waiting for him. Evening was approaching, and Ash needed to be there before nightfall. The ride was rather rough and uncomfortable with Onix being a large snake made of rock, but it would still get them there faster.

The group could already see the large crowd of people below the hill they were on. It truly was amazing to see this many people had come to see him and others battle with everything they had. This was finally his time to shine, and he wasn't going to disappoint these people. He had Pallet Town pride on the line.

"Have Onix go ahead and let me off. I'm going to run the rest of the way," Ash told Brock.

"You got it, Ash!" Brock replied it thumbs up before commanding. "You heard him, Onix!"

Onix gave a light roar and lowered its head until it was touch the ground. Ash then carefully got off Onix's head, and as soon as he touched ground, he broke off into a sprint with Pikachu right behind him. He could hear Serena and the others cheering him on as he ran. The hill he was running down was really building up his momentum. He was so pumped!

A large round of applause broke out as he drew closer. Ash couldn't help but grin broadly at the sight of this. As he neared the crowd, Ash slowed down into a jog so he could keep the torch steadier. He then broke through the first wave of people as they cheered on either side of him.

"Ladies and gentleman! The flame of Moltres has finally arrived! I've just been informed by the Elite Four that the name of the torch runner this year is Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!" an older man's voice spoke over the intercom.

As Ash continued to run, he happened to see Gary and Leaf in the crowd. They had their mouths dropped in complete surprise as they watched him run by. As much as Ash wanted to wave to them, it would've distracted him from his main goal. It was with that in mind that he faced forward and continued running. With the next familiar person he saw, Ash's face almost darkened a little. It was Paul, who he knew he would have an inevitable encounter with. Still, the look on the cold boy's face was priceless when he saw Ash. It was one of utter shock.

As Ash neared the end of the runway, he could see a very short elderly man who he humorously thought looked a lot like Santa Claus with his huge white beard. An Officer Jenny was standing next to him and saluting Ash. The raven-haired boy didn't quite know what to think of the situation. It was pretty overwhelming. Once Ash reached them, the elderly man went over and held his hand out for Ash to shake.

"Hello there, young man! My name is Charles Goodshow! I'm the president of the Pokemon League Corporation!" he greeted with a smile.

Ash had to admit, he was expecting the president to be very formal and well dressed, but this man was anything but that. He was sporting a baseball cap, t-shirt, and shorts. Despite this, Ash quickly made sure to return the handshake and show his respect.

"Hello, Mr. Goodshow! I'm Ash Ketchum! It's a pleasure to meet you!" he replied with a bow.

"Now, now! None of that formal business! Just a simple "What's up, Mr. Goodshow" will do!" Mr. Goodshow said with a laugh. Yeah, he was the complete opposite of what Ash was expecting. He didn't think he could ever bring himself to say "what's up" in front of the president of the Pokemon League.

"Well, what are we just standing here for? Let's go light that flame and have ourselves a great tournament!" Mr. Goodshow shouted enthusiastically.

"Yes, sir!" Ash agreed as they began walking towards the stadium a short distance away. The thousands of others there followed after them.

Once the group entered the stadium, Ash looked around in awe at just how big it was. It could easily hold two Pokemon battles due to its size. Seats rose several stories high in the stands. At the very top center of the stands was an extremely large unlit torch. Ash immediately knew that was his current destination. This stadium would be hosting many types of playing fields from grass fields, to rock fields, to even fields made entirely out of ice. Luckily, he had Pokemon that could be used for each of the environments.

"So, Ash! Tell me a little bit about yourself! Why did you become a Pokemon trainer?" Mr. Goodshow asked as they walked along.

Ash thought a little about that question. It was innocent enough, but this was the president of the Pokemon League who asked it so Ash wanted a good response. He briefly glanced at Pikachu beside him, and it let a smile and nodded its head for Ash to go on.

"Well, I originally wanted to be a Pokemon trainer so I could be the best there ever was and get recognition," Ash began. "But after being on my journey and actually experiencing it, I realized there is so much more out there than that. My Pokemon and I are the best of friends and would do anything for each other. The best part of being a Pokemon trainer isn't winning battles. It's about raising the Pokemon you train to the best they can be. By doing that, you're able to grow with them."

Mr. Goodshow seemed satisfied with that answer as he nodded his head and smiled in Ash's direction. The two, Pikachu, and Officer Jenny then made their way up the stairs which led to the torch. Once they reached it, the Pokemon League president took out a key from his pocket and unlocked a door just beneath the torch. The small group then went inside to a small circular room with various small torches in the middle.

Mr. Goodshow then gestured for Ash to go ahead and light it. Ash nodded before going to light the device, and as soon as he did, there was a small flash as the flame immediately lit up. The torch next to that then lit up, followed by the one after that one, and then the next one. It wasn't long before all the torches in the circle were lit up. The flames then moved towards the center were a very large one was. The smaller flames joined together in the center and created the largest one yet. It then shot skyward, presumably towards the outside. Ash was amazed at how lighting one torch with Moltres' flame could do all this.

The four then exited the room were Charles Goodshow immediately locked it back up. He then pulled a microphone out and turned it on before speaking into it. The cheering crowd steadily quieted down and listened intently. The flame burned brightly above everyone.

"Ladies and gentleman! May I officially announce the start of this year's Pokemon League Tournament! Let's meet all of our competitors! Please turn your attention to the screen!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

Everyone turned their attention to a very large screen on the opposite side of the stadium from the torch. An image of each person began appearing on the screen in twos with their names next to him. After a short bit, Ash saw Gary's name appear and smiled for his friend. Right after Gary he saw Paul, and kept a stony expression. After a few more slides he saw his face and name appear next to an older boy who had long green hair. Ash believed that he had seen everyone he knew in the tournament, but he was soon proven wrong. On one of the last few slides, Ash saw someone whom he hadn't seen in many months, and honestly, he was very pleased. It was the boy whom they had met in Celedon City during the Power Plant crisis: Ritchie Hiroshi.

"_Ritchie!" _Ash thought excitedly. It all suddenly came back to him. Ritchie had turned out to be a very friendly boy who immediately hit it off with Ash. The two became good friends in such a short amount of time and promised to meet each other again at the Pokemon League. It looks like that promise was kept, after all. Ash hoped he would be able to see Ritchie soon and catch up.

Once all of the slides had been shown, Charles Goodshow spoke into the microphone again.

"I hope all of you trainers paid close attention to who you appeared with on the screen as that will be your first opponent! Make sure to check with the nearest Nurse Joy at one of our many Pokemon Centers so you may know when your first match is scheduled. With that, I want all of the participating trainers to follow me over to the festival hall for the ceremony banquet! I'm starving!" he finished the last part with a laugh.

The large group of people nodded and began filing out of the stadium. The trainers headed one way while the guests went another to their own business. Ash followed the Pokemon League president not because he felt the need to still be around, but it was because he honestly had no idea where the festival hall was. The Indigo Plateau was like a maze.

By the time Ash and Pikachu reached the festival hall, there was already a line of trainers standing outside of the building. It may take a while to get through there. Ash and Pikachu both groaned as they felt their stomachs growl. He kind of wished he would get to eat supper with Serena and his friends, and he would probably get his food faster that way, too. He knew this was a tradition, though. Hopefully, he would be able to find Gary and they could share a table.

"Hi there, Ash!"

Ash's face broke into a wide grin before he even turned around. Despite not hearing it in a while, Ash immediately knew who it was. Turning around confirmed it was none other than Ritchie Hiroshi. He hadn't changed a bit since Ash last saw him. Like Ash's Pikachu, Ritchie's Pikachu was riding his shoulder, too.

"Hey, Ritchie!" Ash exclaimed as the two immediately shook hands before pulling each other into a brotherly hug. The two Pikachu hopped off their trainer's shoulders and before greeting the other by shaking their tails like a handshake.

"So I see you made it!" Ash smiled as he and Ritchie broke their hug.

"Yeah! I've got all my badges right here!" Ritchie replied as he showed Ash the inside of the jacket where his eight badges were pinned.

"Awesome, and here are mine!" Ash said as he likewise showed Ritchie the inside of his jacket.

"That's really great, Ash!" Ritchie replied before adding, "So tell me. What all have you been up to since I saw you last?"

"Hahahahaha! You wouldn't believe me if I told you!" Ash laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. It was more like what Ash _hadn't _been up to since last seeing Ritchie. He had stopped Team Rocket from taking over the Silph Company. He saved Cinnabar Island from being terrorized by an enraged Aerodactyl. He saved a cold, emotionless girl from herself. He had a hand in shutting down the Team Rocket organization and saved his mother in the process. He stopped Mewtwo from destroying the world. Yeah. It was way too much to count.

* * *

><p>As soon as Ash was inside the festival hall, his mouth immediately watered. There was a long table filled with all sorts of food on top. As Ash looked around, it appeared that many trainers here had almost as big an appetite as he did. Their plates were piled high, and they were really chowing down. It took a while of looking, but Ash eventually found Gary sitting at a table with one other person. This person in particular was a young man with frizzy black hair and had a plate full of food. It seemed he decided to sample everything. It was then something quite unusual captured his attention about the man. He had a Meowth next to him, but it was wearing boots, a scarf, and a hat.<p>

"That's interesting," Ash muttered more to himself than Ritchie or Pikachu.

Ritchie must've seen what he was talking about as he nodded his head. "Yeah. That Meowth is really different from most Meowths I've seen. It looks really…well…relaxed," he trailed, not knowing the best way to describe it.

Sure enough, the Meowth in question was sitting cross-legged with one paw behind its head while the other was used for grabbing one piece of fruit after another. Seconds later, the fruit would disappear into the Meowth's mouth, usually in one bite.

Ash quickly turned away from the scene so he wouldn't be caught staring. It would be rather awkward if he was caught. He then focused his attention back to table of food now that he had reached it and immediately grabbed a plate. He was filling it with all different sorts of food. He wanted to sample everything they had to offer but didn't think he would have enough room on his plate. He may have to go back for seconds. Ritchie was a lot more modest with his plate and only got things that he seemed he would really like.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked hopefully at Ash.

"Don't worry, buddy. I haven't forgotten about your ketchup. There's some right over there," Ash replied as he pointed to the condiment station.

"So your Pikachu likes ketchup, too?" Ritchie asked in an amused tone.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu answered instead with a smile.

"Sparky here can't get enough of it, either" Ritchie laughed as he gestured to his own Pikachu.

"Pikaaaaa," Sparky said dreamily as it thought of the sloppy tomato goodness.

Once both trainers got their fill, they headed over to the condiment table and got an excess amount of ketchup for their Pikachu. Then they tried to look for a table that was quite empty, but all the other tables almost seemed full. Ash noticed there was plenty of open seats at the table Paul was sitting at as he was by himself. That wasn't surprising. Of course, Ash wasn't going to sit with Paul. He then noticed that the table Gary was sitting at still only had him and man with the Meowth. With a shrug, the two headed over.

"Hey, Gary!" Ash greeted as he and Ritchie sat down while the two Pikachu scooped up a glob of ketchup with their tiny spoons. They then clinked the spoons together and proceeded to slurp it up.

"Yo, Ash!" Gary replied before jumping straight to the point. "I can't help but ask, how the heck did you get chosen to run the flame of Moltres?!"

The young man with the Meowth also looked up from his food and gave a curious eye at Ash. Ritchie appeared slightly uncomfortable, but it was clear he was wondering, too. Ash knew he would probably be asked sooner or later so he might as well do it now. He had to make sure to leave out certain details, though. He promised the Elite Four he wouldn't tell them about Moltres.

"Well, I was going through Victory Road with Serena, Brock, and Misty. I happened to bump into the Elite Four there," Ash started.

"The Elite Four were there? Leaf and I didn't see them when we went through," Gary commented.

"We were in a part of the cave that not many people go to," Ash answered before continuing. "Anyway, they told me I had come at a great time because the person chosen for the running never showed up. Since I was a challenger, they asked if I would do it."

"That's really all there was to it?" Gary asked skeptically.

"Ummm, yeah," Ash answered lamely before taking a bite of food and swallowing, trying to look as casual as possible.

Gary gave Ash a hard stare. The raven-haired boy knew Gary was searching his eyes or body movements to determine if he was hiding something. Ash had a feeling Gary knew he wasn't telling him the full truth. Thankfully, the teenager with the frizzy black hair came to the rescue.

"It's okay. I get the feeling that there are some things you aren't allowed to say. I can respect that," he said.

"Thanks," Ash smiled as he looked towards the teen. "By the way, I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name's Ash Ketchum, and that's my partner, Pikachu!"

"I'm Ritchie Hiroshi, and that's Sparky!" Ritchie added.

"I got ya. Well, my name's Tyson, and that's my Meowth!" Tyson answered while gesturing to the Meowth. The Meowth tipped its hat to Ash and Ritchie in response.

"That's a really different Meowth from the ones I'm used to seeing," Ash commented. To be fair, though, he only really got to know Team Rocket's Meowth, and it wasn't exactly the best example.

"Yeah. This Meowth has been my partner for a really long time. It actually is strong enough to evolve into a Persian, but it refuses to," Tyson replied.

"My Pikachu feels the same way. I once gave it the option to evolve, but my buddy is happy just the way it is. I wouldn't have it any other way!" Ash said as he smiled down at his rodent partner.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed before going back to its ketchup.

"My Sparky feels the same way. I couldn't imagine what it would be like if it was a Raichu," Ritchie added.

"None of my Pokemon have ever really objected to evolving. I guess there are some who don't like change," Gary said thoughtfully.

"I don't think it's like that," Tyson rebutted. "My Meowth believes it can only reach its best potential without evolving. If it evolves, it feels all the power it gained as a Meowth will be for nothing. It wants to prove its strength by beating opponents much stronger than it is without having to evolve."

"Meow," Tyson's Meowth agreed. It had a much lower tone than other Meowth.

"So Ritchie, was it? How did you meet Ash?" Gary questioned.

"We met in Celadon City," Ritchie answered. "I was investigating the water pollution situation there and ended up being captured by Team Rocket. I wouldn't have made it if it wasn't for Ash and his other friends coming along."

"I remember hearing about that," Tyson jumped in. "So you guys are the ones who helped put a stop to it? That's pretty awesome."

"Meow," Tyson's Meowth agreed again.

"Excuse me, are you by chance Ash Ketchum?" came an unfamiliar voice behind Ash. It had a foreign accent.

Ash spun around and saw it was the young man with long green hair who he was paired with. He would apparently be his first opponent in the Pokemon League. He wore flashy pink clothing with a headband holding his long green hair back. He had a conceited look on his face not too much different from how Gary's used to be a while back.

"I am. It looks like we'll be against each other in the first round. What's your name?" Ash asked in a friendly tone.

"My name is Mandy the Astounding," the boy responded arrogantly and flipped his hair.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mandy," Ash said as he held out his hand for the boy to shake.

"Hmph! Hands are for holding pokeballs, not handshaking," the boy replied snootily as he brought out a pokeball and spun it on his index finger for emphasis.

"Umm…okay then," Ash said, trying to remain friendly.

"I didn't come over to make friends with you. I just wanted to let you know that you don't have a chance against me. I will allow you the chance to give up now so you don't have to suffer a loss," Mandy smirked.

"Now wait just a minute here! My pal Ash is just a good a trainer as anyone. He'll never back out of a challenge," Gary defended.

"Heh! I'm afraid that being just as good as any trainer as any won't be enough to beat Mandy the Astounding," Mandy replied.

"There's no way I'm backing down! I'm going to fight tomorrow's battle with everything I have!" Ash said a little loudly, causing a few trainers at nearby tables to look at him.

"We shall see. Won't we?" Mandy responded before walking off to where he was sitting.

"I'd just ignore him if I were you, Ash," Ritchie told him. "Trainers like that are usually all bark and no bite."

"I don't know," Ash muttered. "Every trainer is here because they deserve it. Beating the gym leaders is no cakewalk. I had some really close calls with a few of them."

"The best thing you can do is just make sure you win against him!" Gary said before adding. "Show him some of that Pallet Town pride!"

"You bet, Gary!" Ash replied as they fist bumped.

* * *

><p>The trainers' banquet had gone on for about another hour before the crowd finally began to disperse. Ash, Ritchie, Gary, and Tyson had been one of the last groups to leave because they were too busy talking. It turned out Tyson was a pretty cool guy who had a lot in common with Ash and others. He had come from the Hoenn region. Ash and Tyson wished each other the best of luck before going their separate ways outside the banquet with Pikachu and Sparky shaking the Meowth's paw.<p>

Gary, Ritchie, and Ash then decided it would be best to go find the others. They needed to find a room in one of the Pokemon Centers. While the centers were big and there were many, there was also many tourists who would be taking up space. Having a nice bed and room was something the three needed to be able to perform their best in the coming battles.

"Do you have a Pokemon Center to stay at yet, Ritchie?" Ash asked him

"Well, no. I went over here as soon as Mr. Goodshow made the announcement so I never had a chance," Ritchie admitted.

"If that's the case, you should come with Gary and me! It'll be a blast!" Ash encouraged.

"Well, a friend of Ash is a friend of mine so it's fine with me, too," Gary added.

"Wow. I might actually take you up on that! Thanks guys!" Ritchie exclaimed.

"Pikachu!" the two Pikachu cheered at being able to spend more time with each other.

The three were just about to set off when Ash's Pokegear rung. He looked and smiled when he saw it was Serena calling him. It was likely she was starting to worry since he had been out so late. He hadn't spent any time with her since he had been here so it's only natural she would wonder what he's doing.

"Hey, Serena!" Ash greeted as soon as he answered the Pokegear.

"Ash! Where are you? The others and I are starting to worry!" Serena exclaimed.

"Hahahaha! Sorry about that. I just got caught up talking to Gary, Ritchie, and a new friend named Tyson. We kind of lost track of time! We're on our way back right now!" Ash laughed.

"Well, we're in Pokemon Center B so I'll see you when you get back. We already got you a room so you don't need to worry," Serena told him.

"Thanks, Serena! You're the best! I can always count on you to take care of me!" Ash smiled.

He heard Serena giggle on the other end. "Of course you can. I'll see you in a bit."

"Alright. Bye, Serena," Ash closed as he turned the phone off.

"Heh! Serena's already worried about you like some married woman," Gary chuckled.

Ash rolled his eyes at that comment and took a good look at where they were at. The Pokemon Centers were lined up in a row and conveniently marked "A, B, C", and so on. They were by Pokemon Center G right now, and Serena said she and the others were in B. Ash squinted his eyes and could see the large letter off in the distance. It wasn't too far of a walk.

After a short time, the group of three reached the designated Pokemon Center and entered. As expected, the place was chock full of trainers. Despite there being so many different Pokemon Centers, it seemed everybody wouldn't be getting a room and resorted to sleeping in the lobby in sleeping bags. Ash, Gary, and Ritchie felt extremely grateful that their friends had already reserved a room for them.

"Hey!"

The group turned in the direction of voice and saw Serena, Leaf, Misty, and Brock coming towards them. Serena was first, and she didn't waste any time giving Ash a big hug, which he returned. She hadn't seen him since he sprinted off Brock's Onix. Even though it was only hours, it felt even longer to her. She felt inseparable from Ash. Call her clingy but whatever.

It wasn't easy, but the group finally found a space that didn't have a plethora of other people around it and used that to catch up. The group spent that time with Ash reintroducing the group to Ritchie, talking about their journey, or just about anything. Ash was having the time of his life right now. It had really been quite a while since he and all his friends were gathered for just a fun time. While they had been in Pallet, they were busy doing other things like training or watching Serena conquer the Battle Chateau, or they were never altogether at once. Now they finally were, and they even had Ritchie joining them.

Time really flew by for the group and it wasn't long before it was already time for bed. During this time, Ash had learned his time for his first match was going to be at eleven in the morning. It turned out for the better as he would have plenty of time to eat and train. The rooms were large enough for four people each so Ash, Brock, Gary, and Ritchie would be in one room while Serena, Misty, and Leaf shared another room.

* * *

><p>Ash was now getting ready for bed. He climbed into his bed and gave a contented sigh. Here he was. Tomorrow was going to be his very first match in the Pokemon League. He wasn't exactly going to be battling with the nicest person in the world, but it didn't matter. Ash was determined to push though and win no matter who he was facing.<p>

"So Ash? How do you feel about your match tomorrow?" Ritchie asked as he climbed into the bunk underneath Ash.

"Well," Ash began but yawned before continuing. "I don't know much about what kind of Pokemon this Mandy person has, but I have a good selection of Pokemon for the water field tomorrow. I'm going to be using Krabby, Wartortle, and Aerodactyl."

"Are you sure that's a good idea to use a Krabby and Aerodactyl in the Pokemon League Ash? From what I know, Krabby's only battled a couple of times and Aerodactyl hasn't had a real battle at all," Gary pointed out from his bunk on the other side of the room.

"My Pokemon have overcome the odds more often than not. I still remember how well Krabby did in Celadon City Gym despite having a type disadvantage. Wartortle had gone up against Pokemon much stronger than it in Blaine's gym even though it was outclassed," Ash recalled.

"And Aerodactyl?" Gary pushed again.

"I don't know how to explain it, but I really feel like Aerodactyl can do it. Call it intuition, but I just feel like Aerodactyl is going to have a very memorable battle," Ash answered.

"That sounds really risky," Brock commented.

"I have to believe in the strength of my Pokemon and take risks sometimes. It's the only way I'm going to be the best Pokemon Master in the world," Ash stated.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu agreed.

"I don't think it'll ever happen," Ritchie said from below Ash before adding, "Because I'm going to be the best trainer in the entire galaxy!"

"That's not even close to me!" Gary smirked. "I'll be the best in the entire universe!"

"Pokemon Masters! That's us!" Ash declared from his bunk, earning a laugh from the others.

"I guess that leaves me okay to be the greatest Pokemon Breeder seeing as I have no competition," Brock smirked.

He was met by two pillows to the face from Ash and Gary.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentleman! We will be starting our match on the water field in five minutes!" the announcer called over the stadium.<p>

Ash was heading towards the stadium with all the others. They had just left Gary's battle which he had won. Of course, Gary jokes about being the greatest ever so the others let him have his moment to shine a little bit. Gary's Arcanine had really pulled through against the other trainer's Hypno. It really was one of his most trusted and strongest Pokemon after Blastoise. As they made their way there, they spotted Mandy giving an interview to reporters. He was greatly exaggerating his movements through hair flips and poses. The group rolled their eyes. What an ego.

Once he reached the spot where the challengers were supposed to go, he bid his friends farewell where they wished him good luck before heading off. Serena, of course, had a few other things to say.

"How are you feeling, Ash?" she asked him.

"I'm feeling really good. I know you'll be up there cheering me on. That's enough to keep me going until the end," Ash replied.

"Heehee! You're so silly, Ash!" Serena giggled.

"Well, I'm still new to this relationship stuff so I still may say stupid things every now and then!" Ash joked.

"I know, but that's what I love about you! Good luck! You'll do great!" Serena said as she gave him a hug.

"Thanks," Ash replied as he returned it. "I'll be listening for you because I know you'll be cheering the loudest out of everyone!"

"Always!" Serena answered before hurrying to catch up with the others.

Ash stared at Serena as she hurried off. Sometimes, it was just hard to take his eyes off her. Her hair was swaying back and forth against the wind. Her…

"Pika!" Pikachu yelled, snapping him out of it.

"Oh, right! The match!" Ash remembered as he hurried through the trainer entrance.

As he was running through, he bumped into Tyson.

"Tyson?" Ash questioned as he looked up at the teenager in confusion.

"Sorry about that, Ash! My Meowth and I were just leaving here. We had the water field last and I was drying Meowth off. If there's one thing it can't stand, it's the water. We still won, though!" Tyson laughed.

"Oh, congratulations!" Ash praised as he looked down at Tyson's Meowth who looked a little annoyed at having to battle in the water field.

"Meow Meow," it muttered.

"Don't look at me like that," Tyson said with a smile. "You were the one who decided to battle on the water field."

"Meow meow," it said.

"That's why I agreed to it! You're strong enough to win on any environment," Tyson said.

The Meowth in boots just sighed in response.

"Anyway, I think you're up next so I just wanted to wish you the best of luck!" Tyson continued.

"Thanks, Tyson!" Ash smiled as the two shook hands.

Tyson then hurried out of tunnel with his Meowth close behind. Ash watched the two with a smile on his face. He couldn't help but be reminded how similar those two were to him and Pikachu. They would quibble over the silliest of things but were still inseparable. Ash then nodded his head and proceeded out to the stadium.

As he entered, he saw the field definitely lived up to its name. There were two trainer's boxes on each side of the field and an Olympic-sized swimming pool of water in the center with only a few small platforms in random areas of the pool. Krabby, Wartortle would thrive here while Aerodactyl could battle over the water.

"Ladies and gentleman! Our other challenger, Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, has now arrived. The other participant today will be Mandy the Astounding, one of the most popular Pokemon trainers in the area! Good luck to both trainers!" the announced stated.

"Mandy the astounding doesn't need luck," Mandy smirked. He then made a bouquet of flowers appear from seemingly nowhere and tossed it into the crowd. The crowd immediately began fighting over the bouquet until a teenage girl finally hung onto it.

"We love you, Mandy!" a large portion of the crowd roared.

Ash sighed after he heard that. He was no doubt the underdog here. It was more than likely that Mandy had gathered quite a following on his Pokemon journey through his flashy clothes and magic tricks.

Ash, on the other hand only saved the world from Team Rocket, but most people don't care about things like that nowadays, not that Ash was open about it anyway. In the end, it didn't matter how many people rooted for him. He would always have his friends and Serena supporting him, and that was enough.

"May both trainers enter their designated box please!" the announcer requested.

Ash entered his box with Pikachu by his side. He had a determined look on his face while Mandy wore an arrogant smirk and crossed his arms. He didn't even look the least bit worried about this match. So he thought Ash would be an easy victory, did he? Ash didn't know what kind of trainers Mandy faced in the past before coming here, but he was about to prove he wasn't just some stepping stone on Mandy's supposed path to greatness. He was determined to win.

"Okay! I need each trainer to choose their Pokemon. We will now cast a roulette to decide who goes first!" the judge declared.

Everyone looked up on the large screen where Ash and Mandy's image appeared. Their sides on the screen then began flashing back and forth at a quick speed. After a few seconds, it slowed down before finally settling on Mandy's image.

"Okay, Mandy! Please choose your first Pokemon!" the judge commanded.

"My first Pokemon is all I will need," Mandy smirked as he held up a pokeball with his two front fingers. He then skillfully tossed the pokeball in the air before yelling, "Go, Exeggutor!"

A large Pokemon that resembled a coconut tree with two legs and no arms appeared on one of the platforms and let out a cry. It then shook its many heads and a brilliant powder appeared above it, causing the crowd to go wild again. This Exeggutor appeared to be quite a showoff like its trainer.

"A grass-type," Ash said to himself before looking at Pikachu. "What do you think, Pikachu? Can Krabby handle another grass-type?"

"Pika Pikachu!" it responded with nod.

"My thoughts exactly!" Ash smiled as he threw the ball forward. "Let's go, Krabby!"

The river crab Pokemon appeared and clicked its pincers to get itself pumped up for the battle. This was its first real Pokemon battle since the Celadon Gym, but Ash had trained with it since coming home so it felt prepared for anything once again.

"What? There's no way a Krabby can beat an Exeggutor!" Gary exclaimed from the crowd.

"Ash doesn't exactly have a normal Krabby," Brock smiled as he watched.

"That's right. Ash learned very quickly that he and Krabby have good strategies for dealing with grass-types," Serena added.

"Exeggutor's a part psychic-type, too," Leaf countered.

"I didn't say it was the best choice, but I still think Krabby might be able to win if Ash plays it really smart," Brock replied.

"Your Krabby is no match for my Exeggutor. This match will be easier than I thought," Mandy said.

"We're going to prove you wrong! Isn't that right, Krabby!?" Ash asked it.

"Kokee Kokeee!" it cried in response.

"Alright! The three-on-three battle between Mandy and Ash will begin as soon as I lower my flag! Are the trainers ready?" the judge asked as he raised his flags.

Ash nodded, and so did Mandy. They stood at the ready. They were ready to issue a command as soon as they were able to. Ash narrowed his eyes. This was the Pokemon League. There was no time for rookie mistakes here. He had to battle with everything he had and use his best strategies. Ash took a deep breath to steady himself, and then…

"Begin!" the judge declared as he brought his flags down.

"Exeggutor, use Leech Seed," Mandy commanded

"_I figured he would start the match off with a move like that, but Krabby and I have practiced for things like this,"_ Ash thought.

"Exegg!" the coconut Pokemon cried as it bent over and shot a rather large seed towards Krabby, but it and Ash knew what to do.

"Krabby! Use your Crabhammer on that Leech Seed back to Exeggutor!" Ash yelled.

Krabby reeled its pincer back as it glowed. It then swung its right pincer as hard as it could, knocking back the leech seed and sending it flying towards Exeggutor.

"Hmmm, not too bad. Exeggutor, use Confusion!" Mandy called.

Exeggutor's eyes glowed and stopped the Leech Seed just before it struck. The Leech Seed hovered in the air for a moment before going back to Krabby. This time it was going in all sorts of angles so Krabby couldn't get a clear shot at it. Krabby swiped at the seed again only for the Leech Seed to dance out of the way and go for it again. Krabby was doing a good job of keeping the seed at bay, but Ash knew it couldn't do that forever.

Apparently, Mandy was tired of this so he decided to kick it up a notch. "Exeggutor, use Stun Spore," he said.

The Exeggutor was clearly able to do two attacks at once as it began shaking the leaves on its head very quickly while still using Confusion. The brown powder sprinkled out of its head as it headed towards Krabby. Krabby's eyes widened as it saw the Stun Spore coming closer. There was no way it could dodge both Stun Spore and the Leech Seed.

"_Okay. That Exeggutor is pretty good," _Ash thought. "I've got it! Krabby, use Protect and dive in the water to avoid Stun Spore!"

Krabby nodded its head and a glowing barrier appeared around it. The Leech Seed bounced harmlessly off the barrier and fell to the ground, completely powerless. Krabby then managed to hop into the pool just before the Stun Spore reached it. The brown powder then landed in the pool before dissolving.

"Your Krabby is not safe in the water, either," Mandy smirked. "Use Confusion, Exeggutor!"

Exeggutor's eyes glowed blue once again, and the water began to get extremely choppy. It wasn't long before a whirlpool was formed. It started off small, but quickly grew in size. Despite its best efforts to stay away from the whirlpool, Krabby was soon sucked into it and began spinning around inside.

"Hold on, Krabby!" Ash called.

Mandy, meanwhile, was simply standing there with his arms folded wearing a confident smirk on his face.

Krabby began swimming frantically through the whirlpool in an effort to stay afloat, but the pull was too strong. It started to use its pincers like paddles for extra power, but even that strategy proved fruitless. It was nothing but a sitting Psyduck in that whirlpool.

"I hate to say it, but that Exeggutor is really well trained," Ritchie muttered from the crowd.

"We met him last night at the trainers' banquet. He was kind of a jerk and even told Ash to just give up before facing him. I was kind of hoping he was a horrible trainer with an attitude like that who just pretended he was good," Gary continued.

"He was able to back it up, after all," Misty mumbled.

"Let's go, Ash!" Leaf and Serena screamed from the stands. It was little hard for them to stand out, however, because the majority of the crowd was cheering for Mandy.

"Use Egg Bomb while Krabby is trapped, Exeggutor," Mandy told it.

Exeggutor once more bent over before shooting large, egg-shaped, orbs from its head. Ash knew Krabby couldn't grab or knock these back even if it wasn't trapped. They would explode on impact regardless. The Egg Bombs were splashing all over the pool while Exeggutor was still using Confusion. It wouldn't be too long before Exeggutor got a lucky shot.

Krabby, meanwhile, was becoming extremely dizzy due to all the swirling. Try as it might, it just wasn't strong enough to break free of the whirlpool. Ash had trained with it a lot in the water while he was in Pallet Town, but neither of them were ever expecting it to be trapped in a whirlpool. It began struggling harder, but the current still did what it wanted to with Krabby. It would need help in getting out of that whirlpool.

Ash gritted his teeth as he thought of returning Krabby so it wouldn't get knocked out so soon. Even so, there had to be something to get it out of that whirlpool. He then cast a glance at Exeggutor as it continued to launch several Egg Bombs in the pool. Every time they hit, a large splash would occur. Krabby was doing its best to dodge despite spinning around but was clearly getting tired. If one of those Egg Bombs hit, it would probably all be over. Still, they made small spouts of water when they hit the whirlpool…

"_That's it!"_ Ash thought.

"Okay, Krabby. I'm going ask you to do something a little difficult, but I believe in you. I need you to try to track where the Egg Bombs are going to land. When you do I need you to get beneath the water. Will you do that?" Ash asked it.

He saw a slight movement from Krabby's pincer indicating it understood what he said. Everyone in the stands seemed rather confused by this course of action. Wouldn't that cause a lot of damage to Krabby?

"I think we're about to see another strategy only Ash can think of," Brock smiled.

"And Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town sends a strange request to his Pokemon! What could he possibly be planning?! Meanwhile, Mandy appears to be in complete control of the situation!" the announcer shouted.

Krabby looked at all of the glowing orbs coming towards it. There appeared to be no specific pattern so it would need to wait for a lucky one. Whenever it was, Krabby hoped it was soon because it couldn't be in this whirlpool much longer unless its strength ran out, or it passed out from dizziness. It then spotted what looked like an Egg Bomb coming straight for it. Krabby needed to be quick. It submerged its whole body beneath the whirlpool and immediately felt ten times dizzier than it felt already.

Luckily, the Egg Bomb hit soon after. It didn't quite know what to expect, but the attack didn't hurt near as much as it thought it would. The water probably quickly defused it. Despite this, a large amount of pressure erupted right underneath Krabby from the force of the underwater explosion. It was blasted out of the whirlpool at a diagonal angle on a collision course with Exeggutor, taking it completely by surprise.

Krabby didn't stop there however. It began glowing white while everyone in the stadium gasped. Its pincers grew larger with a noticeably bigger one and a crown formed on its head. When it stopped glowing, a Kingler was in its place, and it was still sailing straight towards Exeggutor! All this happened in a span of less than three seconds. Ash wanted to celebrate, but knew he didn't have time to.

"Kingler, Crabhammer!" he yelled.

Kingler managed to get its largest claw to glow just before ramming into the dumbfounded Exeggutor. The pincer and Kingler itself collided into Exeggutor with the force of a truck, and the coconut Pokemon was sent toppling backwards and into the water before sinking like a stone. The whirlpool slowly halted now that Exeggutor had lost control.

"This is impossible!" Mandy exclaimed.

Kingler landed on the platform Exeggutor was on and clicked its pincers to show it was still ready to fight. It turned back and nodded to Ash which the raven-haired boy returned with a thumbs-up. The crowd erupted into applause and happy cheers from seeing an evolution right on the battlefield.

"And what did I tell you," Brock smirked from the crowd

"Ash Ketchum and his crazy but brilliant strategies," Misty muttered.

"Now that Krabby's a Kingler, I bet it can kick that Exeggutor's butt!" Leaf exclaimed as she pumped her fist into the air.

"Someone's really getting into the battle," Gary smirked from the side.

"Well, of course! I was doing the same for your battle, too, you know!" Leaf exclaimed.

Gary's cheeks tinged pink as he didn't know how to respond to that. He simply faced forward so nobody would notice what his stupid face had decided to do in front of everyone. Darn it, Leaf!

Serena had her hands clasped as she let out a smile. Ash was always the best with overcoming the odds. She had such an amazing battler for a boyfriend. If he won this first Indigo League battle, she would be so proud of him! Serena blushed at the thought of what she might do but quickly shook those thoughts from her head to focus on the match.

"That was great, Kingler! You rule! What do say we win this battle!?" Ash exclaimed.

"Kokee!" it responded happily.

"Grr…how dare this boy steal the crowd cheers from me," Mandy uttered. "I will need to teach him and that Kingler a lesson. Exeggutor, Psychic attack!"

Much to the surprise of Ash and Kingler, a burst of psychic waves blasted out of the water and struck Kingler dead on. How on earth had a Pokemon like Exeggutor used a Psychic attack, or any attack, underwater like that?! Kingler was blasted back several feet and back into the water.

"Now use Confusion to give yourself an opening underwater," Mandy ordered next.

There was a glowing pair of dots from inside the water which were undoubtedly Exeggutor's eyes. The pool once more began to slosh around, but instead of creating a whirlpool this time, it began to part to the side. The water continued to part until dry ground at the bottom revealed itself. Since Exeggutor would be unable to get back onto the platform, it would have to resort to this to fight. On the other end was Kingler with a wall of water on each side of them. It was like the parting of the Red Sea in the pool!

Everyone couldn't help but be slightly impressed at the Exeggutor. Most Pokemon of this type would be unable to battle once in the pool, but not this one. Mandy really trained this one well. It was quite powerful.

"Use Psychic attack once more, Exeggutor," Mandy smiled.

The coconut Pokemon once again amazed everyone by blasting the psychic waves while still controlling the water. There wasn't much room on dry ground so Ash decided have Kingler dodge in the water.

"Quick Kingler! Jump into the wall of water to hide!" Ash shouted.

Kingler nodded its head and proceeded to jump towards the wall of water…only to crash into it and fall to the ground. The Psychic attack then struck Kingler again, sending it flying through the air before hitting the ground in a sprawled position.

"What?!" Ash exclaimed.

"Heh! Don't you think Mandy the Astounding knows that you were planning on having Kingler hide in the water? I had my Exeggutor use its Confusion to make the wall of water as hard as rock so nothing can get through it," Mandy smirked.

Ash gritted his teeth as there were little options right now. The passageway between the wall of water was quite narrow and unfit for dodging. It seemed like it would be more of a test of endurance. The only problem was Exeggutor knew all kinds of long range attacks while most of Kingler's attacks were close range.

"We shall win this with a Leaf Storm," Mandy smiled.

Exeggutor soon whipped up a massive flurry of leaves and sent them sailing straight towards Kingler. The pincer Pokemon had been in these situations before, but only with Razor Leaf attacks. A Leaf Storm would be much harder. Kingler braced itself and prepared to do the quickest cutting it had ever done in its life so far.

"You can do it Kingler!" Ash cheered on.

Kingler took a deep breath and began cutting up as many leaves as it could. Because its pincers were so much larger, it was able to crunch many at a time. There were still leaves that managed to get through. Kingler grimaced in pain with each leaf that stuck. The attack finally ceased and Kingler was panting heavily. It managed to keep damage to a minimum with its pincers, but the attack was still super effective, and Kingler was wearing out fast.

"That Kingler is quick with its claws. We should slow it down with a Stun Spore. It has no place to hide now," Mandy said.

The Exeggutor uttered its name again before shaking its leaves violently, causing the brown powder to come out once more. It began to move towards Kingler as Ash tried to think of what to do.

"_Okay, Ash. Try to think back to the time when Kingler was facing Tangela. It was paralyzed by Stun Spore, but it managed to heal itself by washing it off with Water Pulse. Will that work before it hits? It did dissolve in the pool," _Ash mused to himself. Seeing no other option, Ash took a gamble. He had to be fast again.

"Use Water Pulse, Kingler!" he yelled.

Kingler unleased a small orb of water from its mouth and shot it towards the Stun Spore. The part of brown powder hit by the water instantly dissolved, creating a pathway for Kingler. Ash knew that Kingler couldn't just stand there so he had to act.

"Alright, Kingler. Let's go on the offensive! Charge towards Exeggutor!" Ash yelled.

"Kokeeee!" Kingler cried as it charged towards Exeggutor as fast as its crab legs would carry it.

"Foolish boy. My Exeggutor's attacks will wear it out before Kingler reaches it. Use Egg Bomb," Mandy said.

Exeggutor bent over and begin launching several more egg shaped bombs at Kingler, but Ash and Kingler were ready this time.

"Use Bubble to detonate those Egg Bombs!" Ash hollered.

Kingler obeyed and shot a large amount of bubbles from its larger pincer. The bubbles struck each of the Egg Bombs that were launched, detonating them before they even came close to Kingler. Still, the pincer Pokemon continued charging towards Exeggutor.

"Use Psychic!" Mandy cried.

"Leap over it, Kingler!" Ash commanded.

Kingler skillfully jumped as the psychic waves soared underneath it. By now it had reached Exeggutor, and Ash issued his next command.

"Use Crabammer and send it flying!" Ash called.

Kingler slammed its large pincer right into Exeggutor's many faces. The coconut Pokemon yelled in pain as Ash issued his next command.

"Grab on to it, and Crabhammer it into the air, Kingler!" Ash yelled.

Kingler opened its up both its pincers and clamped onto Exeggutor before lifting the heavy Pokemon right off the ground and over its head. The crowd let out a surprised gasp at how strong Kingler was proving to be. It then hurled Exeggutor into the air before leaping after it. Exeggutor had lost its focus so much from being thrown that the wall of water instantly crashed back to its original position, leaving nothing but a raging pool.

"Hyper Beam!" Ash hollered.

"Leaf Storm!" Mandy attempted to counter.

Exeggutor shook itself of its stun as Kingler opened up its largest pincer. High powered energy began building up inside the pincer. The coconut Pokemon released the Leaf Storm just as Kingler shot the Hyper Beam. Despite the high-powered flurry of leaves, they were no match for the Hyper Beam. The high powered beam blasted right through the Leaf Storm, completely incinerating any leaves and not leaving a trace. The beam then kept going before slamming right into the airborne Exeggutor. The Exeggutor was blasted backwards by the beam back towards the water, and the attack didn't relent until Exeggutor made contact with platform below it, causing an explosion.

Kingler then fell back towards the ground and landed in the water with a resounding splash. It was panting heavily from using so many attacks in succession and still hurting from the damage, but it was otherwise okay. Everyone waited in anticipation to see if the powerful Exeggutor would get up, but as the smoke cleared, Exeggutor was on its back clearly knocked out.

"Exeggutor is unable to battle. The winner is Kingler!" the judge declared.

"Unbelievable folks! Kingler had a really rocky start but it evolved and really overcame the odds! Newcomer Ash Ketchum really knew what he was doing!" the judge announced as the crowd erupted into applause.

"Woohoo! Go Ash!" Leaf screamed.

Serena breathed a huge sigh of relief. She didn't know what it was with Krabby, no, Kingler's knack for winning against grass-types, but it proved that any Pokemon could win against any with the right strategy. She smiled down at Ash and could have sworn he looked into the stands and somehow managed to find her and make eye contact with her, but one could easily say he as looking up at the cheering crowd in general

Ash had indeed managed to see Serena in the crowd. Call it intuition, but he somehow knew exactly where Serena was in that whole crowd and could see her smiling at him. He didn't know if she knew he could see her, though. He then turned back to Kingler before smiling broadly at it.

"That was amazing, Kingler, and congratulations on evolving!" he told it.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu added.

"Kokee Kokee," it responded happily before grimacing in the pain it was in.

Ash nodded his head and felt this was a good time to recall Kingler. He could let it rest in its pokeball and that way use it for later if he needed to.

"Return, Kingler!" he yelled before withdrawing it to the pokeball and smiling at it.

Mandy, meanwhile, returned Exeggutor and didn't look the least bit worried. In fact, he was smirking!

"Heh! The kid had some beginner's luck, but his luck is about to run out! Seadra, go!" he said and released the Pokemon.

A blue Pokemon that looked somewhat like a cross between a seahorse and a dragon with a large hole in its snout appeared. It landed in the now calming waters with a splash and looked ready to fight.

"A Seadra," Ash muttered as he and Serena scanned it.

"Seadra, the dragon Pokemon and the evolved form of Horsea. Its body bristles with sharp spikes and touching them can cause the victim to be poisoned," the pokedexes stated.

"Seadra is probably pretty quick in the water so I'll need one, too," Ash said to himself before making his decision. "Wartortle, I choose you!"

The evolved form of Squitle appeared with a cry and likewise landed in the pool and locked eyes with its opponent. The two Pokemon stared back and forth at each other, ready for the judge to wave his flag down.

"Okay, Wartortle vs. Seadra. Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Seadra, Agility," Mandy called.

"Skull Bash!" Ash hollered.

Before Wartortle could even react, Seadra broke into breakneck speed in the water and crashed into Wartortle. The turtle Pokemon was sent flying out of the water and onto one of the platforms before slowly getting and shaking its head at how fast that thing was.

"Your Wartortle is too slow for my speedy Seadra," Mandy smirked. "Now, obstruct their view with Smokescreen."

Seadra immediately blew forth a black smoke from its snout right at Wartortle. It began coughing violently at the smoke, and once again it was hit with an attack before it even saw it coming. Seadra had leaped out of the water and collided with it once more, sending it into the water. That, however, gave Ash an idea.

"Dive underwater, Wartortle! Seadra's Smokescreen won't work there!" he called.

Wartortle nodded its head and soon dove underwater, but that didn't stop Mandy. He immediately told Seadra to go underwater after it which the dragon Pokemon did. The two Pokemon were then nothing more than shadows moving through the water at high speed. Ash grimaced as he saw what looked like Wartortle get attacked again in the water. It was true that Wartortle was fast there, but Seadra was still faster.

"Seadra, use Twister!" Mandy hollered.

"Hang on, Wartortle!" Ash called. "Try to get away from it!"

It was no use, though. The water once again began swirling around, and it wasn't long before what looked like a water spout emerge from the pool. Wartortle was shown spiraling upwards through the vortex and gritting its teeth as it tried to hold on. Seadra, meanwhile, had emerged its head from the water to see the proceedings.

"Use Rapid Spin to help you out of there, Wartortle!" Ash hollered.

Despite how dizzy it already was, Wartortle withdrew into its shell and began spinning rapidly. Combined with the spinning of the Twister, its shell was soon nothing more than a blur. Eventually, the constant force of the spinning threw it out of the vortex, and Wartortle's shell became a spinning projectile straight towards Seadra.

Seadra was a very fast Pokemon, but Wartortle was hardly anything but a blur. Mandy or Seadra had no time to react before the shell collided with Seadra, knocking it backwards for a change. Wartortle then smashed into the water and kept going due being unable to stop quickly from moving so fast. Wartortle didn't let that deter it, however. In fact, it used its spinning shell to keep its momentum going so it could match Seadra's speed.

"Go after it with Agility once more!" Mandy called.

Seadra soon disappeared underwater as the two Pokemon were nothing but blurs in the water once more. The two blurs appeared to be trading blows back and forth underwater with neither side seeming to want to give in. Both Pokemon emerged from the water, panting. They had both done a number to each other under the water.

"My Seadra has won many battles thanks to its speed," Mandy commented. "Your Wartortle is no match for it. "Use Agility again, Seadra!"

"We'll just have to slow it down then! Wartortle, Bubblebeam!" Ash shouted.

Wartortle launched a stream of bubbles from its mouth straight at Seadra, but the dragon Pokemon easily moved to the side and continued coming towards Wartortle. The turtle Pokemon once more launched a Bubblebeam but missed terribly yet again.

"Watch out, Wartortle!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle tried to think back to the training it's done with Ash. It never really had been equipped to deal with super fast opponents, but it could certainly use it now. It briefly remembered how Ash had Charizard focus on moving targets when it was a Charmander. The key was to try to predict Seadra's movements. If it shot to the left, Seadra would move to the right. If it shot to the right, Seadra would move to the left. It had to fake out Seadra.

Wartortle then saw Seadra was almost upon it and acted quickly. It took a deep breath and went to shoot its Bubblebeam towards the left, and as expected, Seadra moved to the right. It's exactly what Wartortle wanted. It whipped its head in the other direction quicker than the eye could see and sprayed a good deal upon Seadra. The foaminess of the bubbles caused it to trip up. The dragon Pokemon went spiraling in the air and unable to stop itself.

"Great job, Wartortle! Now use Skull Bash!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle withdrew into its shell and shot into the air after Seadra. As soon as it reached the dragon Pokemon, Wartortle stuck its head out of its shell and rammed it into Seadra with all its might. Seadra went sailing back towards the ground and slammed into the platform, but Ash wasn't done yet.

"Finish with Aqua Tail!" he shouted.

Wartortle then descended upon Seadra while swinging its tail like a viscous wave in a storm. Despite not being able to escape the attack, both Seadra and Mandy let out a smirk.

"You know what to do, Seadra," Mandy said.

Seadra nodded and immediately pricked up its fins. Wartortle saw this and tried to withdraw the attack, but it wasn't able to in time. The Aqua Tail slammed into the Seadra causing a rush of water to spray up all around them and rain all over the battle field.

When everything became clearer, both Pokemon were on the platform. Seadra was on the platform, knocked out. Wartortle wasn't unable to fight but it looked to be in bad condition. It was on its hands and knees panting heavily, and it looked a bit sick.

_"Seadra must have poisoned Wartortle with its fins,"_ Ash thought as he looked on with worry at Wartortle.

"This is incredible, folks! Ash has taken down two of Mandy's Pokemon without losing one Pokemon yet! Could this possibly be a one-sided battle?! Then again, Wartortle appears to be in bad condition!" the announced boomed through the speaker.

"Oh, poor Wartortle," Misty moaned as she saw the distressed Pokemon.

"Mandy knew that the situation was hopeless so he had Seadra poison Wartortle so its health would stay down," Brock muttered.

"Don't worry about fighting anymore, Wartortle! You did a great job fighting Seadra!" Ash yelled to it.

"Waaaaar," it mumbled before coughing.

Ash hated to see his Pokemon like this so he took out his pokeball and recalled Wartortle. There was no way he was going to keep making it battle in that condition. It beat Seadra and tried its best. That's what mattered.

Ash was surprised when he started to hear people chant his name. He looked around in confusion and saw many people standing up in their seats while clapping and cheering. They were actually rooting for him. Before the match started, they were all cheering for Mandy instead, but now the tides have turned. Ash couldn't help but blush at all the attention he was getting. Mandy seemed to notice this, too, and got an angry expression on his face before taking a deep breath to calm himself. Ash couldn't help but smile a little on the inside at seeing Mandy taken off his high horse a little bit.

"Now, Mandy only has one Pokemon left to choose. Will he be able to perform like his tricks and make a magical comeback?" the judge asked rhetorically.

"The answer is he can and he will," Mandy said as he took out another pokeball. Let's see if any of your Pokemon can handle this one."

Ash gave a hard stare at Mandy, wondering what Pokemon could be his last one.

"May I present to you my Pokemon fans, my newly evolved Crobat!" Mandy announced as he dramatically threw his ball up in the air to release the purple bat Pokemon.

Ash frowned deeply upon seeing the Pokemon. He remembered he had faced one of these at Koga's gym. If there was one thing Ash remembered about Crobat, it was how blindingly fast it was. Haunter had only been able to beat it by using moves that never miss. Unfortunately, Ash didn't have Haunter with him or any other Pokemon that knew never miss attacks. He really had his work cut out for him right now.

He then quickly went over his options in his head. Hitmonchan was able to punch really fast, but it wouldn't do well in the water and it was weak to flying attacks. Ash wanted to give his Dratini a taste of battle since it appeared to be ready, but it was still too timid and didn't have the power to take on a frightening Pokemon like Crobat. It would be eaten alive by that thing, and Ash didn't think Kingler or Wartotle would last much longer, either. He had to go with somebody fresh. The only other option he had was Aerodactyl or Pikachu.

Pikachu could no doubt match power with Crobat, and its electric attacks could help it quite a bit, but Ash had relied too much in the past on Pikachu and needed to form that amazing bond with his other Pokemon, too. Ash glanced at the yellow rodent, and it seemed to agree with what he said. Ash needed to use Aerodactly, or he would never properly bond with it.

Ever since he and Aerodactly had talked, the two had gotten along really well. The prehistoric Pokemon had a very friendly disposition when it wasn't rampaging and trying to kill everybody. If Ash used it, this would be their first true battle together and be quite risky. On the other hand, Aerodactyl was the only other one of his Pokemon that had the power and speed to face Crobat. Taking a deep breath and crossing his fingers that he and Aerodactyl could work together, Ash made his decision.

"Go, Aerodactly!" Ash shouted as he threw the pokeball forward.

Quite a few people screamed in terror once they saw the prehistoric Pokemon appear from its pokeball and begin flying around the stadium. Some people ducked for cover while a few actually ran for the exit. Ash knew that Aerodactyl wasn't out to eat them. It was just stretching its wings for the battle. These people didn't know that, though. Once it felt warmed up enough, Aerodactyl landed on one of the platforms and gave loud cry to show it was ready to fight.

"Amazing! The young man from Pallet Town actually has an Aerodactyl in his possession! He is just full of surprises, isn't he, folks?! The judge yelled, but Ash could tell his voice was shaking slightly. Was everyone scared of his Aerodactyl? Even Mandy looked a little taken aback.

"Aerodactyl? I was almost sure Ash would use Pikachu," Misty said.

"Ash told me he had promised to use as many of his Pokemon as he could in the Pokemon League at the trainer's banquet," Ritchie stated. "He told me about all the incredible moments he has shared with his Pikachu and other Pokemon he's earned. He hasn't really created any good memories with some of his other Pokemon so far, though. Aerodactyl was one of the ones he mentioned."

"Yeah. Like any good trainer, Ashy boy wants all of his Pokemon to feel equally special," Gary agreed.

Serena watched with a firm expression on her face. She knew Ash had taken a big risk by doing this. This would be Ash and Aerodactyl's first battle together, and it was against a clearly strong Crobat. She saw the logic in using Aerodactly over his other Pokemon but couldn't help but feel apprehensive about how well those two could play off each other. She then shook her head of these thoughts. If Ash thought he and Aerodactly could win this match, then so did she!

"Alright, Aerodactly! Let's show everyone how far along we've come since Cinnabar Island? Are you ready?" Ash asked it.

"Aerrooooo!" it cried happily.

Ash felt a smile curl to its lips as a murmur of confusion spread throughout the stadium. A joyful cry and smile clearly wasn't what they were expecting to come from such a terrifying Pokemon. It was the same reaction Ash and his friends had when they first met Aerodactyl.

"The battle shall now commence! You may start!" the judge announced and waved both his flags down.

"Fly into air, Crobat!" Mandy yelled.

"After it, Aerodactyl!" Ash yelled, too.

Both Pokemon shot up in the air much faster than one would expect. Ash did briefly remember that both Crobat and Aerodactyl were some of the fastest Pokemon in existence, but quickly pushed a thought like that away. Since they were so fast, Ash would need to keep a trained eye so he knew where Aerodactyl would be at all times. As of right now, they were just blurs moving through the air.

"Both trainers are taking a divergence away from the water field by taking the battle sky high! What could they be planning!?" the announcer commented while the remaining crowd who didn't run away cheered.

"The audience is cheering, Crobat. I say we give them quite a show with your Acrobatics," Mandy said with a flip of his long hair.

Crobat soon began doing all sorts of tricks in midair while still maintaining its speed. This erratic pattern threw off Aerodactyl as it stopped to look wildly around at its nimble target. Before it knew what happened, it was struck from behind. Aerodactyl cried out in aggravation turning around to snap at Crobat, but it was already gone.

"_We aren't going to get anywhere if we let Crobat continue doing all of those tricks,"_ Ash thought. He then called out, "Try your Ancient Power to form a barrier around yourself!"

Aerodactyl nodded, and a plethora of rocks was soon summoned from midair that seemed to be suspended by some mysterious power. The rocks then closed in around Aerdactyl to protect it from any of Crobat's sneaky maneuvers. Sure enough, a few seconds later, Crobat came in for another attack but instead ended up crashing right into a rock. It then shook itself and slowly backed off. Though mainly used as a damage inflicting attack, it appeared Ancient Power could also be used for defense.

"Great! Now pelt those rocks at Crobat!" Ash hollered.

"Dodge it, Crobat," Mandy commanded with narrowed eyes.

Aerodactyl cried out and hurled the suspended rocks at Crobat. Despite hurting itself from crashing, Crobat darted out of harm's way and was soon nothing more than a blur again.

"Now use Air Cutter," Mandy said next.

Crobat stopped for just the briefest of moments and flapped its four wings before darting off again. A physical form of wind soared towards Aerodactly and struck it in the chest. Aerodactyl growled again as Ash issued another command.

"Try to keep up with Crobat with your Agility!" Ash hollered.

Aerodactyl nodded again before dashing after Crobat. If it was a blur before, it certainly was now. The prehistoric Pokemon soon caught up with Crobat and rammed its stone head into it. Like Crobat before it, Aerodactly darted away immediately and became a blur.

"Looks like the tables have turned, Mandy! How does it feel having a Pokemon that's faster than yours for a change?" Ash asked.

"Hmph! You think so, do you? Use Swift, Crobat," Mandy smirked.

Crobat stopped moving and slashed its wings again. This time, however, a bunch of glowing forms of energy in star shapes came out. They followed Aerodactyl before striking it in all sides, causing it to roar in aggravation again.

"Never miss attacks," Ash mumbled to himself. "Aerodactyl's speed doesn't give it much of an advantage as long as Crobat has that move. It's the same strategy I had to help me beat Koga."

"Use Giga Drain, Crobat," Mandy told it.

Crobat immediately flew up to Aerodactyl and latched onto it with its wings. It then bit into Aerodactyl causing it to roar in pain and appeared to start sucking the energy out of it.

"Try to bat it away with Wing Attack!" Ash hollered.

Aerodactyl lifted one of its large scaly wings and tried to slap the bat Pokemon away, but Crobat would merely reposition itself to dodge, or the attack would barely graze it. Despite this, Aerodactyl continued swinging away but the situation looked pretty grim again.

"Come on, Aerodactyl! You can do it!" Ash encouraged.

Aerodactyl continued to howl in pain as Crobat continued to suck the energy out of it. The prehistoric Pokemon could feel itself getting weaker, and the worst part was this parasite was taking its energy for itself! Aerodactyl didn't like that one bit. It then began to become a little bit more violent in its attempts to try to swat at Crobat. As it felt more of its strength leave it, that only made Aerodactyl angrier. It wanted to trust Ash in this battle and fight its anger, but its wild instincts were starting to take over. Rather than just try to get Crobat away from it, Aerodactyl began to snap at it, too, not really caring which part of Crobat's body it hit.

Upon seeing this, Crobat instantly let go of Aerodactyl and backed away in fear for its life. It wanted to win for its arrogant trainer, but it didn't want its body cut in half in the process. It then sweatdropped as Aerodactyl turned an evil eye towards it. Ash's pupils shrunk at seeing that. He remembered that look. It was the same look Aerodactyl had right before it went crazy on Cinnabar Island.

"Aerodactyl! Wait! Just take a deep breath!" Ash yelled out on seeing what was about to happen. What was going on? He thought he and Aerodactyl were past this!

"Why did you stop your Giga Drain, Crobat!? I did not give you that order! Use it again so we can win the match!" Mandy commanded angrily to it.

"Wait! Don't do that!" Ash shouted at Mandy.

"Why not? Is my Crobat too much for your Aerodactyl to handle? If you can't bear the thought of seeing your poor Pokemon knocked out, then you shouldn't be in the Pokemon League in the first place!" Mandy said arrogantly.

"It's not about that, you idiot!" Ash hollered, but it was too late.

Crobat darted towards Aerdactyl, but the prehistoric Pokemon flew out of the way. Aerodactyl turned and saw the Crobat chasing it and gave a roar of aggravation. Then to Ash's horror, it began charging up a Hyper Beam before shooting it at Crobat. The bat Pokemon let out a screech of surprise and clumsily tried to dodge the attack. The Hyper Beam hit its wing rather than its body, but it still hurt it. The Hyper Beam continued going, though. Everyone watched in terror as the Hyper Beam struck one of the walls of the stadium, causing an explosion.

Aerodactyl! Stop! You're going to put the people in danger!" Ash screamed at it.

"Pikachu!" the yellow rodent called desperately.

Aerodactyl didn't listen, though. It shot another Hyper Beam at Crobat who clumsily dodged the attack again. This time the Hyper Beam struck the giant electronic screen in the stadium which completely destroyed it. There was nothing left but a large sparking screen with a gaping hole in the middle of it. People screamed as various bits of electrical wires rained down on them, even shocking a few. If nothing before had caused people to leave the scene, that certainly had.

The tide then turned as it was now Crobat trying to get away from Aerodactyl. The bat Pokemon flew back closer to the ground and chanced a look back only to see Aerodactyl's jaws about to clamp down on it. Crobat spun out of the way again. The two Pokemon then began fly everywhere, sometimes right over the remaining but panicking audience, causing them to duck for cover.

"Aerodactyl! Return!" Ash shouted as he tried to recall the Pokemon, but its wild movements caused the red beam to keep missing. Aerodactyl continued screeching in rage as it chased Crobat before shooting another Hyper Beam.

"_No. This can't be happening," _Ash thought in horror as he watched Aerodactyl in its attempt to defeat Crobat. This was almost a repeat of what had happened on Cinnabar Island, only now it was at the Pokemon League.

Aerodactly was on a rampage once again.

* * *

><p><strong>The worst case scenario happened for Ash in his very first match. If this chapter is any indication, there are going to be a few…twists. You can only imagine what's going to be in store for Ash now. The next chapter will be up next week so I will see you all then! Live long and prosper! Thanks for all the support! <strong>

**About what I said at the beginning: I've thought long and hard about it, but starting next chapter, I'm only going to answer to questions that pertain to the arc I'm on, or probably remove the question and answer segment completely. Why? For a number of reasons. (Note that these reasons do not pertain to EVERYBODY, but for those that they do, you know who you are.)**

**1. Too many people use the white box to ONLY ask questions and not review my chapters which is quite annoying, and most questions asked are pretty trivial anyway.**

**2. I get asked the same question multiple times despite answering it several times before.**

**3. THE BIGGEST REASON: Do you guys really want to know what happens in my story and have me spoil everything for you? Seriously, when I first started this thing, I thought I would only get a few legitimate, thoughtful questions about the story per chapter and be done with it, but before I knew it, I was bombarded with such trivial things like "Are Cassidy and Butch going to mess up Professor Namba's name?", "Is Brock going to do a polka dance like he does in Hoenn?"…..who cares? And why would I be giving deep thought about something unimportant like that to where it requires a question anyway?**

**Furthermore, if you ask me a question like "Is Steven or Wallace going to be the champion of Hoenn", you're asking for something that is AT LEAST a couple of years down the road. Chances are you will forget you asked it and ask me AGAIN, or someone else will forget you asked it and ask it again. **

**Once again, I think what makes a fanfiction better is when I surprise you with things, and how can I do that if you already know what's going to happen half the time? It's better to be suspenseful so the fic is more exciting. I think everybody here has asked just about everything that can possibly be asked about this series anyway so continuing to answer many questions after the Kanto arc would be…pretty pointless…and chances are they will be something I already answered. If I feel something needs to be addressed like "Will Misty be in Johto" or "Will Max travel in Hoenn", chances are I will put up a poll for it.**

**Now, if you have a LEGITIMATE question about the story, like something that didn't seem to make sense to you, or something you didn't quite understand or were confused about…feel free to PM me or ask in the review box. I will happily answer it to the best of my ability because I want my readers to understand everything to its fullest before we reach the grand conclusion! **

**You can also PM me if you just want to talk Pokemon, like what I think about certain things, likes and dislikes, favorite/least favorite etc. I **

**As stated, I will probably continue to do questions and answers as of now, but only Kanto related questions. Any questions that correspond to Orange Islands or beyond will have to wait until I reach those arcs starting after this question/segment. Though truthfully, I'm considering to remove the question/answer segment entirely.**

**Chapter 56: The Tamer**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Will Ash kiss a girl that is not Serena?_

_**No. Ash is loyal and would never do that to Serena, and the same goes for her also. The only time Ash would EVER give another girl a kiss would be a family member…like his mom.**_

_Will Iris call Ash a "little kid" every so often?_

_**Iris won't have a major appearance in this fic because I'm not doing Unova as stated multiple times. She, along with Iris, Cilan, Clemont, and Bonnie will make an appearance in the last story of the series, but I haven't decided on the "little kid" catchphrase for her yet.**_

_Will ash encounter zapdos during the kanto arc?_

_**I tried but couldn't fit it in anywhere…so no. Zapdos will be mentioned but will not actually appear until "The Power of One" arc.**_

_A while back you said you weren't sure if Ash or Serena would get Chikorita. Have you decided who will get Chikorita?_

_**As the Johto arc comes closer, I will put up a poll for that and of course listen to reasons from both sides. I could make either way work so its really more of what fans want.**_

_Are you planning on having a jealousy issue with May and Dawn?_

_**No. Jealousy won't be a big issue with May and Dawn. They are more mature than that. At least in this fic they are and will respect Ash and Serena's relationship. They'll each find their own "happily ever after" with someone else. **_

_Are May & Dawn gonna remember that they met Ash when they were young?_

_**Like Ash in the previous chapter, they will sort of remember him but not fully at first until they are reminded, and it won't lead to any huge jealousy because they were little kids when they wanted to marry Ash and have matured and changed feelings about certain things since then. More or less, they will remember him as a very nice, fun, somewhat handsome boy who knows a whole lot about Pokemon. **_

_Will Silver have any connections to Team Rocket besides Giovani?_

_**No. Like in the games, Silver will despise Team Rocket and everything about it.**_

_Will them saving the world have anything to do with the three legendary Sinnoh Pokémon; Dialga, Palkia and Giritina?_

_**Sorry. No spoilers like that. I'm pretty tight lipped about that situation.**_

_Will you make some or the more arrogant characters(like Mandy) less obnoxious and arrogant?_

_**It will depend on the character. I didn't do that with Mandy as you can see, but I did make Gary Oak more likeable (I think).**_

_Will Lawrence III be the only villain the group will have to deal with in the Orange Islands?_

_**Yes.**_

_Even if Ash doesn't win the Kanto League, will he get the opportunity to battle one of the Kanto Elite Four?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Serena won't start her Performing Career until Johto, correct?_

_**Correct.**_

_Did Dawn and May had a crush on Ash when they were young?_

_**Apparently.**_

_Will you let may and dawn also flirt with ash a little?_

_**I'm not sure, but if they do flirt with him a little at first, Ash won't be responsive to it because he is loyal to Serena. Furthermore, if they do, Serena herself would swoop down and immediately put them in their place which wouldn't lead to any more flirting on their part.**_

_Is there any filter episodes you like that will appear in these arcs? If you do, can you name some of them?_

_**Do you mean filler? The answer is probably not as I try not to do too many of those otherwise the plot will be waaaaaaaay too slow.**_

_Have you ever thought of doing mini contests for gang so they could develop some skills and bond with their Pokemon more?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash keep Aipom or trade it like in the anime?_

_**I'm not sure yet. I only have MAJOR plot points outlined in Sinnoh and Hoenn right now since they are a bit far off. Most of the planning I'm doing is with the Orange Islands and Johto currently.**_

_I've been thinking...what are you going to do with the whole bianca/latias kissing Ash scene?_

_**I don't know yet.**_

_So Johto is the only place the don't us Moltres's flame, but Ho-Oh's instead right?_

_**Correct.**_

_Will Ash's Gible evolve?_

_**Maybe.**_

_If there is a Sinnoh remake by the time the Sinnoh Arc comes out with the starters Mega Evolving (which I think is very possible) will you have Ash's Infernape and Torterra Mega Evolve?_

_**Maybe, but I don't want TOO many of Ash's Pokemon to use Mega Evolution in this story.**_

_Also regarding the whole saving the world thing, is that going to be during sometime in hoenn or sinnoh, or in the final story?_

_**It will be in the final story, but there will be various events and hints and foreshadowing in all arcs before it that lead up to it. It definitely won't come completely out of left field.**_

_Will you do the Pokemon Chronicle story Legend of Thunder but with Ash and co instead and will the Pichu brothers ever make an appearance._

_**I don't know yet.**_

_Will you have Ash and Serena leaving their older Pokemon at the Ranch when they goes to Hoenn and beyond, or rotate?_

_**They will rotate, but they will mainly use that region's Pokemon.**_

_Will Leaf travel to Johto or any region after Kanto?_

_**Yes. Leaf will appear in every arc and region as a recurring character.**_

_Wi__ll Dawn or May make any earlier appearances (like how Serena saw Ash on TV)_

_**If they do, it won't be too much earlier. I may make references to them in late Johto during the Silver Conference.**_


	57. The Tamer

**A/N: Everyone, I have reached a mile stone. I have now officially completed writing the Kanto arc of this series. It took me fourteen months to finish it, but I finally did. Now all the remaining chapters just need to be proofread and uploaded. Hopefully that means I'll be able to upload two chapters a week until I reach the last one. Definitely expect another update sometime later in the week. I can't believe what started off as just a small tribute to amourshipping became a fic as big as this. I had no idea it would gain such popularity. Thank you to everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the support you have given this fic! I know I've lost and gained new readers since I started, but for those of you who were here since the start, I want to shout out to all you! I'll probably say you by name when I post the last chapter. Thank you so much once again!**

**Now that I'm done, it's time ****to take a break from writing...err...To start the Orange Islands arc!**

**Regarding the League rules as a couple of people were confused:**

**In this story I have chosen this situation (in a 3 on 3 battle, a challenger can choose from any of their 6 Pokemon they have with them instead of a predetermined set). I find that trainers can be more skillful and thoughtful with their decisions this way and can make changes based of any Pokemon the other trainer uses. It's also just an easier way for me to write the chapters in all honesty so if I change my mind on what Pokemon to use midbattle, I can only change a few lines instead of the whole chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, but I did do a decent rewrite of the Kanto saga (hopefully)**

* * *

><p>Chapter 56: The Tamer<p>

"_That was great, Aerodactyl!" Ash praised._

_Aerodactyl had just learned Giga Impact. It and Ash had been training all morning so he could get it prepared for the Pokemon League. There were only a couple of weeks left until it started. The two had really come to an understanding with one another during their time together. Aerodactyl was unlike any Pokemon Ash had ever trained before. Being a prehistoric Pokemon, no Aerodactyl ever had the instincts to listen to a Pokemon trainer. They were one of the most feared Pokemon at the time they thrived, and for a good reason. As a result, an Aerodactyl's natural instincts were to just survive. They were very wild._

_Amazingly, Ash had proven that an Aerodactyl could be used, after all. He didn't know if it was just Aerodactyl's jolly nature that made it possible, but it was working. All Ash needed to do was let Aerodactyl know he cared about it._

_The prehistoric Pokemon flew back down to Ash before landing on top of him. It then pinned him to the ground and proceeded to lick him with its long tongue. It was slightly gross and surprising, but that was just Aerodactyl's way of showing affection. Ash struggled continuously while Pikachu couldn't stop laughing at Ash's predicament._

_By the time Aerodactyl was finished, Ash was dripping in saliva. He rose to his feet before trying to brush off as much saliva as possible. He then made sure to fling some on Pikachu because it was still laughing at him. Ash and Aerodactyl then had a good laugh themselves now that Pikachu was drenched._

"_Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu said angrily._

"_Serves you right, buddy! You look even more ridiculous than I did!" Ash laughed._

_Pikachu put on a pouting face and ran off to the nearby lake in Professor Oak's yard to wash off while Ash turned back to Aerodactyl. He then reached over and rubbed its scaly backside which delighted the prehistoric Pokemon. It felt so relaxing after some heavy duty training._

"_I can't believe you actually learned Giga Impact so fast. That was really something!" Ash told it._

"_Aeerooo," it replied._

"_Yeah. All you had to do was increase the power and speed of your Take Down attack. I bet we'll be an unstoppable team at the Pokemon League!" Ash declared._

"_Aeeerr?" it questioned while looking at Ash curiously._

_Getting the gist of what it was asking, Ash nodded his head. "Of course I'm going to use you in the Pokemon League. Why wouldn't I? You're part of the team, too!"_

_Aerodactyl looked down and sighed in response. _

"_You're still hung up about going wild on Cinnabar Island, aren't you?" Ash asked._

_Aerodactyl merely nodded its head._

"_I've already forgiven you for that and so has everyone else. It's in the past. Now we can work together to be a great team. That's what I told you before. Remember?" Ash asked it._

"_Aerroooo," it replied._

"_What happens if you go wild again?" Ash inquired as he looked in thought. _

_He saw Aerodactyl was looking at him with a very serious expression. He didn't know if Aerodactyl voluntarily chose to go wild or if it couldn't control itself. From what Ash had seen, though, Aerodactyl had been nothing but a friendly Pokemon since Ash had talked with it. Still, Aerodactyl seemed to be scared of itself so Ash had to calm its fears._

"_Don't worry. You won't," Ash told it._

_XXX_

Ash shut his eyes at the memory. Unknowingly, he had completely lied to Aerodactyl. He had been so sure that Aerodactyl had gotten over its anger issues, but here it was. He opened his eyes again to see if this was some sort of bad dream, but he still saw Aerodactyl launching a series of attacks in an attempt to catch Crobat. Some attacks were connecting, but the ones that missed were proving to be dangerous for those around it. Ash already had to dodge a few attacks himself.

"Piiiiiika!" Pikachu screamed and ran forward.

"Wait, Pikachu. I can't have you fight Aerdactyl! Not after all that's happened!" Ash cried.

"Pikachu Pikachu!" it responded angrily.

"I know that people's lives are at stake, I just…," Ash hesitated.

"This is bad. I didn't think this could happen again," Brock said solemnly. He, Serena, and Ash's other friends were among the few that hadn't fled the stadium yet.

"Again? You mean this has happened before?!" Gary cried.

"Yeah. When we first resurrected our Pokemon on Cinnabar Island, a freak accident had caused Aerodactyl to go out of control. It almost killed Ash and Serena during that time. Thankfully, Ash was able to battle and capture it," Brock responded.

"I've got to go help Ash!" Serena cried as she rose from her seat.

"Serena, it's…" Misty began, but the honey-blonde haired girl was already out of earshot before Misty began her sentence.

Meanwhile, Crobat was clearly showing signs of wearing out. Aerodactyl was gaining on it fast, and Crobat's attempts to dodge were becoming less successful. Mandy, on the other hand, was having none of this.

"Crobat! You cannot just dodge! You must attack it! We will never win that way!" he yelled.

"You're still only worried about winning!? Return you Crobat!" Ash shouted in disbelief with a glare to Mandy.

"I cannot do that or I will lose!" Mandy fired back.

Ash wanted to shout again at this flashy idiot, but held his tongue. He heard that Golbat evolved into Crobat through great training and love by the trainer. He seriously couldn't believe how Mandy even had a Crobat judging by those methods. He didn't seem to care about other people's lives in danger as long as he won. Since Mandy refused to help, Ash needed to take matters into his own hand once again.

"Aerodactyl! Please listen to me! You have to calm down!" he cried desperately. He then attempted to return it again, but the red beam missed by a long shot because of Aerodactyl's erratic pattern.

Aerodactyl only gave cry of rage in response as it finally caught up to the Crobat. The Crobat turned around and gave a panicked shriek as Aerodactyl's jaws opened wide. Only now did Mandy seem to see the danger of the situation. The long green-haired teen hastily reached to his belt to retrieve Crobat's pokeaball and return it, but it was too late.

Aerodactyl's teeth sank heavily into Crobat's flesh creating an audible squelching sound. Ash immediately felt his stomach churn at the noise. It was probably the most disgusting thing he had ever heard in his life. It didn't stop there, however. Aerodactyl began thrashing its head back and forth to get even deeper into Crobat's body. It would teach this Pokemon to try to suck the life out of it! Aerodactyl was just returning the offense in full! It would tear it apart! Mandy was trying to return Crobat, but the wild movements of Aerodactyl caused the beam to keep missing just like with Ash. If this kept up, Crobat would be…

Crobat's cries of anguish were what finally drove Ash into action. He didn't want to hurt Aerodactyl like this again, but he had no choice. He finally looked over at Pikachu who was looking back at him with a firm expression. There was a silent understanding of what needed to be done.

"Pikachu. Do what you have to do to stop Aerodactyl," he breathed slowly and clenched his fists.

Pikachu nodded before turning back to glare at Aerodactyl. It didn't really want to attack it anymore either, but maybe a powerful Thunderbolt could stun it long enough for Ash to return it. Before it could launch the attack, Aerodactyl saw this and threw Crobat from its mouth. The bat Pokemon soared through the air as Aerodactyl launched a Hyper Beam after it. The beam struck Crobat dead on which only increased its descent unto the ground. When it finally hit one of the platforms, there was an explosion that erupted from the ground.

"Pika! Pikachu! Pikachu!" the yellow rodent shouted at Aerodactyl.

"Aeeeerooooo!" it screeched back.

By that time, the smoke had cleared. Ash cast a worried glance over to where Mandy's Crobat had landed. The bat Pokemon was sprawled out on the platform with blood pouring continuously from the wounds Aerodactyl had inflicted on it. Ash immediately ran towards it to see if it was at least alive. Before he could reach it, a beam came upon the Crobat to return it. Ash looked up to see Mandy put his pokeball away and sink to his knees in despair at what had happened to his Crobat. At least that was what Ash thought until Mandy said his next line.

"But I'm Mandy the Astounding. How could I lose the match, and my poor Crobat," he wailed to himself.

Ash gritted his teeth and felt like slapping Mandy across the face. His Crobat could possibly have been killed, and that was all he could say about it?! Granted, it was Ash's fault this happened, but that was unacceptable.

Aerodactyl gave a cry of victory at the fallen Crobat. It then spat in disgust at how the trainer had returned the Crobat before it could enjoy a nice meal from it. Its eyes then turned to the green-haired teen who was still on his hands and knees, mumbling to himself. A glint appeared in Aerodactyl's eyes. If it couldn't feast on Crobat, it could feast on the one who took its meal from it in the first place. Aerodactyl gave another screech before dive-bombing straight towards Mandy with its jaws open wide. It might be able to get him in one gulp with the speed it was going at.

Upon seeing this, Ash and Pikachu began tearing across the water field as fast as he could. He was hopping from platform to platform to get across as fast as he could. Mandy didn't even seem to notice that Aerodactyl was coming straight for him.

"Ash!"

Ash didn't need to turn around to know who had shouted his name. He was planning on ignoring it until he heard the sound of water being disturbed behind him and knew she was following him. He couldn't let that happen.

"Stay back, Serena!" he shouted once he made it to other side of the pool.

He could hear her protests, but he didn't have time to argue. Aerodactyl was almost upon Mandy. If a miracle didn't happen, Ash would be too late. Actually, Ash was already too late. Aerodactyl was just too quick. Pikachu launched a Thunderbolt in Aerodactyl's direction to stop it, but it missed due to Aerodactyl's speed. There was no way Mandy would be saved unless he moved himself.

"Don't do it, Aerodactyl!" Ash shouted as loud as he could.

Aerodactyl slowed down just the slightest at Ash's voice. It cast an eye over to the raven-haired boy and immediately remembered him. He was its trainer. In all of its rage, Aerodactyl had completely forgotten everything and only felt its natural instincts take over. It then faced forward again and saw a despairing boy. What was it doing before this? Was it trying to win a Pokemon battle for its trainer? Wait!

Aerodactyl began to slow down tremendously upon coming to its senses, but it wouldn't be enough to avoid the boy in front of it. It swung its body upward in a disorganized manner at the last second. Its clawed feet just missed Mandy. Aerodactyl continued to fly after this but was too disoriented and ended up crashing into the stadium wall. It then fell back and landed on the ground by the pool with a thud.

Ash and Pikachu made a beeline for the fallen Pokemon with Serena right behind them. Aerodactyl then got up and shook its head. It then saw Ash approach him and stared sadly at its trainer. It had done it again. It had lost control of itself and put everyone in danger. This time, it did it in the middle of an important match for its trainer and may have killed the opposing Pokemon.

"Aerodactyl," Ash muttered once he reached it.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu moaned.

"Aerrooo," it cawed softly.

Ash took a deep breath before pulling out his pokeball. He didn't quite know what to say to it right now. Apparently, no one else did, either. As Ash looked around the stadium, he could see there were only a handful of people left. He spotted Brock, Misty, Leaf, Gary, and Ritchie near the middle of the stands. All had either a look of worry or complete shock. The whole stadium was dead quiet.

Ash stared into Aerodactyl's eyes and could see all of its fury had evaporated. There was nothing but hurt there. It was so hard to believe that a Pokemon as friendly as Aerodactyl could have such horrible mood swings like this. It was almost bipolar. The first time this happened, one could easily say that Aerodactyl was unstable and felt threatened, but that wasn't the case here. It was just having a normal Pokemon battle. What was the problem?

"Aerodactyl, return," Ash said softly as he returned it to his pokeball.

Ash then slowly turned around to face Serena. She had an unreadable expression on her face, but it was clear her heart was breaking for him due to the way she was trembling with her hand over her heart. This was Ash's first official Pokemon League battle, and it ended up being a total disaster. She wanted to rush forward and hug Ash but couldn't find the strength to move.

"I think I better go," Ash mumbled as he slowly began to walk towards the trainer tunnel with Pikachu beside him. He pulled down the cap so it was covering his eyes and brought his head down as he did so.

Serena merely nodded her head as she watched him go. She gave a sigh before following herself.

"We should go, too," Brock muttered to the others as they got up from their seats to leave the stadium.

* * *

><p>Ash was completely lost in his thoughts. What on Earth could've happened? He and Aerodactyl had come to an understanding at Professor Oak's lab and even shared some good bonding time. He used it in this match so it could get its first taste of real Pokemon battle. That would improve their relationship even more. There was no way he anticipated this to happen. Aerodactyl had almost eaten Mandy alive, and he had no idea about the condition of Mandy's Crobat. The image of Crobat lying in a pool of its own blood was still haunting him.<p>

"Ash Ketchum!" a voice called in front of him.

Ash snapped his head up and saw Charles Goodshow a few yards ahead of him. Next to him were two Officer Jenny, and they were blocking his path. Far from the jovial man Ash had seen so far, Mr. Goodshow looked very angry.

"Mr. Goodshow," Ash muttered.

"I think you better come with us," Mr. Goodshow said. It could have been a suggestion, but his tone showed it was clearly an order.

"Yes sir," Ash answered quietly.

Serena had come up behind them and meant to follow, but Mr. Goodshow's voice made her stop in her tracks.

"It's best if you stay her, miss," he told her.

Ash turned towards Serena and nodded his head to signal he would be fine. He then heard more footsteps and saw his friends emerge from a nearby door in the tunnel. They all looked worriedly towards Ash and he merely shook his head. He certainly didn't want to involve them in this mess. Besides, he preferred to be alone right now anyway. He didn't know whether to be humiliated or scared in this situation.

Mr. Goodshow and the two Officer Jenny's then turned and silently gestured for Ash to follow them. Ash had no idea where they were leading him, but that wasn't on his mind right now. Why was Aerodactyl doing this? The worst case scenario had definitely happened, and Ash had been powerless to prevent it.

* * *

><p>Despite only walking for ten minutes, it felt like an eternity to Ash. He just couldn't get the thoughts of Aerodactyl terrorizing the Pokemon League from his head. All of the cheers for him had instantly gone away, and anyone left in the stadium at the end didn't have anything to say. They had either angry or frightened looks. Now there were two Officer Jennys here to probably arrest him. Ash wanted nothing more than to disappear right now.<p>

Ash was led away to a small building in a remote part of the Indigo Plateau. Mr. Goodshow brought out a set of keys before unlocking the door and allowing the two Officer Jennys, Ash, and Pikachu to go inside. If it wasn't for the situation and the building, Ash would have had a strange sense of deja vu with how this scene was playing out when he entered the building to light Moltres' flame.

It didn't take too much to realize this was probably Charles Goodshow's office. At least it wasn't jail, but that didn't mean they wouldn't do it later. Despite how nervous he was, Ash found himself unable to give much emotion. He just couldn't get over what had just happened. He was seated into a chair across from a large desk. Pikachu jumped into his lap and tried to pat its partner's arm reassuringly. Ash smiled at Pikachu for attempting to help, but the rodent could tell it was forced.

Mr. Goodshow closed the door before going by Ash and sitting down himself on the other side of the desk. Being such a short man, it looked rather unnatural to see that he had such a large desk. It absolutely swallowed him. This was the furthest thing from Ash's mind at the moment, however. He forced himself to look at Mr. Goodshow to see he was still glaring at him. After a few seconds, he finally spoke.

"Ash, what were you thinking by sending that dangerous Pokemon into the battlefield? Because of this, all other Pokemon battles will have to be canceled while repairs on done to the stadium! This may put us a whole two days behind schedule!" Mr. Goodshow demanded.

"It's not like I knew it would happen!" Ash cried defensively, but quickly lowered his tone because of who he was talking to. "I'm sorry. I just had no idea."

Mr. Goodshow waved his hand dismissively at Ash's apology before continuing. "There was an attack on Cinnabar Island a couple of months ago by an Aerodactyl. The disaster was averted because a young trainer had captured it. Since there are so few trainers with an Aerodactyl in existence, that was your Aerodacty wasn't it?"

"Yes. It was," Ash confirmed quietly.

"Based on that experience, you thought it would be a good idea to send it out in a public area?" Mr. Goodshow inquired.

"Aerodactyl and I had been training so much since that time. We spent a lot of time together and talked quite a bit. I really thought we were past what happened on Cinnabar Island. I didn't know something like that could happen again," Ash replied.

"Well, your 'not knowing' put a lot of people in danger. You realize that we can expel you from the Pokemon League for this," Mr. Goodshow asserted.

Ash figured as much. Despite this, he couldn't help but have his eyes water. Ever since he was a little kid, his dream had been to compete in the Pokemon League and become a Pokemon Master. If he was expelled from the league, that would be a serious setback in his career. Would he be able to even compete next year? Ever again?

"However," Mr. Goodshow began with a sigh, "Someone stepped in on your behalf on our way over to you and talked us out of this option at the last second."

Ash's head jerked up surprise. Someone actually stood up for him?! Who on Earth could have enough of an influence to do that? He wasn't going to be expelled! If he wasn't, what was going to happen now? Ash had so many questions but forced himself to say silent and just nod his head.

As if on cue, a knock was heard on the door of Mr. Goodshow's office. The Pokemon League president nodded his head to one of the Officer Jenny to go ahead and open the door. Ash curiously watched as she looked through the peephole before opening it herself.

A young man with spiky red hair and a cape came in through the door. Ash's eyes widened in surprise at who it was. It was none other than Lance, one of the members of the Elite Four. It was the man who had given the Moltres flame for Ash to carry just yesterday! It was him who talked to Mr. Goodshow?!

"Lance?" Ash questioned in disbelief.

"Hello again, Ash," Lance replied with a nod. Despite the friendly greeting, Lance's face looked quite serious. He then went over at sat down in the seat next to Ash Ketchum.

"Yes. It appears you two have met before. You have Lance to thank for intervening," Mr. Goodshow told Ash.

Ash turned to look at Lance. It wasn't that he wasn't extremely grateful to Lance for doing this, but why? He only met Ash just yesterday. They didn't particularly know each other or were close or anything. What was going on?

"Lance told us that it was he who chose you to carry the Moltres flame. Without that, our tournament wouldn't be able to start. He said that he sensed you were a very special individual when he met you. Not to mention, he also said the legendary bird, Moltres, had a private chat with you when they were retrieving the flame," Mr. Goodshow said.

Ash's head snapped back to Mr. Goodshow with an astounded look. Mr. Goodshow knew about Moltres' location, too? Well, it wasn't too surprising since he was the president. He did remember the Elite Four saying it was Mr. Goodshow who conducted the whole flame gathering, after all.

"Of course I know about Moltres, my boy," Mr. Goodshow stated as if reading Ash's thoughts before continuing. "Lance isn't a person who is easily impressed by many people, and neither is Moltres. They must have known you to be very unique to do this. Lance wouldn't step in for just anybody."

Ash was pretty much used to being called "special" by now. What was it that captured the attention of so many legendary Pokemon and the Elite Four? He was just boy from the small town of Pallet. Sure, he had the abilities of aura which were said to be lost, but that couldn't be all, could it?

"Ash, I stopped this because I believe that you have what it takes to win the Pokemon League. The love you clearly have for your Pokemon let me know that there was no malice in your heart when you sent out Aerodactyl," Lance said.

"Thank you very much, Lance," Ash replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Even though you are still competing, there are going to be a few restrictions," Mr. Goodshow stated, drawing Ash's attention back to him. "First of all, I absolutely forbid you to use Aerodactyl anymore during the Pokemon League."

Ash nodded his head at the first condition. He figured as much.

"Second, an Officer Jenny is to be with you all times in public starting tomorrow. She will accompany you to all of your matches and stay with you until the evening when you enter the Pokemon Center," Charles Goodshow continued.

Ash nodded his head once again. Now he was going to have a police officer keeping him under surveillance for the rest of the time he was here. This wasn't exactly the ideal way to be in the Pokemon League, but at least he could still compete. He got off easy thanks to Lance. Another thought suddenly came to his head upon hearing all this and he blurted it out.

"What about my last match that I just had with Mandy?!" he asked suddenly.

Mr. Goodshow looked at the two Officer Jennys and Lance before answering Ash's question. He gave a sigh and massaged his forehead in frustration.

"We have begrudgingly declared you the winner of the first round. The League rules state that one trainer loses when the other trainer knocks out their opponent's Pokemon. Though in a very gruesome manner, your Aerodactyl met those qualifications by defeating Crobat," Mr. Goodshow said with a hint of anger.

Ash gaped at Mr. Goodshow. They were actually declaring him the winner against Mandy?! He wouldn't have to do a rematch or anything?! He won his first match in the Pokemon League?! Suddenly remembering about Crobat, Ash asked the next question on his mind.

"What happened to Crobat?" Ash frantically asked. "Is it okay?!"

"It will survive. One of our best Nurse Joys has it now and is taking very good care of it. It was critically injured, but should make a full recovery. You're very lucky you don't have the death of another trainer's Pokemon on your hands. That most certainly would have led to your arrest and disqualification in the Pokemon League. No amount of intervention could save you from that," Mr. Goodshow said with a frown.

Ash was reminded of the scene when Aerodactyl had bitten deep into Crobat and thrashed it around in an attempt to tear it apart. If Pikachu hadn't launched its Thunderbolt when it did, Aerodactyl wouldn't have released Crobat. If that hadn't happen, Crobat would no doubt be inside of the prehistoric Pokemon's stomach in several pieces right now. Ash squirmed uncomfortably in his seat at the thought. At least Crobat will live.

Ash still had several more thoughts going through his head right now. If he was banned from using Aerodactyl in the League, did that mean it would have to stay in its pokeball the whole time? Would he ever get to release it and allow it to stretch its wings? Would he be able to even talk or train with it?

"Um, Mr. Goodshow?" Ash spoke up, causing the man to give him his attention. "Even though I'm not allowed to use Aerodactyl to battle, am I still allowed to train with it while I'm here?"

"Actually, I would be interested in seeing Aeroactyl myself," Lance said, causing Ash to turn to look at him. "Being a master of Pokemon that have dragon-like characteristics and a member of the Pokemon G-men, I might be able to help."

"The Pokemon G-men?" Ash asked curiously.

"It's a government organization that travels the countryside. Our main purpose is to investigate any mistreatment of Pokemon that is suspected," Lance explained.

"I've never mistreated Aerodactyl!" Ash suddenly cried against his better judgment.

"I didn't mean it like that, Ash," Lance sighed. "I meant it seems like your Aerodactyl has a big problem, and I would like to try to figure out what it is."

"I actually will agree to this," Mr. Goodshow added. "Ash, as long as you are under Lance's supervision, you may have Aerodactyl out of its pokeball during your time here."

Ash looked back down towards the floor again and met Pikachu's eyes. Clearly, this isn't what the yellow rodent had in mind of what its time at the Pokemon League would be like, either. They gazed at each other before Ash turned to Lance and then Mr. Goodshow.

"Okay. Thank you very much," Ash replied.

"Well, I think we are done here. Just remember to never leave Officer Jenny's sight while you are here. You must alert one when you are about to leave the Pokemon Center for any reason starting tomorrow," Mr. Goodshow reminded.

"Yes sir," Ash responded.

"Very well, then. You may go," Mr. Goodshow dismissed with a nod.

Ash stood up from his seat to leave with his head down. He just didn't quite to know what to make of the situation. He was extremely grateful that he wasn't going to be kicked out of the Pokemon League for this, but he would also be under constant surveillance. What would his friends think of all this when they heard it? What would Serena think?

As Ash and Pikachu exited the building, he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He spun around to see Lance standing there with a surprisingly warm smile on his face.

"If you don't mind, Ash, I'd like you to come with me. Let's walk and talk for a little bit," he suggested.

Not knowing what else to do, Ash decided to go with him. Besides, he definitely owed Lance a great deal. At any other moment, he would've been ecstatic that an Elite Four member would want to talk to him, but now, it felt different. Was it because he already met Lance once before, or was it something else?

Taking Ash's silence as a cue to go on, Lance wordless gestured towards a pathway that branched off from the rest of the Pokemon League. Ash nodded his head, and together with Pikachu, set off down the path with Lance beside them. Ash had a pretty good idea to what Lance wanted to talk about, but he decided to let the dragon master speak first.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you acquire an Aerodactyl?" Lance asked.

"Oh? A while back, my friends and I came across some Pokemon fossils at Mt. Moon. We heard stories about a resurrection machine being on Cinnabar Island that could bring Pokemon back to life. At first, I thought the idea was crazy, but then I went to Cinnabar Island and the machine actually worked. One of the fossils produced a real, living Aerodactyl," Ash explained.

"I see. Your group was the kids who were fortunate enough to be the first witnesses to the real resurrection machine," Lance realized.

"That's right," Ash confirmed.

"You were actually able to stop Aerodactyl's rampage and capture it? That is quite a feat," Lance commented.

"Yeah," Ash agreed lamely.

"I mean it. Aerodactyl are not your average Pokemon. For you to actually be able to capture and use one in battle takes a special trainer," Lance went on.

"Well, I saw how well that worked out with my first match," Ash muttered.

"I don't think the problem was you, Ash," Lance said as they stopped. "May you please release your Aerodactyl? I would like to see it myself."

Ash fished out Aerodactyl's pokeball and took a hard look at it. He knew that Aerodactyl wouldn't go on a rampage now that it had calmed down. Still, how would it react upon seeing Lance? Ash was one of the very few people the prehistoric Pokemon trusted, but then again, Lance was a professional so it might be okay.

"Alright. Come on out, Aerodactyl," Ash said to it as he released it.

Ash half-expected Lance to be on alert, or even have a pokeball ready in case something went wrong, but it was the complete opposite. He still wore a gentle smile on his face as he watched the prehistoric Pokemon take shape. Aerodactyl gave a huge stretch of its wings, and its eyes found Ash. As soon as it did, Aerodactyl looked away in a guilty manner. It still felt bad about what had happened earlier, not that Ash could blame it.

"How are you feeling, Aerodactyl?" Ash asked it.

"Aeeerooo," Aerodactyl muttered as it looked away from Ash. It was then Aerodactyl spotted Lance, and it tensed up.

"It's okay, Aerodactyl. He's a good person," Ash said gently to it.

"How are you, Aerodactyl? My name's Lance," Lance introduced as he took a step forward.

Aerodactyl regarded Lance for a few moments before it hobbled forward a few steps. It then looked Lance up and down appraisingly before doing its uncharacteristic smile. Ash and Pikachu were then surprised when Aerodactyl leaned over and licked Lance, too! Ash and Pikachu both sweatdropped at this display. It looked so out of place for an Elite Four member to be in this situation.

"Well, you certainly are friendly," Lance laughed once Aerodactyl stopped. He then took out a cloth and wiped himself off before continuing. "It's just as I thought."

"What do you mean?" Ash inquired.

"Aerodactyl isn't a viscous Pokemon by nature. I can tell that much by its actions just now," Lance deduced.

"Of course not. Under normal circumstances, Aerodactyl wouldn't harm anything," Ash replied as he went over and rubbed Aerodactyl on the head. "I just don't understand how this could've happened. I trained with Aerodactyl a lot for the past few weeks. Never once did it show any signs of doing something like this again."

"You said this was its first real battle, didn't you?" Lance questioned.

"Yeah. I figured that Aerodactyl and I would need to actually battle together to be closer. I want to be the best trainer I possibly can. The first way I do that is by forming the greatest bonds I can with my Pokemon," Ash confirmed.

"That's true. Both trainers and the their Pokemon grow together by the experiences they share, whether it be battling, training, or just enjoying each other's company," Lance agreed.

"So what went wrong?" Ash suddenly asked as he looked at Lance with pleading eyes. He was an Elite Four member so he had to know something!

"Well, Ash, it isn't your specific Aerodactyl or you that's the problem," Lance repeated.

Ash nodded his head signal Lance to go on. He had a feeling what Lance was going to say but still needed to hear it.

"A long time ago when Aerodactyl existed in the plenty, they were one of the most feared Pokemon at the time. They were extremely nasty and bad-tempered Pokemon. It only made things worse that they preyed on the lives of other Pokemon…and people… no matter what they were. Aerodactyl are very proud Pokemon who don't want help from anything," Lance explained.

"Aerodactyl isn't like that at all," Ash mumbled as he looked back at the prehistoric Pokemon. It appeared to be listening, too.

"Well, it's not like that under normal circumstances," Lance corrected. "From my understanding, your Aerodactyl only goes wild when it feels as though it's in danger. When this happens, its instincts take over its mind, and it loses control of itself."

"So it's nobody's fault this happened?" Ash figured.

"That's right, but the bad news is there was no way to prevent it, either. All of this happens in its subconscious. It's dormant until its mind is stimulated from something that has a great impact on its emotions…like a Pokemon battle," Lance sighed.

"So does that mean I can't ever use Aerodactyl in battle? Is it going to go out of control every time?" Ash asked.

"Aerroooo," the prehistoric Pokemon cried softly.

"I know this is the exact opposite of what Mr. Goodshow told you, but the only way Aerodactyl may be able to overcome this is by having more battles with it," Lance told him.

Ash gave Lance an inquisitive look. Lance was actually telling him to use Aerodactyl more? Why would he do that?

"It shouldn't be too surprising," Lance said upon seeing Ash's look. "This happens automatically because every time Aerodactyl battles, it feels like it's in danger. Pokemon battles aren't used to put Pokemon in danger. Pokemon battles are supposed to be fun, and the Pokemon fight for the trainers because they want to. It's one of the best ways for a trainer and Pokemon to connect. The more you battle with Aerodactyl, the more it will realize this and be able to keep its emotions in check."

"I see, but it doesn't look like it will happen anytime soon because I can't use Aerodactyl anymore during the Pokemon League," Ash mumbled and cast a sad glance at Aerodactyl.

"Well, not exactly," Lance smiled. "Mr. Goodshow also said that as long as you were under my supervision, you could use Aerodactyl. How about you have a few practice battles with me?"

"You would do that for me?" Ash muttered incredulously.

"Of course. Just know that these aren't real battles, and I am going to be holding back to help Aerodactyl," Lance replied.

"Thank you so much, Lance!" Ash exclaimed.

An Elite Four member was actually offering to help Ash and Aerodactyl? He was actually suggesting a few battles with him? Ash would actually get an opportunity to face Lance? It wasn't an official match and just used to help Aerodactyl, but still! This was quite overwhelming.

"Well, I think it would be best if you get back to your friends today and rest with all that's happened. They're probably worried about you," Lance suggested.

Ash thought back to the looks everyone was giving him as he left with the Officer Jennys and Mr. Goodshow. They probably thought the worst just like he did at first. He needed to let them know that he was okay at least, especially Serena. He could only imagine what she was thinking right now.

"Yeah. I think Aerodactyl needs a break, too," Ash said as he cast a glance at it, receiving a nod.

"Okay, Ash. Will you meet me here two days from now at ten in the morning? We can start then. You should get some rest today and tomorrow," Lance asserted.

"Sounds good to me, Lance!" Ash said before he flashed his first genuine smile since the match and turned to Aerodactyl. "Does that sound alright to you, too?"

"Aeerrroooo!" it cried happily.

"Great!" Ash replied as he returned it. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

"Pika Pi!" it cheered.

With that, the two tore across the pathway back to their friends. Ash had a new found sense of determination now that he was having an actual dragon master help him. He was going to work with Aerodactylt to help it overcome its problem. Once they could do that, they will be a great team and become even closer to each other!

As Lance watched Ash leave, he smiled to himself. Maybe having Moltres speak to this boy wasn't so surprising, after all. Lance didn't know it at first, but now that he has actually talked to Ash, he could tell the boy was special and definitely had what it took to be a great trainer. His intuition was rarely wrong. He had been right about Red Ketchum becoming great, after all.

* * *

><p>When Ash arrived back at the Pokemon Center, the place was packed just like before, but it was different. Ash could hear from outside the place was quite lively, but all that changed as soon as he stepped in. Everybody turned towards him, and it became dead quiet. Ash nervously looked around at all of the glares he was receiving. He couldn't really blame them, though. He just wanted to see his friends right now.<p>

Ash nervously made his way to Nurse Joy's counter. He still hadn't healed his Pokemon from the last battle, and they definitely needed it. Nobody ever took their eyes off of him the entire walk while Ash avoided eye contact them. The huge boost in attitude he had from Lance had quickly vanished, leaving him how he was feeling just after the match. The short distance to Nurse Joy's desk almost felt like a mile away. Once he finally reached Nurse Joy's desk, Nurse Joy did her normal smile towards him which Ash was immediately grateful for. At least she didn't glare at him.

"Hello, Ash. What can I do for you?" she asked kindly.

"I was wondering if you could help my Pokemon recover after the match I had," Ash asked timidly.

"You mean the one who almost killed everybody?" someone called out. It was the first words anyone besides Nurse Joy said since he entered.

Ash grimaced at the words. They were right. Even though they didn't understand the situation, Ash couldn't blame them for being angry. To them, he had just been some stupid trainer who recklessly sent out his Aerodactyl to battle, but that was only a half-truth. He looked up and saw Nurse Joy give the boy who said that a disapproving look before turning back to Ash.

"Of course. I will be very happy to check on your Pokemon," Nurse Joy replied.

"Thank you," Ash said as he handed the pokeballs to her. Pikachu leaped off of Ash's shoulder and onto the desk so it could be checked out, too.

Nurse Joy was just about to bring the Pokemon to the backroom when the door to the Pokemon Center opened. Thinking it was one of his friends, Ash spun around to greet them with a smile, but it soon morphed into a grimace when he saw who it was: Mandy.

"You!" Mandy bellowed as he stormed over to Ash and pointed an accusing finger at him. "How dare you humiliate Mandy the Astounding like that!"

"I'm sorry that happened to your Crobat. How is it?" Ash asked in concern.

Mandy would have none of it, though. The flashy clothed teen grabbed Ash by the shirt and pulled him close to where their faces were just inches apart. Then without warning, he reached his hand back and punched Ash across the face. The raven-haired boy gave a yell of pain as he was knocked to the floor on his backside.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cried as it jumped off Nurse Joy's desk and stood in front of Ash with its cheeks sparking in a threatening manner at Mandy.

"Don't Pikachu. It's okay," Ash mumbled as he rubbed his sore cheek. He felt around in his mouth and saw a small trickle of blood coming from it.

"You're a worthless trainer who shouldn't even have entered the Pokemon League! I'm Mandy the Astounding and you are a nobody! Do you realize that I am now out of the Pokemon League because you were declared the winner! I was meant for so much more than this! I was supposed to win!" Mandy ranted.

He reached back to strike Ash again, but his fist was caught by Nurse Joy. He turned around to stare in curiosity at the nurse as she said her next sentence.

"Now that's enough! I will not have this type of fighting going on in this Pokemon Center. From what I know, your Crobat is critically injured. You should go and be with it than trying to pick fights," Nurse Joy scolded.

Mandy gave a grunt and flipped his hair. "Fine. I will leave. This trainer is not worth my attention anyway."

With that, Mandy turned on his heel and strode out the door without another word.

Nurse Joy reached down and helped Ash to his feet and dusted him off with a look of concern. Ash almost found it humorous how this Nurse Joy was acting like his mother right now. That's when another thought hit him. His parents and Professor Oak said they would be watching his matches before they came to see him. That must mean they saw what happened with Aerodactyl, too. What are they going to think when he sees them?

"Are you alright? Would like an ice pack for your face?" Nurse Joy asked.

"No. I'll be fine. I think I'm just going to go to my room," Ash answered.

"Well, okay then. I'll look after your Pokemon in the meantime," Nurse Joy sighed.

"Pika Pi?" Pikachu asked hopefully.

"Yeah. Of course you can come along, Pikachu," Ash said.

Ash entered the hallway that led to the rooms and could feel all eyes boring into his backside the entire way. As he rounded a corner, he nearly bumped a certain honey-blonde haired girl.

"Ash?" she questioned.

Ash sighed with relief at the sound of her voice. He was worried that none of his friends would be here at the moment. He saw Serena regarding him with a look of worry. Togepi was in her arms, and for once, it wasn't wearing its usual cheerful experession. It was looking at Ash with sad curiosity.

"Hey, Serena. Hi, Togepi," he mumbled.

He was surprised when Serena leaned forward and gave him a comforting hug. Ash immediately relaxed in her embrace and hugged her back. It felt so good to have her here right now with him. He could even feel Togepi's tiny arms try to give its daddy a hug. Though oblivious to most situations, even it could tell something was bothering Ash.

"Did anything happen?" Serena asked as she broke away.

"Well…," Ash trailed.

A lot did happen actually, but he didn't really know whether to classify it as good or bad. There was a pretty good blend of both. On one hand, he had almost been banned from the Pokemon League and needing to be under constant surveillance by Officer Jenny, but on the other, he had Lance willing to help him with Aerodactyl. He decided to at answer what Serena was worried about first to ease her fears. The rest could come after.

"Well, I wasn't kicked out of the Pokemon League," he said.

Serena noticeably let out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness. You have no idea how worried the others and I were when you left with Mr. Goodshow."

"Even though I'm still in, I have to have an Officer Jenny accompany me everywhere I go starting tomorrow," Ash mumbled.

Serena gasped when she heard that. Ash was going to be monitored like he was some criminal?! Was that really the cost of him not being kicked out of the Pokemon League?! Her eyes watered at hearing this, and she was about to say something until Ash beat her to it.

"Yeah. It turns out it was Lance who stepped in to talk to Mr. Goodshow," Ash continued.

"Lance? The Elite Four member we met yesterday?" Serena questioned and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We talked for a little bit afterward, and he agreed to help Aerodactyl overcome its problem. The only time I'm allowed to have it out for the rest of the Pokemon League is if he's present," Ash said.

"Lance is going to help you?!" Serena asked, amazed.

"Yeah. It's the only good thing that has come out of this situation," Ash sighed before hanging his head. "I can't believe how badly I screwed up with my very first Pokemon League battle ever. Everybody who doesn't know me thinks I'm an irresponsible jerk who doesn't even think of safety now."

"Oh, Ash," Serena muttered.

The truth was she had no idea what to say what sounded right. There were a lot of things to choose from such as saying it wasn't his fault or everything will be okay. She knew none of those things would comfort Ash, though. The most she could do was let him know she was here for him.

"Where is everyone else at?" Ash asked suddenly.

"Everyone is in their room right now," Serena answered. "We've all been waiting for you to return. I only came out because I heard what sounded like a fight."

"I had a run in with Mandy. He wasn't exactly in the best of moods," Ash mumbled and looked away to the side.

He immediately knew what a big mistake that was as Serena now noticed the huge bruise on the side of his face. She gasped and used her free hand to pull Ash closer to her. She gently felt around the bruise causing Ash to hiss in pain.

"Ash! He hit you!?" she exclaimed.

"I'll be fine, Serena. This is nothing," Ash replied, trying to take her mind away from the bruise.

"You need to get some ice for it," Serena scolded slightly.

Ash sighed again. He had done a lot of that so far today.

He knew Serena wasn't going to leave him alone until he did. Now that he thought about it, he didn't want it to get any bigger or turn black. He would be able to get some the ice machine further down the hallway. He then saw she had what looked like fire in her eyes, and it actually scared him slightly.

"Alright, Serena. I'll get some ice for it," Ash said before he saw Togepi squirming in Serena's arms trying to reach over to Ash.

"I think Togepi really wants to be with you right now," Serena told him. "You haven't spent any time with it at all today."

"Is that so?" Ash asked and finally put a smile on his face. He then took Togepi from Serena's arms and held out over his face. Togepi gave a delighted chirp in response. Pikachu then hopped on Ash's shoulder and gave a smile to the Pokemon, also.

"After I get some ice, I think I'll let everyone know how I'm doing and just stay in my room the rest of the day. I kind of need a break," Ash said as he turned to go.

"Sounds good, Ash!" Serena smiled as she watched him go.

"Wait. What are you going to do?" Ash asked as he turned to look at her curiously. He hadn't heard footsteps yet meaning she was still in the same spot.

"Oh me? I've got something to take care of. I'll be back at the Pokemon Center as soon as I'm done," Serena replied with another smile.

"Do you need help? I can come with you," Ash offered.

"No. It's a girl's business, Ash!" Serena replied with a wink.

Seeming to be satisfied with that answer, Ash continued down the hall. He thought it best not to push the issue. If it was something she wanted to tell him, she would.

"Girls, am I right?" he whispered to Togepi and Pikachu, causing Pikachu to snicker and Togepi to just…chirp happily again.

Serena waited until Ash was out of sight. Once he was, she immediately narrowed her eyes and turned on her heel. She entered the lobby, ignoring all the stares she was getting, and stormed out the door. The truth was, she was glad she had found a reason to give Togepi to Ash. She didn't want the baby Pokemon to see what she was about to do. She had a certain green-haired teen she wanted to pay a visit to.

* * *

><p>As expected, it wasn't too hard to find Mandy. He had a habit of making himself known wherever he was. He might as well just carry around a sign that said "Hey, I'm right here"! Serena found him near the clothing stores…as expected…giving an interview…as expected. He had his back turned to her which was perfect.<p>

As Serena made her way over to him, she could overhear what Mandy was saying. It sounded a lot like how amazing he was, and he should've won, and how that black-haired twit was nothing but an irresponsible loser. This only fired Serena up even more. She would teach him not badmouth and hit her Ash like that. She marched over to Mandy before tapping him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, Mandy the Astounding?" she asked in a sweet as honey voice.

"Pardon me for the interruption of my interview," Mandy said to the reporters before flipping his hair. "It seems one of my fans has something they want to say to me."

He then turned around and was immediately met with a harsh slap right across his face. Mandy blinked in confusion before he saw a fist flying towards his face this time. The hit connected, and Mandy was sent sailing backwards a few yards, leaving him slightly dazed. Serena then went to close the distance she had just created between them.

Mandy took a few seconds to recover from the shock. He shook his head and glared angrily at his attacker. "Hey! What is the meaning of…"

He stopped as soon as he saw the frightening expression on Serena's face. Her teeth were clenched, and eyes seemed to show nothing but fury. If Mandy didn't know better, he could've sworn there was a flashing red color from her eyes. If looks could kill, Mandy would be dead a thousand times over.

Serena reached down and picked Mandy up by his shirt so their faces were just inches apart. She then opened her mouth and began series of words so venomous that the nearby news crew actually took a step back out of reflex.

"Listen here, Mandy! I've had it with your conceited and horrible attitude! It's bad enough that you're not at the Pokemon Center with your critically injured Crobat, but you are actually bragging about the battle about how you should've beaten Ash! Does your Pokemons' condition mean so little to you?! You don't deserve to call yourself a Pokemon trainer! All you care about is the fame that comes with it, and that's absolutely despicable! I hate people like you! To make matters worse, you attacked my Ash at the Pokemon Center just because he won a match against you and then you called him worthless, and he's a better person than you'll eve be! If you don't get you arrogant butt back to the Pokemon Center and apologize to Ash, and then go be with your Crobat, so help me! Do you understand me!?" she screamed.

Mandy's face was pale, and he was actually terrified beyond belief. He had never had someone say things or look at him like that before. He was sweating profusely and was even afraid to answer for fear his voice would set this scary girl off again. Hell hath no fury. It was clear she was expecting an answer, though. He summoned what little courage he had left and managed to squeak out a single word.

"Yes," he said meekly.

"Good. Now get out of here," Serena spat as she dropped Mandy to the concrete walkway.

There was audible thud as Mandy's behind hit the cement. It was painful, but he didn't let that deter him. He immediately stood up from the ground and sprinted back towards the Pokemon Center where Ash was staying at. Serena didn't think she had ever seen someone run so fast in her life. Well, that takes care of him!

Serena then turned to see the news crew was still watching her with a shocked expression on their faces. The microphone was dangling loosely in the interviewers hand while the cameraman absently held his camera, not even knowing it was on record, or even caring.

Serena also gave them a heated glare, but nowhere near the intensity of the one she had given Mandy. Understanding the message to not replay this scene under any circumstances, the news crew merely nodded. Serena then turned on her heel to go back to the Pokemon Center and let out a huge breath. She didn't know she could ever get so angry and felt really out of place for raging like that. Maybe she overdid it. However, no jerk harms and badmouths her Ash like that and gets away with it!

* * *

><p>Serena entered through the Pokemon Center B. She was back to wearing her neutral expression now that her rage had subsided. She smiled when she saw Ash was retrieving his pokeballs from Nurse Joy. What excellent timing! Once he was finished, Ash turned around and spotted her. He gave her one of his smiles which Serena loved so much.<p>

"Hey, Serena. You're not going to believe what just happened. You just missed it," Ash said.

"What is it?" Serena inquired, feigning ignorance

"Mandy actually came back to the Pokemon Center and apologized to me! He was even in tears while doing so. He told me he regretted every bit of his actions to me so far and promised he was going to go look after his Crobat as long as it was being cared for. He seemed genuinely worried about it for once," Ash told her.

"I'm very happy to hear that, Ash," Serena said and smiled lovingly at him.

"Yeah. I don't think I'll have to worry about Mandy anymore," Ash replied.

"No. I don't think you will, either," Serena answered.

She knew all too well that Mandy had been dealt with. She didn't think she had it in her. Now if only she could do this to Paul. Nah. Once was enough for the time being.

* * *

><p>It was two days since that incident at the Pokemon League, and matches could finally start once again now that repairs had been done. After his talk with Serena, Ash mainly kept himself in his room the rest of the day and only left to eat. The truth was he wanted to be away from as many people as possible. All of those heated glares and silent treatment really made him uncomfortable. All his friends and Serena had visited his room to offer some form of comfort, and Ash really appreciated it. It was just rather hard to take his mind off of what had happened.<p>

Now that the new day had arrived, it seemed to Charles Goodshow had held up on his declaration. As soon as Ash and the rest of the group had stepped out of Pokemon Center B, an Officer Jenny was waiting for him, having been informed of his departure by Nurse Joy. Ash didn't know if this was an Officer Jenny he had met before or not. Truthfully, he knew it probably wouldn't make a difference as she was on professional business.

That wasn't the case for everyone, however.

"Oh! I know you! You're the Officer Jenny from Saffron City!" Brock exclaimed as he ran up to her.

"Umm…yes. That's me," Officer Jenny replied a little unsurely.

"How on Earth are you able to tell the difference between the Officer Jennys? They all look the same!" Misty exasperated.

"How dare you?!" Brock yelled as he turned around to fix her with a glare. "It's clear that this Officer Jenny wears her skirt a little shorter than the other Jennys! There is a difference between them all!"

"Oh. Pardon me for not knowing," Misty muttered sarcastically.

"That's Brock for you," Serena said with a nervous smile.

"Ahem. Anyway, yes I remember you kids, as well. I wish this reunion was under different circumstances, but I am under orders to monitor Ash today," Officer Jenny declared to get back on topic.

"Yes, ma'am. I remember," Ash sighed.

"Ash, just remember that I know you aren't a criminal, and I'll do nothing to get in the way of your daily activities. It's just that I have to be present when you aren't at the Pokemon Center. Other than that, you can even pretend I'm not there," Officer Jenny tried to reassure.

Ash knew that this Officer Jenny highly respected him because of all he had done for Saffron City with the Rocket takeover, but she also had called him reckless back then. As long as he didn't do anything out of the ordinary, he shouldn't have any problem. That probably wouldn't change any stares he would receive by having a police officer with him everywhere. He would just have to ignore them as best as he could.

"Well, I guess we'll split up here. I really wish you could watch my match today," Ritchie said sadly.

"Yeah. Me, too, but I have to go meet Lance," Ash responded with a sad smile.

"I wish you the best of luck with helping Aerodactyl!" Ritchie said as he held out his hand.

"Same with you match!" Ash replied as he and Ritchie clapped hands together. Their two Pikachu mimicked their trainers' actions.

"I still can't believe you are actually going to get help from an Elite Four member," Gary muttered to Ash. "What I wouldn't give to receive some tips from them."

"If you ask nicely, maybe I'll share some with you later," Ash teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh. Hahaha! I see how it is, Ashy boy!" Gary smirked.

"Well, you have a break from battling today since your match was yesterday. I'll help you train!" Leaf suggested.

"Heh. Fine! Leaf and I will catch up with the rest of you later! See ya!" Gary said with a wave as he turned to go.

Leaf gave Ash a quick hug before departing, too. "Good luck, Ash," she said and followed Gary down the path.

"Then the rest of us will go watch Ritchie's match. We'll save you a seat at lunchtime if you finish by then," Serena told Ash.

"Thanks, Serena. I'll see you guys later," Ash replied.

"Train hard, Ash!" Ritchie said with a thumbs up before leaving with Sparky.

"We'll see you later, little buddy. I know you'll be able to help Aerodactyl," Brock said.

"Just make sure Aerodactyl doesn't eat Lance," Misty joked before saw the withering look Ash gave her. "I was just kidding, Ash. You know I'm concerned for Aerodactyl, too."

"Say bye to your daddy, Togepi!" Serena smiled as she took one its little arms and waved it in a goodbye fashion. She then went up and planted a light kiss on Ash's cheek.

Ash smiled at the gesture. "You bet. I'll see you guys after a while."

With that, Serena, Togepi, Brock, and Misty followed Ritchie one way while Ash, Pikachu and Officer Jenny went the other way. As he and Officer Jenny walked, they passed a few trainers along the way. Some would glare at him while others would start whispering. None really bothered actually making a snide remark, however. Ash didn't know if it was because they were a little more over the incident or because Officer Jenny was with him, but it did nothing to ease his guilt.

Luckily, Ash knew where he was going to meet Lance so it didn't take him too long to reach the place where they were to meet. It was in a more secluded part of the Indigo Plateau where few people ever went. That would ensure their privacy for both the training and keep Lance away from the crowd. Probably a little bit of both factors played into the equation.

Lance was already waiting for Ash by the time he and Officer Jenny arrived. Once they reached there, Officer Jenny gave a salute to Lance.

"I'm leaving Ash in your care right now, Lance," she told him.

"Understood. Take care, Officer Jenny," Lance replied with a bow.

Knowing that Ash was in good hands, Officer Jenny left the scene. Now that they were alone, Lance turned to Ash with a nod.

"Alright, Ash. I say we jump right into it and release our Pokemon for a warm up. Go, Dragonair!" he declared as she released the evolved form of Dratini.

Ash was rather surprised at how ready Lance was. It actually had caught if off guard. Maybe it was just part of being an Elite Four member that had him be ready for anything at a moment's notice. Regardless, Ash took out his pokeball containing Aerodactyl.

"Alright! Aerodactyl, I choose you!" he yelled and released the prehistoric Pokemon.

Aerodactyl gave a huge stretch before it yawned and looked at its opponent. It was clear that it had been sleeping in its pokeball when Ash called it. Aerodactyl was probably exhausted from all the events two days ago like Ash was and just wanted to sleep its troubles off. They both knew that would never solve anything, though. They had to face the problem head on which is what they were going to do.

"Okay, Ash. I will be having Dragonair attack Aerodactyl, and I expect Aerodactyl to attack back. I'm not going to use my full force as this is strictly for training purposes only and not a real battle," Lance informed Ash.

"Right," Ash replied before turning to Aerodactyl. "We're about to have a practice battle with Lance. I know this will be difficult, but I need you to keep your instincts in check. This battle, and all battles for that matter, are mainly for bonding. I'll never send you into a battle where my intent is to harm you."

"Aerrooo," it replied with a nod.

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu added with a thumbs up. When Aerodactyl wasn't putting everybody's life in danger, Pikachu felt like it could get along pretty well with the preshistoic Pokemon.

"We'll start now. If it's okay, I think I should make the first move," Lance said.

"Alright. We're ready," Ash replied as he turned his hat backwards with Aerodactyl crouching low.

"Dragonair, use Dragon Breath!" Lance hollered.

"Dodge it, Aerodactyl!" Ash countered.

The dragon Pokemon gave a cry and show what looked like blue flames from its mouth towards Aerodactyl. The prehistoric Pokemon took to the sky and successfully dodged it. It then began to circle over Dragonair.

"Great job, Aerodactyl!" Now use Ancient Power!" Ash shouted.

Aerodactyl then gave a mighty screech. A series of rocks then conjured up from the ground. The rocks then spun around in circles and surrounded Dragonair. They then began to rush at it to strike it continuously.

"Use Agility to speed up and Dragon Breath to break those rocks!" Lance told it.

Dragonair nodded before unleashing its Dragon Breath and twirling around in a circle very quickly. The blue flames instantly shattered the rocks upon touching them, and soon there were no more left. Dragonair had completely negated the attack. Ash thought that was quite impressive. Lance didn't tell Dragonair to dodge it or even endure the hit. He simply told it destroy it outright, and it did so with little effort. That must be a powerful Dragonair.

"Try your Giga Impact, Aerodactyl! Your speed is amazing when you use that move!" Ash told it.

Aerodactyl nodded and dive bombed straight at Dragonair. This was the first time it was using the attack in a battle. Despite this, it seemed to have perfected the move. It was closing in fast to Dragonair, and if Lance didn't order Dragonair to dodge soon, it was bound to cause a lot of damage. Ash then noticed Lance give a sigh before commanding his next move. He knew something was about to happen.

"Dragonair, use Thunder Wave," Lance told it.

"Get out of the way, Aerodactyl!" Ash yelled.

The Dragon Pokemon the shot a few yellow circular waves from its horn. Aerodactyl saw this coming, however, and successfully swooped out of the way. It wasn't expecting the waves to start expanding until they covered a large area around them. The waves caught up to Aerodactyl, and it could immediately feel the effects. It felt its body stiffen and found it very hard to move as crackles of electricity came from its body.

Ash was once again surprised at how powerful the Thunder Wave was. Most of them he had seen could only travel in one direction. This one, on the other hand, went in every direction. He glanced worriedly at his Aerodactyl as it struggled to keep flight.

"Now go after it and use Wrap since it slowed down," Lance said.

Dragonair leaped in the air after Aerodactyl and began to snake its long body around Aerodactyl. The force of the Wrap and weight of Dragonair soon became too much for Aerodactyl. It then began to plummet to the ground and landed with a painful thud as Dragonair now had its full body around Aerodactyl. It then began to squeeze it tightly.

"Try to break free, Aerodactyl!" Ash hollered.

The prehistoric Pokemon then began to struggle violently as it tried to get out, but the hit from Thunder Wave made it extra difficult. As it struggled, Aerodactyl began repeating to itself the words Ash had said to it in its mind. It was in a pretty bad situation, but it wasn't for real. This was just for practice. Dragonair wasn't really trying to kill it.

As Ash watched, he was wondering why Lance wasn't ordering Dragonair to use a different attack. It was clear he could win and end the match if he wanted to. However, the caped man merely watched with his arms folded and a grim expression on his face. Then it hit Ash. He was purposely provoking Aerodactyl.

Despite Aerodactyl trying to tell itself that everything was fine in reality, it could start to feel a desperate need to get out of the situation at any cost. No! It couldn't think that! This wasn't a fight for its life! Aerodactyl began to make out various cries as it struggled harder and more violently. It felt its primal side growing inside of it. No! This couldn't happen! It had to fight it! Its judgment was starting to get hazy, and then…

"Okay, Dragonair. Release Aerodactyl, and back away from it," Lance ordered.

Dragonair nodded its head and swiftly unwrapped itself from Aerodactyl before crawling back beside Lance. Aerodactyl was noticeably shaking and panting heavily. It was gritting its teeth and had its eyes shut as it seemed to be fighting some internal battle.

"Return, Aerodactyl for the time being. Let it rest," Lance said gently.

Ash nodded his head and hastily returned the prehistoric Pokemon to its pokeball. He then looked sadly at it. It was clear Aerodacyl was fighting its instincts very hard, but it might've done something terrible if Dragonair had held onto it for a few more seconds. Lance had called it off just in time.

"I'm sorry for doing that to Aerodactyl, but I had to see for myself how much Aerodactyl could take before it started to struggle," Lance said as he walked over to Ash.

"No. It's fine. I can see why you did it," Ash replied as he continued to stare at the pokeball.

"It seems things were as bad as I thought. I wasn't expecting Aerodactyl to make any improvement the first time. That would've been remarkable," Lance commented.

"Yeah. So we have a long way to go?" Ash guessed.

"Oh yes. Your Aerodactyl's primal instincts are incredibly powerful at combatting its normally jolly nature," Lance replied. "It didn't take much at all for Aerodactyl to start thrashing wildly despite your words to it before the match."

Ash frowned as he thought about it. Was there anything at all that could be done for Aerodactyl? Would he have enough time in the training sessions with Lance to help Aerodactyl and still train his other Pokemon?

"The good news is that there is hope for Aerodactyl. It seemed to be fighting it very hard so it's aware when it's about to lose control. That's a start," Lance said.

"So what do we do now?" Ash asked.

"I say we take a break for a few minutes and let Aerodactyl regain its senses. Then we can have another session," Lance suggested.

Ash nodded. This was going to be harder than he thought. He supposed he was expecting this would be too easy under the guidance of someone like Lance, but the caped man did promise to help as much as he could. Ash and Lance both knew they had a week for Aerodactyl to overcome its problem, but what would happen if it didn't in that time? No. Ash couldn't think like that. He believed in Aerodactyl. He believed in its will to fight it. He closed his eyes before looking up at Lance and opened them with pure determination.

"You bet!" Ash responded, now fired up. "Let's do it!"

* * *

><p><strong>So Lance is going to be helping Ash and Aerodactyl from now on during his time at the Pokemon League. What will happen? How will Ash overcome his slump and get everyone to not hate him anymore? And Serena apparently has a hidden wrathful side?! What?! No one hurts her Ash like that! <strong>

** As stated, I'll have another chapter up later in the week, but I don't know when. Most likely it will be Saturday. I'll see you all then!**

**Chapter 57: The Pride of Pallet Town**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Serena's and Leaf's hats are gone, correct? So will this be a costume change for later arcs?_

_**They will have hats on all of their costume changes throughout the arcs. Serena will get a new hat soon and also get her wardrobe change, along with Ash and Leaf. Gary is…well…you'll see soon enough.**_

_Did you know in the anime that Madame Boss is the founder and original leader of Team Rocket and mother of Giovanni? Do you plan on having her to appear in this fanfic?_

_**Yes. I knew that, but she doesn't exist in this fic, and thus won't make an appearance.**_

_Do you plan on shipping Leaf with Calem?_

_**Nah. Not really, but there might be someone else who isn't Gary Oak that she could take an interest in.**_

_Will Ash battle Gary, Ritchie, Tyson or Paul in the Pokémon league?_

_**He will battle two of the four you mentioned.**_

_I was wondering about how long each arc is going to take, not as in how long a time of writing it but how much time will pass in the story or how old they are and such?_

_**Everyone's ages in the series for each arc was answered at the end of Chapter 17 "The Rogue Squirtle". As far as time passed, a total of 8-10 years will pass from the start of Ash and Serena's Pokemon journey to the end of the last story…with maybe a final time skip as an epilogue.**_

_Will they ever have an increase on their limit of Pokemon, as in more than six?_

_**Possibly.**_

_Is Paul's Torterra still his starter pokemon?_

_**Not in this fic. Kanto is the first region Paul travels, too, but he will have Torterra by the time he returns in the Sinnoh arc.**_

_Just out of curiousity, what made you decide to bring Tyson into the Kanto League?_

_**Well…that's kind of a secret for now, but I do have my reasons. It will be revealed by the final chapter, though.**_

_I just noticed that you refer pokemon by 'it', is that because it would be troublesome to remember which gender each pokemon are as you progress the story?_

_**Yes. That's the big reason, but all of the genders of Ash and Serena's Pokemon are listed on my profile.**_

_Will you have episodes like Following a Madien's voyage?_

_**There will be no filler episodes like that because they add nothing to the plot.**_

_Will some of Ash's other Pokemon go berserk or out of control in this tournament?_

_**No. Only Aerodactyl.**_

_Will there be some changes of how the tournament battles will take place like if there will be a double battle or something?_

_**All of them will be single battles. The next double battle won't be until Orange Islands.**_

_Will ash continuously pull some close call victories this league?_

_**Yes. For the Pokemon League, it kind of has to be this way as all the trainers here are very hard to beat. Ash isn't skilled enough yet to blaze through any of them.**_

_Also for the next field battles are you going to do the rock and ice in one chapter and grass in another?_

_**Something like that.**_

_Since you introduced Tyson earlier than in Canon, will we actually see him in battle?_

_**Maybe.**_


	58. The Pride of Pallet Town

**A/N: Well, here it is! Another chapter in the same week! Expect the remaining chapters to come up at a fairly quick pace, too! I don't know if the next update will be this Tuesday, but it won't be a week's wait. Updates will happen when they happen, basically.**

**A lot of you said the last chapter was pretty dark, and truth be told, this one gets even darker for the group, but it does have some good amourshipping moments. The good news is, however, that when things are at their worst, it can only get better from here on out as the last scene of this chapter will show. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 57: The Pride of Pallet Town<p>

Ash could say that his training with Lance just now could've gone a bit better. Actually, it could've gone a lot better. Granted, what Lance said was true. He can't expect Aerodactyl to become better after the first day. The truth was, however, it never once showed the slightest sign of showing some tolerance. At the slightest bit provocation, it went crazy despite being aware of its faults. He could just hope tomorrow would be better. For now though, he needed to find his friends to meet them for lunch.

"Pika Pi?" the yellow rodent asked his partner.

"I'll be fine Pikachu. I'm just really worried about Aerodactyl. Can it really overcome its problems that quickly?" Ash replied.

"Piiiiiika!" Pikachu cheered.

"Heh! Thanks for saying that, even if it is just to cheer me up," Ash said.

"I must wonder Ash, what do you plan to do with Aerodactyl if it isn't ready to be used by the end of the Pokemon League?" Officer Jenny asked beside him.

Ash stopped walking and froze at the question. He turned to look at Officer Jenny and saw her giving him a critical eye. Ash knew this was a concern for her because Aerodactyl was a very dangerous Pokemon according to her. The way she saw it, if left out in the open and free to do what it wants, countless lives could be at risk, whether Ash wanted to admit it or not. He didn't want to think like that nor consider it a possibility.

"I believe in Aerodactyl. I don't think that will be the case," Ash responded, hoping she wouldn't press the issue.

Officer Jenny studied Ash. He certainly was a determined boy. She still remembered talking to him after he raided the Silph Company building in Saffron City. That had been an extremely reckless thing to do. Despite this, he was one of the most interesting trainers she had seen in a while. She could tell the question was making him uncomfortable so she decided to set it aside for now.

"Alright. I won't bring it up again unless necessary. Just be careful," she told him.

Despite Officer Jenny's words about not to bringing it up again, that thought was going to nag him now and linger on. What would happen to Aerodactyl if it wasn't done by then? Would the police take it away from him? Ash really didn't want to know. That's why Aerodactyl needed to succeed. He had to make sure of it.

Ash and Officer Jenny had made it to the café where he was supposed to meet the others. After the talk about Aerodactyl, it had been a pretty quiet trip. Ash was lost in his thoughts about what Officer Jenny had said…

XXX

"_What do you plan to do with Aerodactyl if it isn't ready to be used by the end of the League?"_

XXX

"_Focus, Ash! That won't happen! Aerodactyl will pull through!"_ Ash told himself.

Now that he was at the café, Ash had to take his mind off of these negative thoughts unless his friends noticed something was up. They were already worried enough about him, and he didn't want to burden them with anymore of his troubles, especially Serena. He knew they would support him no matter what and would readily help him with anything, no matter how big or small, but he also wanted to have something to show that he could handle some problems himself. He wasn't sure if that way of thinking was right or wrong, it was just how he felt at the moment.

Ash swung open the door for the diner and stood to the side to allow Officer Jenny in. When she didn't enter, Ash gave her an inquisitive glance. In return, she just smiled at him.

"I don't want my presence to ruin your social time with your friends so you can eat with them by yourself. I'll be out here as soon as you're done, though. It isn't like you can do anything inside of a diner that would be considered suspicious," Officer Jenny said matter-of-factly.

Ash flashed her a grateful smile. At least that meant he could still enjoy some time with his friends without a police officer hovering over his shoulder. He had no doubt that she would have some form of watching him while he was in the diner but chose not to think too hard about it. It was probably best just to go ahead and enjoy the free time given to him.

With that, Ash closed the door to the diner, and it didn't take too long to spot his friends over at one table. Serena saw him first, and her face immediately lit up with happiness as she waved him over to them. Brock, Misty, Ritchie, and Serena were there. He was a little sad that Leaf and Gary weren't there, too, but he decided they were still off training. Gary certainly took it seriously.

"Hey guys," Ash greeted as he went over to the table and sat down next to Serena. Misty and Brock were across from him while Ritchie sat at the head of the table. He noticed they already had their drinks but would wait for him before they ordered food. Pikachu then hopped off Ash's shoulder and joined Sparky and Togepi on the floor.

"So how did it go with Lance?" Misty asked him as she took a sip of her iced tea.

"Honestly, it didn't go so well. Aerodactyl is aware of what it's doing so that's a start, but it goes crazy the second it starts to lose a battle," Ash replied a little glumly.

"What did Lance have to say about it?" Brock asked curiously.

"He told me basically what I'm telling you guys. He said that there is hope for Aerodactyl, but it still has a long way to go," Ash said.

"Do you think you and Lance can help it by the end of the Pokemon League?" Ritchie asked.

Ash wanted to say "absolutely" right away, but all he ended up doing was sighing. He wanted to take his mind off of what Officer Jenny had asked him.

"I hope so," he managed out.

Serena could sense his extreme discomfort with the topic at hand so she decided to change the subject. "By the way, Ash, Ritchie won his first match," she told him.

"Really? That's awesome, Ritchie!" Ash exclaimed, thankful for the topic switch.

"Yeah. It was actually Sparky here who got the win," Ritchie said as he gestured to his own Pikachu on the floor. Sparky smiled and rubbed the back of its head in embarrassment.

"We're now one step closer to winning the League!" Ash said.

"Yes. We sure are!" Ritchie replied as they clapped hands together.

Brock, Misty, and Serena smiled at the two. It was nice to see such a friendly rivalry. Besides Ritchie's table manners being much nicer than Ash's, the two were so alike in many ways. They both loved Pokemon and aspired to be the best.

While the trainers were conversing with each other, Pikachu and Sparky were chatting animatedly to each other so no one seemed to notice Togepi pulling on the table cloth. There was a row of knives and forks at the edge of the table that were edging closer and closer with each pull. Finally, Togepi pulled just hard enough to send the silverware toppling over the edge of the table.

Pikachu and Sparky noticed the sudden noise and pushed Togepi out of the way just in time. Pikachu and Sparky then caught a spoon in one hand and a fork in the other. They noticed the worst object, the knife, was still going for Togepi. Sparky picked up Pikachu and both stretched their arms out as far as they would go, and Pikachu caught the knife just before it impaled Togepi. Of course, the spikeball Pokemon just laughed it off at how comical the two looked right now.

The noise had alerted everyone else to the scene, too. The trainers stared down in confusion at the Pikachu wondering what on Earth they were doing.

"Pikachu, this is no time to try out for the circus," Ash muttered.

The two Pikachu just let out a puff of air in response. Such was the price of trying to act like a big brother sometimes. Togepi then went over and gave the two Pikachu a hug for saving it. It could get the feeling they had done something nice for it so it wanted to thank them. Well, maybe it wasn't _that _bad to be a big brother in this case.

* * *

><p>As expected, Officer Jenny was waiting for Ash as soon as the group stepped out of the diner. Ash couldn't help but wonder if the police officer even ate at all. From what he understood, she was outside the entire time Ash was in there. It was then he noticed a cup of coffee in her hand. Well, at least she drank something.<p>

"Are you ready?" Officer Jenny asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Ash sighed.

Serena was staring at Ash. She pitied him and figured he's had a pretty rough time so far at the Pokemon League. There had to be something she could do that could possibly take his mind off all of the stress that was put on his shoulders. It had been quite a while since they spent any real time together since her birthday a couple of months ago. Ash was too busy training and so was she.

Ash knew that Serena was worried about him, but the truth was that she had a good reason to be. Ever since his battle yesterday, he had been somewhat distant to her and overall pretty glum. It hasn't been bad enough to where she was upset, but she has noticed. He had to let her know that he would be okay. Now that he thought about it, it had been a really long time since they did anything together. Maybe now would be a good time? Unbeknownst to the other, they were thinking the same thing.

"Serena?" Ash asked, causing Serena to look at him. "Do you want to go do something together? Just the two of us? We haven't done anything in a while. I mean of course…if you want."

It was understood by just the two of them, it meant Officer Jenny would watch from afar. Pikachu and Togepi would be accompanying them, as well. That didn't matter to Ash, though. A day of fun was something they could use, and it might make him feel better about the current situation he was in. If he was going to be stressed out the whole time he was here, it would take away from his concentration on his battles.

Serena placed her hands on her hips and gave a hard stare at Ash. What did he mean by if she wanted to?! Of course she wanted to! Sometimes, Ash could be the most unromantic person on the planet! Then again, it was part of what made Ash, and she loved everything about him…even his flaws. Serena then forced a smile on her face.

"That sounds wonderful, Ash," she said brightly.

"Well, that sounds great! It looks like you won't need us then!" Misty said just as brightly as she turned to walk away.

"Psst! Ritchie! What do you say we peek on Ash and see how he does?" Brock whispered.

"What?!" Ritchie exclaimed.

"You should be coming along, too, Brock!" Misty spoke as she grabbed Brock and began pulling him away by the ear.

"Not the ear," Brock muttered in pain.

"I'll probably go back to the Pokemon Center to relax for the rest of the day. I just won a battle and don't want to overwhelm my Pokemon," Ritchie stated as he turned to go, too.

"Alright! We'll meet with you guys later!" Serena called after them with a wave.

She then turned to look at Ash. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at her with a smile. Well, at least that was a start with his mood. He still had a long ways to go, though.

"So Ash, what did you have in mind to do first?" Serena asked expectantly.

"Well, I was hoping you could pick. I chose what we did in Fuchsia City. It's only fair that you choose now," Ash said.

Serena gave a genuine smile at Ash this time. Okay, maybe he wasn't as bad as she thought just a couple of minutes ago. Even if he was unromantic, he was still the perfect gentleman.

"Well, I was hoping we could visit some of the shops. They sell so many things here that you won't find anywhere else in Kanto," Serena replied somewhat shyly.

In the past, Ash would've cringed at the idea of shopping. He still remembered the horrors in Cerulean City when he was trapped with Serena and Leaf. He had to be their bag boy. Now, however, the idea of shopping didn't sound so bad to him, especially with Serena. It might actually be good for him.

"You know what? That actually sounds like a good idea! Let's go!" Ash agreed as he marched off to the small outlet mall at the Indigo Plateau.

Serena beamed as she followed him. Was this even Ash anymore? He was actually agreeing to go shopping with her! Serena blushed as she thought of all the different things they could do. They could find all of these cute outfits together with each other, and match! It would be so much fun! Speaking of clothes, Serena saw the clothes Ash was wearing. He wore those almost every day, and truth be told, they were starting to fade a little bit. Serena then looked down at her old clothes and figured the same thing. Well, she would fix that!

As the two walked along, Serena noticed they were giving her stares. She knew what they must be thinking. Why would a girl like her be with some trainer who almost killed everyone? Serena gave them all a heated glare in return. She wouldn't tolerate this behavior towards her Ash!

Serena then felt Ash grab her hand. Though happy, she couldn't help but wonder what his motive was for doing this. Was he doing it because they were a couple and he liked holding her hand, or was it because it gave him comfort with all of the glances he was getting? Serena didn't know and certainly didn't care. Nevertheless, she gave Ash's hand a reassuring squeeze to let him know everything was alright.

Ash couldn't help but feel the irony of the situation right now. Up until now, he had always grabbed on to Serena's hand to give her support. Now, he was doing it so he could have support. He could now see why this comforted Serena so much when he did it to her. He felt so safe and secure right now knowing she was right there.

It wasn't much longer when they approached the first shop. Serena looked through the window and could see an outfit that was pretty similar to the one she wore right now, but the colors were different. She then saw a boy's outfit on a mannequin. She glanced over at Ash and noticed he appeared to be in thought. Without further delay, Serena decided this was as good a place as any to start.

"Come on, Ash! Let's go in!" Serena urged with a smile as she pulled him along by the hand and through the door.

"I won't spoil your fun in there. I'll just stay out here," Officer Jenny informed them.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu advised Togepi as it led it by the hand into the department store. It was telling the baby Pokemon to stay close to it and its parents at all times and to not wander off. It could remember doing the same thing with Cubone not too long ago.

"Togeprrriii!" Togepi cried happily.

Once Ash entered the store with Serena, he took a good look around. It was a little small since it was part of an outlet mall, but still sufficient. They had plenty of different clothes for both boys and girls here. Ash took a good look at his current clothes and thought for a second. Did he even want new clothes? What was wrong with the ones he was currently wearing? Well, whatever. He'll just play it by ear and see what happens.

"Ash, I think it would be a good idea if we got some new clothes while we're here," Serena suddenly suggested next to him.

"Why?" Ash couldn't help but ask.

"I say you do it as a symbol for how far long you've come since starting your journey. Let it be the new you!" Serena replied as she wracked her brain for a suitable reason. The truth was she just wanted to see him wear something different for a change.

"The new me?" Ash echoed as he thought about. Aside from his problem with Aerodactyl, Ash had really come a long way. Maybe Serena was right. People changed their appearance all the time to show the new them. He didn't see any reason why he couldn't do it with clothes, too.

Ash and Serena then went over to a section of clothes on the boys' side. Ash thumbed through each of the shirts to try to find something he liked. He was never really good with this. It just came with being a guy. His mother was the one who got him the clothes he wears now.

Hold on.

Ash soon spotted a jacket that was on sale for half price. Unlike his current sleeveless jacket, this one was short sleeved and was a darker shade of blue. It was lined with white stripes down the middle and on the sleeves and had a long collar. He took it off the rack and looked at it curiously. Well, it didn't look too bad. He might as well try it, but it just didn't seem to go as well with his lighter color jeans. It was like they needed to be darker too.

Holy cow! What was happening to him?! Please don't say Serena was starting to rub off on him in the fashion area! Well, maybe it wasn't _that_ bad.

Serena seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him with what she said next. "Wow, Ash. You're actually deciding on your own clothes now."

Ash blushed at the comment. "Well, yeah. I guess since I'm older now it would be nice to try to choose my own clothes."

After some more time of looking through the clothes, he finally settled on a pair of steel gray pants and black fingerless gloves since his old ones were now filthy and forming holes. He also chose a pair of black and red tennis shoes. He was quite lucky this store had just about everything. Ash knew he agreed to do this, but he could only take so much stores after having a phobia of them. He then went in the changing room to try them on while Pikachu followed him. The yellow rodent had to see this.

While Ash was in the changing room, Serena once more spotted the high-waisted outfit again in the store window. The skirt was blue while the sleeveless shirt was white. Serena soon found it on one of the racks and took it to her own changing room to change. Togepi followed its mommy to try to provide her with any assistance its little arms could.

The two eleven year olds soon stepped out of their changing rooms at about the same time. When they saw the other in their new clothes, they couldn't help but let out a smile.

"I think those clothes look really good on you, Ash," Serena commented as she checked him up and down.

"Pika! Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu complimented Serena.

"Heh. Yeah. You, too," Ash muttered. He couldn't figure out why, but there was something missing with Serena's outfit.

"I think I'm going to keep these! How about you?" Serena asked him.

"Hmmm….," Ash mused as he folded his arms as he thought of what was missing.

Serena gave Ash a strange look. Did he not like her new clothes? She thought the idea of them getting new outfits for their following adventures would be fun. Ash, however, was appearing indifferent to everything. It may just be him being a boy, but that still didn't help to encourage Serena any.

"Don't you like my clothes, Ash? Do I need to get something else?" Serena asked a little sadly.

"No. It's just missing something," Ash replied as a light bulb suddenly went off in his head.

"Missing something? Like what?" Serena inquired.

A huge grin broke across Ash's face as he put the pieces together. It was something he had promised to get Serena again for a long time. It was a certain something she had lost in a massive storm around a month ago.

"Wait here," Ash said as he turned around and headed off into another part of the store that was hidden from view in Serena's point of view.

Serena simply stood there inquisitively while Ash left. How could her clothes be missing something? This outfit was almost a replica of the one she was wearing before besides the color scheme of it. She continued to watch Ash strangely as he came back about a minute later. Only this time, he was carrying something in his hands. Serena's eyes widened at what it was.

It was another hat.

It wasn't just any hat, either. It was a felt hat just like the one Ash had given her on her tenth birthday. Now, it was white instead of red, however. It even had the same black strip that circled just above the brim. The color of the hat matched the rest of her outfit perfectly.

"This is another gift from me to you," Ash said while starting to blush. "I know how much you liked the hat you lost in the big storm, but I hope this can be a suitable replacement. I was going to get you another red hat, but I thought this matched better with your new clothes."

Serena slowly took the hat from Ash's outstretched hands with tears in her eyes. Most people would think she was acting rather ridiculous by getting teary eyed over a hat. It wasn't the object, though. It was the meaning behind it. She had lost the one accessory Ash had ever given her, and that crushed her. Now, he was giving her another one to replace it. It was another gift from Ash, this time as her boyfriend.

Serena brought up the felt hat before placing it on her head. It was a perfect fit. She looked herself up and down in her new outfit. Ash was right. Now that she had another hat on her head, it felt so natural. Her new clothes wouldn't have been complete without a new hat. She turned back to Ash with a loving smile on her face.

"Now your outfit is perfect," Ash said with a thumbs up.

"Thank you so much, Ash," she said as she went over and gave him a warm embrace.

"You're welcome, Serena. I'm glad to be able to get you a new one," Ash replied as he returned the hug.

"Piiiiiiiiiika," Pikachu drawled. While it was happy that Ash and Serena were having a blissful moment with each other, did they have to do it out in the open like this?!

"Togeprriiii?" Togepi questioned as it looked a Pikachu with confused look, not having a clue what's going on.

"Pika Pika," Pikachu replied, telling Togepi it might understand when it's older.

* * *

><p>Ash and Serena finally returned to the Pokemon Center that evening. While Serena decided to go ahead and start wearing her new clothes, Ash wanted to hold off until he was done with the Pokemon League. What they did wouldn't be considered an actual date, but they did enjoy the others company. They spent the rest of the day visiting the local stores and had supper together. None of it was romantic, but that didn't really matter as they still had fun. Most importantly, Ash felt a lot better after spending time with Serena. By the late afternoon, he wasn't even noticing the looks people gave him anymore. All he was focused on was Serena, and that made him happy, which in turn made Serena happy.<p>

As they stepped into Pokemon Center B, they saw the others already there, along with Gary and Leaf who apparently returned from training. The first thing they noticed was that Gary appeared to have an angry expression on his face while they others shared worried glances with each other. Ash knew that something must have clearly happened for Gary to start acting like this. They made their way through the overcrowded Pokemon Center towards the rest and sat down on a nearby sofa that was saved for them.

"Hey, you two. Did you have a good time?" Leaf asked them, apparently having been filled in on the situation.

"Yeah. It was a good way to take my mind off of everything that happened," Ash replied.

"So you've gotten new clothes, too," Misty stated as she took in Serena's new appearance and the bags in Ash's hand their new appearance.

"Ash even got me a new hat," Serena said as she gestured to the hat and blushed..

"Well, I think they look really good on you," Leaf said with a smile.

Ash then wanted to steer the topic towards Gary and why he looked like this. He also sort of wanted to steer the topic away from clothes. Just because he agreed to get new ones didn't mean he wanted to talk about them. He knew Serena, Leaf, and Misty could talk about them all day, but he, Ritchie, Brock, and Gary never really had anything to say on the subject.

"Hey, Gary. What's up?" Ash asked him.

"Well, now that all of the battles are finished today, I asked Nurse Joy who my next opponent was," Gary mumbled. The worried glances then returned to his other companions

"Go on," Ash encouraged.

"I'm going against Paul," Gary finished.

"Paul?!" Ash exclaimed.

It was quite a shock. Gary was already going against Paul in the second round. They already shared a strong dislike for each other so going against each other this early wouldn't help matters any.

"I'm not going to lose to someone like him," Gary said through gritted teeth. "I've trained my Pokemon all day today with Leaf so we'll be ready for anything tomorrow."

Ash could understand Gary's anger at the moment. He could still remember their heated exchange of words and Pokemon battle at Mewtwo's castle. There were so many things left unsaid between the two. While he believed it to be fate that these two would battle each other again, he didn't think it would be so soon in the Pokemon League.

"You'll do great, Gary. We'll be rooting for you the whole time," Ash told him, trying to cheer him up. "Have you thought about which Pokemon you'll be using against him?

"I'm going to use my strongest. Nothing less. I have to beat him," Gary muttered.

"Gary…," Leaf trailed.

Gary finally lost his angry expression and morphed it into a look of determination. "We have the pride of Pallet Town on the line, Ash. I'm going to be counting on your support for me the whole time."

"You bet, Gary!" Ash replied with a thumbs up before turning to Ritchie. "Who are you facing tomorrow, Ritchie?"

"Oh, I don't know him. It's a trainer by the name of Caleb who specializes in fire types," Ritchie replied before adding as an afterthought. "He reminds me a lot of Blaine like that."

"Ah, Blaine," Ash mused to himself. He still remembered that even though Blaine could be rough, he was definitely a nice guy who let them stay at his hotel for free the entire time they were on Cinnabar Island.

"You should go see who your opponent is tomorrow, Ash," Serena suggested to him.

"Oh! Right!" Ash remembered as he jumped up from his seat and went over to Nurse Joy. She actually didn't appear that busy for a change which was surprising considering all of the battles that happened today.

"Hello, Ash. I assume you're here to find out about your opponent tomorrow?" Nurse Joy asked once he reached her.

"Yes, please," Ash responded.

"Hold on one moment," Nurse Joy requested as she looked through her nearby computer and searched Ash's name. After about a half a minute she spoke again. "It appears you will be on the grass field tomorrow, and your opponent's name is Jeanette Fisher. She has quite a following of fans."

"_Great," _Ash thought. _"Just what I needed. Another popular trainer.."_

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash replied anyway with a smile before heading over to the group.

"So did you find out?" Serena asked him once he returned.

"Yeah," Ash replied. "Nurse Joy said her name was Jeanette Fisher."

"I've heard of her," Ritchie spoke up. "Like your first opponent, Mandy, she's made quite an impact in the Pokemon League. She's supposed to be really good."

"Jeanette Fisher. That sounds like a pretty name," Brock said as he looked in thought. "Hey, Ash. You didn't happen to catch a glimpse of what she looked like, did you?"

As soon as Brock said that, he felt Kabuto's pokeball wiggle a little bit. That quickly reminded him that he needed to stop talking now. He hadn't gone crazy over a girl since he met Daisy Oak, and he didn't need to start now. Sure, when he saw all the Officer Jennys and Nurse Joys at the Pokemon League, he thought his heart would explode, but he still needed to remain loyal for Suzy, and for Vulpix.

"On second thought, never mind," Brock muttered as he attempted to hide the blush on his cheeks.

Ash didn't really pay attention to his comment any way. So Jeanette was supposed to be a really good trainer. Gary was going to have a tough opponent tomorrow, also, in Paul. They had their work cut out for them, but they had to win. They had the pride of Pallet Town, after all.

* * *

><p>It was now the next morning, and Gary's battle with Paul was up first. Ash was debating whether or not to go watch the match because of his scheduled appointment time with Lance. It wasn't until later on, but Ash hoped there would be enough time for him to watch Gary's match.<p>

As the group was exiting the cafeteria in the Pokemon Center, they were quite surprised as they already had another group waiting for them. It consisted of Red Ketchum, Delia Ketchum, and Professor Oak.

"Mom? Dad? Professor Oak?" Ash questioned once he saw them.

"Of course we're here, Ash. Remember when we said we would come watch your matches after a couple of days," Delia said with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah. My Mr. Mime is going to watch the house while we're here. We still don't quite get it, but it's taken a liking to doing chores rather than training with me," Red commented.

"Right. I'm still happy to see you guys," Ash said as he went over to give his parents a hug.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed as it jumped into Delia's arms.

"Aw! Hello to you, too, Pikachu!" Delia smiled sweetly as she rubbed its head.

"Both yours and Gary's matches are today, and we are here to see them both! Congratulations to both of you for winning your first round!" Professor Oak stated.

"Thanks, Gramps," Gary replied.

Ash's face immediately darkened upon hearing that. He hardly considered that a victory against Mandy. Sure, he was in the lead at the time things spiraled out of control, but that was probably the most hollow victory Ash has ever had. Surely his parents and Professor Oak had seen the disaster. He didn't feel it was worthy of a "congratulations".

Professor Oak seemed to realize his mistake as he quickly changed the subject. "Ahem! In any case, we better hurry on to Gary's match so we aren't late," he said.

The group nodded their head and focused on the task at hand now that the tone of the room had dropped a little bit. Just before they walked out the door, Ash felt a hand rest on his shoulder. As he turned to look, he could see it had been Red who did it. The look in his eyes definitely indicated he wanted to talk for a bit, and it didn't take a genius to know what it was about.

Serena turned back to look in concern, but Red merely nodded his head at her. Serena nodded back before giving a weary smile at Ash and following the rest out of the Pokemon Center. Only Pikachu stayed behind.

"Dad, I know what you're going to say, and I honestly didn't know something like that would happen with Aerodactyl," Ash muttered.

"I know you didn't. My only question is what you are going to do about it," Red stated asked.

"Well, right now I'm training with Lance, and he's doing his best to help me," Ash replied.

"Lance? As in Lance of the Elite Four?" Red questioned as he raised his eyebrows.

"Do you know Lance?" Ash asked curiously once he picked up on Red's tone.

"Yeah. He and I go back quite a few years. I'm surprised he hasn't mentioned it to you. It's pretty obvious you're my son," Red answered as he folded his arms.

Ash tilted his head in confusion. His father was a friend of one of the Elite Four members? That was certainly something he wasn't aware of. What else about his dad did he not know? Ash felt as though he had gotten so much closer to Red in the past month, but there were still so many things he didn't know about him. What secrets was Red hiding from him?

"By the way, how did you meet Lance?" Red asked him.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, but I met him on Victory Road,"," Ash answered as he glanced to the side at Pikachu.

"Won't say why, huh? Well, it's not like I have room to say anything so I'll accept it. Anyway, I think it's good that Lance is doing this for you. If anyone can help your Aerodactyl, it's him," Red said.

"You can come if you'd like," Ash told him. He knew his dad had a lot of experience training Pokemon, too. If his dad and Lance worked together with him, surely they'd be able to help Aerodactyl!

"You know, I think I will actually. I would like to see Aerodactyl's condition myself," Red answered as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"I have another meeting with Lance later on," Ash said as they began to head out of the Pokemon Center.

Yes. Now Ash had two great Pokemon trainers helping him. Maybe now he could start relaxing a little bit with what's been going on. For now, he had Gary's match cheer on…against Paul.

* * *

><p>"What an intense battle we've had so far, folks! It's hard to believe this is only the second round with how furiously these two are battling. You would think they were competing for the championship!" the announcer commented.<p>

It was true. Gary and Paul were currently locked into heated battle. They had been doing a three-on-three battle, and each was down to their last Pokemon. It was Gary's Blastoise against Paul's Electabuzz. It was clear they had put everything into this match so far. Their intense dislike for each other really fueled energy into the battle. Despite this, both trainers remained focused so they wouldn't be distracted by anything.

"Blastoise! Use Hydro Pump on the ground to propel yourself upward!" Gary shouted.

After Gary issued his command, Blastoise aimed its cannons on the ground and shot out an impressive amount of water. The force blasted it skyward while Paul and his Electabuzzy glared.

"Now that you're in the air, turn your shellself into a spinning Tackle attack!" Gary yelled.

"Electabuzz, use Thunderbolt on that Blastoise," Paul told it.

The Electabuzz obeyed and shot out a large stream of electricity towards the turtle-like Pokemon. Blastoise wasn't fazed phased. It quickly withdrew into its shell and began spinning extremely fast towards Electabuzz. Because Blastoise's shell was so strong and it was spinning so fast, the electricity was bouncing harmlessly off of it!

"Good job, Gary!" Leaf cheered on as Blastoise received little effect from an otherwise super-effective attack.

Ash was fully engrossed in the match as he watched. He was really hoping that Gary would pull off a win. Both Gary and Paul were using their strongest Pokemon right now, butand in the end, there could only be one winner. Ash, along with his other friends, were really cheering Gary on. If he beat Paul, the cold, purple-haired boy may be humbled and change his ways a little bit. It was unlikely, but it would help.

This was actually the first time Ash had seen Paul since the trainer's banquet a couple of days ago. They hadn't actually spoken a word to each other since the Pokemon League began, for better or worse. Ash hadn't been trying to avoid Paul, and likewise, he was sure Paul wasn't purposely avoiding him. It just played out that way. Ash was still secretly hoping not to have an encounter with Paul for a while, though. Paul showed the slightest bit of respect for Ash after he stopped Mewtwo's revenge, but that all might have gone out the window now. He had no doubt Paul saw or at least heard about what happened with Aerodactyl. He would certainly have a few choice things to say to Ash about that.

Blastoise continued spinning extremely fast towards Electabuzz while Paul looked rather annoyed. His attacks were bouncing right off of Blastoise's shell. Unless he did something, that hard shell looked like it would cause some serious damage. Paul took a quick breath before issuing his next command.

"Electabuzz, use Thunderpunch on the ground!" Paul ordered.

The Electabuzz gave a cry as its fist crackled with electricity. It then slammed its fist on the ground, causing the area around to erupt almost fifty feet into the air with dirt and bits of grass, completely covering its location. Everyone gasped at the strength of the Thunderpunch to do something like that.

Initially startled by this, Blastoise still continued spinning forward. From what Gary could tell, it wouldn't make a difference if Electabuzz was hidden or not. It's not like it could move out of the debris without giving away its location. Blastioise was still skilled enough to push through all that dirt to score a hit. GaryHe trained it better than that. Gary then looked over at Paul and saw he was wearing a smirk. Did he really think Blastoise wouldn't be able to make it past that earth shield? Well, Blastoise will show him!

Blastoise then blasted through the barrier of the debris effortless and entered inside of it. Gary expected to hear some sort of collision or cry of pain from Electabuzz, but it never came. Gary was even more surprised when Blastoise emerged from the other end of the debris cloud still spinning like it hadn't hit anything at all. It then stopped its spinning before landing on the ground and gave a questioning look at the debris cloud.

"What happened, Blastoise?" Gary asked it in confusion.

Blastoise looked back at Gary and shrugged its shoulders. It was sure of Electabuzz's location when it had used Thunderpunch, and the debris cloud was small enough where Electabuzz couldn't move without it still hitting the electric type. Blastoise was just as confused as Gary.

"Thunderpunch," Paul said without missing a beat.

Both Gary and Blastoise looked around frantically for any sign of Electabuzz and were surprised when the electric Pokemon shot out of the debris cloud at an amazing speed. Blastoise didn't even have time to react before Electabuzz's electricity filled fist slammed right into its soft face. Blastoise cried out in pain before going flying back several yards and landing on its shelled back. Once again, that was quite a Thunderpunch to even knock a Blastoise back like that.

"What?! How did Electabuzz dodge…," Gary managed out after seeing the display.

"Are you an idiot? Where do you think all of that debris from the barrier Electabuzz formed around it came from? The ground! So much earth had come up from the field that Electabuzz had a decent sized hole jump into while your Blastoise sailed right over it. Like I'm really stupid enough to just have Electabuzz stand there when it's about to be attacked," Paul explained with aggravation..

By now, the grass and debris had settled back onto the field. Gary looked, and just as Paul had said, there was a rather large hole in the ground right where Electabuzz Thunderpunched it. Gary grit his teeth. How could he not have realized that?!

"Now use Thunderbolt," Paul said next.

"Withdraw in your shell to dodge it, Blastoise. Then use Hydro Pump!" Gary yelled.

Blastoise quickly tucked all its limbs into its shell to hide away from the electric attack, but then began spinning very quickly. A jet of water soon emerged from all openings in its shell before it was struck by the electricity. The electricity once more bounced harmlessly off its shell. Electabuzz wasn't as lucky. It wasn't able to dodge the multiple jets of water coming towards it. It was sprayed by the one fromof the head opening and propelled backwards into the wall of the stadium. Electabuzz gave a gasp of pain before falling to the ground.

"That strategy you're using with the shell won't work forever," Paul growled to Gary before turning to Electabuzz. "Get up!"

"Nice job, Blastoise!" Gary praised. "Now use your Hydro Pump to fly yourself over to Electabuzz and hit it again!"

Blastoise used the momentum to push itself off the ground and began spiraling towards Electabuzz again. The electric Pokemon got up off the ground before grimacing at the pain it was in. That crash into the stadium really took some damage from it. It then saw Blastoise coming and prepared for what Paul said next.

"Don't do anything, Electabuzz. Just stand there," Paul said.

The crowd seemed rather perplexed by this. Why would Paul not order his Pokemon to get out of the way? Did he want it to be hitget it? Ash himself was trying to figure out what Paul was planning. He then thought back to his first battle with Paul and how the cold boy had ordered his Pokemon several times to do nothing while Ashthey attacked. It always ended up in Paul's favor somehow. He especially did it when Ash made the mistake of doing the same strategy twice. Paul would find a way to counter it and then…oh no.

"Gary! Call off the attack!" Ash screamed at him even though he knew he couldn't be heard over the rest of the crowd.

This was typical of Paul's strategy. He was a quick learner and always found a way to counter something after the first time. In order to beat Paul, one constantly had to think up new attacks and strategies so he couldn't catch on.

"This is really a strange occurrence everyone! If Paul doesn't do something soon, it might be the end for Electabuzz!" the announcer shouted.

Blastoise continued to spiral towards Electabuzz while Gary watched in confusion. He didn't know what Paul was doing. Even if Electabuzz did Thunderpunch the ground again, Gary would know what to do, but he wasn't even telling Blastoise to get out of the way. Even if he was planning on dodging at the last second, Blastoise could merely change its direction and hit Electabuzz anyway. Blastoise was almost upon Electabuzz when Paul gave his command.

"Electabuzz! Duck underneath it!" Paul yelled.

"Oh no you don't! Follow it, Blastoise!" Gary yelled, too.

Rather than moving, Electabuzz merely crouched down while Blastoise sailed over it and crashed into the stadium wall. If it had tried to dodge by running away, the Blastoise could just change its direction. If it ducked, however, Blastoise would have to go either up or down with it and wouldn't have enough time to stop without crashing first, and that's what Paul wanted.

Electabuzz then jumped out of the way as Blastoise fell to the ground, temporarily stunned from the impact.

"Now that it isn't spinning, Thunderbolt," Paul ordered.

"Watch out, Blastoise!" Gary cried.

Electabuzz ran over to the fallen Blastoise who was still inside of its shell. It didn't stop there, however. Electabuzz found an opening in the shell and proceeded to use Thunderbolt inside of that very particular opening. Blastoise was getting the shock of its life as it was being attacked from inside of its shell. While the shell could protect it from most attacks, it could do nothing if its opponent attacked inside of the shell.

Electabuzz finally relented the attack and stood back to see what Blastoise would do now. Gary's fist was shaking with nerves as he watched. Paul was right. He put too much use on Blastoise's spinning shell and paid the price for it. Gary's opponents would do similar things to him by doing the same strategy, and he would always find a way to counter it and win the match. Now, however, he was on the receiving end of the predicament.

Blastiose finally came out of its shell. It then let out a moan of pain before attempting to stand. It was about halfway up before its legs gave way, and it collapsed and didn't move again.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! The winner is Paul and Electabuzz!" the judge declared.

"And there you have it, folks! Electabuzz was just too much for Blastoise to handle. Paul Shinji has just won his second match while Gary Oak has been eliminated!" the announcer yelled.

Cheers began to erupt from the crowd at the exciting match that had taken place. Well, all the stands were cheering except for a certain section. Ash, Serena, Leaf, Brock, Misty, Professor Oak, Red, Delia, and Ritchie all sat with grim expressions on their face. It was quite hard to believe. Gary Oak, a very skilled trainer, was knocked out at only the second round. The worst part was it had been Paul who beat him.

"Poor Gary," Serena muttered.

Gary fell to his knees and shut his eyes tight at the loss he just received. He was really hurting inside right now. He was so determined to beat this guy and gave it everything he had, but in the end, it wasn't enough. Gary opened his eyes and managed a look at Paul and could see the cold boy was glaring at him. He then turned to his Electabuzz and gave a nod before returning it to his pokeball. Paul then glared at Gary one last time before turning around and leaving the field without a word.

Gary shut his eyes again. He couldn't believe this. He had barely just begun his first Pokemon League challenge, and now he was already eliminated. He didn't quite know what to do now. Gary then grit his teeth and stood up before returning Blastoise and leaving the stadium.

"Gary…," Leaf trailed as she watched. She could tell Gary was really hurting.

"We should go talk to him," Ash said, receiving a nod from the others. They then stood up from their seats and weaved around the still roaring crowd to meet up where they were sure Gary would come out.

* * *

><p>The group hurried out of their entrance to the stadium and looked around for any sign of Gary. They then spotted him walking alone in the opposite direction of the Pokemon Center they were staying at. That was pretty weird.<p>

"Gary!" Ash yelled as he ran after him with Leaf following.

The spiky-brown haired boy stopped at the sound of Ash calling him but did nothing else. He didn't even turn around.

"Gary, I'm really sorry," Ash said.

"Save it, Ash," Gary replied rather bluntly, still not turning around.

"Now, Gary. I understand how you must feel, but you can't let this loss get you down like this," Professor Oak told him.

I hate to say it, gramps, but you don't how I feel. You weren't there when Paul and I had our exchange of words," Gary muttered.

At Professor Oak's confused look, Ash elaborated for him. "The person that Gary faced was Paul. He and Gary met up at some point in our journey, and…well…they didn't have the best greeting," he explained, not that he had a good meeting with Paul, either.

"He called me pathetic, and that I was only doing the Pokemon League for my own ego," Gary said before adding. "Now that I've lost, he's probably right."

"Don't say that, Gary!" Ash said sternly. "Remember, we had a talk about this! You're not who you used to be!"

"That's right!" Leaf added. "You're still our friend, and you're a great trainer!"

"Right. I know. You like me for who I am. I get that part, but that doesn't change the fact that I really am pathetic," Gary muttered.

"No you're not!" Leaf said with more force.

"Will you shut up?!" Gary shouted, finally turning around and fixed Leaf with a glare.

Leaf bit her lip as her eyes began to well up with tears. Up until now, she had always been the voice of reason for Gary. She had been the one to talk to him and reassure him whenever Ash wasn't around. Now, Gary was even rejecting her, and that really hurt. Upon seeing Leaf's upset expression, Gary turned back around.

"I think it's best if I go off on my own for a little while. I have some thinking to do," Gary said.

"Wait! You're leaving?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I am. Now that I've lost, I don't really have any business here anymore," Gary replied.

"You can still cheer Ash on and be with us," Serena tried.

"No thanks. Ash is a great trainer and will only win more battles. I'm sure of it. Seeing him win will only remind me of what I don't have," Gary muttered.

"What's that?" Ash asked curiously.

"The pride of Pallet Town," Gary answered. "It's the pride of friends, wanting to protect others and being happy for their progression in life. Ash has the traits of someone to give Pallet Town a person to be proud of. I don't. All I had was an arrogant attitude and a fake posse of cheerleaders."

"But you aren't like that anymore, remember!?" Leaf shouted as tears began to fall from her face.

"It doesn't matter. I need to change, and the only way to do that is if I go off by myself. I don't want help from anyone," Gary said.

"Gary, you don't need to do this. I have seen many trainers in my years of Pokemon researching, and you and Ash are some of the most promising trainers I've seen in a long time. I'm proud to call you my grandson," Professor Oak told him.

Surprise flashed through Gary's eyes at Professor Oak's statement. He then felt his own eyes become a little wet. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve and turned back around. "Then just you wait. When I return, I'll really give you a grandson to be proud of. For now, I've got some soul searching to do," Gary muttered.

With that, Gary resumed his walking. The group couldn't fully comprehend what the true root of Gary's problem was. He had been acting strange ever since he had a huge blow to his pride when Team Rocket captured him and Leaf. He then had another blow to his pride by the things Paul said to him. Ash had managed to talk him out of it, but Gary just lost to the one person he really wanted to beat and now truly believed himself to be pathetic.

"Gary," Ash trailed again.

"I'm Gary Oak. It's time that I get stronger, for real. Thanks for your support everyone, but I need to do this alone. It will be the only way I can truly change," Gary said himself

Leaf ran after him, but she didn't get far before Gary stopped her.

"Don't follow me, Leaf," he said sternly. "I'm going by myself. I'm going to get stronger no matter what, but I need to do it alone. I'll come back, but I don't know when it will be."

Leaf then let the tears fall freely from her face as Gary continued to walk away. She heard footsteps behind her before a pair of hands rested on her shoulder. She turned around and saw it had been Ash. Leaf then buried her head in Ash's chest and began to cry openly. Ash slowly wrapped his arms around Leaf and patted her back comfortingly. It had been an extremely long time when Leaf had been this upset. She and Gary had gotten a lot closer than one would think over the course of their Pokemon journey, and for Gary to reject her like this was probably devastating.

Professor Oak looked on solemnly as Gary walked away. He then bent his head down and closed his eyes. He didn't want Gary to leave like this either, but he was also old enough to make his own decisions. It had probably been partly his fault that Gary grew up the way he did. Had he been able to pay more attention to Gary rather than researching, Gary might not have become so arrogant and prideful. From what he could tell, Gary had suffered major blows to his pride throughout the last half of his journey, and now this loss against the worst person possible had been the last straw.

"Do you think we should tell Blue?" Red asked from beside Professor Oak.

"…Yes. I'll be the one to tell him," Professor Oak finally said.

It wasn't long before Gary disappeared from view. No one bothered to go after him this time as it was clear that Gary had made up his mind. He would just fight back. Nothing was going to make him come back until Gary felt it right, whenever that may be. Leaf continued crying into Ash's shoulder as she couldn't' bear to see Gary go. It might be too much if she actually saw him disappear from view like that, knowing he wasn't coming back for an extremely long time, if ever.

Ash wished there was something more he and his friends could've done for Gary in the meantime. He thought that those talks with Gary would've really helped, but it seemed that he still harbored some of the old habits inside of him and couldn't forget about how he used to be. Now it had resorted to this.

Unbeknownst to them all, Gary had a single tear roll down his cheek once he was far enough away.

"I'm sorry, Leaf. I know you've been there to help me, and I appreciate it, but I have to change by myself. When I come back, I'll be someone that you, Ash, and all of Pallet Town can really be proud of. You'll see."

* * *

><p>The mood had been rather somber after Gary departing on such a bad note. Nobody could really bring themselves to say much, especially Leaf. She had a depressed look on her face that not even Ash or Serena could change. Ash couldn't help but feel a slight anger at Gary for being selfish like this. The spiky brown-haired boy said he wanted to change, but then he went and did something like this and broke Leaf's heart. The next time he saw Gary, Ash would definitely give him a piece of his mind for being so blind to everything his friends were telling him.<p>

The group could definitely say that this was not how they envisioned their trip to the Pokemon League would be. First was what happened with Aerodactyl, next was Ash being on restriction, and now this happened with Gary. They had thought their experience at their first Pokemon League would be exciting, fun-filled, and unforgettable. Well, it was certainly unforgettable so far, but not in the good way.

Now, it was time for Ash's second match in the Pokemon League against Jeanette Fisher. It had only been a couple of hours since Gary left, but that didn't stop the rest of the group from supporting Ash. He was still a trainer from Pallet Town and could still win despite a horrible start.

"Good luck, Ash. You know we'll be up in the stands cheering you on," Serena told him as she gave him a hug.

"Togeprrii!" Togepi added

"Right, Ash. We support you no matter what," Misty smiled.

Red then went over to Ash and placed his hands on Ash's shoulders. "I know you'll win this match, son. You've got what it takes to win the Pokemon League. I've seen it in you ever since you were born. Go out there and do the Ketchum family proud."

"Not that you haven't already," Delia added.

Ash smiled at his parents' words. "Thanks. I will," he said.

"Good luck, Ash. We'll see you after the match," Ritchie said.

"Expect a victory noogie," Brock grinned, wanting to lighten the mood.

"Hahahah," Ash mumbled sarcastically before looking over at the one person who hadn't wished him luck yet: Leaf. She still had a rather upset look on her face and was avoiding eye contact with Ash.

"Leaf?" Ash questioned.

Leaf then looked up with determination in her eyes, but Ash could tell there was more emotion in them. "Good luck, Ash. Do what that jerk Gary couldn't and win the match! You can do it!"

Just as he thought. Ash wasn't the only one angry at Gary for leaving like that. Despite Leaf's tense words, Ash decided it was best to just agree with her. He and Serena would definitely be talking to her later.

"Alright. I'll win," Ash replied before turning to go into the trainer's entrance with Officer Jenny.

As Ash walked through the tunnel, he was a little apprehensive. What kind of greeting would the crowd give him once he walked out? Would they boo him? Yell at him? Throw things at him, or just have the incredible awkward silence which was worse than any of the other scenarios. Ash wasn't extremely concerned about the crowd's opinion of him because he still had his friends and family, but it would be nice if everyone in the Pokemon League didn't hate him. Ash then stepped out into the light with the grass field in front of him while Officer Jenny stayed behind. Here it goes.

"And here he is, folks. Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town has just arrived!" the announcer declared.

This was immediately met with a lot of confusion in the crowd. They all gave questioning looks or frowns at this bit of news. Ash could hear various shouts ranging from "What's he doing here?" or "How was he not disqualified?" or "Great. Better leave before I'm killed!"

None of these words particularly comforted Ash, but it was still better than the awkward silence. Ash tried to look to see where his friends and family were at, but the huge crowd made it impossible. Pikachu looked like it wanted to shout out at the crowd, but Ash stopped it by holding out his hand.

"It's okay, Pikachu. I won't let them bother me anymore. No matter what the crowd does, I still have Serena, my family, and the others," Ash told it.

"Pikaaaaaa," Pikachu said sadly but kept walking with its trainer regardless.

Once Ash made it up to the trainer's box, the announcer shouted the arrival of his opponent. "And in the other corner, we have Jeanette Fisher from Crimson City!"

Ash looked curiously as a silhouette, or rather, multiple silhouettes appeared not far from the entrance on the other side. He then raised his eyebrow in confusion as a long red carpet was suddenly thrown out and unfurled on the grass before it. One of the silhouettes than stepped forward on the battlefield to reveal a girl that didn't look too much older than Ash. She had long purple hair with a big yellow ribbon on top and was dressed in a red kimono. Ash assumed that was Jeanette. There were two people by her side who were throwing flowers over her head from a basket they were carrying. A cheerleading squad came in behind her.

Much unlike the greeting they gave Ash, the crowd immediately roared in excitement and cheering at Jeanette's entrance. Yeah, it seemed Jeanette really was a popular trainer. Either that or they just really wanted her to beat Ash no matter who she was.

"Jeanette really does know how make an entrance," Misty said with wide eyes.

"Yeah. She's pretty….but Ash should still win!" Brock corrected quickly.

"What Pokemon do you think that Ash will use, dear?" Delia asked her husband.

"I would definitely say his Bulbasaur would be a good choice for the grass field, but it also may be wise to save it for later in the match to give him an advantage if things turn south," Red replied.

Jeanette stepped into the trainer's box and gave Ash a hard stare. It didn't appear to be filled with disdain or contempt like Ash was expecting. She most likely knew who he was and how he was responsible for the Aerodactyl incident, but didn't appear hostile. She was simply looking at him like someone would give their challenger. Ash was almost thankful and had to give her credit to not spite him like that even though the crowd thought different.

"This is no doubt to be an exciting match, folks! Hang on to your seats because it's about to begin!" the announcer shouted.

"Will the trainers please choose their first Pokemon?" the judge asked.

Ash thought about which Pokemon to use now. Aerodactyl, was of course, out of the question. So far, he had Bulbsaur, Wartortle, Dratini, and Kingler with him. He had been so caught up in the situation with Aerodactyl that he forgot to swap out his Pokemon before he started the match. He could have really used Muk or Pidgeotto for this match. Now he would have to make do with what he had. Wartortle and Kingler would no doubt have a hard time on a grass field. Bulbasaur would be ideal for this place, but maybe he didn't want to bring it out too soon. That left Pikachu and Dratini. Ash had promised the dragon-type he would use it at some point so now maybe as good a time as any.

"Go, Dratini!" Ash yelled as he threw the pokeball forward to release Dratini for its first battle.

The dragon Pokemon appeared from its pokeball and gave a small stretch before looking around. It could see all of the people surrounding it in the stadium, and its eyes went wide with fear. It wasn't used to having so many humans surrounding it. What was really just a normal crowd of people felt a lot like demons with glowing red eyes to Dratini as everyone was staring at it.

"Dratini? That Pokemon sure interested the crowd, but my Pokemon will create quite a buzz, too! I choose Beedrill!" Jeanette yelled as she threw it forward to release the poison bee Pokemon.

As soon as Beedrill appeared from the pokeball, it began flying around the field and leered down at Dratini. The dragon Pokemon immediately began quaking with fear at the scary Pokemon before it. It then remembered all the people around it again and almost looked like it was ready to cry…or pass out.

"Hmmm?" Jeanette questioned, after seeing Dratini's odd behavior.

Ash noticed this, too, and worry immediately showed on his face. He knew Dratini was scared by nature but he didn't think it would actually freeze from fear before the match started. He trained with it before coming and even asked Dratini if it would be okay to use in the Pokemon League to which it responded positively. It seems they both didn't know something like this would happen. Dratini was paralyzed with fear by the Beedrill and the crowd. Ash had to do something about that or this would be another disaster.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu called after Ash as he left the trainer's box.

"Oh, poor Dratini," Serena said sadly as she watched.

"Ash should've known he would have this problem when sending Dratini out in front of so many people for the first time. He doesn't have any of us to help now," Red frowned.

"Red!" Delia said harshly.

"I'm not done, Delia. Ash will have to handle this problem on his own. It's the only way he and Dratini will grow. Look," Red replied as he pointed to Ash. The group in the stands followed the direction and saw Ash was actually out on the field right now going to Dratini. What was he doing?

Dratini, meanwhile, started to become lightheaded and frantically searched for any sign of Ash in the trainer box, but it didn't see him. Its blurring vision was making it super hard to focus where Ash was. Where did he go?! He surely didn't leave it alone like this! It began shivering violently as tears came to his eyes. It was about to scream and scurry away. That was before it felt a pair of arms wrap around it in a warm embrace. Dratini turned and saw it was none other than its beloved trainer, Ash.

"Hey there, Dratini. Are you okay?" Ash asked warmly.

Dratini cooed nervously in response and looked at all of the people around it and then at the Beedrill before burying its face in Ash's chest.

"Yeah. I see what you mean. All of these people and that Beedrill can be a little overwhelming, can't it?" Ash asked.

Dratini cried weakly in agreement.

"Even so, you can't let this stop you. Remember what I said when we first met? How we would both get stronger together, and that you wanted to get over you fears?" Ash inquired.

Dratini took its face out Ash's chest and looked up at him.

"You're a great Pokemon, Dratini. I already know that. We just need to show everyone else that you're great, too. If you're always scared, you'll be missing out on so many great opportunities," Ash told it.

Dratini cooed softly in response.

"Of course I'll be here with you every step of the way, including this battle. If you're scared, don't focus on all of the people around you. Just focus on me. I'm going to be right behind you the entire time in the trainer's box. Just listen for my voice. I promise I won't leave you by yourself," Ash asserted.

Dratini felt its eyes water again. Not because it was scared but because of the warmness of Ash's words. He promised not to leave it, and be there for it. Dratini could definitely trust him with that.

"Of course I won't make you. The decision is yours. I can swap you out for someone else if you would like. There's still time," Ash said.

Dratini shook its head. It had told Ash before that it wanted to battle for him in the Indigo League, and that's what it was going to do. Sure, it was still really nervous, but Ash said he would be there, and that was good enough for Dratini. It wouldn't focus on all of these scary humans around it. It would only focus on Ash, and they would win. Dratinit's scared look finally turned to one of determination.

"There you go. I knew I could count on you. What do you say we win this battle together, Dratini?" Ash suggested as he rubbed its head.

Dratini gave another cry in response, but it wasn't a fearful one this time. It sounded eager and ready to battle

"Alright. Let's do it, then!" Ash stated as he stood up and walked back towards the trainer's box. Dratini watched him go the entire time. Once Ash was back, he looked right down at Dratini and gave it a smile and a thumbs up to show he was right there. Dratini nodded and turned back around to face its opponent. It was ready to fight now.

"Aw. That's so sweet," Misty gushed.

"Indeed. Ash handled that very well," Professor Oak commented.

"It's as I thought. I would've expected no less from my son to do that for his Pokemon," Red approved.

"Yeah. Ash is definitely a great trainer," Ritchie agreed.

Serena nodded as she watched. Ash just had that special way with Pokemon. She still remembered when Dratini first met them how it was too frightened to do anything. Now, here it was, ready to fight for Ash. It was clear that Dratini adored him, and this was its way of repaying Ash for the hard work he put in to earn its trust. She loved that about him.

Serena then looked over at Leaf to see her reaction. The brown-haired girl had been oddly quiet since coming. Under normal circumstances, she would be standing up on the seats screaming and cheering Ash on, but this was a massive contrast from her usual cheerfulness. There was just a feeling of melancholy in her whole face. Serena couldn't help but frown. She wondered if she would be like this if Ash ever left her, not that he would. She then tore her eyes away from Leaf and resumed watching the impending battle.

It was then she noticed something quite odd. The fans weren't giving such angry looks at Ash anymore. They weren't cheering for him, but they didn't seem to be booing him or insulting him, either. Jeanette herself seemed to have a small smile on her face. Did they approve of what Ash did for Dratini?

"Are the trainers now ready?" the judge asked as he raised his flag. "This will be a three on three battle. Whoever has a Pokemon left standing at the end will be declared the winner!"

"I'm ready," Ash replied with a nod.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered on

Dratini nodded its head, too. It heard Ash's voice and immediately felt relieved. It would feel so much better when it knew Ash was with it. As long as he stayed by it, it would be willing to do anything. It then gave a hard look at the Beedrill in front of it. The poison bee Pokemon still looked intimidating, but Dratini wouldn't back down this time. It was going to fight for Ash and win!

"Alright! The match will now begin!" the judge declared as he brought his flags down.

* * *

><p><strong> Ash is recovering ever so slowly, but now Leaf and Gary are in a slump, and Gary will be gone for quite a while. So with Gary gone, who is there to help Leaf if Ash and Serena are unable to do it? Well, you'll see. Everything problem so far will have a nice bow placed around it by Kanto's end.<strong>

**The next chapter may or may not be up next Tuesday, but it will still be less than a week from now…maybe Wednesday or Thursday. I'll have a pretty erratic schedule updating from now on. I'll explain why when I end the Kanto arc. For now, thanks for all the reviews, support, constructive criticism, etc. You all are awesome and have a great week!**

**Chapter 58: The Underdog**

**Answering the Questions:**

_How do you plan on doing the battle frontier? Is it gonna be in hoenn like in emerald or scattered across kanto like the anime?_

_**Scatterd aross Kanto like the anime.**_

_Will Ash battle any of the Elite Four?_

_**Well, he's having practice battles with Lance right now, but besides that, you'll have to wait and see.**_

_When will you post the next arc?_

_**Roughly a month after I post the last chapter of the Kanto arc.**_

_Forgive me if this was already addressed but will any out the previous character-of-the-day battle during this league or the Orange league?_

_**Yeah. Jeneatte Fisher is Ash's opponent here. I know she was his fourth round opponent in canon, but here she was his second opponent in the second match.**_

_Will Ash's aura help in the Pokemon League?_

_**No. His aura won't activate anymore in Kanto. He will also never use it to help when a League.**_

_Does Lance have an Aerodactyl of his own?  
><em>

_**No. Not in this story.**_

_If Torterra isn't Paul's Starter Pokémon, what is?_

_**I'm sorry. Let me rephrase what I answered last chapter: Paul got Turtwig from Professor Rowan but didn't bring it to him from Kanto. He instead brought a Magby and Elekid he got from his brother Reggie. This is explained in a couple of chapters when Paul's backstory is briefly shown. His full story comes out when he returns in Sinnoh.**_

_Will you ever introduce an OC Pokemon?_

_**No.**_

_Is Mandy going to try to get revenge on Serena &/or Ash?_

_**No. Serena straightened him out. He'll make one more appearance before Kanto ends with noticeable improvements in attitude towards people and his Pokemon.**_

_Will Paul mention ash first round blunder the next they meet?_

_**A little bit, but not to a huge extent. Like with most people, Paul will put the incident behind him but still have a few choice things to say to Ash.**_

_Is the case of a missing father with Serena explain why she's very clingy towards Ash aside from their incident in the forest when they first met?_

_**All of this will be explained in the future.**_

_Will Ash have a police around him at the other leagues or is it just this one?_

_**Just this one. You'll see what happens.**_

_Will Aerodactyl ever be in a League again?_

_**You'll have to wait and see.**_

_Will ash be battling Ritchie?_

_**Yeah. He'll battle Ritchie. I won't reveal the outcome, though.**_

_Can we have more moments of ash and togepi and ash training it?_

_**Absolutely, but it won't be during the League.**_

_It kind of sounds like Aerodactyl out of control is somewhat similar to Attack Rage that Dragon have when they become confused, so are the two connected in any way?_

_**No. A lot of it was explained last chapter when Lance was talking to Ash. It happens in Aerodactyl's subconscious.**_

_Will of Ash's Pokemon get a chance to battle in this League?_

_**I did as many as I could. Some are detailed more than others.**_

_Just how long will it take for Aerodactyl to be able to keep its primal instincts in check?_

_**You'll know by the end of Kanto. **_

_Is the whole point if the pokemon league is for you the winner to have the right to challenge the Elite four and Champion of that region?_

_**The winner of the Pokemon League gets a chance to challenge the Elite Four and champion of said region.**_


	59. The Underdog

**A/N: It's really strange. The last chapter had a lot more mistakes than I intended. What's even stranger was some of the mistakes that were pointed out in the last couple of chapters were ones I specifically remembered correcting already or weren't even there at all! Something strange must happen between the transition from Word to the Doc Manager. Oh well. I double proofread this chapter in both places so hopefully if there are any mistakes, they aren't too noticeable. You readers deserve the highest quality so I need to give it to you. Enjoy the chapter!**

**By the way: Ash's new outfit is his Kalos clothes from X/Y as I couldn't think of another one for him. Serena's outfit is more original. These are the clothes they will wear in Orange Islands. Other characters' clothes change will come a little later.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 58: The Underdog<p>

Lance was walking up to the announcer's box in the stadium. Being an Elite Four member, it was the most private place he could watch a match without being disturbed by the media or fans. Lance didn't watch every single match in the Pokemon League and normally waited until at least the semifinals. This time was different, however. He heard Ash Ketchum was going to be battling this time and was really interested to see what his battling style was like.

As Lance walked in, he saw the other Elite Four members were already there: Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha. He smiled and nodded his head to them before going over and taking a seat between Agatha and the announcer.

"Hello, Lance. You're just in time to see Ash's battle," Agatha greeted.

"Great. I figured it would be a good thing if I watched one of his matches considering I'm helping him. If I study his battle style, I might be more effective in my approaches with Ash and Aerodactyl," Lance replied.

"You certainly have taken an interest in that boy," Bruno commented.

"You haven't had a good feeling like that since Red Ketchum. You even went out of your way to make sure he stayed in the Pokemon League," Lorelei added.

"Well, he is Red Ketchum's son. Maybe that's why. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up where Red is now," Lance replied.

"Hmmhmm. That's quite a bold statement," Agatha chuckled lightly before turning back to the impending battle. "This should be quite a match. That Jeanette is supposed to be really good, too."

Lance nodded before turning back to the battle field. He then saw something that intrigued him. It seemed Ash was going to be using a Dratini in this match. He didn't know Ash had a Dratini with him. This should make it all the more interesting.

* * *

><p>"Dratini, use Safeguard!" Ash shouted as soon as the judge waved down his flag. With Safeguard, Dratini would be immune to all of Beedrill's poison to give it an advantage.<p>

Dratini nodded and closed its eyes as a misty glow seemed to form around it before disappearing. It actually felt rather refreshing to Dratini, and it cooed in happiness.

"Not bad for the first move. My Beedrill doesn't need its poison to win, but we can still be prepared for the future. Use Toxic Spikes!" Jeanette called.

Beedrill aimed its three stingers at Dratini and began shooting many purple darts from them. Dratini got an alarmed look on its face and closed its eyes to brace itself, but nothing happened. Instead, the poisonous darts were scattering all around it. It wasn't long before they took up a large portion of Dratini's side of the field. The darts then sat in place for a moment before sinking into the ground. That was rather peculiar.

"Remember to not be scared, Dratini! I'm right here!" Ash yelled from behind the dragon Pokemon.

Dratini stopped shivering in fear at the sound of Ash's voice. It then shook its head and focused once more on its opponent. That's right. Ash was behind it. It would be just fine. It could fight on.

"Use Poison Jab, Beedrill!" Jeanette said next.

Beedrill flew forward and began to stab at Dratini with the stingers on its forelegs. Dratini's eyes grew wide with fear as it began to dodge Beedrill's attacks. Because Dratini had an extremely flexible body, it was able to bend in all sorts of angles to dodge Beedrill. The poison bee Pokemon was quite quick with its stingers, but being such a timid Pokemon, Dratini was faster at dodging.

"Use Thunder Wave, Dratini!" Ash hollered to slow Beedrill down.

"Use Agility, and get out of the way!" Jeanette yelled.

Before Dratini could even launch the attack, Beedrill shot upwards at breakneck speed. The electric waves soared underneath it and missed by a long shot. Beedrill then darted behind Dratini and prepared to sting it again.

"Use Twinneedle!" Jeanette called next.

"Hurry up and dodge again, Dratini!" Ash called.

Beedrill shot a large glowing needle from each of its forearms, but Dratini once more bent itself out of the way, but not fully. Beedrill's speed had picked up tremendously making it much harder to dodge. One of Beedrill's needles grazed Dratini on the stomach, and the dragon Pokemon cried out in pain and cringed from the sting. Its eyes then began to water again. It wasn't used to being hurt like this even though it dodged the majority of the attack.

"It's alright, Dratini! Just shake it off, and use Agility also to match Beedrill's speed!" Ash called to it.

Dratini looked up and saw Beedrill coming in for another attack. It shot out a bunch of tiny, glowing needles from its stingers. Dratini used its increased speed and sped out of the way as Beedrill swooped by it. Dratini then got behind Beedrill and Ash called out an attack.

"Use Slam, Dratini!" Ash hollered.

The dragon Pokemon brought back its long tail and slapped Beedrill hard. The poison bee Pokemon was knocked to the ground, but it quickly got up and flew away before Ash could call another attack.

"Good job, Beedrill! Now use Fury Attack again! Go after it!" Jeanette called.

Beedrill then arched back around and swooped towards Dratini with its stingers outstretched. It then began to stab repeatedly at Dratini just like before. Only this time, it kept moving forward with its stabs which was forcing Dratini backwards. Like before, Dratini was expertly dodging the stabs as Beedrill's movements were quite predictable. Ash couldn't help but notice this.

"_That's weird. Why is Jeanette just simply ordering Beedrill to attack with no specific pattern? Dratini's a great dodger, and surely she's realized that by now. Why isn't she changing things up?"_ Ash thought to himself.

"Use Thunder Wave!" Ash called again.

While backing away, Dratini once more shot waves of electricity at Beedrill, but the poison bee Pokemon merely arched out of the way before resuming its Fury Attack. With all of the dodging, this wasn't getting them anywhere. Ash knew if he called another attack, Beedrill would just use Agility to get out of the way so what could he do?

As Ash watched on while thinking of something he could do to end this stalemate, he suddenly realized the answer, and it wasn't in his favor. Dratini had been dodging Beedrill's attacks for a while now and was starting to get pushed into a corner of the stadium. That was it! Jeanette wasn't trying to hit Dratini. She knew it was good at dodging so she was purposely backing it into a corner where there would be nowhere to hide!

"Dratini! Watch out! You can't keep backing away, or you'll end up in a corner!" Ash cried. "Try to find a way around Beedrill!"

Dratini heard Ash and started to shift to the right a little bit, but Beedrill merely swiped at Dratini, forcing it back to the left. It then tried to go underneath Beedrill, but the stinger on its abdomen appeared which forced Dratini back again. Ash gritted his teeth. Even when boosted by Agility, Dratini wasn't fast enough to get away because Beedrill had used Agility, too.

Just as Ash feared, it wasn't long until Dratini was in a corner of the stadium. It had nowhere to go now. Dratini began to cower in fear at the intimidating bee in front of it. The Beedrill then pointed its three stingers in Dratini's direction as it prepared for its next attack.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu cried out to Dratini in alarm.

"_Come on, Ash! Think! Use Dratini's strengths to your advantage!" _Ash mentally yelled at himself.

"Now that it's trapped, use Pin Missile to soften it up, Beedrill!" Jeanette called.

Beedrill then sprayed several tiny glowing needles at Dratini. The poor dragon Pokemon began crying in pain from the attack. It then slumped over and panted. Tears began to come to its eyes once more from the attack? Where was Ash? Why wasn't he telling it to do anything?

Ash began to wrack his brain for any solution. If he didn't think of anything quick, Dratini would get knocked out. Dratini trusted him to be with it the entire match, and he refused to let it go down because he didn't know what to do. Okay. Dratini's strengths were its dodging ability coupled with its flexible body. What could he do with that? Even if he tried to attack, Beedrill would just swiftly dodge it before moving back in place. He needed to take it by surprise. He didn't have any more time to ponder on it, however, as Jeanette called out her next attack.

"Use Poison Jab to finish it off, Beedrill!" she yelled.

Beedrill then retracted its right forearm before thrusting it forward. Its stinger was laced with poison. Even though Dratini was protected from poison by using Safegaurd, the strength of the attack itself would still take it out. Dratini recoiled and shut its eyes.

Ash then decided to do something completely crazy. He didn't know if Dratini could do this or not, but it was worth a shot, or Dratini was doomed.

"Quick, Dratini! Wrap around Beedrill's stinger with your tail!" he yelled.

Dratini immediately opened its eyes upon hearing Ash's voice. It then saw what looked like Beedrill's stinger coming in slow motion to it, and Dratini got a determined look on its face once more. When Ash was with it, it didn't feel scared and could accomplish anything. It reached out with its long tail and wrapped it around the stinger. The force effectively halted the attack. The poison on Beedrill's stinger had no effect on Dratini, either.

Beedrill stared in surprise for a moment. It then began to try to yank its stinger free, but Dratini was holding firm. It wouldn't be long before it would start attacking to get free so Ash had to take advantage of this opportunity while it presented itself.

"Use Slam again, Dratini!" he yelled.

Dratini then swung Beedrill around with its tail and slammed it into the wall of the stadium. Beedrill buzzed angrily and swiped at Dratini with its stinger, but the dragon Pokemon dodged it.

"Use Pin Missile again, Beedrill!" Jeanette told it.

Beedrill pointed its free stinger at Dratini and sprayed the needles onto it once more. Dratini cried out again and released Beedrill from its grip. It then slumped over and began panting once more. Dratini was now back in the corner with Beedrill looming over it. Dratini stared back defiantly at Beedrill. Surely Ash had another trick up his sleeve!

"We won't fall for that trick again. Use Sludge Bomb!" Jeanette told Beedrill, going for a special attack this time.

Beedrill then pointed the stinger on its abdomen at Dratini to launch the attack. Dratini wouldn't be able to stop this attack with its tail. Dratini then looked at Ash to see if he had some sort of idea. Realization hit Ash's face as he stared back at Dratini. How could he have forgotten about that attack?! He could've used it this whole time to get Beedrill away from Dratini!

"Use Twister, Dratini!" Ash hollered.

Beedrill shot out a large ball of gunk from its abdomen. Dratini ducked as low to the ground as it could go, and the attack sailed over it and splattered the wall of the stadium. Bits of gunk rained down on Dratini, but it didn't care. Beedrill then had its stinger pointing at Dratini to hit it at point blank range on the ground, but Dratini wouldn't let that happen. It closed its eyes and concentrated on a power deep within it. It then began to spin in a circle and got faster and faster. It wasn't long before a rush of wind formed where it was.

Beedrill shot another Sludge Bomb at Dratini, but the forming twister whisked it away. Sensing the danger, Beedrill went to fly away, but Dratini the pushed the energy it had been forming towards the poison bee Pokemon. The vortex of wind then erupted outward and caught Beedrill in its winds. Beedrill began to spin upwards as the Twister grew higher and higher.

"Go after Beedrill in the Twister, Dratini!" Ash yelled.

Dratini initially looked nervous to leap inside something so dangerous, but then again, this was an attack it made so it should have absolute control of it. Besides, it trusted its trainer. With that in mind, Dratini leaped inside the vortex and began to spin upwards, as well. Like it figured, Dratini found it was able to move quite well inside of the Twister. It saw Beedrill spinning around completely helpless and wiggled its way to its opponent. Beedrill clumsily made a stab at Dratini with one its stingers, but its aim was way off.

"Try to aim and use Poison Sting!" Jeanette called.

"Use Dragon Rage!" Ash yelled.

Beedrill tried to aim at Dratini, but the constant spinning in the Twister made it completely dizzy. It managed to shoot out the needles, but like the Sludge Bomb before it, they were immediately thrown out by the Twister. Dratini, on the other hand, took a deep breath and shot several large, blue flames from its mouth. Rather than be whisked away like the needles, the blue flames began to spiral inside of the Twister and become part of it! It wasn't long before the twister was a fiery, blue vortex with Dratini and Beedrill in the middle of it.

"Oh! Beedrill!" Jeanette called worriedly.

The Twister soon stopped and both Pokemon were thrown outward. Beedrill soared across the stadium and landed a short distances away from Jeanette's trainer box, covered in burns. It gave a weak buzz before going limp. It had been knocked out.

Dratini spiraled through the air and began to fall. Ash reached out as far as his arms would go, and Dratini fell right into its beloved trainer's arms, looking no worse for the wear.

The judge gave a hard look at Beedrill before making his decision. "Beedrill is unable to battle! The winner is Dratini!" he yelled.

"And Dratini manages to score a victory against Beedrill's deadly combination of poison attacks! That makes one Pokemon knocked out for Jeanette!" the announcer shouted.

Much to Ash's surprise, applause broke out in the audience. It wasn't particularly loud, but it was definitely there. He looked around in wonder and saw a few people actually smiling and clapping for him. He didn't think he would ever hear that noise directed at him again. Okay. Maybe not ever again, but certainly not for a while. Ash then smiled down at Dratini.

"You did great out there, Dratini," Ash told it as he gave it a hug. "I'm proud of you."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu added with a thumbs up at Dratini, mimicking Ash's normal gesture.

Dratini cooed in happiness and nuzzled its face in Ash's chest. It had won its first match and was so excited.

Back in the announcer's box, Lance had his arms folded and was smiling in approval. Ash had managed to bring out the strength of Dratini which won the match. Their flexible bodies made them capable of all sorts of athletic feats, and he used that to his advantage to win. That was well done.

"Hey, Dratini. What do you say I let you take a break to rest a little bit? I'll use you again if I need to," Ash suggested.

Dratini brought its face out of Ash's chest before looking up at him and nodding its head. Ash then brought out Dratini's pokeball and returned it while Jeanette returned Beedrill. Ash began thinking about which Pokemon he could send out next. He hadn't thought much about the Toxic Spikes that Beedrill had set up at the beginning of the match but now realized they could be lethal if he sent out any Pokemon carelessly. He then remembered Bulbasaur and how it was a part poison-type. It would be immune to the Toxic Spikes and also great for the grass field. Now was the perfect time to use it.

"Go, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled as he released it.

"Bulbasaur!" the bulb dinosaur cried as it landed on the grass. It then gave a contented sigh at the environment it was in. It felt at home.

"Go, Scyther!" Jeanette called as she released the mantis Pokemon.

Ash grimaced at Jeanette's choice of Pokemon. That would put Bulbasaur at a huge disadvantage, but Kingler and Wartortle were unwieldy on a grass field, and Pikachu would still feel the effects of the poison from Toxic Spikes so there really wasn't another option right now. He had to hand it to Jeanette for planning ahead when he should've done the same thing. Too late now.

Bulbasaur then saw the Scyther in front of it and crouched down. It wouldn't let the type disadvantage slow it down.

"Okay. Bulbasaur vs. Scyther! Begin!" the judge declared.

"Alright, Scyther! Let's start off with Swords Dance!" Jeanette called.

As Scyther began to spin like a fan to increase its power, Ash grimaced at the attack. Scyther was already a deadly Pokemon to begin with, and this Swords Dance certainly wouldn't make things easier. Bulbasaur was already weak to most of Scyther's attacks, and if Ash wasn't careful, Bulbasaur could get knocked out after only one attack. He had to play smart.

"Alright, Bulbasaur. If Scyther can raise its attack power, then so can we! Use Growth!" Ash called.

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur cried as the bulb on its back glowed seemed to increase in size slightly.

"Now use Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled.

Bulbasaur shot a flurry of leaves at Scyther, but the mantis Pokemon didn't even attempt to move. It simply used its blade-like arms and cut every last one of the leaves to harmless bits. It then got into a battle ready stance.

"I'm afraid your grass-type attacks will have no effect on Scyther," Jeanette told Ash.

"Jeanette's the best!" her cheering squad rang.

"_She's right. I'm able to do the same thing with Kingler. Because of Scyther's blades, any move like Razor Leaf will be useless,"_ Ash thought.

"Now use Double Team, Scyther!" Jeanette called.

Scyther than began to split into many different images of itself. Ash and Bulbasaur were expecting about five other copies to show up as usual, but this Scyther didn't stop there. It actually produced twice that many! Scyther and its fake images all surrounded Bulbasaur and leered over it. Bulbasaur shook its head and stared hard as it tried to find the real one out of so many. It was getting overwhelmed, and Scyther hadn't even attacked it yet! That would change soon, however.

"Use Wing Attack, Scyther!" Jeanette hollered.

The multiple Scyther took flight with their wings and came at Bulbasaur from all sides. They closed in fast as Bulbasaur looked around frantically at what to do.

"Use Vine Whip on all of the images, Bulbasaur!" Ash tried.

Bulbasaur shot out its wines and whipped them around in all directions. All of the fake Scythers disappeared upon being hit, but the real one raised up one of its blades once again and slashed through vine. It then quickly descended upon Bulbasaur and struck it with its large wings on top of the bulb. Bulbasaur immediately collapsed onto the ground while Scyther flew past it. Finding the real Scyther was little compensation because Bulbasaur was still hit hard.

"Bulbasaur! Can you stand?" Ash asked with worry.

"Saaaaaaur," Bulbasaur muttered at the pain it was in. Truthfully, if Scyther had hit anywhere on its body besides the bulb, it probably would've been knocked out. The bulb protected its body slightly, but the super effective attack still hurt like heck. It then gritted its teeth and panted heavily as it tried to stand back up. One more hit from Scyther would probably do it in.

"Use Double Team again, Scyther!" Jeanette told it.

Just like before, Scyther split into ten different images of itself. Rather than surround Bulbasaur like last time, the images then began flying in erratic patterns all over the field. It was making Bulbasaur dizzy trying to keep up with them all.

"_Vine Whip and Razor Leaf won't work against Scyther. There has to be something else to slow it down…of course!"_ Ash thought to himself before shouting, "Use Sleep Powder across the field!"

"Bulbasaur," it cried weakly, but managed to spray out the sparkling powder across the grass field. It then checked to see if there was a different reaction from any of the Scyther. It was difficult, but it managed to see a slight change in speed and shake of the head from one of the Scyther. That was the real one and the one it needed to focus on dodging.

The real Scyther then swooped in for another Wing Attack, but Bulbasaur rolled out of the way just in time. As the Scyther continued upward, it started to wobble at bit due to the effects of the Sleep Powder. Ash knew Scyther was fast, and Bulbasaur would need all the help it could get to score a hit.

"Use Sweet Scent, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled this time.

Bulbasaur then tilted its bulb in Scyther's direction and unleashed a pink colored powder that washed over Scyther. In addition to starting to feel sleepy, Scyther got a relaxed look on its face and slowed down even more. Ash then took his chance.

"Use Leech Seed, Bulbasaur!" Ash hollered.

Bulbasaur shot out a glowing seed which struck the retreating Scyther on its back with great precision. Several vines shot out from the seed and began to circle around Scyther and began to slowly take away Scyther's health. At least it would be knocked out eventually.

"Oh! Scyther!" Jeanette called out worriedly.

Ash could see Bulbasaur was having an extremely hard time against Scyther. It was true that it was immune to the Toxic Spikes and great on the grass field, but Scyther was just being too fast. It had done its part of slowing down Scyther tremendously, but if this kept up, the Swords Dance would take its toll on Bulbasaur. He needed to return it and possibly use it later.

"You did awesome, Bulbasaur. Return for now," Ash told it as he brought out the pokeball and pushed the button to release the red beam.

"Not so fast! Scyther, Pursuit!" Jeanette called out quickly.

"Pursuit?" Ash questioned.

Scyther got a glint in its eye and shot at Bulbasaur despite its tired state. Just as the red beam was touching Bulbasaur, Scyther rammed hard into the plant dinosaur, causing it to yell in pain. The red beam continued its transition and Bulbasaur was back in the pokeball.

"What happened?!" Ash cried.

"Scyther used Pursuit. It's a move that triples in power if its opponent is retreating such as being returned to a pokeball. I was waiting for you to switch out," Jeanette said.

"What a surprise folks! Jeanette pulls off the sneaky Pursuit attack and turns Bulbasaur's escape into a disaster!" the judge announced.

"Bulbasaur?" Ash questioned as he released Bulbasaur on the spot next to him. When the plant dinosaur was revealed, it was clearly knocked out. It turned out what was supposed to save Bulbasaur ended up being its downfall.

"Oh, poor Bulbasaur," Serena muttered from the crowd.

"Jeanette really thinks ahead in a match. Even though the situation may not be in her advantage, she uses a lot of things that will help her out in the future, like Toxic Spikes for instance. Ash will need to start thinking ahead, too, to win," Red commented.

"Have you been a lot of battles like this, Mr. Ketchum?" Serena asked him.

"All the time. You have no idea how many trainers try to use that strategy against me," Red chuckled.

"Why are other trainers trying to beat you all of the time?" Serena questioned.

"Well, they aren't really just any trainer," Red replied as he scratched his head nervously.

"What are they like?" Serena pressed.

Red didn't answer and just stared grimly ahead. Serena realized she was heading into forbidden territory and chose to drop it. She didn't mean to sound so inquisitive. That casual conversation took a turn quite quickly. Serena then turned back to the match.

"Sorry about that, Bulbasaur. I had no idea that Jeanette would do that," Ash said sadly as he returned it again.

It was true that Bulbasaur's situation was a difficult one. Because of Scyther's Swords Dance and ability to cut through any of Bulbasaur's more effective attacks, Ash had to make the switch. The downside was none of his other Pokemon that he had with him were a poison or flying-type, besides Aerodactyl. That would mean one of his Pokemon would be poisoned regardless because of Toxic Spikes. Ash closed his eyes as his fists shook. He didn't think he had it in him to knowingly poison his Pokemon like that. It almost seemed cruel. How could he do that to them?

"The trainer needs to choose his next Pokemon," the judge urged.

Ash knew he was right. Scyther was in bad shape because of the Sleep Powder and Leech Seed. If Ash waited too long, it might be considered bad form if Scyther's conditioned worsened any while he was deciding. What to do?

"Pika Pi," Pikachu spoke next to him.

"Pikachu? You want to battle Scyther?" Ash asked.

"Chu," it nodded.

"Even though you know you'll be poisoned?" Ash asked in confusion

Pikachu shook its head and pumped its tiny fists into the air. It didn't care about any of that. The only thing it knew is that it wanted to fight for Ash, and Pikachu was sure all of Ash's other Pokemon felt the same way. Sure, being poisoned would be completely uncomfortable, but that's why it would score a quick win against Scyther and whatever other Pokemon Jeanette had!

"Thanks, Pikachu. I'm sorry," Ash told it.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu replied while shaking its head. This was its own decision to fight, not Ash's.

"Alright then. If that's how you feel, then go Pikachu!" Ash shouted as he pointed his finger forward for emphasis.

Pikachu leaped off of the trainer box and onto the grass. As soon as Pikachu's feet touched it, the Toxic Spikes erupted from underneath it. The poison then seeped out of the needles and into Pikachu's body. The yellow rodent grimaced as it could feel itself getting a little lightheaded, but it chose to win this match for Ash, and that's what it was going to do.

"Pikachu vs. Scyther! Begin!" the judge announced.

Despite seeing the pain that Pikachu was in right now, Ash put his game face on. "Alright, Pikachu, let's start things off with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu shook itself of the poison effects and dashed across the field towards Scyther. It then leaped into the air before charging up its tail. It glowed white, and Pikachu arched over its head to land a hit.

"Counter it with Slash, Scyther!" Jeanette called.

Scyther raised one of its blade like arms into the air just before Pikachu landed a hit. The Iron Tail landed right on the scythe. The two Pokemon then began to compete for dominance as they tried to overpower the other. Jeanette's Scyther knew it wasn't going to get anywhere trying to overpower Iron Tail. It broke off the attack which created a shock wave and pushed both Pokemon back. Scyther took advantage of this, however, and slashed at Pikachu with its free arm. The attack cut across Pikachu, causing it to scream in pain and fall to the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Pikachu," it answered as it stood up. It then doubled over in pain because of the poison's effects. Likewise, Scyther did the same thing due to Leech Seed.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" Ash asked.

Pikachu shook off the poison effects once more and gave Ash a thumbs up. It could still fight and wouldn't let a little poison stop it!

"Use X-Scissor, Scyther!" Jeanette shouted.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted, too.

Pikachu began concentrating on storing its power in its cheeks like Red taught it not too long ago. Once it was ready, it fired two massive bolts in Scyther's direction, taking it by surprise. The electricity struck Scyther square in the chest and blasted it backwards into a wall which cancelled its X-Scissor. Pikachu was a quick learner. That was much better than the last time when it nearly fried Ash and Red.

_"Well done, Pikachu," _Red thought from the audience. He was quite pleased with his son's first Pokemon.

"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash cheered.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu replied as it rubbed its head. It then grit its teeth at the poison once more.

Ash knew he didn't have long and would have to end this match soon. Pikachu could succumb to the poison at any moment.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" he hollered.

Pikachu began to dash towards Scyther as the mantis Pokemon recovered. It then took flight out of Pikachu's reach, but Pikachu didn't let that stop it. It leaped after the Scyther as they both prepared their attacks.

"Use X-Scissor!" yelled Jeanette.

"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash countered.

Both Pokemon began to charge up their attacks as they got closer to one another. Pikachu swung its tail into Scyther's X-Scissor, causing a draw once more. Like last time, however, Scyther broke off the attack and used its free arm to knock away Pikachu. The yellow rodent sailed to the ground and landed with a painful thud.

"Now use Night Slash to finish this!" Jeanette called.

"Use Thunderbolt again, Pikachu!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu used the same strategy as before by concentrating the power in its cheeks. It then shot the two massive bolts at Scyther, but the mantis Pokemon was prepared this time. It swiftly dodged the attack and continued to descend upon Pikachu.

Ash tried to think of what he could do. Night Slash would surely knock out Pikachu if it struck. Scyther was expecting electric attacks now and could easily dodge them. If he countered it with Iron Tail again, Scyther would just use its free arm and hit Pikachu anyway like the last two times, but what if Pikachu broke the attack off before Scyther? That's how it was always able to get the advantage.

"Pikachu! Counter with Iron Tail again!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu nodded and charged its tail up once more. Scyther made no move to dodge the attack and instead charged right into the attack with its blades. The two Pokemon were once more at a stalemate trying to overpower the other.

"Break off the attack now, Pikachu!" Ash called quickly.

Pikachu swung its tail away this time and allowed itself to skillfully flip thought the air. Scyther stumbled slightly from the sudden break, but that was what Pikachu needed. It continued to flip and landed right on top of Scyther's back. The mantis Pokemon began thrashing around wildly to get Pikachu off of it, but the rodent held firm despite the poison.

"Use Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

"Pikachuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu cried as it unleashed the attack in a normal fashion. It wanted to make sure to get all of Scyther's body this time.

The mantis Pokemon yelled in pain from the electric attack. Once the attack was done, the bug Pokemon began to fall to the ground as Pikachu jumped off it. Pikachu landed on two feet while Scyther landed on its back. Scyther then let out a slight cough before fainting.

"Scyther is unable to battle! The winner is Pikachu!" the judge announced.

"We did it, Pikachu!" Ash cheered excitedly.

"Pika Pi!" the yellow rodent replied and held its two fingers up in a V-shape.

"And Pikachu is able to shock Scyther into submission with its electricity! What a shocker! Jeanette is now down to her last Pokemon!" the announcer punned.

"Jeanette's undoubtedly going to save her strongest Pokemon for last. Are you up for it, Pikachu?" Ash asked it.

"Pikachu!" it responded. The truth be told, it knew the poison was really taking its toll, and it suffered heavy damage from Scyther. Even if Ash recalled it, it would probably faint while Dratini was battling. Besides, Dratini would end up being poisoned, too. Pikachu decided it would battle until it fainted to give Ash the best advantage possible.

Ash seemed to sense this, as well, as he frowned. He knew Pikachu was right but still didn't like the idea. He then saw Jeanette return her Scyther and waited to see what her last Pokemon would be. If Beedrill and Scyther were this bad, he could only imagine what the next one will be. He hated that he was at a disadvantage with one knocked out Pokemon and two weakened ones.

"Go, Bellsprout!" she shouted as she released a Pokemon that had a long stem-like body and yellow, bell-shaped head. It had a leaf on each side where its arms would be.

"A Bellsprout?" Ash questioned as he looked at it in confusion. This was Jeanette's last Pokemon?

"I'm a little confused by this," Brock muttered as he crossed his arms in thought.

"Surely Jeanette had other Pokemon she could use," Misty added.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Red replied.

"What do you mean?" Misty asked as she, Brock, and the others looked at Red for elaboration.

"This is the Pokemon League where trainers will bring their strongest Pokemon. This Bellsprout must be very powerful, or she wouldn't use it. I'm sure you've all seen firsthand from Ash that any Pokemon could win with the right strategy," Red replied.

"What could a Bellsprout possibly do that would make it such a challenging opponent, though?" Misty questioned as she looked once more at Jeanette's Bellsprout.

"I just hope Ash doesn't let his guard down, or it could cost him," Red said.

"Be careful, Pikachu. I know it seems like it's just a Bellsprout, but we have to be prepared for anything!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu nodded its head as it and the Bellsprout walked up to each other to prepare for battle. Pikachu had a determined look on its face while Bellsprout appeared to be…rather blank.

"Alright, Pikachu vs. Bellsprout. Begin!" the judge declared.

"Go, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash told it.

"Pikaaaachuuuu!" Pikachu yelled as it unleashed the attack at Bellsprout.

The Bellsprout made no move to get out of the way. Ash was wondering what it and Jeanette were planning until Bellsprout stuck its root feet into the ground and stood up straight. The electric attack made contact with the sprout Pokemon but didn't appear to be doing any damage at all. The Thunderbolt soon stopped, and Bellsprout looked no worse for the wear.

"What?" Ash questioned in confusion.

"When it sticks its legs in the ground, Bellsprout's whole body acts as a lightning rod. I'm afraid your electric attacks won't work, Ash!" Jeanette told him with a triumphant smirk.

"Yeah! Go Bellsprout! Go Bellsprout!" the cheering squad cheered.

"You see what I mean? Pikachu's electric attacks are already negated," Red said with a sigh.

Serena soon got a worried expression. This already put Ash at a huge disadvantage since that was Pikachu's specialty. It had a few more tricks up its sleeve when Ash was using aura, but he hasn't been able to use it since his Viridian City gym battle. Granted, it would probably be cheating if Ash could use his aura right now anyway. It was fair against Giovanni and Sabrina, but not here. Now all Pikachu seemed to have was Iron Tail, Quick Attack, or Slam. She hoped he would be able to think of something.

Not one to be deterred so easily, Ash tried his next attack. "Use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu once more charged forward and prepared to charge its tail. Once again, the Bellsprout made no move to get out of the way. Pikachu swung around its Iron Tail with all of its might, and the attack connected. Bellsprout's body snapped backwards from the impact as it appeared to do major damage. To Ash and Pikachu's surprise, the Bellsprout turned its bent body around into a cartwheel. It then stood up again and looked undamaged once more.

"Its body even completely absorbed the Iron Tail?!" Ash asked in disbelief. What kind of Bellsprout was this?!

Pikachu stood dumbfounded that its strongest attacks were having no effect. It then looked at Ash to see if he had some sort of idea. Ash began to think hard as he was running out of options fast. Quick Attack would no doubt have the same effect that Iron Tail did just now. Jeanette said that electric attacks won't work on the ground, but maybe if Bellsprout was in the air?

"Go towards Bellsprout and use Iron Tail from underneath it!" Ash hollered.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Jeanette said, ordering to attack for the first time.

The Bellsprout shot out several leaves towards Pikachu. The yellow rodent swiftly dodged the attacks and continued running towards Bellsprout. It then prepared to charge up its tail. Being too slow to dodge, Bellsprout merely stood there. Pikachu soon reached it and swung the Iron Tail in an upward arc. Just as Ash wanted, Bellsprout was lifted into the air, but it wasn't out.

"Use Vine Whip to grab Pikachu!" Jeanette called.

As Bellsprout ascended into the sky it shot out two long vines from its leaves. The Vine Whip grabbed the surprised Pikachu and lifted it into the air with Bellsprout. Ash didn't let that stop him, though.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu unleashed the electric attack once again. The electricity traveled along the vines before striking Bellsprout. The sprout-like Pokemon seemed to grimace at the attack before slamming Pikachu on the ground with Vine Whip before landing on the ground itself. It didn't appear too damaged by the Thunderbolt, but at least that proved that Bellsprout wasn't invincible.

Pikachu grimaced in pain from the slam before standing up again. It was about to look at Ash for his next plan before the poison took effect once again. It then collapsed on the ground and didn't get back up. If only it hadn't been poisoned…

"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Bellsprout!" the judge shouted.

"Go Bellsprout!" the cheerleaders shouted again.

"Jeanette's tricky Bellsprout scores a victory against Pikachu! It sure is tough stuff!" the announcer shouted.

Ash ran onto the grass field and scooped up Pikachu in his arms. The rodent gave a weak cry and looked up at Ash. It was out of the misery of the poison now that it was unable to battle.

"Hey there, Pikachu. You did great," Ash told it.

"Piiii," it muttered.

Ash then walked back up to the trainer's box with Pikachu in his arms. He then set it down next to his feet so it could rest while he thought about the situation at hand. Okay. So his last Pokemon was Dratini. It would definitely be poisoned as soon as he brought it on the field which put him at a disadvantage at the very start. Not to mention that it was already weakened from its battle against Beedrill while Bellsprout was hardly damaged at all. If he wasn't careful, he could lose in the second round just like Gary did, and that was unacceptable. He needed to believe in the strength of Dratini. Ash took a deep breath for this last shot.

"Dratini, you're up again!" Ash shouted as he threw the ball forward to release the dragon Pokemon.

Dratini appeared from the pokeball and let out a cry. It then looked at the Bellsprout which looked back at it. The two appeared to be in a staring contest until poison spikes erupted from the ground again. Dratini leaped in surprise before the spikes entered it and drained poison into its body before disappearing. Dratini cried out before looking weakly back at Bellsprout.

Upon seeing Dratini poisoned, Ash knew he was on limited time now. If he had any hope of winning this, it had to be quick. That would prove rather difficult due to Bellsprout's tactics. He looked on with pity at his Dratini and how much pain it seemed to be in. If it wasn't for the poison spikes, he might be able to get an advantage, but Dratini didn't really feel like battling with the state it was in. It didn't have the endurance of Pikachu yet.

Then, to his surprise, Dratini started shining as its skin glowed. It wasn't evolution so what was happening? Dratini seemed to be losing its pained expression and started to perk up. When the shining stopped, Dratini looked perfectly normal. What happened? Was it still poisoned? Ash took out his pokedex for information.

"Dratini has the ability Shed Skin. This allows it a small chance to get rid of any status ailments it may have," the pokedex informed.

"I didn't know that," Ash muttered to himself as he looked at Dratini. He really needed to study his Pokemon more like Serena and Leaf did.

"Oh, what a relief," Serena sighed once she saw Dratini was no longer poisoned.

"Ash isn't out of the woods yet," Brock piped up.

"That Bellsprout is still pretty tricky," Professor Oak added.

Serena frowned but knew they were right. She turned to Leaf to see if she had any positive input as usual, but her expression was still pretty emotionless. She was clearly still hurting from Gary rejecting her and leaving like that. It was so unlike Leaf as she was normally so energetic and bubbly, but now it was the complete opposite. Serena forced herself to look away from Leaf and focus once more on the match.

Lance, meanwhile, looked on with interest. He thought Ash had battled really well with Dratini the first time he used it. He was curious to see if Ash had any other strategies he could utilize with it. Now that Dratini's ability had been put to good use, Ash could use it to its full potential.

Ash then gave a nod now that the playing field was even. Dratini was weakened but at least it wasn't poisoned. He could still win this. He had the pride of Pallet Town behind him. With Gary out of the competition, it was up to him to win that Pokemon League trophy for Pallet Town.

"Okay. Dratini goes against Bellsprout. Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Alright, Dratini. Remember. Just listen for my voice and know I'm right here. You'll be fine," Ash told it.

Dratini turned back to look at Ash and nod.

Seeing the confirmation, Ash made his move. "Use Agility, Dratini!"

Dratini reared back for momentum before dashing towards the Bellsprout. To Ash's surprise, the sprout looking Pokemon actually came forward, too, but not as fast as Dratini. The dragon Pokemon rammed into Bellsprout with all its might, but it had no effect. All that happened was Bellsprout's body absorbing the attack like any other before it. Bellsprout then reached out with its leaves before grabbing Dratini and slamming it into the ground.

"Use your Slam, too, Dratini!" Ash called.

Dratini quickly shook itself before grabbing Bellsprout with its tail. Like Bellsprout did to it, Dratini arched its tail over its head and slammed the surprised Bellsprout into the ground. Then to Ash and Jeanette's surprise, Bellsprout grabbed Dratini and slammed it into the ground again, and Dratini did likewise to it, once more!

"It appears that the two Pokemon are in a slamming contest!" the announcer shouted.

"Okay, Dratini. Let's break away from Bellsprout and rethink our strategy!" Ash told it.

Dratini slammed Bellsprout into the ground once more before leaping away from it. Ash knew that if that had kept up, Dratini would probably be knocked out soon as Bellsprout still had more health. It seemed the key to Bellsprout's strength happened when one got close to it. Ash would have to think of Dratini's long range attacks.

"Use Twister!" he shouted.

"Use Acid!" Jeanette countered.

As Dratini closed its eyes to concentrate on forming the cyclone, Bellsprout took a deep breath and hurled a purple liquid from its mouth to Dratini. The dragon Pokemon sensed the attack coming and nimbly dodged it. It then concentrated a little longer and the Twister erupted from underneath Bellsprout, sending it spiraling through the air. Dratini was already weakened so Ash didn't want to risk it getting more injured by leaping after Bellsprout like it did with Beedrill.

Ash thought that had at least caused some damage until his eyes widened with shock as he saw the Bellsprout fly out of the Twister.

"What?!" he cried.

"My Bellsprout is so light that your Twister simply tossed it right out!" Jeanette smirked before ordering, "Use Acid!"

Bellsprout took a deep breath and hurled a large amount of the liquid once more. It covered a large area this time since it was coming from the air so Dratini was unable to dodge completely this time. The Acid managed to spray the lower half of its body, causing it to cry out in pain. It shivered from how much its skin was stinging. Its eyes began to water once more as Bellsprout landed next to it, looking no worse for the wear.

"Use Agility to get away from it, Dratini!" Ash hollered.

"Not so fast. Grab it and use Wring Out!" Jeanette countered.

Before Dratini could get away, Bellsprout reached out before grabbing Dratini with its leaves. It then held Dratini high over its head and began to twist its slender body like it was wringing out a rag filled with water. The dragon Pokemon began screaming in pain from the attack as it tried to break free, but Bellsprout's grip was too tight.

"Great job, Bellsprout. Just hold Dratini in that position until it's knocked out," Jeanette told it, to which it nodded and continued twisting Dratini's body.

Ash knew Dratini was in trouble. If he didn't think of something soon, Dratini would be done for.

"And this Bellsprout has Dratini in a bind! What's Ketchum going to do to get out of this one?!" the announcer exclaimed.

"Use Twister again!" Ash yelled.

"Dodge it, Bellsprout!" Jeanette ordered.

While still holding onto Dratini, Bellsprout leaped out of the way while the Twister twirled up harmlessly several yards away. It then continued its assault, causing Dratini to scream again.

"Use Dragon Rage!" Ash tried again.

Dratini began shooting several blue flames from its mouth in a desperate attempt to break free, but they were missing completely. They were going off in all different directions, some in the air while some hit the Twister itself, causing it to turn into a blue, fiery vortex again. Everything on the field seemed to be hit except for Bellsprout. There had to be something that Dratini could do!

"Use Agility to try and break free!" Ash yelled

Bellsprout gave a slight jerk in motion as Dratini tried to break free, but it still held on tight. Dratini continued trying to dash out of Bellsprout's grip with each jerking motion, but nothing seemed to be happening. Ash was at a complete loss at what to do. It seemed like he would be the loser of the second round just like Gary had done. It couldn't end like this.

Wait.

He noticed that the pulls that Dratini was making against Bellsprout's grip were getting stronger. Agility was still in effect, though it wasn't really doing much. Was it even Agility that Dratini was still using? It wasn't too long until Dratini seemed to disappear entirely!

Bellsprout brought down its leaves and looked at them in confusion. How was that Dratini able to get free? Where did it go? It wasn't too long until Dratini appeared several yards behind Bellsprout. The sprout Pokemon turned around and faced its opponent with surprise. It was almost like Dratini had teleported, but that was impossible. No Dratini can do that!

"What just happened?" Ash wondered as he brought out his pokedex for answers.

"Extreme Speed. Dratini moves so fast that it is almost blinding!" the pokedex informed.

"Extreme Speed," Ash muttered. "It must have been the constant use of Agility when trying to break free of Bellsprout that caused it to upgrade its power. It moves so fast you can't see it."

"We can fix that! Use Acid all around the field!" Jeanette shouted.

"Use Extreme Speed, Dratini, and then Dragon Tail!" Ash hollered.

Dratini seemed to disappear once more after Ash commanded it. It then appeared in front of the astounded Bellsprout before spinning around its tail in an upward motion, knocking it away. Bellsprout then started heading right towards the flaming Twister that was still spinning around in place on the battlefield.

"Use Dragon Breath to push Bellsprout in there!" Ash called.

"Try to get away, Bellsprout!" Jeanette hollered.

Before Bellsprout could reposition its body to move away from the Twister, Dratini blew forth a mighty and hot gust from its mouth. The scorching wind sailed through the air and struck Bellsprout dead on. Its light body was then blown completely into the depths of the tornado. There was no way Bellsprout could escape from that due to being powered by Dragon Rage.

"That was great, Dratini!" Ash called to it.

Dratini turned away from the Twister and stared affectionately at Ash. It wanted to go leap into his arms right now and snuggle into his chest, but it couldn't do that as the battle wasn't officially over yet. It would just wait until the Twister stopped, and hopefully, that would be the match. Dratini was so focused on Ash that it didn't noticed two vines shoot out of the Twister, heading straight for it.

"Heads up! Use Extreme Speed to get out of the way!" Ash shouted frantically upon seeing the Vine Whip.

Despite being such a fast move, Dratini didn't even have time to react. Bellsprout's Vine Whip wrapped around Dratini and soon pulled it into the cyclone with it. Bellsprout was trying to take Dratini down with it! The surprise Dratini suffered meant it wouldn't be able to control what happened to it inside of the Twister like it did with Beedrill!

"No! Dratini!" Ash cried once the dragon-type disappeared into the Twister, too.

He and Jeanette looked around for any sign of Dratini or Bellsprout but saw neither. They were both waiting in anticipation for the outcome. The Twister continued to spin savagely for about ten more seconds before it finally died down. The two Pokemon were thrown from the tornado and each landed on the ground with a thud.

"Dratini! Bellsprout!" Ash and Jeanette called out respectively.

Both Pokemon were unmoving on the ground. It looked like a double knock-out. These were usually not accepted in the Pokemon League. The rules state that in case of a double knock out, both trainers are eliminated from the tournament.

The judge gave a look at both Pokemon before sighing. "Both Pokemon…huh?"

Everyone gasped as Dratini started quivering as it showed it wasn't truly knocked out yet. It then shakily raised its head and upper body above the ground to show it could still do something. It looked extremely weak and tired, but it could still battle. The judge then looked over to see if Bellsprout would do the same. However, the plant-like Pokemon merely lay there. It was giving no sign of being conscious. That was when the judge made his decision.

"Only Bellsprout is unable to battle! This victory will go to Ash Ketchum who can advance in the Pokemon League!" he shouted

"What a tremendous battle, folks! That Dratini has some great endurance against Bellsprout's sneaky tactics! Let's hear it for Ash Ketchum!" the announcer shouted.

The crowd then erupted into applause and clapped for Ash. He stared around in wonder at all of the people applauding for him. He almost couldn't believe it. Just yesterday, everybody seemed to despise him and wanted him out of the tournament. Now, they were doing the complete opposite! He didn't appear to be a crowd favorite like Jeanette or Mandy, but still. What could've caused their change in heart? Did all they have to do was see the love he had for his Pokemon and prove he was good trainer? Ash wasn't sure, but either way, he was still extremely happy. He then turned and grinned broadly at Dratini who was looking back at him. It was then everything finally registered. He really won the match this time.

"You did it, Dratini! You won the match!" he shouted as he sprinted off the trainer's box towards his dragon-type. Pikachu hobbled after him.

Dratini cooed in happiness but was too weak to leap into Ash's arms. It just waited for Ash to pick it up before rubbing its face in his chest affectionately. Ash hugged it back gently due to its weakened state but still enough to show he was happy for it. Pikachu soon joined him and weakly smiled up at Dratini with its fingers in a V-shape. The dragon-type smiled back before continuing to snuggle Ash.

Jeanette, meanwhile, had picked up Bellsprout gingerly in her arms and gave it a smile.

"I'm very proud of the way you battled, Bellsprout. Let's go home," she said to it. She then gave a small glance at Ash and his Dratini before nodding to them. Jeanette then left the stadium without another word.

Back up in the announcer's box, Lance gave a nod of approval before getting up to leave along with the other Elite Four members. That Ash Ketchum was really something. Despite a few unforeseen mistakes and surprises, Ash handled that battle extremely well. He would most certainly only get better as the competition continued. Lance was really looking forward to watching him grow.

"He did it! My little baby!" Delia cried from the stands as tears came to her eyes.

"Settle down, Delia. We don't need any more tears today," Red told her teasingly.

"He's my son, too, and I'll cry for him any time I want to!" Delia scolded her husband.

"Hahahaha! I know! I'm happy for him, too!" Red answered as he gave a side hug to Delia before watching Ash continue to laugh merrily and cheer. Ash just beat a really good trainer. Dratini was definitely the underdog here, but Ash overcame the odds again, and won. He was really proud of his son right now. Red then looked around and smiled at the rest of the crowd cheering. It looks like he picked up a following of his own in a short amount of time.

"He did it!" Brock and Misty cheered as they high-fived each other along with Ritchie.

"Togeprii! Togepriiiii!" Togepi cheered.

"Oh? You're happy for your daddy, too, aren't you?" Serena smiled at it.

"Togepriiii!" it nodded back joyfully.

Serena giggled, too. She was so happy for Ash right now. This match was everything she could've hoped for him. He won it fair and square, and there was no disaster a the end this time. His Dratini really came through, and the way he encouraged it during the match was adorable. Serena blushed in happiness before turning to Leaf again.

Like before, Leaf hadn't said a word. She had a slight smile on her face, but that was it. Serena felt extremely bad for her best friend. If Serena didn't know better, she would think Leaf was depressed, and she couldn't have that.

"Leaf?" Serena questioned.

A jolt seemed to pass through Leaf as if she snapped out of a trance. She then looked up at Serena and gave her a bright smile.

"Ash was really amazing, wasn't he, Serena? It must be really awesome to have him as a boyfriend!" she said brightly.

Serena thought that was a rather strange comment to come from Leaf.

* * *

><p>Ash was heading back through the trainer tunnel with Pikachu walking beside him since it was feeling well enough to walk now. The poison's effects were long gone and he had a Super Potion with him. He had since returned Dratini to its pokeball and was heading to the Pokemon Center to give Pikachu, Dratini, and Bulbasaur a nice rest. He was about halfway through when he noticed someone completely unexpected. Like the last match before this one, Mr. Goodshow was blocking the way once again, apparently waiting for him. His look was completely different this time. He wore a jolly grin on his face.<p>

"Mr. Goodshow?" Ash questioned. Surely he wasn't here to berate him again.

"Ash! That was quite a battle you put on there! You clearly care a lot for you Pokemon, and you have definitely earned your right to stay in the Pokemon League!" Mr. Goodshow said jovially.

"Oh. Thank you, sir," Ash replied. At least he wasn't on bad terms with the president anymore.

"I admit, with the way you handle your Pokemon and care about people, I may have been a little hasty in my decision earlier with your probation," he continued.

"What do you mean?" Ash inquired.

"I mean I don't believe you should require an Officer Jenny to follow you around everywhere for the rest of the Pokemon League. You can enjoy it in peace!" Mr. Goodshow said.

"Really?!" Ash exclaimed as he stared with wide eyes. Mr. Goodshow was actually revoking his earlier decision? He didn't need a police officer anymore?!

"Of course!" Mr. Goodshow laughed before putting on a serious expression. "However, my statement about Aerodactyl still stands. You are still forbidden to use it in the tournament."

Ash nodded his head. He figured as much. Even though he still couldn't use Aerodactyl, he could still travel around with his friends as he pleased. The problem with Aerodactyl would take care of itself, too. He would even have his dad helping out now. With this latest victory, things were really looking up for him in the Pokemon League! It was like nothing could bring him down now.

"Well, I think I've talked enough! I already informed Officer Jenny so go enjoy your victory with your friends!" the short man told him.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Goodshow!" Ash said as he ran past him.

"You're welcome, Ash!" Mr. Goodshow shouted after him.

Ash continued running in excitement as he couldn't wait to see to tell everyone the good news. He was outside of the tunnel and was immediately greeted by his friends and family.

"Well done, Ash. That was quite an impressive performance," Professor Oak stated.

"You handled yourself really well, Ash, especially with Dratini," Red added.

"Yeah! I'm super excited I won, and I have more good news, too! Mr. Goodshow told me I'm no longer on probation! I don't have to have an Officer Jenny follow me around anymore!" Ash told them excitedly.

"That's great, Ash!" Ritchie exclaimed.

Serena herself breathed a sigh of relief. It was so wonderful how good things seemed to have turned out since today started. Maybe now they could all put the previous catastrophe behind them and move forward. Of course, since there wasn't an Officer Jenny following Ash around anymore, she may finally get to have some real alone time with Ash. She had been wishing for that since the start, but the closest they got was shopping, but now, she wanted to do something romantic for a change. They still have yet to do that since being together. Still...

"Hey, Serena. What do you think?" Ash asked her.

"Heehee! I think it's great, Ash!" Serena giggled while a scenario of settings went through her head. Then she remembered her best friend. It was then she turned to Leaf who was standing off to the side away from the rest. "Hey, Leaf! You should join us!"

Leaf shook her head in response. "Oh no. I'm fine! I wouldn't want to get in the way of you two having alone time! I'll be fine!"

"Come on, Leaf! It will be fun! I haven't gone shopping with you since Cerulean City! In fact, how about just the two of us?" Serena urged.

"Look, Leaf," Ash sighed. "We know you're hurting right now with what Gary…,"

"Don't!" Leaf suddenly shouted forcefully as she held her hand up to stop him and glared.

Everyone stared in shock at her sudden outburst. Upon learning she was making a scene, Leaf looked away to the side and blushed in embarrassment. She then fell silent once again. Ash and Serena looked at each other. They were worried for her but didn't have a clue how to approach the situation. Leaf couldn't stay like this forever.

"Okay. We won't force you," Ash replied softly. "Just know that the offer is always open to you. You're part of the Pallet Town crew, too, you know."

Leaf merely nodded her head in response. What exactly was going on in her head right now to not want to spend time with Ash and Serena? One would think it would be completely the opposite now that Gary was gone. In fact, she should be wanting to spend every winking moment with her friends. What was going on with her?

The group was just about to head over to the Pokemon Center when they saw a figure heading their way with a smaller one next to it. As the two got closer, the group could see it was someone they hadn't seen in a while. Tyson and his Meowth were running at breakneck speed down the pathway almost as if something was after them, but there clearly wasn't. Upon seeing the group, Tyson and his Meowth screeched to a halt.

"Hey there, guys! Long time no see!" he said while running in place.

"Meow Meow," the Meowth greeted, mimicking its trainer's movements.

"Hey, Tyson! What have you been up to?" Ash greeted.

"I just won my second match and now Meowth and me are starving! They have a special sale going on at the all-you-can-eat buffet for winning trainers! I can't miss it! We were on our way to the Pokemon Center, and then head there!" Tyson answered.

As usual, Ash and Pikachu perked up at the mention of food. "All you can eat buffet discount?! I can't miss that!"

"I know right?! You guys are welcome to join me!" he offered.

"Sounds good to me!" Ash replied before turning to everyone else. "Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's get some food!"

He then picked up Pikachu, and together with Tyson and Meowth, dashed down the road as fast as he could. A discounted all-you-can-eat buffet would always be his weakness. He could get as much as he wanted at a good price! You couldn't beat that!

Everyone sweatdropped as they watched Ash run away. Ash and his love of food.

* * *

><p>The next few days at the Pokemon League had been really enjoyable for Ash and the others. The raven-haired trainer had his third battle the next day and won it by using Tauros, Hitmonchan, and Haunter on the rock field. Haunter's ability to bypass all of the obstacles on that field had been especially helpful. The ice field was where his fourth battle took place, and he had used Wartortle, Hitmonchan, and Pikachu on the ice field. With four wins under his belt, Ash was feeling pretty good.<p>

Of course, Ash wasn't the only one who was doing well so far. Ritchie had managed to win four matches, too! They even heard about Tyson and Paul having made it past four matches. The competition was really starting to narrow down. They were all in the top eight right now. Everyone was really impressed with how well Ritchie and Ash were doing considering it was their first league. Now that they made it through all four fields, they would be battling on the real battle stadium where Moltres' flame burned. It was time to get really serious.

Ash was lounging in the Pokemon Center wearing a happy smile at the moment. The only other people with him right now were Serena, Ritchie, Pikachu, and Leaf, with the latter being somewhat of a surprise to the rest. Leaf's attitude was steadily getting back to normal, but even then, Ash and Serena could still tell she was hurting on the inside. They invited her to hang out with them on several occasions, but she declined every time. They also tried to talk to her on several occasions, but she would reassure them she was fine, even the though the two knew she was lying.

"So Ash? How do you feel about your fifth battle?" Leaf asked him.

"Well," Ash began as he thought, "I'll be finding out who his fifth opponent is pretty soon. It doesn't matter who it is, though. I'm determined to win no matter what! I've made it to the top eight so I'm going all the way!"

"That's the spirit!" Leaf replied with a smile.

Serena, meanwhile, let out a sigh. Sure, Leaf wasn't acting depressed anymore. It was actually quite the opposite. She was acting as if nothing's wrong, and truthfully, it bothered Serena a lot. Leaf was pretty fragile right now despite how much she tried to hide it. Serena and Ash had known Leaf for years, and they always would help each other out so why was she rejecting their comfort now of all times?

Ash then saw a water bottle and energy bar waved in front of his face. He looked up and saw Ritchie staring down at him.

"Hey, Ash. I figured we could both use a snack with all the hard battling we've done so far," Ritchie said as he sat down next to Ash.

"You bet. Thanks, Ritchie," Ash replied as he took the snack from Ritchie. The two then clinked their bottles together and each took a sip.

"Wow. Who knew I would make it to the top eight my first League," Ritchie commented.

"I know. This competition started with around one hundred people, and here were are in the top eight. It's pretty amazing." Ash agreed after taking a large bite of the energy bar.

"It would be pretty awesome if we faced each other in the finals," Ritchie said.

"Yep! When we do, just be prepared for me to be the winner!" Ash said with a grin.

"Hahahaha! Sure Ash! Whatever you say," Ritchie replied with a laugh at his own.

"It shouldn't be a surprise you two made it this far. You're both great trainers," Serena told them.

"We aren't as good as you yet!" Ash said to her with a smile. "You won the Battle Chateau while we still have yet to win the League!"

"You conquered the Battle Chateau?" Ritchie asked in a surprised tone.

"Hmmhmm! Yeah. I did," Serena replied embarrassedly.

"That's amazing! If you weren't already with Ash, I would probably be asking you for some battle advice!" Ritchie joked.

"You're too kind," Serena smiled before adding, "Truthfully, though, I learned a lot of my strategies from Ash. We've trained together a lot since starting our journey together."

"It must be nice to have a training partner," Leaf said, causing the other three to glance at her.

It was at that time which Ash and Ritchie finished their snack. Now that they were energized, it would be a good time to look at who their opponent was. They each nodded to each other before going over to Nurse Joy with Leaf, Serena, and Pikachu going with them.

"You can go on ahead and go first," Ritchie told Ash.

Ash nodded his thanks before approaching Nurse Joy. "Hi, Nurse Joy. I was wondering if you could tell me who my next opponent was in the Pokemon League."

"Of course. By the way, I'd like to congratulate you both on doing so well," Nurse Joy praised as she logged on to her computer.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!" they both replied.

About a few seconds later, Nurse Joy nodded their head to them. Ash's profile then appeared on the large screen above Nurse Joy's desk.

"Okay, Ash. You're next challenger will be coming up in just a few seconds," she told him.

Ash nodded and looked up at the screen eagerly. He knew whoever it was, it would definitely be someone who was pretty good. He would have to give it his all. Soon, his opponent appeared on the other side of the screen, and everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh. Wow," Ash muttered as he looked at Ritchie.

"Yeah. Guess so," Ritchie mumbled back.

Both Ash and Ritchie knew they said they were ready for whoever their next opponent was. It shouldn't have come as too big of surprise considering how much the numbers were starting to dwindle. It had to have happened sooner or later even though they would have preferred it to be later. They were friends for sure, but they never really found out who was the better battler by facing each other in a match. That would all change now, however, in the ultimate way.

Ash and Ritchie were facing each other in the fifth match.

* * *

><p><strong>I know I skipped over the two battles in the rock and ice field. There was no fleshed out opponent for me to have Ash battle and I didn't want an OC. They were skipped over in the anime anyway or just briefly shown. I was much more looking forward to any other battle to be honest. The battle would probably be boring for me to write, anyway, and in turn, it would be boring to read.<br>**

**Another thing, I mentioned is that Ash is in the top 8 now after only four victories. In the anime, you had to have 5 victories in the Pokemon League to be in the top 8 like Ritchie did. This isn't an error I made. I mentioned at the start that the Pokemon League in this story is for very skilled trainers only. If you go back to double all the way to the first round, that makes for 128 participants in the Indigo Plateau for this fic, which is what I said the number would be around at the very beginning. It isn't for anyone who can get a gym badge from every weak gym leader they want like the anime. So Ash and Ritchie are in the top 8 after only four victories, and it is still very hard to achieve this because their opponents are harder. It isn't any easier just because there are fewer participants. Just wanted to make that clear.**

**Ash and Ritchie's battle is up next. I'm not revealing the outcome, of course. Ash may win or he may lose like in canon. If he does lose, it won't be because Charizard decided to take a nap. It would be a legitimate loss. Anyways, I'll have the next chapter up sometime soon but I don't know when. It will be less than a week, though. Thanks for all the reviews and support. **

**Chapter 59: Ash Vs. Ritchie! Battle Between Friends!**

**Answering the Questions: (Some Spoilers)**

_Which position will ash come in the indigo league?_

_**Sorry. I won't say. Why would you want me to reveal that and spoil the ending anyway?**_

_Will you have Leaf go with Ash and Serena when they go to the orange islands and have her do her own thing or something else?_

_**Yeah. Leaf will be in the Orange Islands arc and travel briefly with the group until she leaves to explore on her own.**_

_When you do the Orange island arc, could you make a rival character in the arc?_

_**Sorry. There is no rival for Ash or Serena in the Orange Islands arc.**_

_Do have a plan to handle the issue of the Elite Four and Champion for Johto since they pretty much don't exist?_

_**Yeah. Johto has its own Elite Four and champion in this fic. Karen and Will are part of it. I won't reveal the others.**_

_In regards to ash's probable loss in this league, will he have a heartbreaking loss like Gary's, or will it be more of a respectable loss which he can use as a learning experience?_

_**I'm won't reveal this actually as it's a big spoiler.**_

_Will Ritchie's and Tyson's full teams be shown, or will just 1-3 of them be seen?_

_**Six of Ritchie's Pokemon will be mentioned only three will be shown (the obvious ones). The same goes for Tyson.**_

_Will any more legendaries make an appearance in the remainder of the kanto arc?_

_**No.**_


	60. Ash Vs Ritchie! Battle Between Friends!

**A/N: Well, here is the obligatory battle between Ash and Ritchie! Who will win? Read on. Hopefully this battle won't have a mistake in it that just about every reader points out to me. Enjoy the chapter! **

**I know the top eight can have a 6 on 6 battle in the anime, but in this continuity, only the top four have 6 on 6 battles. It saves me the stress of having to write too many 6 on 6 battles if Ash ever wins a league in this series. Ash and Ritchie will only have a 3 on 3 battle.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. Nintendo does.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 59: Ash Versus Ritchie! A Battle Between Friends!<p>

Ash gave a huge yawn from the bed he was sleeping in. It was already the next morning. The truth was he didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night. He was up thinking about his coming match with Ritchie later. He didn't know why this made him so restless as it was pretty inevitable they would have to face each other sooner or later. Ash just wished it was later, like the finals. That, however, was only wishful thinking.

Pikachu gave a yawn and stretch also while Ash swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked across the room to see Ritchie was awake, too. He wasn't out of bed but was just staring up at the top bunk with his hands behind his head. Upon realizing he was being watched, Ritchie turned towards Ash and gave a light smile.

"Morning, Ash. I take it you couldn't sleep, either?" he guessed.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Ash asked.

"I heard you sighing a few times, and there was no sound of light breathing coming from your end," Ritchie stated.

"Oh," Ash replied as he stood up from the bed to go to the bathroom.

"Listen, Ash," Ritchie began, causing him to stop. "We've been great friends so far. I know we had a wish to compete against each other in the finals, but that isn't reality. As friends, we should make this our best battle yet and give it everything we have."

Ash brought his head down and thought about what Ritchie said to him. It would be really stupid to act awkward around each other just because they were fixing to battle. Ritchie was right. They had a chance to really test their skills as Pokemon trainers against each other. Why let that go to waste?

"Yeah. You're right," Ash replied as he turned around to face Ritchie.

"I think you two are lucky to be able to face each other since you're friends," Brock suddenly spoke from his bunk, causing the two to jump. Was he awake this whole time, too?!

"What do you mean, Brock?" Ash asked him.

"Well, one of you has to lose a match since you can't both be winners, but even if one of you loses, you can still be happy for your friend that they won. There will be no bitter feelings about losing," Brock elaborated.

Ash certainly did wish the best for Ritchie in the Pokemon League. That didn't change the fact that he wanted to win, too, though. It would be really selfish if he was upset about the outcome no matter what it was. Ritchie wasn't the kind of person who would dwell on something like that so Ash shouldn't, either. He could act mature about this.

"You're right, Brock," Ash replied before addressing Ritchie. "We'll make this our best battle yet!"

"Great! It's a promise!" Ritchie said with a nod.

* * *

><p>The group had just had their breakfast, and Ash thought it would be a good time to train Aerodactyl. His match with Ritchie was one of the last ones of the day and wasn't until the evening. That left him plenty of time to prepare. His dad, Red, was coming, too.<p>

"Well, we're off!" Ash said as he, Pikachu, and Red started towards the door.

"Alright. We'll be here when you get back. Good luck," Brock told him.

"Hey, Ash. Can I come with you? I want to see how Aerodactyl's coming," Serena called after him.

"Of course you can!" Ash replied with a smile.

He then saw Leaf sitting quite a bit a ways from everyone. She didn't look sullen, but that was just a mask of what she was feeling. Surely she wasn't just going to sit there all day. Truthfully, Ash was worried about her. Leaf was the first friend he ever made, and he hated seeing her like this. Ash went over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, Leaf. Why don't you come with us? Some fresh air might do you some good," he said.

Leaf looked up and gave Ash a sad smile. She appreciated Ash and Serena's attempts to include her in their activities, but she knew she would only be a third wheel. Ash and Serena were a couple now, and she didn't want to get in the way. At least, she thought that's what it is she felt.

"No thanks, Ash. I will just be a third wheel. You guys go on without me," she replied.

"If we thought you were going to hold us back, we wouldn't have invited you to come with us," Ash pointed out.

"I just want to be by myself right now," Leaf said before flashing him what she thought was a toothy grin. "I'll be fine."

Ash had known Leaf long enough to know a phony smile from her if he saw one. That was definitely one of them. Still, he and Serena knew not to call her out on it as it may only upset her even more. She would only reject their advances if they pushed her, and that might lead to a confrontation.

"Oh, Leaf," Serena muttered.

"Okay. We'll be back later. Will you cheer me on during Ritchie's match?" Ash asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Always," Leaf replied.

"Okay, we'll see you later," Ash said before leaving. There had to be something that could cheer her up.

* * *

><p>"That's great, Aerodactyl! Now use Wing Attack!" Ash commanded.<p>

Aerodactyl gave a cry before divebombing at Dragonair, ready to strike it with its wings.

"Dodge it with Agility, and use Thunder Wave!" Lance countered.

The large dragon dashed out of the way just before Aerodactyl came in contact with it. In order to keep colliding with the ground, Aerodactyl pulled upward rather clumsily which left it wide open for a Thunder Wave. The electricity came from the dragon and struck Aerodactyl, causing it to shake in pain.

As soon as this happened, its wild side tried to dominate it again. Its brain was telling Aerodactyl that it was in danger, but its heart was saying no. This was just a friendly battle, nothing more. The prehistoric Pokemon gritted its teeth and shook its head before giving a pained look but not an aggressive one.

"Great job fighting it off, Aerodactyl!" Ash praised.

"I say we go ahead and give it a break for a few minutes," Lance suggested as he went over to Aerodactyl. He then pulled out some medicine before spraying it on the prehistoric Pokemon to relieve it of its paralysis.

"I think your Aerodactyl is improving, Ash," Red commented as he and Serena watched.

"Thanks to you and Lance," Ash replied as he patted Aerodactyl on the snout.

It was true, too. When they first started, Aerodactyl couldn't even last one attack without immediately needing to be returned to its pokeball. Now, a few days later, it actually withstood being paralyzed without going wild. There may definitely be hope for it, after all.

Along with Red and Serena, Dratini had been watching the proceedings, too. When Lance had found out Ash owned a Dratini, he had requested to meet the dragon-type. Although extremely scared and wary at first, Dratini quickly warmed up to Lance. Lance's Dragonair sidled up next to its pre evolution and nodded to it. Dratini got an alarmed look and nervously looked away. It really admired the Dragonair and hoped it could be as strong as it someday, if it could get over its crippling shyness.

"Dragonair won't hurt you, Dratini," Lance told it as he bent down and rubbed its head. "It may just want to play with you."

Dratini cast a wary glance over to the Dragonair who was giving no form of hostility, just warmness. It then steadily crawled over to Dragonair and gave a shy nod to it. Then to its great surprise, Dragonair suddenly bent over and lifted Dratini on its head. The smaller dragon yelped in surprise and fear until it saw the Dragonair laughing, but not in a mocking way, but it was very good-natured.

"See, Dratini? Nothing to be afraid of," Ash told it.

Dratini nodded its head. If Ash said it was fine, then it must be. It then playfully laughed while Lance's Dragonair took the smaller dragon for a ride while the others rested.

"I'm really proud of you so far, Aerodactyl," Ash told it.

"Aerooooo!" it cried happily.

"It might be ready for me to give a real battle to it soon," Lance smiled.

"Really? A real battle with Aerodactyl rather than just practice?" Ash asked with surprise.

"Yes. It's the only way we'll know for sure if Aerodactyl is truly ready for battle by the time the Pokemon League is over," Lance confirmed.

"How about it, Aerodactyl? Are you up to it?" Ash asked it.

"Aerooooo!" it responded in the positive. It then leaned over and started licking Ash across the face.

"So I hear that your next match is against one of your friends," Lance spoke up. "How do you feel about that?"

"I'm not really sure," Ash replied as Aerodactyl got off of him. "I'm happy Ritchie and I made it this far, and we promised to give it our all, but that also means only one of us can progress farther."

"It almost reminds me of my match with Blue a long time ago," Red remembered.

"It's not quite the same thing," Ash said. "You faced Blue in the final round. I'm facing Ritchie in the Top Eight."

"We were still friends, though. There was also a lot more at stake," Red pointed out. "Like you and Ritchie, we promised to make it our best battle yet. We fought with everything we had, and in the end, only one of us came out on top."

"You." Ash figured.

"Yeah. Blue took it pretty hard at first. He had worked so hard to enter, only to lose at the last moment," Red continued.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Ash muttered. He now wondered how much his and Ritchie's friendship would be put to the test now.

"Well, there's more to the story. Blue didn't really talk to me for a while after that, but that is what drove him to start training his hardest no matter what. Of course, in order to train his hardest, he needed an opponent that he considered worthy, and in his eyes, only I was. It was through all this training together that we ended up being the best of friends. In the end, our friendship was only strengthened by the battle," Red continued.

"So what are you saying?" Ash wondered.

"If you're worried about this match affecting your friendship with Ritchie, don't be. If anything, the two of you will only become closer because of it," Red finished.

"Right. Thanks, Dad," Ash said.

"It's also that like that time I faced Leaf in the Battle Chateau," Serena pointed out. "We faced each other, and our friendship wasn't affected at all by it...in the end anyway."

Maybe his dad and Serena were right. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened. There was no reason to be worried about this match. He and Ritchie were going to give it their all and have a lot of fun. That was all the determination he needed to show up and fight his hardest against Ritchie no matter what!

* * *

><p>Leaf was sitting by herself on a bench right now. It was on one of the highest points of the Indigo Plateau and overlooked almost the entire Pokemon League area. Ever since Gary had left, Leaf had felt really isolated from everyone. Being a member of the Pallet Town quartet had always meant a lot to her when she was growing up. Now that they were a little older and going their separate ways on a Pokemon journey, she couldn't help but feel they were growing steadily apart.<p>

The exception, of course, was Ash and Serena. The two had only grown closer as they adventured together until they finally became a couple at last. Naturally, Leaf felt ecstatic when she heard the news, but also slightly jealous. It was a weird feeling. Now that Ash and Serena were a couple, Leaf was worried they may only drift further away from her as time goes on. This didn't really bother her as much at first because Gary was still around and in the same boat as her.

She had gotten a lot closer to Gary during the last half of their journey. Ever since the incident at Viridian City, she felt a special closeness to Gary, and he seemed to feel the same way about her. It wasn't exactly a crush, but it wasn't just friendship, either. Since Ash and Serena were couple, Leaf didn't feel as away from the Pallet Town natives because of Gary. Now, Gary was gone, and it left her devastated. Ash and Serena still had each other. Who did Leaf have now? No one. She was alone, but she wasn't about to be selfish enough to get in the way of Ash and Serena just to take that feeling away. Maybe she should just leave, too.

It was then Leaf heard footsteps behind her and sighed. She figured it must be Ash or Serena coming to talk to her. It was weird, though. They were supposed to be training with Aerodactyl right now. Surely they weren't putting it off to just talk to her again. Leaf gritted her teeth. Why did they have to worry about her so much? Well, that was a stupid question. Because they're her friends. They were supposed to care. Even so, that didn't change the fact that she felt in their way. She then turned around to find it wasn't Ash or Serena behind her, or even Brock or Misty.

"Ritchie?" Leaf questioned.

"Hi, Leaf. Fancy seeing you here," Ritchie greeted with a smile as he came over next to her.

"What are you doing here?" Leaf asked.

"I've actually been coming here at least once a day during the Pokemon League before my matches. Seeing the view here just feels me with confidence, you know. It reminds me of how far I've come to get to the Pokemon League, and because of that, I can always do my best," Ritchie replied.

"That's nice," Leaf sighed as she went back to staring off in the distance.

"Forgive me for saying this, but you've seemed pretty upset the past couple of days. Ash and Serena have been worried about you," Ritchie commented.

"I know they have, but I don't want to bother them with my problems. It will only distract them from each other," Leaf replied.

"They're your friends. They would make time. You can't expect them to just forget about you. They would never do that," Ritchie said seriously.

"I know. I care a lot about both Ash and Serena, and I know they care for me, too," Leaf mumbled.

"If that's how you feel, I'll listen. I don't have anyone that you would be distracting me from," Ritchie offered.

Leaf turned to look at Ritchie in surprise. They barely know each other. Here he was, though, offering to listen to her problems? Should she really tell him? Ritchie definitely seemed like a kind and thoughtful boy, but could she really just tell him some of this stuff. Well, she already told him some things so she might as well say the rest. How should she put it, though?

"It's just…ever since we all started our Pokemon journey. I don't feel as close to Ash and Serena anymore. They travel together, and I travel by myself," Leaf started.

"Go on," Ritchie encouraged politely.

"I've always encouraged Serena to admit her feelings to Ash because I knew that he felt the same about her, but now that they're together, I'm the third wheel," Leaf continued.

"That didn't seem to bother you until a couple of days ago when you other friend, Gary, left," Ritchie said.

"Right. As long as Gary was around, I wasn't by myself, and he would keep me company. Now, not only did he leave, but he even rejected me to go with him," Leaf said as her eyes began to water.

"Ah, since Gary's gone, and Ash and Serena have each other, you feel like you have no one to turn to," Ritchie realized.

"Right, and as I said, I don't want to be in the way of Ash and Serena," Leaf confirmed.

At this, Ritchie let out a light chuckle. Leaf looked over and frowned at him. She just told this boy, whom she barely knew, her problems, and he thought it was funny?

Upon seeing her look, Ritchie shook his head. "No. I wasn't laughing at you. I was told that you and Ash can act just like twins sometimes, and I now know it to be true myself. Ash is one of those people who only think about others and never himself, no matter what the price is. You're doing the exact same thing he probably would. You're letting others be happy at the cost of yourself being miserable."

"Yeah. Ash and I used to do everything together," Leaf muttered with a slight smile as she turned to face forward again.

"Leaf, it isn't a bad thing to think about yourself sometimes, too. Don't get me wrong. You want to always put others before yourself, but if it even starts to come at the cost of your own well-being, you'll not only be hurting yourself, but everyone around you. Pretty soon, everybody is miserable because you are, and nobody wins," Ritchie explained.

Leaf had to admit, she never thought of it like that. Ash and Serena were both reaching out to her, but she was rejecting anything they did. Was she doing to the same thing to them as Gary did to her? If she continues to act this way, she would start to bring the others down with her. If that happened, Ash and Serena may stop trying, and then, Leaf really would be alone. She was upset about Gary leaving, but if others were trying to help her, she should accept it.

"You're right, Ritchie. Thank you," Leaf said sincerely.

"I'm just glad I was able to help a little bit," Ritchie said with a nod.

"No. You helped a lot. I needed to hear that. The last thing I want to do is upset my friends and push them away like that," Leaf told him.

"If that's how you feel, then you're welcome," Richie replied with a smile. It was then he stood up.

"You're leaving already?" Leaf asked him.

"Yeah. I was going to head to the café for a little lunch. I need to keep my strength up today for the match with Ash," Ritchie answered.

"That's right. I'm sure it will be a really great match," Leaf said.

"It sure will!" Ritchie agreed with a smile before turning to Leaf. "In fact, I could use some company. Would you like to come with me for lunch? It'll be my treat."

Leaf finally let the first genuine smile come upon her mouth in a while. "That would be really nice, Ritchie. Thank you."

* * *

><p>The evening of the match proved to approach quite quickly for Ash. He had been with Serena, Red, and Lance all day and only took a break to eat. The prospect of Aerodactyl actually getting better had sparked him to keep at it. Now that the time for the match had come, Aerodactyl was having a nice deserved rest in its pokeball.<p>

Ash, Serena, and Red were now walking towards the official battle stadium which was reserved for the quarterfinals and above. They could see the Moltres' flame burning brightly even from outside the stadium, lighting up the evening sky. The rest of the group was already there once they reached the stadium, except for Ritchie. It was assumed he already was waiting for Ash inside.

"There you are, Ash. Are you ready?" Misty asked him.

"You bet! More than ever! Ritchie and I will have an awesome battle!" Ash affirmed.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu added as it pumped its fist in the air.

"Have you thought about which Pokemon you're going to use?" Brock asked.

"Right now, I have Aerodactyl, Dratini, Charizard, Hitmonchan, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu with me. I'll make my decisions based on them," Ash replied.

"Ah, that is a good range of Pokemon there. I think you will be just fine," Professor Oak commented with a nod.

"Thanks, professor," Ash responded.

"Now, Ash. I want you to do your best out there. I know you can do it," Delia said.

"You know I will, Mom," Ash smiled.

He was then surprised when Leaf actually went over and gave him a hug. "Good luck, Ash," she said.

"Wow. Thanks Leaf," Ash responded. He didn't know what caused the sudden rise of mood in Leaf. He wouldn't complain, though. As long as she goes back to her old self, that's all that matters.

As if for confirmation, Leaf broke the hug and looked Ash in the eyes. "I'm fine, now, Ash. Really," she said, causing Ash and Serena to smile.

"We don't want to keep you, Ash. Just know that we believe you can do this. We look forward to a great match!" Red told him.

"Thanks, guys. I'll see you afterward," Ash waved as they left.

He then noticed Serena sidle up next to Leaf and strike up a conversation, which to his relief, the brown-haired girl was responding favorably and smiling back. Serena then turned around and gave him a wink. Maybe Serena could figure out what was bugging Leaf since she seems more responsive now. Regardless, he was happy for his pseudo-sibling.

Ash then faced the tunnel. "How about it, buddy? Are you read to face Ritchie?"

"Pikachu!" it responded in the affirmative.

"Then let's go," Ash declared as he began walking through it.

Once he made it to the other side, he was met with a roar of applause. Ash hated to think of it that way, but he had become a crowd favorite over the last few days. It was such a stark contrast to how he was at first.

"Here he is, folks! Ash Ketchum has now entered the stadium, and our last match of the day can now begin!" the announcer shouted.

Ash looked around for Ritchie and spotted him on the other side of the stadium. Despite the darkening sky, everything was fairly well lit with the enormous bright lights of the stadium so visibility was near perfect. Ash grinned broadly upon seeing the boy and walked towards him while Ritchie did the same. Once they reached each other, they stuck out their hand for a shake.

"Let's do it, Ash! Are you ready?" Ritchie said as they shook hands.

"Yeah! This will be awesome!" Ash replied.

The two then bumped arms and began to walk back to their respective sides. The crowd gave a roar of approval from the friendly rivalry between the two. The two reached their sides before facing each other with a look of determination. Now that the battle was ready to begin, it was time to get their game faces on. Which of them would come out on top?

"Are the two trainers ready?" the judge asked.

"We are," both trainers responded.

"Very well. We will now determine who will choose their Pokemon first," said the judge.

Both Ash and Ritchie's images appeared on the large screen. A light then began flashing back and forth continuously before landing on Ash's face, indicating him to go first.

"In that case, please choose your first Pokemon, Ash!" the judge declared.

Ash figured that if he was going to choose first, he needed a Pokemon that could cover a lot of types. Dratini, Bulbasaur, and Pikachu couldn't use a wide variety of attacks despite overcoming type disadvantages several times before. Charizard would be a huge powerhouse, but he didn't think it would be wise to send it out first. Hitmonchan could use a wide variety of punches that could keep any opponent guessing. That would be his best option right now.

"Alright, Hitmonchan! Come on out!" Ash shouted as he threw the ball forward.

The punchy Pokemon appeared with a cry before pretending to punch imaginary enemies. It then hopped back and forth on each of its feet to pump itself up for the match. It had tried that meditating thing that Hitmonlee liked a few times, but that just didn't work for it. Hitmonchan was too hot blooded and hyper to do something like that. Despite the complete opposite in personality, the two were still great training partners.

"Hmm, a Hitmonchan. In that case, I'll go with Happy first!" Ritchie said as he released a Butterfree.

Ash knew that all of Ritchie's Pokemon had nicknames by now. When he saw Ritchie's Butterfree, he remembered his own that he had. It had found its soulmate and went to start a family. He wondered how it was doing and hoped it was happy. It was then he remembered the match at hand and focused once more for when the match would start.

"Okay. This will be a three on three Pokemon match. The trainer with any Pokemon left standing at the end will be declared the winner," stated the judge as he brought his flags into the air.

"_Here it comes,"_ Ash thought as Hitmonchan and Ritchie's Butterfree got into position.

"Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Okay, Happy. Use Sleep Powder!" Ritchie shouted.

Butterfree flew over Hitmonchan and began to sprinkle a large amount of sparkling brown powder over Hitmonchan. The punchy Pokemon looked around and covered its mouth to avoid breathing in the powder as much as possible.

Ash knew just how to counter that. His Hitmonchan was an extremely hyper Pokemon and knew it had no time for naps. "Use Vacuum Wave, Hitmonchan!"

Hitmonchan nodded its head before taking a deep breath while its mouth and nostrils were exposed to powder. It then began whirring its right arm very quickly. It wasn't long before a gust of wind was born from the motions, and a mini tornado formed. The Vacuum Wave then began to suck up all of the Sleep Powder in the area. Hitmonchan continued to hold its breath as it performed the attack. It wasn't long before all of the powder had been sucked away. Hitmonchan took a gasp of air upon finishing.

"Hey. That was pretty good, Ash!" Ritchie praised.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Ash told him before ordering, "Hitmonchan, use Bullet Punch!"

Hitmonchan suddenly shot forward into the air at lightning speed, surprising Happy. Then, as the name of the attack suggested, struck Butterfree with a tough punch as fast as a bullet. The butterfly Pokemon was knocked backwards from the force but quickly recovered.

"Use Gust, Happy!" Ritchie told it.

Happy then began to flap its wings to blow Hitmonchan back to the ground. The strong gust of wind caused Hitmonchan to lose its momentum in the air. It was then pushed back onto the stadium ground where it landed with a thud.

"Now use Psybeam!" Ritchie called.

"Watch out, Hitmonchan!" Ash warned.

Happy then shot large beam from its antenna straight for Hitmonchan. The punchy Pokemon saw the attack coming and rolled out of the way just in time. The Psybeam struck the stadium ground and caused an explosion. This sent a few small pebbles which struck Hitmonchan, but they affected it very little. It then stood up off the ground before holding its fists up to its face to show it was ready for more.

"That Hitmonchan has some pretty powerful and fast attacks, Happy! Let's match it! Use Quiver Dance!" Ritchie said.

Ritchie's Butterfree then began to twirl around gracefully in the air as if it were dancing. As it did so, it began to glow blue before finishing. Ash vaguely remembered hearing about this move in the past. It was supposed to increase special attack, special defense, and speed. Ash would need to be careful now.

"Use Tailwind, and then use Psybeam when the time is right!" Ritchie shouted.

A large gust of wind began to form behind the Butterfree. It then began to shoot around the stadium so fast it was almost a blur. Then it shot a Psybeam at Hitmonchan whom was barely able to dodge it. Happy didn't stop there, however. It soon launched another Psybeam at Hitmonchan. They were coming so fast that Hitmonchan was having to make some pretty athletic dodges to get out of the way. Finally, the Butterfree got close enough to Hitmonchan and shot another Psybeam, striking it in the chest.

"Chaaaaan!" Hitmonchan cried as it was pushed back by the powered up Psybeam and onto the ground.

"Now use Psychic, Happy!" Ritchie told it.

Happy then flew around and started launching Psychics from different directions. Hitmonchan looked around at all of the Psychics coming towards it and gritted its teeth.

"Use Detect, Hitmonchan!" Ash shouted.

Hitmonchan's eyes lit up in remembrance, and it thrust its hands out. A protective barrier was formed around it just before the psychic waves crashed into it. They bounced harmlessly off of the barrier, and both Hitmonchan and Ash breathed a sigh of relief. That could've been lethal. Detect protected Hitmonchan once, but they knew they couldn't rely on that attack too many times, or it will fail.

"Use Agility and then Comet Punch!" Ash hollered. He would need a quick attack to keep up with Butterfree's increased speed from Quiver Dance and Tailwind.

Hitmonchan dashed along the ground while Ritchie's Butterfree continued to shoot Psybeams at it. It finally caught up to Happy and gave a mighty leap into the air. As it was coming closer, it was in a direct path for a Psybeam. Happy launched the attack at point blank range, striking Hitmonchan in the face. Hitmonchan cried out in pain from the attack, but it was able to push through the Psybeam due to the speed it was going at. Hitmonchan then began to deliver a series of lightning fast punches to Happy.

"Now use Fire Punch!" Ash yelled.

For its last punch, Hitmonchan back its gloved fist before it became enveloped in fire. It then slugged Happy right in the face with its fiery fist. The butterfly Pokemon was knocked backwards as it and Hitmonchan fell on the ground. Hitmonchan then collapsed onto one knee and gritted its teeth again. Those double Psybeams had taken its toll. Happy didn't seem to be faring too much better after taking so many punches and then a super effective one.

_"There has to be a way to shield Hitmonchan from those psychic attacks besides Detect," _Ash thought.

What has his opponents or friends used in the past as something to shield from attacks? It would definitely be something solid. He remembered in Serena's match not too long ago when Nidorina's Ice Beam was able to form chunks of ice for both defense and offense. Hitmonchan didn't have Ice Beam, though. Wait. It still had Ice Punch. A one time shield was all it would need to get a good attack in.

"Hitmonchan! Charge up both your fists with an Ice Punch and slam them together!" Ash yelled.

Hitmonchan looked a little confused by the command but did so regardless. It charged up its fists as they seemed to become covered in frost. Once Hitmonchan felt it had sufficient power, it slammed its fists together creating a burst of cold air around it. The cold temperatures soon gave way to a small ice cube which grew in size until it was a huge chunk of ice about half the size of Hitmonchan.

"A strange yet effective strategy by Ash Ketchum! He just has one surprise after another!" declared the announcer.

"Alright, Hitmonchan! Grab that ice chunk and then use Agility again and go after Happy!" Ash told it.

Hitmonchan picked up the chunk of ice it made before speeding along the ground to where Ritchie's Butterfree was zooming about. The ice wasn't too heavy for Hitmonchan due to its natural strength so it was still able to move quickly. It then leaped into the air, but Happy was able to get behind it.

"Use Silver Wind, Happy!" Ritchie yelled.

Happy began to flap its wings quickly as colorful gusts of air came from its wings. Hitmonchan readjusted its body in midair and held the ice chunk in front of it. As Ash wanted. It blocked the attack, but it also began to break up and wouldn't last another attack. Since Butterfree was a good distance behind Hitmonchan, the punchy Pokemon wouldn't be able to attack it directly now, but it had another form of offense.

"Throw that ice chunk at Happy!" Ash called..

As Hitmonchan began to fall back towards the ground. It hurled the ice chunk as hard as it could, surprising the Butterfree. The frozen projectile soared through the air and struck Happy dead on. The force knocked the butterfly Pokemon out of the sky and onto the ground where it as now vulnerable which Ash wanted to take advantage of.

"Use Agility and then Fire Punch again!" Ash shouted.

As Hitmonchan ran towards Happy, it regained its senses allowing Ritchie to call out another attack.

"Use Psychic!" he told it.

Happy charged up and blasted the attack just as Hitmonchan reached it and was in midswing. The punchy Pokemon got a blast of Psychic at point blank range but still kept its fiery fist going. Ritchie's Butterfree was struck right in the midsection and slammed into ground, creating an eruption of dust. Both Pokemon stood in the same position for a few moments. Hitmochan still had its fist lodged against Happy while the butterfly Pokemon stared back defiantly. Then, a few seconds later, both Pokemon fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Both Butterfree and Hitmonchan are unable to battle!" the judge declared.

"It's a double knock out, folks! They're both down! You can bet there is a battle going on between two tough trainers after that!" the announcer commented, causing cheers to erupt at the good battle going right now.

"Hitmonchan, return!" Ash ordered as he held out his pokeball and pressed the button while Ritchie did the same. Both trainers thanked their Pokemon for a hard fought battle as they decided on their next Pokemon.

"Since both Pokemon were knocked out, we will now randomly choose which trainer will send out their next Pokemon first," said the judge before indicating to the screen again.

Like before, a flash of lights went back and forth between Ritchie and Ash's image until it landed on Ritchie this time to show he would choose his Pokemon first.

"Well, I guess that's only fair," Ritchie commented before taking out another pokeball and throwing it. "Go, Zippo!"

Ash raised his eyebrows in interest as to what kind of Pokemon Zippo could be. It was one of the Pokemon he hadn't seen Ritchie use yet. He put on a look of surprise as a Charizard popped out of the pokeball. Zippo gave a roar before facing Ash.

_"Ritchie has a Charizard, too," _Ash mused. Having one himself, Ash knew it would be a challenging opponent regardless of who he used, but which of his Pokemon was best? He couldn't send Bulbasaur out against a fire type like that. Zippo would incinerate anything it did. He didn't think that using Dratini against such a powerful Pokemon would be wise, either. That left Pikachu or his own Charizard.

Ash wasn't exactly sure of the strength of Zippo since he hadn't seen it in any of Ritchie's battles yet. The best way to test out its strength would be with his own Charizard. He was fairly confident in Charizard's ability because of its training with Charla…when they weren't being lovey-dovey to each other.

"Go, Charizard!" Ash yelled as he threw the ball forward to release his own Charizard. The fire dragon gave a roar and locked eyes with Ritchie's Charizard. Zippo gave a snort and bent its head low while Charizard did the same. They had found a new rival.

"Ah. A match of Charizard versus Charizard. This should prove quite entertaining," Professor Oak commented.

"Ash should be able to win. His Charizard has so much experience fighting my Charla. He'll be just fine," Serena assured.

"Well, don't count out Ritchie's Charizard just yet. We don't know of its experience," Professor Oak warned.

Serena nodded her head as she turned back to the match. She had sent her Charla back to Professor Oak's once she made it to the Pokemon League. She had carried it with her ever since she started her Pokemon journey and figured it could use a little break and spend some quality time with Ash's Charizard since it was still at the lab at the time. She wondered if it was watching Ash's battle on Professor Oak's TV now that Charizard was battling. It would be rather humorous to see the fire dragon's eyes glued to the TV just to see its boyfriend battle.

"Let's do it, Charizard! I'm counting on you!" Ash told it.

"We can do it, Zippo!" Ritchie said to his.

Both Charizard snorted again and got into a battle stance. They just had to wait for the signal to begin and they would duke it out.

"Okay! Charizard vs. Charizard! Begin!" the judge declared as he waved his flags down.

"Okay! Charizard, use Air Slash!" Ash hollered.

"Counter it with your own Air Slash, Zippo!" Ritchie countered.

Both Charizard flapped their powerful wings which created a blade of air. They even seemed to slash the sky itself. The blades came in contact with each other and created an explosion. It seemed both trainers and each Charizard had the same thing in mind for as soon as the explosion was created as the two Charizard were flying straight towards the other.

"Use Flamethrower!" Both trainers commanded.

Like the Air Slash before it, both Charizard roared before letting out a large Flamethrower attack. The attacks met midway and exploded in midair once again. Once the dust cleared, the two Charizard were now locked hand in hand. The battle had just started, and it was already turning out to be a fierce fight. It appeared they were equal in strength so their trainers would have to switch tactics.

"Use Fire Fang to get it to loosen its grip, Zippo!" Ritchie told it.

Zippo then reached over and bit into Charizard's shoulder, causing it to roar in pain. It's grip on Zippo slackened just enough for Zippo to gain an advantage. It lifted Ash's Charizard over its head and slammed it onto the ground.

"Now use Flamethrower!" Ritchie told it.

"Flame Burst!" Ash said hurriedly.

A quick explosion of fire came from Charizard's mouth before Zippo could complete its attack. Zippo shook its head and backed off which gave Charizard the time it needed to get back up.

"Quick, Charizard! Use Wing Attack!" Ash shouted.

Charizard took flight and rammed right into Zippo's stomach before hitting it with its wide wings. Zippo let out a gasp of pain before Ritchie called his next attack.

"Use Dragon Claw!" he yelled.

Zippo reared its claws back and slashed at Charizard before it got away. Charizard was sent toppling onto the ground before rolling a few yards. It then got off the ground and shook its head before nodding at Zippo, which it returned. Charizard's girlfriend was a great training partner, but Zippo was pretty worthy, also.

"Use Fire Spin, Zippo!" Ritchie shouted.

"Smokescreen, Charizard!" Ash yelled next.

Charizard let out a black smoke from its mouth just as Zippo blew out a swirling stream of fire. Zippo's vision was obstructed slightly, but it was pretty sure it still hit its opponent. It then used its wings to blow away all of the smoke to find its Fire Spin swirling harmlessly with no Charizard in the middle. Where did it go?

"Behind you, Zippo!" Ritchie called.

Zippo turned around just in time to see Charizard grab it and lift it into the air. To make it move as little as possible, it put Zippo in a headlock. The other fire dragon began struggling immensely, but the headlock it was in made it hard.

"Use Seismic Toss, Charizard!" Ash hollered.

"Use Inferno, Zippo!" Ritchie countered.

As Charizard began to take Zippo further up into the air, it suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of heat coming from Zippo's body. Charizard grimaced at the sweltering heat despite it being a fire type. It almost felt as bad as that time it fell in the lava when it was battling Magmar in the volcano. It tried to push through the pain as it began to make several circles through the air in preparation. It then began to fly straight downward, but by the then, the heat was just too much for it. It slackened its grip on Zippo which gave it plenty of breathing room for when Charizard would throw it.

As expected, Charizard grabbed Zippo by one of its arms before hurling it downward. What Charizard didn't expect was for Zippo to grab one its own arms right before falling. Charizard got a look of surprise on its face as it was jerked downwards, too. The two fire dragons sailed through the air as one tried to get an advantage of the other. They were constantly turning their bodies over so their opponent would hit the ground first. It didn't prove effective as both Charizard slammed into the ground side-by-side which kicked up cloud of dust. The two Charizard soon erupted from the dust to take the battle skyward.

"Use Fire Punch, Charizard!" Ash called.

"Use Dragon Claw, Zippo!" Ritchie hollered.

Charizard wound back its fiery fist and punched Zippo square across the face. It then spun around to slap Zippo with its tail, but the opposing fire dragon caught it. It then raked its claws across Charizard's back causing it to roar in pain. It then shook itself free and flew a safe distance away where it stared at its opponent.

"Get down closer to the ground, Zippo!" Ritchie told it.

"After it, Charizard and use Flare Blitz!" Ash yelled. The two Charizard were clearly almost equal in strength. That much was certain. Ash would have to call out one of its strongest attacks if he hoped to win.

It seemed Ritchie was thinking along the same lines. "Zippo, turn around and use Dragon Rage!"

Zippo then spun around quickly and began shooting the blue flames from its mouth rapidly. It was at the moment Charizard picked up speed and became cloaked in fire. It was then charging at Zippo with every bit of its strength and even let out a roar for emphasis. Zippo continued to shoot out the Dragon Rage, though. It wasn't long before Charizard reached the attack and slammed into it with the force of a hurricane. Its speed dropped slightly from the force. Despite this, it was powering through the Dragon Rage to get to its opponent.

Upon seeing this, Zippo began to put more force behind the attack. This slowed down Charizard even more as it began to fight harder to reach its opponent before it sustained too much damage. Zippo let out a roar of frustration and began to back up due to its opponent getting closer. Ash's Charizard, in return, gave another roar and forced itself onward. If anything, the fire around it was only growing larger. Charizard finally caught up to Zippo, and the two Pokemon let out one final roar before it collided into Zippo, causing a massive explosion from the force of Dragon Rage and Flare Blitz. Both trainers shielded their eyes from the smoke. They were really hoping at least one of their Pokemon had made it through the attacks.

_"Come on, Charizard,"_ Ash thought as the smoke began to clear.

The smoke soon cleared and both Charizard were still standing. They were staring at each other with what looked like pure determination. The two Charizard gave one final nod to each other before falling over on their backs at the same time, knocked out. It had been another tie. The two Charizard's really were just about of equal strength.

"Once again, both Pokemon are unable to battle!" the judge declared with a wave of his flag.

"Another hot battle, folks! The competition only gets fiercer as we have another double knockout! Both Ash and Ritchie needs to choose their next Pokemon with the utmost care to avoid another tie or else they are both eliminated!" stated the announcer.

Both Ash and Ritchie returned their Pokemon to their pokeballs and thanked them for a job well done. They knew the judge was right. They couldn't tie again. One of their Pokemon had to win this next battle. Well, they did promise to have an intense battle with each other. What better way to do so then be tied until the final Pokemon selection. They then looked up at the screen to see their images appear once more as the light went back and forth. Once again, it was Ritchie to choose first.

"It may be a little risky, but I'm going to use my best Pokemon now," Ritchie stated as he threw the pokeball forward. "Go, Sparky!"

The pokeball opened up to reveal Ritchie's own Pikachu. It let out a spark of its cheeks as it waited to see who its opponent would be.

"He's using Sparky," Ash thought. The remaining Pokemon he had were either Dratini, Bulbasaur or Pikachu. Grass types would be able to mow down electric types due to electric attacks not being very effective against them. If Sparky's electric attacks were compromised, that would put Ash at a huge advantage. He was just about to call out Bulbasaur when he felt a tug on his leg. He looked down and discovered it had been Pikachu who did it.

"Pika Pikachu," it said.

"You're saying that you want to battle Sparky?" Ash asked.

"Pikachu!" it confirmed.

Ash thought hard about Pikachu's request. He would have another even match up if he went with Pikachu when Bulbasaur would definitely give him an advantage. Could he really risk using Pikachu for this? As if reading Ash's thoughts, Pikachu put a look of determination on its face.

"Pika Pikachu!" it said again.

"You say that you're going to win me this match no matter what?" Ash questioned.

"Pika!" it replied.

Ash had been through conversations like this with Pikachu before. It only really requested to be put in battles like this when it was sure it could win. It had even been against opponents who would normally be really strong against it. When it was in a mood like this, Ash knew it would be difficult to refuse such a request. He believed in the strength of his Pokemon.

"Alright, Pikachu. You're up. Let's go Pikachu versus Pikachu," he told it.

Pikachu nodded its head before running on the battlefield and sparked its cheeks at Sparky to show it was ready to battle it despite them being friends. Sparky sparked its cheeks back. It would fight with everything it had for its trainer, too.

"Ash is using Pikachu against Ritchie's Sparky?" Misty questioned.

"Yes. What must be going through each trainer's mind is that even though they are friends, they still have a big rivalry right now," Professor Oak said.

"But what if it ends up in another tie?" Misty asked worriedly.

"Then both trainers will have learned a valuable lesson, but I don't think a tie will be the case this time," Red answered this time.

"Come on, Ash! You can do it!" Leaf cheered with her hands cupped over her mouth.

Serena believed that Ash should be able to win this after all that he and Pikachu had been through together. They shared a special bond that not too many trainers had with their Pokemon. Ritchie was definitely a strong trainer, but Ash was stronger. She was sure of it.

"Pikachu versus Pikachu! Begin!" the judge declared with a wave of his flags.

"Go Pikachu! Use Quick Attack!" Ash yelled. He might as well get a fast start.

"Use Agility, Sparky!" Ritchie told his own yellow rodent.

The two Pikachu began to sprint towards the other, both with determination in their eyes to see who was stronger. It looked like it would be a head on collision until Ritchie made his next move.

"Spring over Pikachu with your tail!" he yelled.

Just before it rammed into Pikachu, Sparky used its tail as a spring and bounced clear over its opponent. Pikachu screeched to a halt and turned to stare as Sparky soared over it, doing various twists, almost like an athlete. This actually surprised Ash. He and Pikachu had used its tail as a ground for electricity but never as a spring. They might be able to learn a couple of things from Ritchie and Sparky.

"Now use Discharge!" Ritchie ordered.

"Light Screen, Pikachu!" Ash countered.

Pikachu put up a glowing screen of light just as an explosion of electricity burst from Sparky in midair and collided with Pikachu, knocking it off its feet. The electrical shock didn't really hurt, but the force still packed a punch. Pikachu skidded a few feet but immediately jumped back up.

"Use Agility!" both trainers called out.

The two Pikachu immediately took off running around the stadium. They were going so fast they were nothing more than blurs. It was getting quite hard to keep up with them which made planning the next attack more difficult. There had to be some way to stop Sparky, at least.

"Use Iron Tail on the ground while you're still running, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Even though there was no acknowledgement, Ash knew that Pikachu heard him. He thought he saw a bright spark coming from one of the blurs which he assumed to be his Pikachu. Then about a second later, there was a loud crash and a small cloud of dust that came from the middle of the stadium before one of the blurs darted away from it. Then there was another crash and a small cloud of dust around the stadium. Then another, and then another. Ash knew Pikachu was creating craters in the ground with its Iron Tail. It knew where they were and would stay away from those areas. Sparky didn't.

A few seconds later, there was a cry of "Pika!" that came from one of the small clouds of dust. Sparky emerged from the cloud a few seconds later, bouncing along the ground and skidding to a halt on its stomach. That must have been quite a stumble in the hole considering how fast it was going. Pikachu, however, was still going at maximum speed.

"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" he hollered.

"Counter with your own Iron Tail!" Ritchie shouted.

Pikachu came upon Sparky before leaping into the air as its tail glowed. Sparky's tail, likewise, did the same thing. The Pikachu both slammed their tails into the other before stalemating and breaking off the attack.

_"So Sparky knows Iron Tail, too,"_ Ash mused. He wasn't aware of that.

"Use Quick Attack, Pikachu!" Ash hollered again.

"Dodge it, Sparky!" Ritchie shouted.

As Pikachu drew closer to Sparky, they saw it position its tail and again. It was apparently going to spring over Pikachu's head again. That's what they were expecting and could react properly to it. Pikachu just had to make a good prediction. Just before it reached Sparky, the other opposing rodent went to spring over Pikachu again while Pikachu jumped into the air at the exact same time. Pikachu collided with Sparky right in the stomach which knocked it to the ground.

"Now electrify your tail and hit Sparky!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu did as it was told and swung its tail in a downward arc as it fell towards Sparky. Like before, Sparky electrified its tail and brought it up to counter Pikachu's attack. This time, the connection of the two tails caused an explosion which knocked both Pikachu back.

"_I'm not getting anywhere if Pikachu and Sparky are going to keep blocking attacks. I have to think of something that will stand out. I need to think of something that Ritchie may not think of," _Ash thought to himself.

"Use Quick Attack, Sparky!" Ritchie called out, going on the offensive now.

"Use Agility to get away!" Ash hurriedly said.

Pikachu darted away from Sparky as the other rodent chased it. Ash figure the trick with the holes in the ground wouldn't work this time as Sparky would see wherever Pikachu placed a crater. He would need to think of something else. He just needed a small bit of time to think of something and get Sparky away from Pikachu for just one second.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash hollered. He wasn't expecting the attack to really do damage, but it might throw Sparky off balance for a moment.

"You know what to do Sparky!" Ritchie said.

Sparky actually stopped running as Pikachu shot out the Thunderbolt. It then raised its tail into the air and let the attack hit it. Sparky appeared to be taking no damage at all and even seemed to be getting supercharged from the Thunderbolt! Ash and Pikachu stared in shock.

"Now throw that Thunderbolt back at them with more power!" Ritchie told Sparky.

Sparky whipped its tail around as a burst of electricity blasted out of its tail and struck Pikachu. The yellow rodent grimaced in pain at being hit from the supercharged Thunderbolt. It almost felt as bad as when it was being shocked by Raichu in Lt. Surge's gym a while back.

Ash was at a loss of thinking of a good strategy. If this kept up, Pikachu may lose. Ritchie was countering almost everything they tried at equal or more power. There had to be something he hadn't thought of doing yet. They could beat Sparky. They beat a Rhyperior in the past for crying out loud! Granted, they did because Pikachu was supercharged with aura and psychic powers, but still. Ash watched as Pikachu was continuously getting shocked. Its entire body was covered in electricity…wait. That actually gave Ash and idea.

The attack finished as Pikachu shook itself from the damage it received. Sparky then crashed into it which sent Pikachu back several yards. The yellow rodent gritted its teeth as it stood back up and panted. It had promised Ash that it would win this battle, and that's what it was going to do! It wasn't going to go down so easily even if Sparky did counter everything it did. It knew that Ash would think of a good strategy, and then it came.

"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on yourself and start running!" Ash hollered.

"He wants Pikachu to attack itself?" Ritchie questioned. Sparky also raised an eyebrow at this.

Pikachu turned around before nodding its head. It then started running around the stadium and began shooting off many Thunderbolts. Some would branch off and go to other parts of the stadium while others were hitting Pikachu. The rodent grimaced slightly with each jolt, but then it would use its tail to catch the electricity.

Seeing what was happening, Ritchie called out a command. "Chase after it again, Sparky!"

As Sparky went after it, that didn't stop Pikachu. It just kept running as though Sparky wasn't there. It just kept absorbing electricity through its tail as it kept running. It wasn't long before Pikachu's tail started glowing, but it wasn't because of Iron Tail. Ash knew what he wanted to do now.

"Okay, Pikachu! Unleash the electricity over your whole body!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu took a deep breath at this. It may be pretty uncomfortable to have so much force come over it at once, but it trusted Ash, and Ash trusted it. It then let loose its stored electrical energy, and what felt like an explosion came across Pikachu, causing Ash to shield its eyes and Sparky to stop running.

A few seconds later, what looked like a bullet of electricity shot through the smoke and began darting around the stadium. Ash squinted his eyes and could see Pikachu in the middle of it. His yellow rodent partner had become a running projectile of electricity. That worked better than he thought it would.

"Wild Charge. A very powerful attack from Pikachu," his pokedex piped up suddenly.

Ash looked on in surprise. His Pikachu had just learned Wild Charge, and he was going to make good use of that.

"That was quite a risky move from Ash Ketchum, ladies and gentleman. He had his Pokemon attack itself and absorb the power which resulted in it learning a new move!" the announcer exclaimed, as cheers came from the crowd.

"Try to get away, Sparky!" Ritchie yelled. There was no way he could counter that.

Sparky turned tail and went to run, but the speeding electrical bullet that was Pikachu had already caught up to it. Its lighting-covered body slammed into Sparky immensely, causing an explosion, which sent Sparky flying through the air. Pikachu then went after Sparky, and it was still covered in a clock of electricity from Wild Charge.

"Do it, Pikachu! Use an electricity filled Iron Tail!" Ash hollered.

"Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika Pika!" Pikachu screamed as it began charging up its already powered tail. Rather than leaping through the air, Pikachu actually appeared to be running in midair itself! It continued to get closer to Sparky, who opened its eyes by this time and gritted its teeth at what was coming.

"Try to counter it with Iron Tail!" Ritchie called, seeing no other options.

Sparky quickly charged up its tail and swung it around at Pikachu, who did the same. The two attacks met midway again. It seemed like it would be another draw until Ash's Pikachu's Iron Tail soon over powered Sparky's. It pushed past Sparky's tail and bashed it right in the midsection. The force of electricity and iron sent Sparky plummeting to the ground where it landed with a resounding crash and kicked up a lot of dust. Pikachu did a few graceful flips before landing on its own two feet to see the damage done.

"Sparky! Can you hear me?!" Ritchie called.

Ash was waiting as well. That had to do it. He didn't think he had anymore tricks up his sleeve for a Pikachu versus Pikachu match. If Sparky made it through this, the same strategy may not work twice in a row. Not to mention, Pikachu looked pretty tired, as well, after doing a move like Wild Charge.

Thankfully, it didn't come to that. The dust cleared, and Sparky was lying flat on its back with a dazed look. The judge waited a few seconds to see if Sparky would move. The yellow rodent gave no indication that it could, however. That Wild Charge and electric Iron Tail had been too much for it. The judge then made his decision.

"Ritchie's Pikachu is unable to battle! That means this victory goes to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town who will move on to the semi finals!" he announced.

"What a match that was, everyone! Ash Ketchum wins again!" shouted the announcer.

Applause then erupted from the crowd at the great match. A huge smile broke across Ash's face at this. He did it. He won the match against Ritchie. It was one of his tougher matches so far with how close it had been up until now. Ritchie had a lot of the same Pokemon Ash did, and they were all pretty equal in power and countered any strategy Ash came up with. Pikachu learning Wild Charge really made a difference, though.

"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he broke into a sprint towards his partner.

Pikachu turned around and smiled broadly. "Pika Pi!" it yelled as it ran towards Ash.

The trainer and Pokemon soon reached each other, and Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms. They then gave each other a great big hug. This was a great victory for them.

"You were awesome, buddy!" Ash said happily.

"Pikahahahaha!" Pikachu laughed nervously as it rubbed the back of its head before hugging Ash again.

Ritchie, meanwhile, had walked over to Sparky and picked it up gingerly with his arms. Sparky opened its eyes and gave a sad smile while Ritchie returned it.

"Thanks a lot, Sparky. You battled really hard. I'm proud of you," Ritchie said.

"Pikaaaa," Sparky weakly said.

Ritchie then looked up at Ash and saw him hugging Pikachu and let out a smile himself. He then walked over to Ash while still holding Sparky in his arms. Upon seeing him, Ash looked up from Pikachu.

"Hey there, Ritchie," Ash said.

"Well, Ash. You beat me. Thanks for a great match," Ritchie said as he extended his free hand for a handshake.

Ash stared at the gesture for a second before smiling himself and taking it. "You bet! Thanks for the great match, too, Ritchie!"

"I'm a little sad that my time at the Pokemon League is over now, but if I had to lose, I'm glad it was against a great trainer like you!" Ritchie said.

"Thanks a lot, Ritchie!" Ash replied. It seemed his fears about facing his friend were irrelevant. He just won and Ritchie was congratulating him and shaking his hand. It turned out there were no bitter feelings, after all.

"Now that you beat me, you have to go and win the whole Pokemon League now!" Ritchie told him.

"Alright! You know I will!" Ash said with a thumbs up.

Pikachu gave V-shape at Sparky to which the other rodent weakly returned. They were still pals, too, after this. They had a new respect for each other after finally battling. A quick trip to the Pokemon Center would solve everything. Then they could go right back to hanging out with the other.

Everybody smiled in approval at the good sportsmanship the two trainers were showing.

"Well, Ash managed to beat Ritchie," Misty commented.

"It definitely was a good match!" Brock said as he nodded his head.

"It's a little sad to see Ritchie lose now, but I'm still happy Ash won," Leaf said as she looked at Ritchie. She was glad she had really talked to Ritchie earlier and had gotten to know him better. He really was a nice boy as evidenced by the exchange going on between him and Ash.

Red smiled at his son from his seat. So that was that. Ash battle Ritchie, and just as he predicted, they were taking it really well. It would have been great if Blue acted this mature when he lost, but in the end, it all turned out okay. Red knew that Ash and Ritchie would become even better friends now. Who knows? They even may end up like him and Blue one day.

Serena was watching Ash with her hands clasped. He was doing so well in the Pokemon League right now! This was his first tournament and he already made it into the Top Four! She really believed he could win this tournament. If Ash won, she might even have a little reward for him. She began to blush at the thought of kissing Ash again. He would be waving his trophy around in the middle of the stadium as everyone cheered for him. She would be by his side! And then…

"Serena, what are you thinking about?" Leaf asked her.

"Oh! Nothing!" Serena replied blissfully.

"Having another Ash fantasy?" Misty joked.

"Not in front of Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum!" Serena cried.

Both Delia and Red let out a chuckle. Serena sometimes acted just like Red did when he was younger. From the moment he met Delia, he knew she was the one. Call it a little silly, but he thought of her all the time. Red understood exactly how she felt right now. It must be an awesome feeling to see the one you care about doing so great.

"Well, you know what. Ash and Ritchie both look like winners to me," Brock said.

"Indeed!" Professor Oak agreed.

"Ladies and gentleman! We now have our semi finalists! May the other three please come to the center of the stadium so we can all recognize them! The format will also change to a full six on six battle tomorrow!" the announcer exclaimed over the speaker.

"Well, I guess that's my cue to leave," Ritchie guessed.

"Yeah," Ash muttered.

"I'll see you in a little bit, Ash! Once again, congratulations on winning! You know I'll be sticking around to root for you!" Ritchie told him.

"Right!" Ash nodded.

The two then fist bumped and Ritchie turned to leave the stadium. As Ash looked at the other entrance, he could see three people coming in. One was a boy he didn't recognize and another was Tyson who was walking with Meowth. Ash was happy at how far Tyson had come along. He must be a great trainer to make it to the top four like him. Ash's eyes then fell on the remaining person and couldn't help but have slight frown on his face. It was Paul.

The three other trainers soon made it over to Ash and stood beside him. Ash gave a sideways glance at Paul while the purple-haired boy glanced back. Ash realized this was really the first time he had encountered Paul during the whole Pokemon League. Ash sighed. He hated to admit it due to Paul's tactics, but there was no denying that he was a strong trainer. He then turned over to Tyson.

"Hey there, Tyson! Congratulations on making it so far!" he said.

"Thanks, Ash! You, too! Meowth and I are going to be training extra hard now because no doubt these last two will be our toughest. You better be prepared if I end up facing you!" Tyson grinned.

"Hah! I should say the same to you!" Ash replied.

The four trainers then looked up at the screen as their images appeared. It then began to randomly shuffle around their squares for a few seconds. The blocks then went back into a random order as they were decided. Tyson was paired with the trainer Ash didn't know while Ash was paired with…Paul.

Ash let out a sharp intake of breath at this. He took another look over at Paul while his opponent turned back with a slight glare. Their methods of training were very different, and they would be showing all they learned in this coming match. Their entire rivalry would be put in this battle. It would be their first one since battling on the outskirts of Vermillion City where it ended with a draw. There was no room for a tie here. One of them was going to win, and other would lose. Both Ash and Paul believed the other was entirely wrong with their methods of training Pokemon, and they would be proving it in the coming Pokemon battle.

There were no words between the Ash and Paul as they stared at each other. There didn't need to be. All of the words they wanted to say were in their expressions. Ash wanted to show Paul that his way of training was too harsh which was hurting his Pokemon. Paul wanted to show Ash that he was weakling whose full potential couldn't be reached because all he did was love and care for any Pokemon even if it had horrible stats. It was like whoever won was right, and the loser would be wrong. Ash and Paul knew one thing, though. They were going to put everything they had into this match. They couldn't afford to lose. It will be the fiercest battle they would have fought in a very long time.

* * *

><p><strong>And now we have Ash vs. Paul. Just like with Ritchie, Ash may or may not win. Their battle will be a 6 on 6 battle. Regardless of who wins and who loses, Ash and Paul will both learn from this encounter. Some of Paul's backstory will also be mentioned next chapter as the first part focuses mainly on him rather than Ash. I have altered his past slightly from canon. Paul's story and character will be more in depth when he returns in Sinnoh. I<br>**

**I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but it should be less than a week so stay tuned! Thanks for all the reviews and support, guys! Getting closer to the end! Two more chapters left! The next chapter is the second longest of whole story, surpassed only by "Serena's Chateau Finale."**

**Chapter 60: Pokemon League Semi Finals! Ash Versus. Paul!**

**Answering the Questions: (Spoilers)**

_Would Gary be making an appearance in the orange island arc?_

_**No.**_

_Is it true that Silver is the son of Giovanni in the anime?_

_**Ask the creators of the anime. As far as I know, Silver doesn't exist in that continuity.**_

_Are Kanto and Hoenn Leagues going to the longest and Sinnoh the shortest?_

_**All Leagues will be around the same length.**_

_Will Paul battle anyone else Ash knows in the league?_

_**Since Paul is facing Ash next, it will spoil who wins or loses if I answer that question.**_

_Is Tyson going to appear again in Hoenn?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will red be a huge help with aerodactyl?_

_**Yes.**_

_Which path you will take first in the Johto arc?_

_**Olivine and Cianwood City first.**_


	61. Pokemon League Semi Finals! Ash Vs Paul

**A/N: This was a huge wall of text to get through which took longer than I thought to upload, especially after my laptop decided to randomly delete a whole scene while I was correcting an error. Before I could hit the redo button, the document expired meaning I had to start proofreading the whole chapter over again AND rewrite the scene, but enough about that. Ash and Paul's battle is here. Please enjoy it…outcome and all whether you wanted Ash or Paul to win. (It won't be a tie like their first match)  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 60: Pokemon League Semi Finals! Ash Vs. Paul!<p>

_A boy about eight years old watched from the seats as his brother battled an immensely powerful opponent. The older brother, who looked around sixteen years old, was giving everything he could in the battle. It would be his last battle before he would conquer the Battle Frontier. It was a relatively new concept to which Pokemon trainers could compete in. One would compete against powerful trainers known as "Frontier Brains" in different types of facilities with different battle styles. The one the older brother was facing was always the last one, the Pyramid King._

_ In the end, though, it wasn't enough. The older brother was beaten horribly. He sadly returned his last Pokemon to the pokeball before smiling sadly at it and told it that it did a good job. He then looked up into the stands at his younger brother who had a look of shock and disappointment on his face. _

_ The Pyramid King came over to the older brother and told him he was a strong trainer and to try again when he felt ready to. The boy merely nodded his head before calling for his younger brother to come on so they could leave the Battle Pyramid. They then walked out in silence, and it wasn't until they were completely out of the building did the younger brother finally speak._

_ "It's okay, Reggie. You can try again, right? You'll beat him next time for sure!" the younger brother encouraged._

_ "Well, it's not that simple. I think I better just move on. I just wasn't strong enough to win," Reggie, the older brother, said with a small smile._

_ This action surprised the younger brother. He had come this far in the battle Chateau and earned six of the seven symbols from the Frontier Brains. He just lost an extremely important match and was okay with that?_

_ "So what are you going to do now?" the younger brother asked. "You'll try again, right?"_

_ "I'd actually like to move on to different things. I lost, and that was that. I still have a lot to learn. This loss showed me that," Reggie answered._

_ "Wait. You're giving up?! You can't!" the younger brother exclaimed._

_ The younger brother couldn't believe this. His brother talked about how bringing out the inner strength of his Pokemon could win in any situation. He wasn't concerned with getting the strongest Pokemon possible of that type, and honestly, it worked for a while. It had gotten him this far, but in the end, he lost. To top it off, he felt no remorse. That was unacceptable. _

_ "Well, if you won't do it, I will!" the younger boy declared. I'll be the strongest trainer I can and do what you couldn't!"_

XXX

Paul let out a light grunt at the memory. He still couldn't believe his older brother had just given up and moved on with his life after that happened. Well, Paul wasn't like that. This was the very first region he was traveling through as a Pokemon trainer, and he was already in the Top Four. Now, as luck would have it, Paul was now facing _him_.

It would be the boy who only talked about how love and caring for Pokemon could make any of them strong. That didn't work in the real world, however. The only way one could win is if you had the strongest Pokemon possible and trained them to their full potential, even if it was harsh. That was the only way to toughen them up. Bringing out their so called "inner strength" just didn't cut as shown with his brother.

Paul was going to prove that to his brother and _him _by winning this battle. He would then go on and win the Pokemon League. He had to win it to show his brother that his approach was wrong. Paul wouldn't be satisfied until he did what his brother couldn't.

He then turned to his Electabuzz and Magmar. The two were battling each other and appeared to be on equal footing. That was what Paul wanted. If one Pokemon seemed to be losing against the other, that would only mean it wasn't trying hard enough. That, of course, was unacceptable. Paul wouldn't take anything half done. He would only accept their best. A Pokemon's maximum potential couldn't come from the heart, as a few others put it.

"Alright. Magmar, Electabuzz. That wasn't bad. You earned yourself a break. Then it's back to battling as hard as you can for the match," Paul said.

The Magmar and Electabuzz both quit what they were doing and panted heavily. This was the first break they had all morning. The two didn't think it would ever come. Despite this, they knew they were ready for the coming match. They were told it was against the raven-haired boy whom they battled once before. Last time was tie because they didn't use their full potential which earned them a good scolding from their trainer. Things were different now. They were stronger and more experienced and wasn't going to experience a tie like last time. They would win.

* * *

><p>Paul wasn't the only one training his Pokemon now, however. Ash was also training his. After thinking hard about it, Ash decided the best Pokemon to go with in this match would be the ones he had when he first faced Paul. They were Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Charizard, Pidgeotto, and Pikachu. Ash also brought along his Muk for this battle for more balance.<p>

This was the most important match for him to win so far in the Pokemon League. He just had to win to prove to Paul that his methods of training were just wrong. He shouldn't be treating Pokemon like that. They were meant to be friends and companions, not underlings used to fight. What exactly made him think that way anyway? Was he always like that?

Ash looked around at all of his Pokemon and how they were going against each other. He had paired Bulbasaur with Wartortle, Charizard with Pidgeotto, and Pikachu with Muk.

"That's great, guys! Keep it up!" Ash encouraged. "We all made it this far together, and we are going to win together! What do you say?!"

All of his Pokemon let out a cry of agreement before going back to what they were doing. Ash let out a smile at his Pokemon. As long as they worked their hardest and battled together, they would be able to defeat Paul.

Ash heard the sound of footsteps behind him and grinned. He knew who it was before the voice even called out to him.

"Hey, Ash. It's almost lunch time. Are you going to eat? It's important that you and your Pokemon keep up your strength for the battle today," Serena said.

Ash nodded and readjusted his cap. "I know. I'm coming, Serena. Just give me another couple of minutes."

"Alright," Serena replied before changing the subject. "How are you feeling about the match?"

"I don't know exactly. I'm both nervous and extremely determined. It's a weird feeling. One part of me knows how strong Paul really is as a trainer which will make this a really hard match. The other part is screaming at me to beat him no matter what. I have to win this battle," Ash explained.

"I'm sure you can win, Ash. You have a bond with your Pokemon that Paul doesn't have. That's why you'll win," Serena told him.

"That's exactly what Paul doesn't believe in," Ash pointed out. "He could care less about the bond I have with my Pokemon. He only sees me as a weak trainer because of that."

"Then I guess you'll you just have to show him the way," Serena said with a slight smile. "I think if given the right opportunities, Paul could learn from you. I learned from you, after all."

Ash thought about that for a second. If he won, would Paul want to listen to reason? Would that prove to him that any Pokemon could be strong by drawing out their inner strength? At the very least, it might plant a seed.

"You're right, Serena. I'll be the one to show him the way. I'm going to win this battle and put this mental debate with Paul to an end!" Ash declared. "I've got you and all my Pokemon supporting me. There's no way I can lose!"

"That sounds more like it! You feeling up for that pre-battle meal now?" Serena asked.

"You bet!" Ash replied before turning to his Pokemon. "You heard, Serena, everyone. It's time for a break to eat so we'll be fully refreshed for the battle! Are you guys ready to win!?"

All of his Pokemon gave a cry of approval. They all knew who Paul was and what kind of tactics he used in battle. Most of them had faced him once before so they knew what to at least expect. Paul had a tendency to let them attack first on purpose to see their strength and find a way to counter it. That's how they lost before. It's how Gary lost, too. They wouldn't fall for anything like that this time. They were prepared to win!

* * *

><p>It was after lunch now, and Serena was taking a walk by herself. This was one of the few times where she was alone. Ash had gone back to training as soon as lunch was over so she decided to give him his space to do so. She knew Ash would welcome her no matter what, but it was important that he and his Pokemon were alone right now, and that was okay. Brock and Misty were exploring the shops which would normally be something Serena would be interested in, but she would much rather do it with Ash when they had a chance. Finally, the most surprising thing was that Leaf was spending time with Ritchie right now. Since when had those two started hanging out together? Regardless, Leaf was in a cheery mood again like she always used to be so Serena wasn't going to complain.<p>

Serena walked by the main stadium where Ash and Paul would be battling each other. She stopped and stared at it. The powerful Moltres flame burned just as brightly as it always had. It was said to represent the fighting spirit and determination of trainers in the Pokemon League, and the coming match between Ash and Paul would have every bit of that.

Serena found her feet walking in towards the empty stadium. She didn't think anyone had a reason to be inside at the moment, and it would probably be pretty peaceful. It seemed like a good place to just go and gather her thoughts besides the stuffiness of her Pokemon Center room. People would start filing in sooner or later, and she would go meet with Ash when he was ready to come. No doubt he would call her on her Pokegear.

As Serena came into the stadium, the bright Moltres flame came into view once more. She didn't know why, but it seemed even more majestic as it towered above her like that. Was this how all the trainers felt when they battled?

As Serena's eyes drifted below the flame, she realized she wasn't the only person in the stadium right now. There was a lone person on the same side of the stadium as her, facing away from her and looking up at the flame, also. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw it was Paul! He even had six of his Pokemon out of their pokeballs with him. What were they doing here?

She quickly ducked back inside of the tunnel so she wouldn't be seen. She would just wait for Paul to leave, and then she could make her way into the stadium. It was then she heard Paul's voice. Serena hated to eavesdrop, but his voice somehow reached the tunnels and created a slight echo.

"The Moltres flame. The symbol of the determination of a Pokemon trainer's desire to win," Paul said to his Pokemon.

Serena raised her eyebrow at this and turned to peak around the tunnel. That didn't sound like something Paul would say to his Pokemon. She saw the Pokemon nod at their trainer as they looked on. Rather than treating his Pokemon harshly like they were used to seeing, the way Paul and his Pokemon were standing together made them look like equals.

"All of you have worked extremely hard to come this far. Let's keep at it and give it no less than our best. Losing isn't an option at this point," Paul finished.

With that, Paul returned his Pokemon to their pokeballs. He then turned to leave the stadium, and that's when he noticed Serena staring at him. The honey blonde-haired girl gave a yelp of surprise before blushing and swinging her head back into the tunnel in a terrible attempt to conceal herself again. Talk about embarrassing, and it was in front of Paul of all people!

Serena chanced a peak again around the tunnel after a few seconds and saw Paul still staring in her direction. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at her with a deep frown on his face. Now that she thought of it, Paul hadn't had any interactions with the group at all since the Pokemon League began, not even Ash until last night when the match ups were announced. It was almost fate that their meeting at the Pokemon League wouldn't be until now.

Paul merely grunted before starting down the path. He gave no other acknowledgement to Serena, not even looking at her. As he passed her by, Serena had no idea what compelled her to speak to Paul. It wasn't like he was on much better terms with her than Ash. Their meetings weren't exactly pleasant either. She had the words out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"How are you doing?" Serena asked and placed her hands behind her back.

Paul stopped walking and turned to stare at Serena with a slight frown on his face. "Did I ever say or do anything that made you think this was okay?" he asked rather rudely.

Serena let out a huff of annoyance. She should've expected no less from the cold boy. "Fine. Forget I asked," she replied in an aggravated tone.

To her great surprise, Paul turned around to face her. He lost his frown and changed it to a more neutral expression. "If you have to know, I'm just taking a walk before my match today. I've trained my Pokemon all day so far with no break. A walk might clear my head before the battle. I was inside the stadium to show all my Pokemon the Moltres flame to remind them of the victory we need to have."

This statement rather surprised Serena. Paul didn't seem like the one to take walks at all. He also wanted to clear his head to help him think before a battle? So it seemed as though Paul's only method of motivation wasn't working his Pokemon ragged, after all. He was taking them to the stadium to remind them of their determination and desire to win the league. He may be rather rude and harsh, but he was also very much human. A gesture like that with his Pokemon was almost admirable.

"I…see," Serena replied, not knowing much else to say. She didn't want to express her amazement at Paul's response because he might…no WILL…take it the wrong way and get rather angry. It would be nice if their exchanges could be as painless as possible right now since she had been the one to instigate it.

"So how's Ketchum doing?" Paul suddenly asked.

"Oh! Ash? He's training his Pokemon right now to prepare for the match," Serena answered before adding, "He's really fired up for his match with you."

"Hmmm…well tell him to do his best," Paul muttered before turning to walk away again.

"Paul, if you don't mind me asking, why is it you can't stand Ash so much?" Serena questioned. She doubted she would get far but felt it couldn't hurt to ask.

Paul turned around to face Serena again before sighing. "I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate him. It's just he stands for everything I don't believe in, and the worst part is that his view rubs off on everyone else around him, including you. I'll admit, he isn't as bad as I originally thought. He proved that much to me when he stopped Mewtwo."

"Yeah. That was pretty amazing," Serena agreed with a slight blush. "I was so afraid I lost him for good."

Paul rolled his eyes at Serena's blush before continuing, "His talks on how any Pokemon can be strong or bringing out their inner strength reminds me too much of a bad memory."

"Ash reminds you of a bad memory?" Serena questioned.

Paul widened his eyes and let out a grunt. He had said too much. He didn't even know why he answered this girl in the first place. It wasn't like he owed her an explanation for anything. She was being too nosy as it is. They weren't friends or anything. Still, it wasn't as painful as he thought, but she didn't need to know that.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything. I have to get going," Paul muttered before deliberately turning around to resume his walk, clearly indicating the conversation was over and not to call out to him again.

As Serena watched Paul leave, she saw him in a new light. Serena wished Ash had been here to hear this. Ash only seemed to think of Paul as a cold boy who didn't care about the Pokemon he owned and truthfully, that's what Serena thought until today. Maybe Serena had been too quick to judge Paul. He apparently had a story behind this, as unwilling as he was to tell it.

Sure, he was still the same cold boy they had come to know of him. Despite this, he still showed he had his good points by standing with his Pokemon like a team just then, and judging by what he said, he wasn't always the way he was now. Something clearly happened. Granted, Serena knew it was none of her business, but it must have had a huge impact on Paul to make him feel the way he does.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentleman! Our first semi final match is about to get underway! On one side we have Paul Shinji! On the other side we have Ash Ketchum! Who will win this match and make it to the finals?! Let's hear it for them, folks!" the announcer shouted enthusiastically.<p>

The crowd erupted into cheers at the first six-on-six match for the Pokemon League. One would think they were just as pumped for the battle as the two competitors were. This was the largest crowd of spectators for a match that the Pokemon League had so far this year. Almost everyone who came to watch the matches had attended. Of course, out of everyone there, no one was cheering louder than Ash's friends and family.

"Come on, Ash! You can do it!" Leaf screamed. She was standing up in her seat and waving her arms frantically at him. Ritchie was beside her looking up at her with a cheesy grin.

"Go, Ash! Teach Paul what it means to really train a Pokemon!" Misty shouted.

"You've come this far, Ash! We know you can go all the way!" Brock cheered.

"We believe in you, sweetie!" Delia called.

Only Red, Professor Oak, and Serena didn't really have anything to say. Red and Professor Oak shared their words of wisdom with Ash before the match just now, and no amount of screaming would change the start of the battle. If anything, it may just put more pressure on him. They had heard about Paul and knew how important this match was to Ash. The best thing would be to let him have total concentration despite how much other noise there was in the stadium.

Serena was hunched over in her seat with her chin resting in her hand. She was still thinking about some of the things Paul had said to her earlier. She had believed earlier that if Ash beats Paul, he would see how wrong he was for treating Pokemon like that. It was deeper than that, though. She believed that all Paul needed was a light push in the right direction. Nothing like an incident in the past could change you just like that.

She had voiced her conversation with Ash before the match. Needless to say, he was rather surprised of some of those things, also. Paul wasn't just a black and white person. He clearly had a background, too. Despite this, Ash was still resolved to beat Paul and move onto the finals. Then, he would win the Pokemon League.

"Serena?" Misty questioned when she saw Serena wasn't saying anything.

"Oh? I'm good, Misty. Thanks. I'm just thinking about the upcoming battle," Serena answered.

"I don't blame you. This is probably going to be one of his most important matches so far," Misty said.

"Yeah. I believe Ash has the strength and resolve to win, though," Serena replied as she turned back to the match.

Both Ash and Paul were staring at the other with nothing but pure determination. There was no anger or dislike in their eyes as usual. They couldn't let their opposing views and mutual dislike get in the way of their battle, Ash in particular. He made that mistake with his first match against Paul, and that really cost him. Now he was more experienced and more mature. Ash and Paul were here to win and needed total focus. They both knew this would be an intense battle.

"Paul! I'm going to show what bringing out the inner strength of a Pokemon really means! My Pokemon and I are going to fight together to prove that to you and win!" Ash shouted.

Paul rolled his eyes in response. Ketchum was once again talking about the bond he has with his Pokemon. So what else was new?

"This will be a six-on-six match! Each trainer will fight until their last Pokemon is unable to battle. Whoever has one left will be declared the winner! Are you ready?" the judge announced.

Ash and Paul nodded. There were no more words that needed to be said to each other now. Their battle would do the talking.

"Very well, then. We will now randomly select who chooses their Pokemon first!" the judge stated as he indicated to the big screen where Paul and Ash's images were. The light flashed back and forth from one image to the other until it landed on Paul, indicating him to choose his Pokemon first.

Paul gave an indifferent look to this. It clearly didn't matter to him if he went first or not because he already knew which Pokemon he would be sending out first. He hadn't used it much so far in the Pokemon League, but it had been itching to battle ever since he caught it and been quite aggressive at times, especially since it evolved.

"Dragonair! Stand by for battle!" he yelled as he released the evolved form of Dratini.

Paul's Dragonair appeared from the pokeball and gave out a cry. It then crouched low and slapped the ground with its tail before getting a devious look on its face as a sign of aggression. Ash frowned when he remembered that this was the rogue Dratini who bullied his Dratini back in the Safari Zone. So it's evolved since then? Ash was almost glad he didn't bring in Dratini for this match. If it were to see this Pokemon again so soon, it might be too much for Dratini to handle. No doubt Paul's Dragonair would give Dratini a hard time.

Ash once again thought about the Pokemon he had with him: Pikachu, Charizard, Bulbasaur, Wartortle, Pidgeotto, and Muk. Grass-types, electric-types, water-types, and fire-types were all not very effective against dragons. Ash knew that type advantages weren't everything, but this wasn't against any run off the mill trainer. He was facing Paul and needed all the advantages he could get. That left Pidgeotto or Muk to go against this nasty Dragonair. Pidgeotto had speed which might keep Dragonair off balance, but Dragonair could use Agility and match it which might not give Pidgeotto a huge advantage. Muk, on the other hand, was a little on the slow side but was great at sponging attacks. In addition to that, Muk had an ace up its sleeve against something like Dragonair. That settles it.

"Muk, I choose you!" Ash declared as he threw the ball forward to reveal the poisonous sludge Pokemon.

Paul gave no emotion when he saw the sludge Pokemon. Apparently he wasn't intimidated by it.

Muk slid over to its position and gave the Dragaonair a smirk. Paul's Dragonair got an angry look on its face and slapped the ground again with its tail before crouching low. It will teach this Pokemon or smirking at it. Nothing taunts Dragonair and gets away with it!

_"Alright. Here is my match with Paul. I've trained hard for this match and need to give it my all. I'm using the Pokemon I faced him with the first time with Muk added in. I'm going to show Paul I'm not the same trainer in Vermillion City. I'm going to keep a cool head this entire match,"_ Ash thought.

"Alright. Muk versus Dragonair! Begin!" the judge declared.

"Well, your move," Paul muttered to Ash.

"I'm not about to fall for that again!" Ash asserted. He had seen that strategy way too many times. He wasn't going to give Paul that type of advantage by attacking recklessly like that again.

"Fine then. I'll just set up Dragonair while I have time," Paul replied before calling out, "Dragonair, use Dragon Dance, and then use Safe Guard!"

So Paul was going to instead raise Dragonair's stats because Ash didn't attack. Muk also wouldn't be able to poison it now which would've been a huge advantage. The situation wasn't good, either way, but Ash and Muk weren't going to be outdone like that. Muk could raise its stats, too!

"Alright, Muk! Use Acid Armor!" Ash yelled.

A type of nasty liquid shot out of Muk before covering its whole body and glowing just as Dragonair finished its Dragon Dance and Safe Guard. The two Pokemon were now ready to battle.

"Use Sludge Bomb around Dragonair, Muk!" Ash shouted.

Muk raised both of its arms in the air before making a throwing motion. Several large balls of gunk shot from its body towards Dragonair. Its intention wasn't to hit Dragonair but sludge the field to make traction worse for Dragonair, but Paul was prepared.

"Dissolve that sludge with Dragon Breath!" he yelled.

Dragonair then began to blow a scorching wind at each of the shots of sludge that Muk was shooting out. It was hitting the sludge with perfect accuracy. It's dragon powers were making the sludge fizzle out on contact until they were nothing more than little drips by the time they hit the ground, rendering them very ineffective.

"That's no problem, Muk! Let's see them try to take out a Sludge Wave!" Ash called.

"Use Twister!" Paul yelled.

Muk raised its arms once again before summoning a huge wave of gunk from its body before hurling it at Dragonair. The dragon Pokemon or Paul didn't seem intimidated by this attack. The rogue Dragonair began twirling very quickly before a swirling vortex whipped up. Both attacks sailed towards the other before meeting halfway. The sludge began to mix with the twister before being flung out in all directions. Some of it would hit the ground while other globs would hit the stadium wall, but thankfully the audience was high enough to where they didn't have to worry about being hit.

Muk had its eyes focused on the twister the whole time to make sure it wasn't getting too close, and it also couldn't see Dragonair through the thickness of the sludge and Twister. The attacks eventually fizzled out, and Dragonair was nowhere to be seen.

"Behind you, Muk!" Ash yelled out.

Muk turned around and saw Dragonair right behind it. It must have sneaked its way over there while its Twister was distracting Muk. Dragonair then crouched low in preparation.

"Use Dragon Rush!" Paul ordered.

Dragonair then launched itself forward at Muk before striking it head on. Rather than knock it backwards, it was quite the opposite as Dragonair merely began to sink into Muk's sludge-like body. Ash and Muk couldn't help but let out a smile at this as Dragonair was squirming helplessly with its face buried in Muk's body. Ash then looked at Paul and raised his eyebrows when he saw Paul was smirking, too.

"Dragon Rage," he said.

Ash's eyes widened when he realized Paul had done that on purpose. With Dragonair's face inside of Muk like that, any attack it used would do extra damage! Sure enough, Muk began yelling in pain as bits of blue flame shot out its body in all directions.

"Now Aqua Jet!" Paul called out next.

"Aqua Jet?" Ash questioned.

Dragonair's body became enveloped in water, and Ash's eyes widened as it began to propel Muk around the field with Aqua Jet. It was slamming Muk against the ground or the stadium wall. Ash grimaced at this. Muk's sludge body would normally be an advantage, but Paul was using its own body against by controlling it with Dragonair as long as it was stuck inside. Ash needed a quick attack to get him out of this situation.

"Use Acid Spray, Muk!" Ash shouted.

Dragonair sensed this, but before it could remove its head from Muk, the sludge Pokemon opened its mouth and spit out a large amount of acid onto the Dragonair, completely drenching it. The dragon Pokemon cried out in anger and pain before withdrawing its head and falling onto the ground. Muk landed harmlessly, but it was clearly in pain from Dragonair's assault.

"Shake it off, and use Dragon Breath!" Paul yelled out.

"Use Poison Jab!" Ash called.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other, but Dragonair was just slightly faster. It launched the scorching wind which struck Muk continuously. Muk pushed through the pain before extending its arm and striking Dragonair across the face with its sludge covered fist.

Dragonair was knocked to the ground before pushing itself up and getting an angry look on its face.

"Use Outrage!" Paul yelled.

_"What's Outrage?"_ Ash wondered to himself.

He soon got his answer when Dragonair started thrashing around very wildly. It was like it was on a rampage. It was making all sorts of crazy motions and even damaging the floor of the stadium a little bit! It looked absolutely insane!

"Use Sludge Bomb!" Ash shouted in an attempt to get it to stop.

Muk began shooting out balls of gunk at Dragonair, but they were missing entirely. Dragonair's erratic motions were making it extremely difficult to hit.

"Try a Poison Jab!" Ash yelled.

Muk extended its arm in an attempt to strike Dragonair again, but the rampaging Pokemon ducked underneath the attempted punch before getting in Muk's face and blowing out a Dragon Breath. The sludge Pokemon cried out in pain once more before scooting itself away from Dragonair as the dragon Pokemon continued to thrash around.

Ash gritted his teeth. Muk's attacks were a little on the slow side, and Dragonair's movements were too crazy for Muk to hit. He could recall it, but would that really accomplish anything. Dragonair had taken a fair amount of damage so it wouldn't be unreasonable, but would any of his other Pokemon be able to stop the rogue Dragonair's rampage? There had to at least be one attack in Muk's arsenal that could work!

Ash then remembered it. This was one of the reasons he used Muk in the first place against Dragonair. He had kept Muk from using it against the dragon-type because Paul would find a way to counter it easily if he used it early on. Now that both Pokemon were getting tired, now seemed like as good a time as any to use it. He had taught it to Muk while he was training with it before the Pokemon League to add more variety to its attacks. Wartortle, Kingler, and Serena's Nidorina had helped it, too.

"Use Ice Punch on the ground!" Ash hollered.

This almost seemed to mildly surprise Paul that Muk knew that attack. Muk wound its fist back as it seemed to become quite frosty. It then slammed its fist into the ground. This created a small field of ice around it while Dragonair was still rampaging. The slippery ground seemed to be throwing Dragonair off balance. Rather than rampaging, it began wobbling just trying to stay upright. Its motions then caused it to slip. Muk was unaffected by the ground because of its sludge covered body.

"Get up!" Paul shouted to Dragonair.

Ash knew he had to act now or he may not get another chance like this. "Use Ice Punch on Dragonair!" he yelled.

While Dragonair was still trying to get up, Muk extended its arm once again while the tip became encased in ice. It then slammed into Dragonair who went flying backwards from the super effective attack.

"Now use Gunk Shot!" Ash yelled once more.

Muk hurled a massive amount of sludge at Dragonair who could do nothing to dodge it. It was pushed backwards by the sludge into one of the stadium walls before falling to the ground. Dragonair struggled to get up despite the damage it had taken. Finally unable to take it anymore, Dragonair spat in disgust before falling onto the ground where it didn't get back up.

"Dragonair is unable to battle! The winner is Muk!" the judge declared.

"Alright, Muk! That was awesome!" Ash praised. He had knocked out one of Paul's Pokemon first. Now he only had five left. Of course, he knew it was still way too early to celebrate.

Paul wordlessly returned Dragonair before giving the pokeball a slight glare. Without another response to the situation, Paul put away Dragonair's pokeball before taking out another one.

"Rhydon, standby for battle!" he said as he released the pokeball. The Rhydon appeared with a roar before stomping the ground as a show of its strength.

Paul's Rhyhorn had also evolved. Ash was no stranger to this Pokemon. He already faced its evolved form in the Viridian City gym and defeated it. Still, that didn't make Rhydon any less dangerous. Besides, Ash had only been able to beat Rhyperior because of his aura and Serena's psychic powers.

"It's okay, Muk! Let's go for win number two!" Ash encouraged.

"Muuuuuk!" the sludge Pokemon agreed happily.

"Okay. Muk versus Rhydon! Begin!" the judge shouted.

"Use Rock Polish, Rhydon!" Paul shouted.

"Don't let the increase in speed stop you! Let's go, Muk! Use Ice Punch!" Ash hollered.

"Heh! Give them a taste of their own medicine, Rhydon. Use Ice Beam!" Paul smirked.

Before Muk had even extended its arm to strike Rhydon, the drill Pokemon quickly shot a beam of ice through its horn. The frozen blast soared through the air and struck Muk dead on. The sludge Pokemon gave a cry of pain before its eyes widened because all of its sludge was freezing. It began to struggle, but it was no use. Pretty soon, Muk was frozen solid!

"Muk! Can you hear me!?" Ash cried out, but got no response. Everyone waited to see if the sludge Pokemon would even give some form of acknowledgement, but nothing happened. It was completely immobile.

"Muk is unable to battle!" the judge shouted.

"And there you have it, folks! Rhydon literally puts Muk on ice by turning its own trick against it!" the announcer shouted.

Ash couldn't believe it. He had an advantage for just the briefest of moments. Now, it was all tied up. That Rhydon shot out the Ice Beam so fast that it was unreal. Normally, Rhydon were pretty slow at attacking. Even though it used Rock Polish, that shouldn't have increased the speed of its attack delivery. The only quick move should be Drill Run. Paul really has his Rhydon trained.

"Oh. Poor Muk," Serena muttered from the stands.

"Ash can't let his guard down for even a minute in this match. It wouldn't matter if it was five against one. These things can turn in the blink of an eye," Red replied.

"Muk, return!" Ash said as he recalled the frozen Pokemon. He then smiled at the ball. "Thanks a lot, Muk. You took out Paul's Dragonair. Take a nice rest."

His immediate thought was to use Bulbasaur against Rhydon, but that was until he remembered Ice Beam. It was also extremely quick with that attack. Bulbasaur wasn't the only Pokemon he had with him that would be effective against Rhydon. He also had Wartortle, and it also resisted Ice Beam, but who's to say Rhydon didn't have another sneaky attack? He wouldn't be surprised it knew something like Thunderbolt. He knew he couldn't send out Pikachu, Charizard, or Pidgeotto against Rhydon so Wartortle or Bulbasaur were his only options.

Ash then brought up Bulbasaur's pokeball. "How do feel about Ice Beam, Bulbasaur?" he asked it, receiving a wiggle from the pokeball. That must've been Bulbasaur's way of saying, "No problem!"

"Well, I can't say no to that! Let's go, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted as he released the plant dinosaur.

Bulbasaur appeared from the pokeball and blew a puff of smoke from its nose. It then looked at the Rhydon in front of it and then at Paul. Bulbasaur let out a growl that this was the same Rhydon who defeated it while back as a Rhyhorn. Bulbasaur was going to even things up this time and win!

"So your Bulbsasaur still hasn't evolved," Paul commented.

"Bulbasaur told me it doesn't want to evolve yet! It wants to be the strongest Bulbasaur it can before it even thinks about evolving!" Ash shouted.

"Bulbasaur!" the plant dinosaur added for emphasis.

"Is that part of your so called 'bringing out the inner strength of Pokemon' to win?" Paul mocked.

Neither Ash or Bulbasaur responded to that. Paul was just trying to get them fired up to take their focus off the match. They couldn't let that happen like in the past. Anytime Paul was taunting him or his Pokemon like this, they just had to ignore him. They would prove him wrong by winning.

"Bulbasaur versus Rhydon! Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Use Drill Run!" Paul ordered.

Rhydon leaned forward and shot through the air towards Bulbasaur while spinning like a drill.

"Duck underneath it, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur hit the ground as Rhydon sailed over it. Bulbasaur thought it had missed the worst of it, but as it brought its body back up, it saw an Ice Beam was coming straight for it. Bulbasaur leaped out of the way just in time. That Drill Run must have just been a decoy.

"Jump and use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur brought out two vines and slapped the ground to give it a boost. The plant dinosaur shot into the air before looking down at Rhydon and shooting a flurry of razor sharp leaves at it.

"Dig Underground to avoid those leaves, Rhydon!" Paul told it.

Rhydon quickly dug itself a hole in the ground and disappeared inside of it. The Razor Leaf soared over the hole and missed it completely. As Bulbasaur landed back on the ground, Ash was suddenly reminded of his last match when Bulbasaur had faced Rhydon as a Rhyhorn. The drill Pokemon was so silent underground that Bulbasaur had no idea where it was. All it took was Bulbasaur to be left defenseless after being struck by Dig for the match to be lost. Ash couldn't let that happen again.

"Be careful, Bulbasaur! Remember how it was last time!" Ash called to it.

Bulbasaur nodded its head. As expected, Rhydon wasn't making any noise while it was in the ground so it would try to rely on something else. Rhydon was rather bulky and heavy, but there weren't any vibrations to sense where it was, either. Was it even moving at all, or was it just waiting for Bulbasaur to tread on a particular spot before coming out?

"Horn Attack!" Paul ordered.

So Paul was going with the same strategy as last time, after all. At least that's what Ash and Bulbasaur thought. Bulbasaur gave a yelp of surprise as a large horn burst out of the ground underneath it. The plant dinosaur leaped out of the way. As soon as it landed, the same horn pierced through the ground, causing it to jump away again. Rhydon was trying to stab Bulbasaur though the ground!

It seemed Rhydon knew where Bulbasaur was no matter where landed. Whenever Bulbasaur would get away, the horn would burst through the spot where it landed. Ash knew Bulbasaur couldn't dodge forever. It would eventually get tired, and the horn would get it. When that happened, there was no stopping Rhydon from exploding out of the ground and having Bulbasaur at its mercy. Maybe if he could stop the horn from moving?

As Bulbasaur leaped out of the way of another Horn Attack, Ash decided to try to do something crazy again. He knew Rhydon easily outclassed Bulbasaur in strength, but Ash wasn't looking for a long time delay, just a short one.

"Wrap your Vine Whip around the horn, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur jumped out of the way once again as the horn came up. It would be prepared for the next time. Sure enough, as soon as it landed, Rhydon's horn erupted from the ground again, but Bulbasaur quickly shot out its two vines and wrapped them around Rhydon's horn to keep it from going anywhere. As soon as it did so, Bulbasaur was immediately slammed onto the ground by the force of the horn going back under, but it still had a hold of it which is what Ash wanted.

"Use Leech Seed, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted.

"Oh no you don't! Use Ice Beam!" Paul shouted.

Bulbasaur saw the exposed horn began charging up and immediately shot out its seed as the Ice Beam was let loose. The beam struck Bulbasaur dead on, and the plant dinosaur was forced to let go as it went flying backwards. Thankfully, the Leech Seed still hit Rhydon's horn. It then spread quickly as the leeching vines worked their way down the horn and onto Rhydon's body underground.

"Can you stand, Bulbasaur!?" Ash cried.

Bulbasaur shakily got off the ground and shook itself. That Ice Beam did some good damage, but it could still fight!

"Great job! Now get charged up for…," Ash began, but was cut off by Rhydon's horn bursting through the ground and jabbing Bulbasaur. All Rhydon needed was for Bulbasaur to be still for one moment to hit it.

Bulbasaur cried out in pain as it went soaring in the air once again. Ash could see Bulbasaur's bulb lighting up despite this. Ash smiled as Bulbasaur understood what Ash wanted it to do next despite not finishing his command. As expected, Rhydon exploded out of the ground a second later spinning like drill for a Drill Run attack. Ash couldn't let this be a repeat of last time.

"Use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

Bulbasaur shot its leaves out at Rhydon in an effort to slow it down, but it was useless. Rhydon's drill-like motions were tearing apart any leaves that came towards it. It was almost upon Bulbasaur. If there wasn't something done soon, Bulbasaur might not make it past this Drill Run. Ash's eyes lit up when Bulbasaur's bulb started glowing, and he knew that Solar Beam was finished powering up.

"Do it, Bulbasaur!" Ash hollered.

Bulbasaur tipped its bulb in Rhydon's direction and unleashed the attack just before Rhydon crashed into it. The Solar Beam blasted Rhydon at point blank range. For a second, Rhydon was at a standstill as it tried to push past the Solar Beam. It proved unsuccessful as the Solar Beam began to push it back towards the ground. Rhydon let out a roar of pain as it was falling.

"Use Magical Leaf, Bulbasaur!" Ash hollered.

The never-miss attack shot out of Bulbasaur's bulb and followed Rhydon back down to the stadium. Rhydon hit the ground with a resounding boom. As it struggled to get up, it was pelted by the leaves which caused it to roar in pain again before falling to the ground. It gave a grimace of pain before not moving again.

"Rhydon is unable to battle! The winner is Bulbasaur!" the judge declared.

"Alright, Bulbasaur! You did it! That's how to show Paul you don't need evolution to be strong!" Ash shouted.

"Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur cried happily as it landed back on the ground. It was quite pleased with itself for winning against an opponent it previously lost to.

Like Dragonair before it, Paul wordlessly returned Rhydon without even telling it a good job. If a Pokemon of his was knocked out, he just simply moved on to the next one. Despite Ash learning of Paul's time with his Pokemon before the match, it appeared that much hadn't changed about him.

"Fearow! Standby for battle!" Paul shouted as he released the fearsome bird. It let out a shriek before stretching its wings out.

Ash realized Bulbasaur wasn't exactly in the best shape right now. If it went up against a fearsome flying-type like Fearow, the curtains would be called for it fairly soon. There was no point in leaving it out right now when he could use it later. Time to go with someone fresh.

"Bulbasaur! Return!" Ash called as he returned the plant dinosaur to its pokeball before putting it away and taking out another one. "Pidgeotto! I choose you!"

"Pidgoooooo!" Pidgeotto cried after being released.

Fearow looked at its fellow flying-type Pokemon before giving out an angry caw. Pidgeotto took flight and matched Fearow's height in the air before giving a cry back. It wasn't one to be intimidated. Paul's Fearow quirked an eyebrow at this gesture. So it wanted to act big and bad, did it? It will teach this Pidgeotto that it was out of its league. Fearow then narrowed its eyes as it awaited the match to start.

"Pidgeotto versus. Fearow! Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Use Fury Attack, Fearow!" Paul immediately yelled.

As soon as Paul issued the command, Fearow dove at Pidgeotto and began aggressively pelting the other flying-type with its beak. Pidgeotto cried out in pain from each successive hit, but it wouldn't back down like this.

"Knock it away with Wing Attack!" Ash called.

Pidgeotto shook itself from the continuous pelting before slapping Fearow away with its wing. The beak Pokemon was knocked back a few yards, but that only seemed to make it angrier. It then went in once more for a Fury Attack.

"Use Agility, and get out of the way!" Ash hollered.

"Fearow, use Agility also, and go after it!" Paul ordered next.

Pidgeotto once more shot away from Fearow, but the beak Pokemon angrily tore after it. They took the battle sky high and were well above the highest set of stands in the stadium. Both trainers had to squint in order to see their Pokemon.

"Use Air Slash to try to throw Fearow off course, Pidgeotto!" Ash called.

"Counter that with Razor Wind!" Paul shouted.

Pidgeotto quickly turned around and flapped its wings which created a blade of air from each wing. Fearow stopped going after Pidgeotto before doing likewise, but instead, the whole area around it seemed to be blade-like. Fearow's Razor Wind completely tore up Pidgeotto's attack before being sent towards the bird Pokemon. Pidgeotto screeched in pain as the attack connected once more, but it still had another powerful attack.

"Now use Drill Peck!" Paul ordered.

"Not so fast! Use Hurricane, Pidgeotto!" Ash countered.

As Fearow began to head towards Pidgeotto, it beak started to spin like a drill, but Pidgeotto began flapping its wings as hard as it could. It didn't think it had ever flapped them so hard in its life. The wind became incredibly fierce as Fearow drew closer. The beak Pokemon started to grimace as the strong winds began to tear at its feathers. It screeched angrily at Pidgeotto as it tried to push past the winds.

"Now use Twister!" Ash hollered.

Pidgeotto then quit flapping its wings so hard and seemed to shift their direction to a more circular motion. Upon seeing the wind was no longer tearing at it, Fearow took off to Pidgeotto yet again before a Twister suddenly erupted up underneath it, taking it by surprise. It began to spin around and around as it unsuccessfully tried to get out of Twister, but every time it did, the force of the vortex would suck it right back in.

"Throw an Air Slash into that Twister, Pidgeotto!" Ash called.

Pidgeotto obeyed and flapped its wings harshly again which sent two blades of wind into the twister. Fearow screeched in pain as it was tossed around in the twister before the attack ended. Fearow was tossed out of the vortex and sent spiraling towards the ground.

"Now use Quick Attack before Fearow recovers!" Ash said.

"Get over it, Fearow!" Paul shouted angrily.

Pidgeotto zipped after Fearow and struck it dead in the center with its sharp beak, but that was the second Fearow lost its dazed state from the Twister. The larger bird then thrust its head down to where Pidgeotto was and stabbed the bird Pokemon with a Peck attack. Pidgeotto cried out in pain as it was now the one falling to the ground.

"Now use Drill Peck!" Paul commanded.

Fearow began to fly after the falling Pidgeotto while its beak began to spin like a drill. It was going fast and was just about to stab Pidgeotto, but Ash had another trick up his sleeve.

"Block it with Steel Wing!" Ash quickly called. He had almost forgotten he taught that move to Pidgeotto a while back. It could be used for defense as well as offense.

Pidgeotto shook itself of the pain and brought its wing up just before Fearow hit. The beak drill then began to tear at Pidgeotto's glowing wing, but it held firm. Fearow then let out a shriek as it withdrew its head before cawing angrily. Its beak was bent up from trying to drill Pidgeotto's Steel Wing!

"That was excellent, Pidgeotto! Now use Quick Attack once more!" Ash shouted.

"Use Mirror Move!" Paul said.

Before Fearow could do anything, Pidgeotto rammed right into its midsection. Fearow shrieked before glaring at the Pidgeotto. This little thing was really irritating it. Fearow then mustered its remaining strength before both of its huge regal wings began to glow. Pidgeotto looked on either side of it and saw Fearow's wings closing in on it from both directions. The double Steel Wing slammed into Pidgeotto causing it to shriek in pain.

"Use Double Edge," Paul finished.

"Dodge it, Pidgeotto!" Ash cried.

Fearow let out another angry shriek before charging at Ash's Pidgeotto with everything it had. Pidgeotto was too injured from the Fearow mirroring the Steel Wing to fly away in time, though. The beak Pokemon slammed into Pidgeotto again which sent Pidgeotto on a one way collision with the ground. Pidgeotto crashed on its back before shrieking in agony once again. It then shuddered before not moving again.

"Pidgeotto is unable to battle! The winner is Fearow!" declared the judge.

Fearow flew towards the ground before landing next to Pidgeotto and let out a caw of victory. It then cast a disdainful look at the rival bird. Pidgeotto opened its eyes and weakly sighed at the gloating Fearow. It was a test to see who was the better bird, and despite putting up a great fight, it was ultimately defeated. Pidgeotto held great pride as a bird its whole life, and having been beaten like this didn't sit well with it, especially against the likes of this Fearow. For now, it would rest and redouble its efforts to be a stronger flying-type afterward and live up to its name.

"Pidgeotto, return!" Ash cried as he returned it before smiling at the pokeball. "Thanks a lot, Pidgeotto. You fought hard so take a nice rest."

Ash then looked at the tired Fearow. He still had three fresh Pokemon left: Wartortle, Charizard, and Pikachu. Wartortle would be a rather strange choice to go against the likes of Fearow even though it battled it as a Squirtle before. Charizard would be ideal in terms of power and Pikachu had a type advantage. Not to mention it could match Fearow in speed.

"How about it, buddy? You wanna take on Fearow?" Ash asked his rodent partner.

"Pika!" it answered and ran forward.

"Hmmm, that Pikachu," Paul commented upon seeing it. "Still plan on keeping it that way forever?"

"I already told you that Pikachu doesn't want to evolve! We're going to prove it can win by taking out any Pokemon you throw at us!" Ash shouted.

"Heh. Whatever," Paul murmured, but there was a hidden sneer in his voice that didn't go unnoticed by Ash, which caused him to glare.

"We'll show him! Right Pikachu?" Ash said.

"Pika!" it answered.

"Pikachu versus Fearow! Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Fearow! Use Quick Attack!" Paul shouted.

"You use your Quick Attack, too, but use it to run from Fearow!" Ash shouted.

Fearow took to the air and darted after Pikachu while the rodent turned tail and ran in the opposite direction. The two were almost blurs as they darted around the field like prey and predator. Neither the beak Pokemon or Paul seemed to take too kindly to this and saw it as Pikachu being a coward. With that, Fearow increased its speed and began to descend upon Pikachu which is just what it and Ash wanted.

"Okay, Pikachu! Jump onto Fearow's back!" Ash shouted.

"I don't think so! Use Razor Wind, Fearow!" Paul countered.

Upon seeing Fearow getting closer, Pikachu flipped into the air with the intention to land on Fearow, but its opponent quickly turned around and slashed at the air which caused sharp blades of air to whirl up around it. Pikachu grimaced in pain but pushed past the Razor Wind and landed on Fearow anyway. The beak Pokemon immediately began thrashing around, but Pikachu held on.

"What?" Paul said in aggravation. How was that rodent able to push past a strong attack like that?

"I told you already! Pikachu doesn't need to evolve to do things like that!" Ash retorted before calling out, "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikachuuuuuu!" Pikachu shouted as it let loose the powerful electric attack.

Fearow shrieked in pain from the super effective attack. Pikachu continued shocking it with everything it had before relenting on the attack. It then let out a cheesy grin at the Fearow before hopping off its back and landing on the ground. Fearow, meanwhile, was wide-eyed and cawing weakly before falling to the ground, defeated.

"Fearow is unable to battle! The winner is Pikachu!" the judge declared.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cheered as it pumped its fist into the air.

Paul wordlessly returned Fearow and sighed. He had to admit, that Pikachu was stronger than it looked. He had no doubt Magmar or Electabuzz would be able to handle this Pikachu, but Ketchum might be expecting that. He's gonna throw him off by introducing a Pokemon he probably hasn't seen yet.

"Donphan! Standby for battle!" Paul yelled as he threw it forward.

"Donphan?" Ash questioned as he awaited the pokeball to open. Pikachu put on a look of confusion, too.

The ball then opened and a gray, elephant-like Pokemon appeared. It had a thick, black hide extending down from its long nose to the end of its back, and a pair of white tusks extended from its mouth. It gave a cry before slamming the ground with its two front feet.

"What is that?" Ash wondered in confusion as he took out his new national dex, along with Serena and Leaf, to scan the new Pokemon.

"Donphan, the armor Pokemon and the evolved form of Phanpy. This Pokemon has a tackle so strong that it can knock down a house," the machines stated.

"Just where is Paul getting these Pokemon?" Serena wondered as she put away her pokedex. She didn't even see this Pokemon earlier when she spoke with Paul. Did he get it afterward or was he purposely keeping it hidden to surprise Ash? He clearly had an outside source.

"Donphan is definitely not a Pokemon native to the Kanto region," Professor Oak murmured as he looked on.

"If Paul is traveling in Kanto, he must be getting these Pokemon from another source. I'm thinking he may not be from Kanto," Brock commented.

"If he isn't from Kanto, why would he be traveling here first instead of his home region? I remember him saying at one point that this was his first journey," Serena said.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Brock shrugged.

Serena turned back towards Paul as she looked on in thought. Why would he be here for his first league competition when there is his own region to travel? Paul was probably one of the hardest to understand people she ever met.

Ash frowned as he looked at the Donphan. He didn't know a thing about this Pokemon and felt like he was fighting completely blind. Paul apparently wanted to do this to throw him off, but Ash couldn't let him know that. He just yelled to Paul that he and Pikachu could take on any Pokemon that Paul had, and he was going to prove it by beating this new Pokemon.

"You still going to go with Pikachu?" Paul asked.

"You bet I am!" Ash replied as Pikachu sparked its cheeks.

At this, Paul smirked.

"Alright. What's so funny this time?" Ash asked in an annoyed tone. He had come to learn Paul was always up to something when he smirked like that.

"Heh. Nothing," Paul answered. Their exchanges were unable to continue further by the judge raising his flags.

"Pikachu versus Donphan! Begin!" the judge shouted as he brought his flags down.

"Alright, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash hollered.

"Dodge it with Rollout!" Paul hollered.

Pikachu leaped into the air while Donphan curled up into a ball and began rolling around the stadium. Pikachu fired off several Thunderbolts, but each one completely missed. Donphan would simply move off to the side with each attack. Ash wouldn't get anywhere like this. Ash had dealt with moves like Rollout before so he was used to countering it by now.

"Use Agility and Iron Tail on the ground like you did with Ritchie!" Ash hollered. That would stop Donphan in its tracks!

Pikachu nodded its head before zipping around the field. Large clouds of dust would shoot up at various spots in the stadium which indicated where Pikachu used the attack. Pikachu just had to be careful of Donphan. The armor Pokemon was doing everything it could to keep Pikachu from doing this.

It didn't take long for Ash to realize this wasn't working very well, either. Every time Donphan would get close to a hole, it would expertly move to the side and avoid it completely. It must have really been paying attention to where Pikachu was putting its attacks while it was rolling. Ash knew it would need a little nudge to fall into the trap.

"Use Quick Attack on Donphan, Pikachu!" Ash hollered.

After creating a good amount of holes in the stadium, Pikachu changed tactics and instead went for Donphan. It didn't take too long to spot as the armor Pokemon was coming straight for it. Pikachu likewise ran towards its opponent. Just before the two met, Pikachu veered off to the side and rammed its head into Donphan. The armor Pokemon wobbled a little bit before falling into one of the holes due to not regaining balance in time.

Donphan's rolling upon falling into the hole caused it to flip high into the air which is what Ash wanted. Donphan uncurled itself while in the air due to losing its momentum. Ash saw its underside wasn't covered with armor which would give Pikachu a great place to attack it.

"Use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" Ash yelled.

Pikachup leaped in the air after Donphan while its tail glowed white. It then slammed the Iron Tail right into Donphan's soft underside. The armor Pokemon cried out in pain from the critical hit before curling back up out of reflex to protect its weak point.

"Turn that curl into another Rollout, Donphan, and make sure to avoid those holes!" Paul yelled.

"Rollout again?" Ash questioned.

Sure enough, as soon as Donphan touched the ground, it began rolling around the stadium once again. Pikachu landed on the ground soon after and watched in confusion. Did Paul really think that Donphan could just simply dodge holes no matter what because Paul told it, too, and why was he using the same attack twice in a row? That wasn't like him.

"Go after Donphan with Agility, and use Thunderbolt on it to stop it!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu once again dashed after Donphan and began shooting several Thunderbolts towards it. Dophan was dodging every single one, however, and Ash realized the only way to get Donphan with an electric attack would be to stop it completely. He then remembered when Serena used Eevee in the Battle Chateau while facing an Electrode. The Electrode used Rollout and Eevee was able to ride it and control its movements. Ash doubted Pikachu would be able to control a Donphan like that, but it could do something else to stop Donphan.

"Run straight for Donphan once again!" Ash hollered.

"Trying to throw Dophan off balance again?" Paul smirked.

"Nope! Something else!" Ash answered.

"Whatever. Donphan! Go straight for Pikachu!" Paul ordered.

Ash couldn't help but think that was rather bold off Paul to order that considering what happened last time. He knew Paul had to be up to something by having Donphan use Rollout like this, but he couldn't figure it out. Dang it! What was he hiding?! Every part of Ash was screaming at him to continue on with what he was doing, but a very small part was telling him to recall Pikachu. Why?

Pikachu and Donphan continued to head towards each other with neither side giving in. Right before they collided into each other, Ash made his move.

"Leap on top of Donphan, Pikachu!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu nodded and easily jumped on top of the rolling Donphan. It then began to ride it while Donphan wiggled and leaned in various directions in an effort to throw Pikachu off, but the yellow rodent held firm.

"Use Iron Tail on Donphan to stop it!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu's tell glowed once again before it slammed its tail down on the rolling Donphan. As soon as the attack made contact, there was a huge jerk as Pikachu was thrown from Donphan, and the armor Pokemon came to sudden halt before uncurling and flipping through the air before landing on the ground in a sprawled out manner.

"Now use Thunderbolt with everything you've got, Pikachu!" Ash called.

Pikachu charged up its cheeks before blasting off a huge amount of electricity from its cheeks. The Thunderbolt traveled through the air and struck the helpless Donphan. Pikachu continued the attack for a good while before finally relenting it. The yellow rodent then landed on the ground thinking that was the match…until Donphan got up completely unharmed from the attack!

"What?! Pika?!" Ash and Pikachu cried at the same time.

"Heh. You think you would've learned by now to look up a Pokemon's type if you've never seen it before. Donphan is a ground-type Pokemon. As soon as I saw you didn't bother to check out more about it after using your pokedex, I decided to toy with you and have Donphan dodge Pikachu's electric attacks at all costs to make you think they would be effective against it. Now your Pikachu's all worn out, and I don't have to keep up this charade since the secret's out," Paul explained.

Ash stood in shock. He had recognized that smirk from Paul all too often in the past, and he even recognized the look when Paul faced Gary and tried to warn him, but it ended in no avail. Ash had surprised Paul a few times in this match, but this mistake had really cost him. Donphan actually didn't look like a ground-type in all honesty. It looked more like a normal-type or at least a rock-type where electric attacks would hurt it. Paul also must have purposely avoided Dophan using any ground-type moves, too.

"I'm done toying with that Pikachu, now! Use Earthquake, Donphan!" Paul yelled.

Donphan raised its two front feet and slammed them down on the ground which caused the whole stadium field to shake. Pikachu wobbled terribly before falling over and soon found Donphan charging straight for it, but not by using Rollout like before.

"Use Giga Impact!" Paul shouted.

"Use Iron Tail!" Ash countered. He knew it was his only option since electric-type attacks were useless, and the ground was shaking too much for it to run away or jump properly.

Pikachu charged up its tail before swinging it around just as Donphan collide with it. The Iron Tail struck Donphan right in the face, but the rodent still felt the full force of the Giga Impact. The electric mouse let out a gasp of pain before sailing through the air and crashing into the stadium wall, causing it to cry out again. It then fell to the ground and didn't move.

"Pikachu is unable to battle! The winner is Donphan!" the judge declared.

"Paul totally turned the tides on Ketchum after that one little mishap. Pikachu has been defeated and eliminated from the match!" stated the announcer.

"I can't believe Pikachu lost just like that," Serena mumbled.

"It's because Paul wore it out on purpose," Brock answered from behind her.

"Paul noticed that Ash didn't check the type of Donphan and took full advantage of that since Pikachu was an electric-type. He made Pikachu dash around the stadium and use a lot of its electricity trying to hit it which fooled Ash into making him think they were effective against Donphan. Then, when the secret was out and Pikachu was tired, Paul didn't waste any time in taking Pikachu out before it recovered. I hate to say it, but that was a good strategy," Red muttered.

"The match is evened up again with Ash and Paul both having three Pokemon each," Misty commented.

"Come on, Ash! Show Paul the pride of Pallet Town!" Leaf shouted.

Serena stared hard at Ash from the box. He had made a mention that he should start checking his pokedex on his opponents more like she and Leaf did, but why didn't he this time? Ash needed to study his opponents, too, rather than just focus on his own strategies. It wasn't really a rookie mistake because many trainers didn't check their pokedexes diligently like that, but this still might have been avoided if Ash had done so.

Ash ran onto the field and gingerly picked up Pikachu in his arms. The yellow rodent opened it eyes and looked sadly at Ash. The raven-haired boy shook his head and gave Pikachu a sorrowful expression.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu. You were great. I promised I wouldn't fall for any of Paul's tricks this match, but it looks like I did, after all. We'll get him next time," Ash said.

He then brought Pikachu up to the trainer's box before setting it down and decided on his next Pokemon. So Donphan was a ground-type was it? He could use that to his advantage. Bulbasaur or Wartortle were prime candidates. It was already weakened from its attack with Pikachu after all the Iron Tails it took, so Bulbasaur would be able to take care of it.

"Bulbasaur! Come on out again!" Ash hollered as he threw the pokeball forward.

Bulbasaur appeared from the pokeball with a cry once more. If Bulbasaur was tired from the fight before, it wasn't showing it. If anything, it looked even more fired up.

"That's the spirit, Bulbasaur! Let's make this your second win of the match!" Ash said to it.

"Bulbasaur!" it agreed.

"Alright! Bulbasaur versus Donphan! Begin!" declared he judge as usual.

"Use Magnitude on Bulbasaur!" Paul ordered.

"Not this time! Jump into the air again, Bulbasaur, and then use Razor Leaf!" Ash hollered.

Donphan stomped onto the ground once again to shake the stadium, but Bulbasaur had already used its vines to jump out of harm's way. Bulbasaur then leaned forward and shot a flurry of sharp leaves at Donphan below it.

"Use Defense Curl!" Paul yelled.

Donphan curled up into a ball while the Razor Leaf pelted its outer hide. It still caused some damage due to being a super effective attack, but Donphan still withstood it.

"No problem, Bulbasaur! Use Sleep Powder!" Ash called.

"Get out of the way by using Rollout!" Paul hollered.

Bulbasaur sprinkled out the brown powder out of its bulb towards Donphan, but the curled up Pokemon immediately began rolling around the battlefield. The plant dinosaur landed on the ground and watched its movements, trying to keep up with it.

"Charge up for another Solar Beam, Bulbasaur!" Ash yelled.

"Go attack Bulbasaur before it finishes!" Paul said in response.

Bulbasaur began charging up sunlight as Donphan changed course towards it. Ash knew that Solar Beam would take a small time to charge so he would need to buy as much time as he could.

"Get away from Donphan by getting into the air again!" Ash yelled as Bulbasaur did so.

"You still think that Bulbasaur is safe in the air? Go after it, Donphan!" Paul ordered.

Both Ash and Bulbasaur gasped when Donphan actually leaped into the air while using Rollout. Donphan would seem like too heavy of a Pokemon to do something like that, but Paul was just full of surprises by keeping things like that hidden. The armor Pokemon spun through the air and knocked Bulbasaur out of the sky, sending it plummeting towards the ground. Bulbasaur landed face first and groaned in pain, but it still managed to continue storing sunlight.

"Now use Fire Fang!" Paul shouted.

Donphan uncurled itself from the air, and its tusks became cloaked in fire. It then fell towards Bulbsaur with the intent to slam its tusks into Bulbasaur. The plant dinosaur gritted its teeth at the grim situation, but kept storing sunlight. It then felt it couldn't store anymore and gave the signal to Ash.

"Let it fly, Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted, but it was a little too late.

Donphan landed right in front of Bulbasaur and crashed its fiery tusks into it. Bulbasaur let out a cry of pain but pointed its bulb at Donphan anyway, letting loose the Solar Beam and hitting Donphan at point blank range which caused an explosion. Both Pokemon were thrown backwards before landing before each of their respective trainers. Bulbasaur and Donphan both struggled to get up before collapsing on the ground, knocked out.

"Both Pokemon are unable to battle!" the judge declared with a flag wave.

"We have ourselves a double knock-out folks! Both Ash and Paul only have two Pokemon remaining. Let's hope they have some strategy to get ahead once more!" shouted the judge.

Ash sadly returned Bulbasaur to its pokeball with a sigh before smiling at it. "Thanks a lot, Bulbasaur. You gave it your all this match. Now take a nice rest."

"I have to admit, you're doing a little better than I thought you were, but you still won't win if you keep worrying about their inner strength. It makes you weak," Paul told Ash as he returned Donphan.

"That isn't true! I'll prove to you how wrong you methods are by winning!" Ash retorted.

"Fine. Then give it your best shot," Paul replied before taking out his next Pokemon and throwing it. "Magmar, standby for battle!"

"In that case, I'll choose Wartortle!" Ash replied as he threw the pokeball to release the turtle Pokemon.

"Heh. You would think you wouldn't have to rely on type advantage to win if you wanted to bring out their inner strength," Paul smirked.

Ash didn't reply to that comment. Paul was just trying to get a rise out of him again. If he won, it would be because of how good Wartortle was, not that type advantage…right?

"Magmar versus Wartortle! Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Use Aqua Jet, Wartortle!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle enveloped itself in water before jumping and speeding towards Magmar. It then slammed into the spitfire Pokemon before it even knew what hit it. Steam came from Magmar as it stumbled backwards several steps. Wartortle then turned around and sped off in the same cloak of water.

"Catch up to it by using Mach Punch!" Paul shouted.

Magmar shook itself of the super effective attack before reeling back its fist and charging after Wartortle. The turtle Pokemon looked back before its saw Magmar's fist go through its cloak of water and striking it in the face. Wartortle cried out in pain as its Aqua Jet canceled out before slamming into the stadium wall and falling to the ground.

"Now use Thunder Punch!" Paul ordered.

"Get out of the way by using Hydro Pump, Wartortle!" Ash cried.

Wartortle got into its shell and began spinning extremely fast. Water then began to shoot out of its shell which caused Magmar to back off. Wartotle then shot off through the air while spinning in its shell, blasting water everywhere.

"Lava Plume!" Paul shouted.

Flames burst out of Mamar continuously as if it were a volcano itself. The flames began to land all over the stadium while Wartortle spun around shooting water for momentum. Eventually, the water began to hit the many flames around the stadium which caused a lot of steam to form which made it hard for Wartortle to see where it was going. It stopped spinning its shell and quickly looked around for Magmar.

"Faint Attack!" Paul yelled out.

"Behind you, Wartortle!" Ash warned.

Wartortle spun around and saw Magmar had appeared behind it. It then slammed its magma covered body into the turtle Pokemon, knocking it backwards several yards.

"Now use Confuse Ray," Paul ordered.

"Use Aqua Jet to get away!" Ash yelled.

Wartortle immediately cloaked itself in water to shoot off, but the attack was cut off when Magmar grabbed Wartortle before picking it up and forcing the turtle Pokemon to look at it. Its eyes then began to glow as Wartortle shut its eyes to keep from looking.

"Use Water Gun!" Ash tried.

Wartortle tried to get the stream of water from its mouth, but it was impossible as Magmar had it by the throat which cut off any water trying to get through. It struggled in vain before Magmar used a Thunder Punch across Wartortle's face to get it to open its eyes and look at it again. Wartortle yelled in pain from the super effective attack but still tried its best to avoid looking at Magmar's eyes. Seeing as that wasn't working, Magmar simply hit Wartortle with another Thunder Punch.

Ash knew the situation looked really bad. At this rate, Wartortle would either be knocked out by Thunder Punch or confused. It wasn't able to hide in its shell or use its Water Gun or Hydro Pump. What could it do? Ash then saw Wartortle's fluffy tail dangling freely, and it occurred to him.

"Use Aqua Tail!" Ash shouted.

Wartortle strained as its tail became enveloped in water. It then swung its tail forward before striking Magmar. The spit fire Pokemon cried out in pain before flying backwards and dropping Wartortle to the ground. Wartortle was shaking as it slowly stood up from the ground. Those Thunder Punches really took their toll on its stamina.

"Use Skull Bash!" Ash shouted.

"Mach Punch!" Paul yelled.

Despite its tired state, Wartortle took off towards Magmar with its head withdrawn while Magmar quickly reeled its fist back. Wartortle struck Magmar in its center while Magmar punched Wartortle across the face. Despite this, Wartortle still had its head buried in Magmar's gut which gave Ash an idea.

"Turn that Skull Bash into Aqua Jet!" he shouted, remembering his battle against Paul's Dragonair.

Wartortle once more put on its cloak of water and began to push Magmar backwards with the force of the Aqua Jet. Magmar began stumbling as it was pushed further backwards before it went airborne with Wartortle propelling it back even more. Magmar turned around and saw the stadium wall approaching and grimaced, but Paul would have none of that.

"Use Thunder Punch!" he yelled.

Despite the force of the Aqua Jet, Magmar reeled back its fist and struck Wartortle just before it hit the wall. There was a resounding crash as Magmar collided with the wall while Wartortle was still using Aqua Jet. Finally, the attack relented. Both Pokemon got a strained look on their face before falling from the stadium wall to the ground on top of one another. Magmar didn't move while Wartortle was straining to pull itself out from underneath Magmar. It finally let out a shout and pulled itself free before shakily standing up and panting heavily, but it could still fight.

"Magmar unable to battle!" the judge declared.

"And there you have it, folks! Paul is down to his last Pokemon! He better have some sort of strategy planned out to avoid another knockout!" the announcer declared.

"Hmmm..." Paul muttered before returning Magmar and revealing his last Pokmemon. He would make short work of that Wartortle.

"Electabuzz! Standby for battle!" he yelled as he released the electric Pokemon, which cried out upon release.

Ash looked at Wartortle and saw it appeared to be in terrible shape and looked ready to collapse. It was covered in black marks from taking a lot Thunder Punches and probably wouldn't last another attack. Even so, would returning it really yield him any advantage since he only had one Pokemon left?

Wartortle then turned around and shook its head at Ash. It knew how bad off it was and could pass out at any moment. Returning it to the pokeball would do it no good now. The least it could do was fight Electabuzz until it collapsed to give Charizard the best chance at winning. Ash frowned at his but knew Wartortle was right. Wartortle then turned back around and faced Electrabuzz, who shook its head at the pitiful state its opponent was in right now.

"Okay. Wartortle versus Electabuzz! Begin!" shouted the judge.

"Use Aqua Jet, Wartortle!" Ash hollered, trying to get the one up on Paul.

"It's fine. Don't move, Electabuzz," Paul told it. The electric Pokemon then braced itself for the coming impact.

Ash grimaced at this. He knew what Paul was doing. Wartortle slammed into Electabuzz which caused it to grit its teeth in pain. Despite this, it grabbed hold of Wartortle before immediately charging up its fist for a Thunder Punch. It brought its fist down and punched Wartortle directly in the middle of its shell. Wartortle cried out before sailing backwards and slamming into the wall of Ash's trainer box. It then fell to the ground and was defeated.

"Wartortle is unable to battle!" the judge announced.

"Okay, folks. We are down to the wire! Both Ash and Paul only have one Pokemon left. Let's see what strategy they are going to use now!" the announcer yelled.

"Ash and Paul are both down to their last Pokemon," Brock muttered.

"I think Ash and Charizard can win! Charizard is the personification of Ash's great training. It could never have done that with Damian," Serena affirmed.

"That's true. If Ash wins with Charizard, it would be a very effective win," Brock agreed as he rubbed his chin.

Ash returned Wartortle before giving the pokeball a smile. "Thanks a lot, Wartortle. Take a good rest. It was brave of you to keep fighting like that."

He then put the pokeball away and sighed. Both he and Paul had one Pokemon left. It was an extremely close match so far which is what Ash had predicted. There was no room for errors. There was no room for second thoughts. Ash then took out his last pokeball which contained Charizard. He had raised it ever since it was a Charmander. Damian had been an inhumane monster when it was a Charmander, but Ash had saved it and trained it to the best potential he could. Charizard was going to be proof to Paul about the right way to train a Pokemon. He would win this.

Ash then looked over and saw Paul watching him with an unreadable expression. He didn't know if Paul cared to hear about Charizard's backstory or not, but it probably wouldn't make a difference. He didn't need to say anything else to Paul about the way he trains Pokemon. He was here to win, and that's what he was going to do!

"Charizard, I choose you!" Ash hollered as he threw the ball forward.

Charizard landed on the ground and gave a roar while Electabuzz sparked its body. They knew they were the last Pokemon in this match and knew their opponents were huge rivals. They would do everything in their power to win and were super pumped. This was it. Both Ash and Paul were waiting for the judge to officially start it.

"Okay. Charizard versus Electabuzz for the final matchup! Begin!" declared the judge.

"Electabuzz! Use Brick Break on the ground, and then use Thunder Punch!" Paul shouted.

Electabuzz slammed its fist down onto the ground which made it erupt with shards of dirt and rock. The debris pelted Charizard as it shielded itself. Charizard then looked and saw Electabuzz leap through the rubble and come at it for a Thunder Punch.

"Use Flame Burst, Charizard!" Ash called quickly.

A huge ball of flame suddenly exploded in front of Charizard. Electabuzz halted its attack due to this and shielded itself from the force of the explosion.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Paul told Electabuzz.

"Fly into the air to get away from it!" Ash countered.

Electabuzz shot a massive amount of electricity at Charizard, but the fire lizard immediately took to the sky to get out of the way. Electabuzz tried to follow Charizard by aiming its Thunderbolt after it, but Charizard was too quick. Electabuzz then let out a growl of aggravation that Charizard was of out of its reach.

"Use Flamethrower, Charizard!" Ash called.

Charizard swooped down before taking a deep breath and blowing out the Flamethrower towards Electabuzz, but Ash knew what was coming next.

"Electabuzz, use Protect!" Paul ordered as the electric Pokemon brought its hands out in front of it to create a protective barrier around itself. As expected, the Flamethrower bounced harmlessly off of it. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Counter that with another Flamethrower!" Ash called, knowing Electabuzz couldn't use Protect again so soon.

Both Pokemon shot their respective attacks at each other. The two attacks soon collided together and began to compete for dominance. Charizard began flying forward to Electabuzz in order to increase the force of its Flamethrower. Upon seeing what it was doing, Electabuzz did the same thing. The two opposing Pokemon were getting closer and closer with each other while their attacks remained evenly matched.

"Use Thunder Punch, Electabuzz!" Paul shouted once Charizard was close enough.

"While still using Thunderbolt, Electabuzz wound back its fist and threw it forward at Charizard. The fire lizard reached out and caught the Thunder Punch. Small sparks of Electricity crackled around Charizard due to this, but it still kept using Flamethrower despite this. The force of the two attacks soon became too great and caused an explosion.

"Use Brick Break! Use Fire Punch!" the trainers called to their respective Pokemon.

Electabuzz wound back its powerful fist while Charizard wound back a fist of fire. The two Pokemon then threw out their punches, and their fists collided with the other. Electabuzz felt the burning pain of Fire Punch but soon smirked as it charged up a Thunder Punch in its other fist before striking Charizard square in the stomach. The fire dragon gave out a gasp of pain as it felt the electricity around it once again.

"Use Flame Burst to get Electabuzz away from you!" Ash hollered.

There was an instantaneous explosion of flame once again. Electabuzz was blown backwards before landing on its backside.

"A scorching response from Charizard, folks! I think it's safe to say that Ketchum doesn't like his Charizard extra crispy!" the announcer commented.

"Use Swift, and then Thunder Punch," Paul said.

"Get away from it, Charizard!" Ash yelled, even though he knew it was futile.

Charizard took off to the air as fast as it could, but it didn't get very far. Electabuzz launched the never miss attack, and the star-shaped beams of energy struck Charizard right in its left wing, causing it to wobble and fly much slower. Electabuzz then leaped after it and struck a direct hit with another Thunder Punch. Charizard roared in pain and was knocked to the ground. Electabuzz then fell on top of Charizard and pinned both of its wings with its feet so it would be unable to fly away.

"Flame Burst!" Ash yelled.

"Light Screen!" Paul ordered.

Charizard's explosion of fire was a very quick attack, but Electabuzz was just a tad faster at Light Screen. It threw up the protective wall of light before Flame Burst could knock it off the fire lizard. It and Paul then smirked that Charizard couldn't be as effective with its special fire attacks.

"Now Thunder!" Paul commanded next.

Electabuzz raised its hands as a thunder clap was heard before a lightning bolt suddenly descended from the sky and struck Charizard dead on. Charizard roared in pain once again from the powerful electric attack and gave a huge jerk to try to throw Electabuzz off of it, but Electabuzz would hold firm every time.

"Use Fire Punch!" Ash yelled. Even though the special fire moves weren't very effective, Charizard could still use physical attacks.

"Counter with your Thunder Punch!" Paul said.

Charizard grimaced and brought around its fiery fist while Electabuzz countered with Thunder Punch. The two fists collided and struggled with the other to compete for dominance.

"Use your other fist to deliver another Thunder Punch," Paul ordered next.

"You do the same with Fire Punch, Charizard!" Ash called. He figured if Paul's Electabuzz could use both of its fists to attack at the same time, so could Charizard.

As Electabuzz charged up its other fist, Charizard focused all of its power into the fist it didn't use very often, and then it immediately burnt out. Both Charizard and Ash's eyes widened in horror when they saw it hadn't worked. Charizard then looked and saw Electabuzz swing its other arm around, and Charizard clumsily through its other arm up at the last second in a pitiful attempt to dodge. It was nowhere near as powerful as Electabuzz's Thunder Punch, however, and Charizard was struck across the face.

"What's the matter? Didn't you ever train your Charizard to be good with both of its fists? It can barely even use two attacks at same time," Paul taunted.

Ash grit his teeth when he realized Paul was right. Pokemon were just like people in that regard and had their good and bad arms. Ash never really thought about teaching his Pokemon to be ambidextrous or using more than one or two attacks at once. Paul apparently had, though. Realizing that Electabuzz was just going to counter anything Charizard did, Ash said the next best thing to get Electabuzz off of it.

"Try Inferno, Charizard!" Ash hollered.

Charizard nodded as it began to heat its body up tremendously. Electabuzz grimaced in pain as it charged up and other double Thunder Punch and struck Charizard in the midsection, causing it to roar in pain. It then tried to shoot another Flamethrower out of its mouth at Electabuzz, but it was much weaker than what its normal power was due to trying to use Inferno at the same time. Light Screen easily blocked the attack.

Ash realized with growing dread at what was happening. A lot of his Pokemon were incapable of using more than one or two attacks at the same time because he never trained them to. He remembered how a lot of his previous opponents in the Pokemon League had successfully used two attacks at once, but he never really thought about it until now. It was his great strategies that had won battles so far, but unfortunately, Paul was good with strategies, too. He couldn't believe that he had been a Pokemon trainer for almost a year and that never occurred to him.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu said weakly next to him to remind him of the match.

Ash immediately snapped his attention back to the scene and saw Electabuzz was sweating profusely from the Inferno, but it was still relentlessly striking at Charizard with Thunder Punch in a test of endurance. Charizard was doing its best to fly away, push, or do anything to get Electabuzz off of it, but to no avail.

Fortunately, the heat had begun to take its toll on Electabuzz. The electric Pokemon gave a loud grimace before it leaped off Charizard, covered in burns. Though it had taken some damage and was now burned, Charizard had clearly suffered more. The fire dragon slowly pushed itself off the ground before glaring at Electabuzz. It was panting heavily and looked close to passing out after taking so many Thunder Punches.

Ash knew this wasn't a good situation. If he didn't think of something soon, he was going to lose the match. He had to keep his cool

"Use Thunderbolt!" Paul ordered.

Ash knew that special attacks were still no good because of Light Screen, but it could still use its most powerful attack so far.

"Use Flare Blitz with everything you have, Charizard!" Ash cried.

Charizard gave a mighty roar before taking flight and shooting towards Electabuzz while wrapped in fire. The Thunderbolt struck Charizard, but it roared again and actually started pushing through the Thunderbolt, taking both Paul and Electabuzz by surprise. Charizard was clearly putting everything it had into this attack.

In response to this, Electabuzz turned up the power to its Thunderbolt and started charging up its fist to do Thunder Punch, also, but Charizard didn't care. It was getting closer and closer to Electabuzz and the electric Pokemon took a few steps back out of reflex. Charizard continued to fight the Thunderbolt and saw Electabuzz bring its fist around for another Thunderbolt, and the attacks collided.

There was a huge explosion from force of the attacks. Debris and smoke were kicked up everywhere, and both Ash and Paul shielded their eyes from it. By now the cheering of the crowd had died down to dead silence as they waited for the smoke to clear. Ash thought the tension was so thick that he could cut with a knife. Just please let Charizard be okay.

The smoke finally cleared after thirty seconds to reveal both Electabuzz and Charizard standing on the ground in a staring contests. The two Pokemon were covered in burns or static and were very beaten up. It was clear their strength was almost out. The Flare Blitz combined with the explosion had did a number on both Pokemon.

Ash's friends and family stood up from their seats as they looked on. This was going to be extremely close. Both Pokemon looked like they couldn't attack at all, and only their will to stay conscious was keeping them in the match.

Ash was taking deep breaths as he watched the staring match take place. Should he call out another attack or let Charizard rest a moment?

"_Come on, Charizard,"_ he thought.

Then everyone let out a gasp as Electabuzz stumbled forward and fell on one knee, but it was still up. Everyone turned to Charizard, thinking it was victor…until it fell forward completely onto the ground, unmoving. Electabuzz, meanwhile, slowly pushed itself to its feet and raised its hands in the air to show it could still fight, and that's all the judge needed.

"Charizard is unable to battle! That means the victory of the match goes to Paul who will move on to the final round of the Pokemon League!" the judge shouted, followed by an eruption of applause.

"What a match, everybody! That was definitely a fight worth seeing! Both Ash and Paul were almost neck and neck in the entire match, but in the end, Paul managed to squeeze out a victory with his double attacking!" the judge shouted.

Ash fell to his knees. He couldn't believe it. He had lost, and the worst part was that it was to Paul of all people. He then felt Pikachu slowly walk over and pat him on the arm in an attempt to comfort him, but Ash barely felt it. He could only think what this meant now. Ash shakily looked over at his defeated Charizard lying there and suddenly found himself standing up and walking towards it.

Ash walked down the trainer's box and across the field until he reached Charizard. The fire dragon was still lying there, unmoving. It had done its best for its trainer, but in the end, Electabuzz had won.

"Alright. Return, Electabuzz," Paul called as he returned the electric Pokemon to its pokeball. He then looked at the pokeball before uttering, "Good work."

Paul then looked at Ash with a huge frown on his face. If Ash didn't know better, he would say Paul almost looked disappointed at Ash.

"I thought you were going to show me how to bring out the inner strength of Pokemon," Paul said to him.

Ash gritted his teeth and felt tears sting his eyes. He had been talking up his training style and how great his Pokemon were to Paul ever since he met him. What did he have to show for it? Just a tie the first time and a loss to him the second time where it really mattered. This was probably his most painful loss ever. What Paul said next almost surprised Ash.

"Look, you aren't a bad Pokemon trainer, but you're nowhere near as good as you could be. That's why I train my Pokemon the way I do. It's the only way to get them to their very best. If I got any run off the mill Pokemon that came across my path as you do, I would never reach my potential. Maybe since you lost, you should try that, too," Paul stated.

"I could never…it's not right," Ash muttered more to himself than Paul.

"Then why did you lose to me?" Paul questioned with a glare. Upon seeing Ash didn't have an answer to that and his broken state, Paul sighed and turned around to leave the stadium, but not before mumbling, "Pathetic."

As Paul left the stadium, his last word was too much for Ash. He tried to hold it in as much as he could but was unable to. A few tears managed to escape his eyes. Was he really pathetic? Was he really keeping his Pokemon from being the best they could be? What was he missing? Why did he lose? It was ironic that Ash had a crowd cheering around him because he felt like anything but a winner now.

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><p><strong>Well, Paul won. That shouldn't come as too big of surprise to anyone. It wouldn't make much sense if Ash won his very first Pokemon League. I think the Top 4 was very suitable for him overall, but that begs the question: How will he proceed and what will he learn from this loss? Well, it affects the entire series from here out. And what about Aerodacytl!? How is it's training doing?! All of these questions are answered in the next…and last chapter of the Kanto arc. Hopefully, it won't take me too long to upload it. Have a great week everyone! See you next time with the conclusion!<strong>

**One more thing. A good reviewer of this story named Chinmaya.009 is going to be starting a story soon and needs help deciding the pairing and whether to have aura, psychic, or both in the story. He needs as many people to vote in his poll as possible to decide the best one. Make sure to head over to his profile and vote!  
><strong>

**Chapter 61: The Road to be a Pokemon Master**

**Answering the Questions: (Spoilers)**

_Since Gary is now gone, do you plan on shipping Leaf with Silver?_

_**No. Silver is around 21 years old right now, and Leaf is 11. That alone speaks for itself. Even if they were close to the same age in this fic, I would see no benefit in shipping them with how I'm portraying Silver.**_

_Will Serena kiss ash if he wins?_

_**Well, he didn't win so you will have to find out if there is another reason for her to kiss him now.**_

_How do you come up with your methods of pokemon learning new attacks?_

_**Honestly, there is no special formula to it. I just write whatever comes into my head for something like that. The only sources I really use are the anime or other fanfics and then try to make at least somewhat interesting circumstances.**_

_What will happen if Ash can't get Aerodactyl's instincts under control?_

_**What happens with Aerodactyl is revealed next chapter.**_

_Since Pidgeot was allowed to go to Route 1 to protect the Pidgey's there, are you planning for him(If you let him go) to return to Ash at some point?_

_**If it doesn't return to his team permanently, Ash will at least visit every time he comes home to Pallet Town.**_

_Will the next legendary encounter be in the Orange Islands or later?_

_**Orange Islands.**_

_You said you might give Serena a starter in Johto. Can it be Chikorita? Please?_

_**If Serena does get a starter in Johto, Chikorita would be it. (Please don't start mentioning to me right now whether you want Chikorita to be Ash or Serena's Pokemon yet after reading this. There will be a poll when the time comes.)**_

_Will red give ash some major improvements to his training methods?_

_**More like pointers to steer him in the right direction.**_

_Will anything happen after the League?_

_**If you mean before Kanto arc ends, just this last chapter. The Orange Islands arc will start where Ash is back in Pallet Town for the after party. It won't really follow the canon episode, though.**_

_I've observed that ash and serena have done less romantic things ever since becoming a couple. Heck, it would be true to say that she was more attatched to him before that. So, is that going to change a little in the orange islands arc?_

_**There just simply haven't been a lot of opportunities for that with the latest chapters. There were still amourshipping scenes in just about every chapter since then, though. Not every single chapter is going to be based around amourshipping, though, including the arcs to follow. Sometimes, there is just no room for romantic things in a chapter. You should be satisfied with the last chapter of the Kanto arc, though.**_

_Since you mentioned him earlier, are we ever going to see Butterfree again?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Do you plan on Gary to ask Leaf for forgiveness for breaking up with her and break in her heart?_

_**Gary never "broke up" with her because they weren't boyfriend/girlfriend in the first place. As for Leaf's reaction when Gary returns…I dunno…you'll see it when it happens.**_

_After the league, how will you have Ash, Serena, Misty, & Brock know about the Orange Islands?_

_**Pretty much the same way as in canon.**_

_Will Ash appearance in the other regions be similar to the anime with Serena being the only change?_

_**Ash's outfits in other regions will stay pretty true to how they are in canon. Only Orange Islands and Johto will be different. Everyone else's outfits I will have to make up as I go along, unless they are already done in canon.**_

_Are you going to continue the next arc on the same fic or are you going to start a new one?_

_**As stated many times before, the Orange Islands League is a separate arc and story. It will be much shorter than the other arcs.**_

_Is Ritchie going to appear in any of the other leagues?_

_**Yes, but I won't reveal which one.**_


	62. The Road to be a Pokemon Master

**A/N: I knew everyone would have mixed reviews about Paul beating Ash, even with some being more extreme than others. However, I chose the path that was best for this story, which was Ash suffering a loss from his biggest rival and being able to learn and grow from that loss. You learn a lot more from losing than you do from winning. If Ash lost to Ritchie, Tyson, Mandy, or whoever besides Paul, the impact would not have been as severe, and that's what I wanted. This loss will drive Ash to be the very best and fix any mistakes he ever made in his first year of training. That way when he encounters Paul a few years from now, he will be able to prove to the cold boy that he isn't some rookie who doesn't know what he's doing. In other words, I did it for the BEST CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Also, This most definitely does not mean I support Paul's ideals and neither will Ash.**

**For those of you who don't agree with me, there's nothing I can do about it. One will never be able to please everybody. With that being said, here is the last chapter of the Kanto arc. Read the author's note at bottom. It will explain updates and things for the future of this series.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pokemon.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 61: The Road to be a Pokemon Master<p>

Ash was slowly walking out of the stadium with his head down and cradling Pikachu in his arms. He just couldn't get over his loss. Ash was playing everything over in his head to try to determine what he did wrong. The only mistake he really made was not checking Donphan's typing, but would that really have made a difference in the entire match? All of his Pokemon worked their hardest for him in that match, but in the end, he still lost. Why, and why to Paul of all people?

As Ash got out of the trainer tunnel, he wasn't surprised to see everyone waiting for him. They all had a look of sadness, sympathy, or in Red's case, a grave expression. Were they all disappointed he lost? What were they going to say to him?

"Ash," Professor Oak began first, "You've done Pallet Town very proud."

Ash snapped his head in Professor Oak's direction. "What?

"You made it to the Top Four in your very first Pokemon tournament. That is no easy task. That's more than can be said for many people," Professor Oak elaborated.

"You really did do your best, Ash. I'm sure no one else worked as hard as you. We all know that," Leaf added.

"I still lost to Paul," Ash muttered. It's not that he didn't appreciate his friends' words, but that was what hurt the most of the loss. Did that mean Paul was right and he was wrong?

Everyone sighed upon hearing that. They all knew how determined Ash was to beat his biggest rival so far. First Gary lost to Paul, and now Ash. They all wanted Ash to win, too.

"You could try to think of this as a learning experience," Misty suggested.

"How am I supposed to do that? What is it I did wrong?" Ash asked a little louder. He didn't know if he wanted an answer or not.

"You did nothing wrong, Ash. You were great. Red and I are very proud of you," Delia told him.

"Thank you, Mom. Really. I just…," Ash began, but was cut off by Red.

"Ash, go heal your Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. When you're done, I'd like to talk to you. Come find me in the stadium," Red said as he turned to go.

"Red?" Delia questioned.

"It's fine, dear. Just a little father and son talk," Red replied with a small smile towards her before continuing on.

Ash nodded his head as he watched his dad go. He wondered what Red would want to say to him.

Serena stared worriedly at Ash. The truth was she had no idea what to say to him for once. She had completed her goal of conquering the Battle Chateau, but he didn't win the whole Pokemon League. Granted, he did incredible, but she still didn't quite know how he felt. She hoped Red would be able to help. He seemed to have experienced similar things as Ash. For now, Serena knew all she could do was be there for him. She walked over to Ash and grabbed his hand, causing him to look over to her.

Ash replied with a small smile. Serena just seemed to have that effect on him now.

* * *

><p>Ash was now walking back into the now empty stadium with Pikachu on his shoulder. Red said he would meet him here, but that had been over an hour ago. Was his dad really waiting here for that long? As he entered, he immediately spotted Red. He was standing with his arms crossed as he gazed at the Moltres flame that was still burning brightly in the nighttime sky.<p>

As Ash approached him, Red didn't turn in his direction. Ash was still sure Red heard him, however. It wasn't until Ash reached him and stood by his side did Red acknowledge him. The black-haired man nodded his head at Ash before turning back to the Moltres flame.

Both father and son stayed like that for quite a moment. Neither said anything to each other as they and Ash's yellow rodent partner continued to stare up at the flames. Ash wasn't feeling quite as awkward as he expected to feel to be in silence like this. He knew his dad would say something when he was ready. Finally, after about another minute of silence, Red spoke.

"The road to be a Pokemon Master is hard, isn't it?" Red asked Ash, but it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yeah," Ash agreed.

"You did very well on your first try at the Pokemon League, Ash. It doesn't matter that you didn't win," Red told him.

"But you won your first Pokemon League tournament," Ash pointed out.

"Hmmhmm. I also wasn't only eleven years old when I won it," Red answered with a slight chuckle.

"Wait. You weren't?" Ash questioned as he and Pikachu turned to look at Red in surprise.

"No. Blue and I didn't begin our Pokemon Journey until we were fifteen," Red replied.

"Really?" Ash asked again.

"Yeah. Before then, Blue and I read up on all we could about Pokemon. We learned all of their typing, the strengths and weaknesses, and things like that. We wanted to be as equipped as we possibly could before starting our journey, and it paid off when we got first and second place, respectively," Red said.

Ash thought about what Red had told him. All this time, he assumed his dad had started his Pokemon journey at ten like he did. It turns out that he started much later and wanted to be the best he could possibly be before trying it out. Ash remembered there were a lot of older Pokemon trainers he met on his journey and at the Pokemon League. He wondered if this was their first year, too.

"So I didn't win the League because of my age?" Ash muttered as he looked towards the ground again.

"Of course not. I'm just asking what you did to prepare to go on your Pokemon journey at such a young age," Red explained.

"Well, I do love Pokemon a lot," Ash replied as he flashed a smile at his rodent partner.

"Pika Pi!" it responded back happily.

Red nodded. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Well, I knew a lot of basic things about Pokemon. I guess I could say I knew more than most people my age, but I figured the pokedex could tell everything else," Ash said.

"Okay. How often have you been using the pokedex?" Red pressed.

That's when it hit Ash, and he looked down in shame. The truth was he used his pokedex on any new Pokemon he came across and got basic information about it, but did he do anything else with it? He knew one could not only learn a Pokemon's typing, but also the moves they could learn. He could see what moves the Pokemon already knew, and he could even learn their stats. Ash would certainly never use that to figure out if the Pokemon was good enough like Paul, but he could use that to know which areas needed to be worked on the most, however. He could also learn a whole other plethora of information. That's what Leaf did with her pokedex and even Serena to an extent, but he didn't.

"I guess I haven't used it a whole lot," Ash muttered as he brought the rim of his cap down so it covered his eyes.

"That's what it is, Ash. You know a whole lot more about Pokemon than most people your age, but the truth is, you're only scratching the surface of what Pokemon are all about," Red answered before continuing. "That's why I spent a few extra years studying rather than starting my journey at ten."

"Dad, was it wrong of me to start my journey at this time?" Ash asked a little sadly.

"Pikaaaaa," Pikachu moaned.

"Well, what do you think? Do you think that everything you've worked so hard for up until now was for nothing?" Red inquired.

Ash closed his eyes as he remembered his entire journey so far. He met Misty, Brock, and Ritchie. He won all eight badges in the Pokemon League. He discovered his aura power. It was also through this journey that Ash realized how he really felt about Serena. If he had waited to start his Pokemon journey, he would've missed out on all of the great memories he had so far. He wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Ash then remembered his Pokemon. They were the best ones a guy could ever ask for. Where would they be if it wasn't for him and didn't begin his Pokemon journey then? He never would've caught Caterpie. It probably wouldn't have evolved and met its mate. Pidgeotto would still be a loner in the Viridian Forest. Kingler would never have perfected its awesome techniques. Primeape may still have been the brunt of another Primeape's bullying. Muk would still be the leader of a rogue gang of Grimer. Haunter would be nothing more than a jokester in Pokemon Tower to scare people. Hitmonchan would still have its extremely eager and impulsive nature. Bulbasaur would still be in the Hidden Village, unable to reach its full potential. Wartortle would still be a mischievous troublemaker. Charizard could've…died by just staying there on that rock if Ash hadn't saved it. Aerodactyl never would've been born from the Old Amber fossil. Dratini would still be frightened of everything and never got to experience the outside world. Lastly, there was Pikachu who was his best friend and partner and his first Pokemon. Pikachu would probably never gotten over its hatred for people, and if anything trust them even less. Ash had such a positive influence on all of his Pokemon. If he turned back time just to study, none of those changes would have come about.

"No. It wasn't for nothing. Everything I've experienced, and the people and Pokemon I've met are too important to me. I could never say I regret it," Ash replied.

"Good answer," Red agreed with a smile. "You've learned a lot in this first year of your journey."

"So what do I need to do now?" Ash wondered.

"Isn't it obvious? You learn from your mistakes and push forward. Learn all you can about Pokemon from your pokedex, but not just that. Learn from experience, also. That knowledge will take you very far," Red answered.

"Bonding with your Pokemon is just as important," Ash pointed out.

"You're right. It is," Red nodded, "In order to truly be a great Pokemon Master, you do have to bond with your Pokemon. From that, you can form amazing strategies and combinations, but I'd say you have the strategies down. You get that from your old man here."

"Heh. I see how it is," Ash chuckled.

"In all seriousness, the more you learn about every Pokemon, the better you'll get, and you'll be able to create combinations like no one else. It will always keep your opponent guessing. You have what it takes. I saw that combination of Dragon Rage and Twister you did with Dratini," Red told him.

"What other combinations could I do with my Pokemon?" Ash asked, suddenly interested.

"It wouldn't be any fun if I spoiled anything for you. Only you can figure out the perfect combinations for your Pokemon. You'll learn it as you gain more experience and have more battles with them," Red answered.

"This is all much harder than I thought," Ash mumbled as he tried to take all of this information in. "All of the trainers I've faced so far are so tough. I was only able to beat two of the gym leaders because my aura activated."

"Yes. Riley told me about that, but you don't need your aura to win battles. You're strong enough even without it," Red replied.

"Heh. Easy for you to say since you can use it properly," Ash muttered.

At this, Red let out a sigh. "I started off just like you when I learned of the aura I had, and so did Riley. We didn't just master it in one day. We had to train, learn, and battle just like anyone else to get where we are as trainers. Only after this did we get the proper aura training. It's a privilege to use aura, but it isn't a necessity."

"I see," Ash said as he turned the other way.

He soon felt a hand placed on his shoulder. Ash turned back around and saw his dad giving him a warm smile.

"Ash, the best thing you can do right now is try to make it without your aura. I want you to be the best you can possibly be before your training starts. Only when you are great enough on your own will aura be able to make you more powerful," Red told him.

"When will I be good enough on my own?" Ash inquired curiously.

"I'll tell you what, Ash. Spend the next couple of years training as hard as you can and learn to take care of yourself. Win a Pokemon League. On that day, I will take you under my wing to learn the ways of aura," Red said.

"Take care of myself?" Ash repeated.

"Of course. Don't take this the wrong way, Ash, but you are relying too much on your friends to provide for your needs, like food and supplies. Your friend, Brock, for instance, seemed to do a lot of that on your travels," Red explained.

"Heheheh. Yeah. Serena and I were pretty lost before we met Brock," Ash smiled.

"That's exactly my point. Don't just take Brock for granted. Show him that you are learning from him. Both you and Brock know he won't be there for you forever. What are you going to do then? Learn how to cook and how to gather basic supplies from him. I'm sure he'd be happy to show you. Serena is already learning quite a few things from him to my knowledge. Who knows? You may meet a new trainer to be a mentor to and take care of yourself one day," Red added the last part thoughtfully.

Ash nodded his head. His dad was right. He needed to mature and not be so dependent on others. If he was to be the very best he could be, that was essential. It would also be pretty cool to be a mentor to somebody on the ways of Pokemon if they were just starting out.

"Maybe even taking care of that Togepi could help you out, too!" Red grinned.

"Hahahaha, yeah! I'm definitely trying to be the best dad I can be to Togepi right now!" Ash laughed.

"And I have faith that you can win a Pokemon League, too," Red continued. "You did make it to the Top Four this time, after all. I have no doubt that once you gain even more knowledge and form even stronger bonds with your Pokemon, you'll be an amazing trainer. I want to see how much better you've become between the time I leave again and when I come back."

"Thanks, Dad," Ash replied sincerely. Though his family hadn't mentioned it very often, they all knew Red was going to leave again once the Pokemon League was over. Ash didn't press it, though. He knew his dad would come back.

"So it's a deal then," Red finished as he stuck out his hand for Ash to shake.

Ash stared at the open gesture for a second. He knew what he needed to do now. He had to get stronger and mature. Only then would he become a true Pokemon Master. His first year had been a stepping stone. Now he could really start his journey to be the best.

"Deal!" Ash replied enthusiastically as he took his father's handshake before they pulled it into a hug.

* * *

><p>It was the next day at the Pokemon League, and the much anticipated final battle was now taking place. Sure enough, it was between Paul and Tyson. Both of them were down to their last Pokemon, and it had almost been neck and neck the entire battle. It was Tyson's Meowth versus Paul's Electabuzz. Ash was up in the stands sitting between Serena and Red with everyone else around them. They were all staring intently at the battle taking place. Both Paul and Tyson were really something with the great strategies they had used during the match. Ash was good at that, but that was definitely one thing they had him beat on.<p>

"Alright folks! We have ourselves quite a match going on between our two finalists. Which of them will bask in the glory of the championship? Paul or Tyson?!" the announcer exclaimed through his megaphone.

Tyson's Meowth was panting heavily while Paul's Electabuzz was doing the same. Both had taken heavy damage and were at the end of their ropes. It was clear this battle wouldn't go on for too much longer. It was like they could only win by going for direct power.

"Electabuzz! Use Thunderbolt!" Paul ordered.

"Counter with you own Thunderbolt, Meowth!" Tyson yelled.

Both Pokemon launched their respective attacks at each other before the two Thunderbolts collided in midair and tried to compete for dominance. It was really surprising that the Meowth's Thunderbolt as able to match power with Electabuzz. Tyson wasn't joking when he said that his Meowth was strong. Soon, the force of the attacks soon became too great, and an explosion occurred. Both Pokemon shielded themselves from the blast as the smoke cleared.

"Use Thunder Punch with everything you have, Electabuzz!" Paul shouted.

"Focus all your power into your claws and use Slash!" Tyson yelled.

Both Pokemon nodded before springing at each other. Meowth's claws glowed as it focused while Electabuzz's fists crackled with energy. It was using a double Thunder Punch. Upon seeing this, Meowth charged up its other paw, as well. The Pokemon were closing in on each other fast, but it seemed to be in slow motion.

The two Pokemon finally reached their opponent and swung with all their might. Electabuzz threw its fists forward in an X shape for more coverage. Its eyes grew wide when the Meowth in boots actually flipped over its arms. It then wildly swung at the Meowth again as the scratch cat Pokemon went in for the first strike. There was definitely contact made from one of the sides, but it was hard to tell because it happened so fast.

Electabuzz and Meowth each landed on the ground a short distance away from each other. Their backs were facing the other, and they were standing stock still. Everyone waited in eager anticipation to see what the final turnout would be. For a while, nothing happened. The audience knew contact was made, but the Pokemon weren't showing it. Finally, Electabuzz got a strained look on its face as it fell to the ground. Tyson's Meowth had got it just across the face, and it couldn't take anymore.

"Electabuzz is unable to battle! The champion has been decided. Tyson is the winner of the Pokemon League!" the judge declared.

"We have our champion, everyone! The final battle has finally come to a close, and what a battle it was! Make sure to join us tonight as we celebrate all the challengers!" the announcer shouted enthusiastically. He just about blew everyone's ears out with how loud his shouting was.

Paul stared in utter shock as Electabuzz fell. He had been so close to winning the Pokemon League, but in the end, this Tyson kid had been just a bit better. He almost seemed to talk like Ash about bringing out the inner strength of Pokemon which Paul didn't agree with. Still, he did just lose to this guy so he could respect him. He would just need to train harder. He had gotten the Pokemon with the best stats he could, but he still lost. What could he be missing? Well, whatever. He wouldn't worry about it right now.

"Alright, Electabuzz. Return," Paul said as he brought it back to his pokeball. He then stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked off the field.

Tyson, meanwhile, had run over to his Meowth and helped it to his feet.

"Hey there, Meowth. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Meow Meow," it muttered with a sigh.

"That was really some battle, but we did it! You're the best, Meowth! Thank you for everything!" Tyson exclaimed as he pulled it into a hug.

The Meowth in boots almost rolled its eyes at this gesture but accepted it nonetheless. It was just as happy as its trainer for winning but more low key.

Ash watched with a smile on his face. So Tyson was going to be this year's champion. Even though he didn't win, Ash was glad it was him. He gotten along really well with the older teen and had paid close attention to this match to see if he could get any ideas for strategies. He was really going to take his dad's advice to heart.

As he watched how happy Tyson and the Meowth in boots looked, he could only imagine how he would react if he were to win one day. No. When he would win one day.

* * *

><p>It was only a couple of hours after Tyson and Paul's battle. Ash had made sure to congratulate the teen on his victory as soon as he made his exit. Now, Ash was in a real battle against Lance. This would be his final training session that Lance would be able to do with Aerodactyl due to the closure of the Pokemon League. Red and Pikachu were watching off to the side.<p>

The prehistoric Pokemon had come a long way since it began its training. At first, it would start its mood swings at the first sign of provocation. Recently, however, it's slowly begun to change and have a lot more tolerance and patience. It was even able to get through a few matches without once going wild. Ash was very proud of it.

Today was the final test to make sure Aerodactyl had fully gained control of its primal instincts, however. Lance was going to have an official battle with Ash. It would be his Dragonair against Ash's Aerodactyl, and he wasn't going to hold back like before. Both Aerodactyl and Ash knew they didn't really stand a chance against Lance, but they weren't in it to win.

"Alright, Dragonair! Use Twister!" Lance called.

A large twister formed up from the ground which immediately moved toward Aerodactyl. Ash was quite surprised with how fast the swirling vortex was. He briefly wondered if Dratini would be able to use Twisters like that one day. Ash knew Aerodactyl was fast enough to out speed it, though.

"Use Agility to get away!" Ash hollered.

Aerodactyl shot away from the Twister as fast as it could until it was nothing more than a blur in the sky.

"It thought you might do that," Lance said before directing his Dragonair. "Dragonair, use Dragon Rage to slow down Aerodactyl!"

Dragonair then began to shoot many blue flames from its mouth. It didn't appear to be trying to hit Aerodactyl, though. The blue embers were spreading out around the field and hovering in midair. This caused Aerodactyl to slow down tremendously in an effort to dodge the attack as well as the Twister. When it slowed down enough, Lance made his next move.

"Use Dragon Rush, Dragonair!" he shouted.

"Use Sky Drop!" Ash hollered.

With that, Dragonair leaped after Aerodactyl and slammed into it full force. Aerodactyl gave a screech of pain before grabbing Dragonair with its talons and ascending high into the air. This didn't deter Dragonair, however. It swung its long body upwards before wrapping itself around Aerodactyl which made movement for it very difficult.

"Now use Thunder Wave!" Lance told Dragonair.

"Use Crunch, Aerodactyl!" Ash called.

Just before Dragonair launched the Thunder Wave, Aeroadacytl leaned over and bit down on Dragonair's head which prevented it from using the attack. Dragonair began to struggle continuously due to this, but it started to increase the pressure on its body and started squeezing Aerodactyl as hard as it could to get it to let go. Despite this, Aerodactyl continued to ascend higher and higher to use Sky Drop.

"Your tail is still free Dragonair! Use Aqua Tail!" Lance hollered.

Dragonair began to charge up its tail as it began to become cloaked in water. It then blindly began to swish its tail back and forth to hit Aerodactyl, but the prehistoric Pokemon skillfully dodged it every time.

"Now release it, Aerodactyl!" Ash yelled.

Aerodactyl let go of Dragonair's head before proceeding to release it from its clawed feet. That small opening was all Dragonair need to finally launch its delayed Thunder Wave. The electric waves passed over Aerodactyl which caused it to grit its teeth at the paralyzing attack. Dragonair then struck Aerodactyl with its watery tail before falling to the ground, relatively unharmed.

Aerodactyl, meanwhile, fell to the ground, also, but not as gracefully as Dragonair. It spiraled downward to the ground before crashing on its back. The prehistoric Pokemon began shaking as it struggled to get back up. As it did so, it could feel its feral instincts taking over again. Aerodactyl started to fight it to the best of its ability, but the pull was too strong. It had been doing so well over the past couple of days and couldn't stop now!

"Aerodactyl! Wait!" Ash cried upon seeing this. Lance also frowned as he and Dragonair stepped back a little bit to give it some space.

Aerodactyl could hear Ash calling out to it, but it didn't seem to working this time. Why wasn't it? The biggest problem Aerodactly seemed to have was when it was afflicted by a status such as being paralyzed like now or poisoned. This made its primal instincts kick into overdrive so it could just survive even though Aerodactyl knew it in its heart that it was in no real danger.

Finally, it became too much for Aerodactyl to bear, and it got a feral look in its eyes as it began struggling violently against the Thunder Wave. It then began launching Hyper Beams at everything in its way.

"Aerodacytl! Return!" Ash yelled as he hastily returned it to his pokeball before any real damage had happened. He then brought the brim of his hat down so it covered his eyes. Why did this have to happen again when Aerodactyl was doing so well lately?

For a while, nobody said anything. They were all letting what had happened sink in before deciding how to proceed. This was the last day Lance would be able to help out Ash. Not to mention his dad was going to be leaving soon so he couldn't help out, either. That begged the ultimate question: What now?

"Ash, I'm sorry," Lance muttered.

"Thank you, Lance. I just don't understand. I thought Aerodactyl had finally overcome its problem, but just now, it was about to go right back to how it was," Ash replied as he stared woefully at Aerodactyl's pokeball.

"I hate to say this, but just like a person, a Pokemon can't overcome a psychological problem like this in the span of a week," Lance sighed.

"Did you know?" Ash couldn't help but ask.

"Honestly, I thought it would've been truly amazing if we were able to help Aerodactyl over this course of time," Lance replied as he returned Dragonair and frowned. "Despite this, I at least wanted to try."

"So what do I do know? I know I can't go around and battle with Aerodactyl if this will keep happening," Ash wondered.

"No. You can't," Lance said seriously.

Ash had a sneaking suspicion as to where this was going. He just didn't want it to be true. He and Aerodactyl got along great when it was acting normal. It was a jolly Pokemon by nature until its feral instincts took over its mind. They've had pleasant talks and even shared laughs with one another. Ash was one of the few people Aerodactyl really trusted.

"You aren't going to take Aerodactyl away from me, are you?" Ash asked worriedly.

"As a member of the Pokemon G-men, it is my duty to help any Pokemon overcome its problem and to take them away if we believe it is too much for a trainer to handle," Lance answered with a look of regret.

"But Aerodactyl's come so far! I can't let it end like this!" Ash cried.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu muttered sadly.

"You're a great trainer, Ash, but a Pokemon like Aerodactyl is really hard to train. It's best left in the hands of an expert like Lance," Red spoke this time.

"But Aerodactyl…," Ash trailed as he looked sadly down at his pokeball.

Lance sighed himself. The truth was he really hated to do something like this. A trainer's bond with their Pokemon could be incredibly strong. Despite this, if a Pokemon like Aerodactyl was with Ash all the time, it may never truly be helped.

Red himself didn't really like the news. He was proud of his son for how hard he's worked to help Aerodactyl. He also knew how important Ash's Pokemon were to him and still remembered how hard Ash told him it was to release Butterfree. If Aerodactyl went with Lance, Ash may never see it again which would probably upset him a great deal. That's when Red had an idea.

"Lance, wait a moment," Red spoke up, which caused Lance and Ash to look at him. "What if I were to take in Aerodactyl instead?"

"Dad?" Ash questioned as he stared curiously.

Lance bowed his head and appeared to be deep in thought. The law of the Pokemon G-men didn't necessarily dictate that he must take Aerodactyl. If it were to be transferred to another trainer with the appropriate skill level, that would certainly be alright. Red Ketchum had many years of experience under his belt and was someone Lance highly respected. Aerodactyl would definitely be safe with him.

"I think that should be just fine. I know Aerodactyl will be in good hands with you training it," Lance replied with a nod.

"Is that okay with you, Ash?" Red asked him.

Ash looked back down at his pokeball. He really didn't want to let go of Aerodactyl at all. He wanted to keep on training it, but knew he would be unable to as long as its problem persists. It had to go.

"It doesn't really make a difference," Ash finally muttered. "Aerodactyl will no longer be mine no matter who I give it to."

"I don't plan on keeping Aerodactyl forever, Ash," Red told him.

"What do you mean?" Ash questioned.

"Aerodactyl is still officially your Pokemon. You battled and captured it with your own pokeball," Red stated. "I promise I'm going to return Aerodactyl to you one day."

"You will?!" Ash asked hopefully as he looked up expectantly at Red.

"Absolutely. I'm going to take Aerodactyl under my wing and train it to control its primal instincts. When that happens, I'll give you Aerodactyl, and you'll be able to keep it permanently."

Ash felt a small wave of happiness come over him at that bit of information. He wouldn't be losing Aerodactyl, after all. It's just being trained temporarily so it could be the best Pokemon it could possibly be.

"That sounds good, Dad," Ash replied with a smile. "I need to let Aerodactyl know, too."

"Of course. I'm sure it's calmed down a little by now," Red replied.

Ash pressed the center button on the pokeball and released Aerodactyl. The prehistoric Pokemon grimaced as soon as it came out due to still being under paralysis. Lance went over and sprayed some more of the healing potion on it. Aerodactyl let out a sigh of contentment as the medicine worked its purpose before stretching its wings. It then looked down in frustration because it lost control again.

"Hey, Aerodactyl. How are you feeling?" Ash asked it.

"Aeroooo," it replied sadly.

"Chuuuu," Pikachu muttered in sympathy.

"I know. It hurts to not be able to control yourself, and I don't know how much more I can help you. My dad can, though," Ash told it.

"Rrrroooo?" it questioned as it looked up at Ash and then Red.

"That's right. My dad is going to take care of you for a little while. He's a great Pokemon trainer and can surely help you get over your problem. I know it. Once you've been able to master your instincts, I'll be able to have you back," Ash explained.

Aerodactyl sighed at this. It didn't want to leave Ash, either. The raven-haired boy seemed to truly understand it. It had a few meetings with his dad, too, and the man definitely seemed like a capable and kind-hearted person. Aerodactyl knew it wouldn't be mistreated in anyway under his care, but the separation still hurt.

"I'll miss you, too, Aerodactyl. We've come a long way since I caught you, but we'll see each other again and be able to pick up right where we left off," Ash said, trying to be encouraging, but he was quite upset, too.

Aerodactyl stepped up to Ash before rubbing its rough head against Ash's body affectionately. Ash chuckled softy as it almost tickled when Aerodactyl did that. He reached up his arm before gently rubbing its head.

"Thanks for being such an awesome Pokemon, Aerodactyl. You'll have a great time with my dad. I promise," Ash said.

"Pikaaaachuu," Pikachu said as it went over and stuck out its tiny paw to Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl nodded and lowered its scaly wing down to Pikachu's height. The yellow rodent took its wing and shook it before stepping back now that it's said goodbye.

The prehistoric Pokemon then went over to Red and nodded its head to him to show it was willing to let him train it. Red smiled gratefully at Aerodactyl in return.

"Thanks, Aerodactyl. I promise to show you just as much care as Ash would. When the time is right, you'll see him again," Red told it.

"Aerrooo," it cawed softly before turning back to Ash.

"Goodbye, Aeroactyl," Ash mumbled before holding up his pokeball to return it before tears burned his eyes.

As he did so, the flood of memories rushed through his mind of the times he had with the Aerodactyl, no matter how briefly. It was extremely unique among his Pokemon, and he would always remember it. Besides, his dad promised he would see it again when he was ready. It was that comforting thought that allowed Ash to return the prehistoric Pokemon one more time. The beam came out and sucked in Aerodactyl, and Ash looked at it one more time before sighing.

"Please take care of it, Dad," Ash said as he handed Aerodactyl's pokeball to Red.

"Of course. You have my word," Red replied sincerely.

"Well, I guess that's that," Lance spoke up as he placed a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. "You did very well to get Aerodactyl as far as you did."

"Yeah," Ash answered back, not really knowing what to say.

"Well, Ash. With that, I think I better get going myself," Red stated.

"You're leaving already?!" Ash exclaimed as he snapped his head up in Red's direction.

"I have to. I've stayed around much longer than I should have. I really needed to leave earlier. I've already told Delia goodbye earlier today, but I want to see through your training with Aerodactyl," Red answered.

"I see," Ash replied quietly before muttering, "Don't worry. I'm not upset with you. I know you have a good reason. It's just I've really enjoyed having you here with Mom and me. It's hard to see you go."

Red's heart warmed considerably at Ash's words. He wasn't bitter at all about him leaving like he was in the past. He truly would miss him and didn't want him to leave, but the good thing was that he truly understood.

"You have my Pokegear number, right? You can call me at any time you want and check up on me and Aerodactyl. I know I'm really hard to get into contact with sometimes, but I promise I'll make as much time as I can to talk to you," Red said.

Ash nodded his head. He was happy Red had given him his phone number, and he even promised to be better at answering his calls. Still, what on Earth was Red doing exactly? Maybe he would find out one day, at least.

"I'm going to miss you, Dad. Thanks for everything," Ash stated as a lump came in his throat.

"I'll miss you, too, Ash. I love you," Red replied as he stepped forward and embraced his son in a hug.

"Pika Pi," Pikachu commented as it watched the heartwarming scene.

"So do you have to run by our house and pick up Mr. Mime?" Ash wondered as they broke apart.

"No. I think not. Mr. Mime has decided to stay with your mom," Red replied before grinning.

"What? Why?" Ash asked curiously.

"Well, Mr. Mime loves cooking and doing chores so much that it would rather stay with Delia and do that than train with me," Red laughed.

"Really?" Ash asked as he raised an eyebrow at this interesting piece of information.

"Yep. Mr. Mime and Delia have really hit it off. She's even given it the nickname of 'Mimey'", Red continued.

"Heh. Mimey," Ash chuckled.

"Of course, I saw no objection once I learned this. Riley's always so busy so it will be nice to know that Delia has a psychic Pokemon to protect her while we're gone from now on. Just because Mr. Mime likes chores doesn't mean it's a slouch in battle," Red finished.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. That brought great comfort to him. Ash was apprehensive about leaving his mom alone like that again, and apparently Red was, too. It was great to know that a Pokemon will be staying at his household permanently to look after her.

Red then pulled out a pokeball, and his Dragonite appeared from his pokeball. It gave a cry before turning its back to Red to signal him to get on.

"Well, Red. It was nice to see you again. If anything comes up worth bringing attention to, I'll let you know," Lance spoke up as he held out his hand for Red to shake.

"You bet, Lance. Thanks for helping out with Ash and Aeroactyl. I knew I could count on you," Red replied.

"Anytime. You son is special. I have no doubt he will win a Pokemon League one day. I look forward to challenging him in a real Pokemon battle one day," Lance said.

"I'm sure it will be great," Red answered as they both gave a knowing smile at Ash.

"Eheheheheh. Thanks," Ash replied in an embarrassed tone as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Well then. I'll be off. Goodbye son. I'll see you again soon. I won't drop out of contact like that ever again. Call me anytime you want to talk," Red informed him as he got on Dragonite.

"I will. Thanks, Dad," Ash replied.

Red gave one more nod to Ash and Lance before his Dragonite gave a mighty flap of its wings. It then lifted off the ground and shot off into the sky much faster than one would expect. Ash and Pikachu both ran forward and waved continuously as Red and his Dragonite got further and further away. It was really sad to him go, but Ash knew he would see both him and his Aerodactyl really soon. It was only a matter of when. For some reason, Ash felt it may not be very far off at all.

It wasn't long until Red was fully out of sight, and Ash slowly let his arm fall to his side. This time, Ash and Red had parted on good terms.

* * *

><p>The main stadium at the Pokemon League was a madhouse right now. It wouldn't be surprising if every seat was filled. Some people were even resorting to just standing in walkways because they couldn't find a place to sit. The closing ceremony was about to begin. All trainers who had participated in the Pokemon League were going to be recognized, and the Top Four were going to be honored and presented their trophies.<p>

Serena was waiting eagerly for it to start with the others around her. She couldn't wait to see Ash and the look on his face when the trophy was presented. He worked so hard right now, and it was time it paid off. He wouldn't receive the chance to battle the Elite Four or get the gold trophy, but he would still be presented the bronze trophy along with one other person. It would've been nice if Gary were here, too, for the ceremony, though.

"Ladies and gentleman! The closing ceremony now starting! May I present to you all of the participants in this year's Indigo League Tournament! Let's hear it for them!" the announcer called out through the speaker.

As the first few trainers began to make their way into the stadium, the audience erupted into applause. Various names could be heard as friends and family members saw the one they were rooting for enter. Some trainers were waving at the audience. Some even had one of their Pokemon with them.

The one that surprised Serena the most was when she saw Mandy appear with Crobat flying next to him. The bat Pokemon still appeared to be rather weak but otherwise okay which caused Serena to breathe a sigh of relief. She was even more surprised when she saw Mandy rub his Crobat on the head before smiling at it and feeding it some Pokemon food. The Crobat happily ate the food before smiling back at its trainer. Serena let out a sigh of contentment to see that her little "talk" with Mandy seemed to have changed his attitude for the better.

"Look, Serena! There's Ash! And Ritchie, too!" Leaf shouted next her and pointed.

Serena was snapped out of her thoughts as she looked in the direction Leaf was pointing. Sure enough, Ash had just entered the stadium and was walking next to Ritchie. Their respective Pikachus were on their shoulder. Serena's face broke into a huge smile before she stood up and started cheering as loud as she could for her boyfriend. She was so proud of him! It was only a few seconds before the others joined her and started cheering for him, too. Serena soon heard crying before turning around and saw Delia Ketchum in tears.

"My little baby," Delia sobbed as she dabbed at her eyes with a rag.

She was just as proud of Ash as Serena was. Serena smiled to herself at Delia's elation before turning back to Ash.

Ash continued making his way as far into the Indigo Stadium as he could. The Moltres flame was about to be extinguished for the year, and he wanted as good a look at it as he could. He looked around to see if he would be able to spot anyone he knew in the stands but figured it would be impossible due to the number of people. He knew they were up there, though, cheering him on.

He and Ritchie soon came to a stop once they made it a suitable distance in while all the other trainers made their way in. He then looked in front of him and smiled when he saw Charles Goodshow, the Elite Four, and Blue entering the stadium on the opposite side. If Ash didn't know any better, he could've sworn he saw Lance look right at him before quickly averting his gaze. They came to a stop at about the same time as the all the participants filed in the stadium. With that, it was time begin.

Everyone's loud cheering eventually faded into silence as Mr. Goodshow pulled out a microphone from his pants pocket. He then turned it on before finally speaking into it.

"I'd like to thank every single one of our challengers for the amazing battles they put on this year. I don't know if it's my age or not, but the battles are becoming more exciting with every passing year! Let's hear it for our competitors again, everyone!" he said enthusiastically.

There was another roar of applause from the audience before Mr. Goodshow continued.

"Yes! Yes! While all of our competitors gave us some incredible battles and did well, I would like to recognize our Top Four of this year's tournament and present their awards! Everyone else will receive a commemorative badge. Make sure to accept these awards with pride as a symbol of excellence and achievement!" he announced.

"That's you, Ash!" Ritchie stated from next him with a nod.

"First off, I'd like to announce our two third place winners! Jeffrey Smith from Celedon City and Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town for making it to the semifinals!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

Ash smiled as he began to walk forward and make his way through the crowd of trainers with a brown-haired teenager. He soon reached Mr. Goodshow and the Elite Four. He first shook Blue's hand who gave him a nod and a pat on the back. Despite knowing him, it didn't particularly surprise Ash that this was all he got from Blue since the man never said that much to begin with. He then shook Lorelei, Bruno, and Agatha's hands before moving on to Lance last. As he shook Lance's hand, the spikey red-haired man held on for just a second longer before nodding his head which Ash returned. Lastly, Ash moved on to shake Mr. Goodshow's hand.

"Well done, Ash. You really surprised me after that fiasco of a first round. Lance was right about you. I look forward to seeing you at another tournament in the future," he muttered so only Ash could hear.

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Goodshow," Ash replied gratefully before releasing the handshake.

Mr. Goodshow then picked up the bronze trophy before handing it to Ash and motioning for him to stand a short distance away. Ash nodded his head before moving on and standing at the spot where he was supposed to. Ash looked at the bronze trophy in his hands. It was in the shape of the Indigo League torch and had Moltres' flame on top. It even had his name engraved on the bottom! Ash realized there really was nothing to be ashamed of being in the Top Four since this was his first tournament. He was really proud of all of his Pokemon for their hard work.

"Take a look at that, Pikachu. This just isn't my trophy. It belongs to all of us," Ash told the yellow rodent, referring to all of his Pokemon.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said happily.

"Just wait until the next tournament we compete in, Pikachu. We'll turn this bronze trophy into a gold trophy! What do you say?!" Ash said next.

"Piiiiiiiiika!" it cheered in response.

It was at that time, the older teen who was presumably Jeffrey came over with his trophy before giving a smile to Ash and a nod, which Ash returned. Mr. Goodshow then went on to announce the second place winner.

"Our runner-up for this year is Paul Shinji who came all the way from Veilstone City in Sinnoh!" Mr. Goodshow announced.

_"So Paul's from the Sinnoh region,_" Ash thought briefly. That suddenly explained how Paul got access to Pokemon who weren't native to Kanto.

More applause came from the audience as Paul approached the Elite Four and Mr. Goodshow. He bowed respectfully to each of them before shaking their hand and accepting his silver trophy. He then proceeded to where Ash and the other boy were already waiting. As Paul passed Ash, he didn't even look in his direction despite knowing full well he was there. Ash couldn't help but avert his gaze, too. There was still so much misunderstanding and dislike between the two. One would think their rivalry would end after one beat the other in a League match, but if anything, things were only made worse. There was no closure at all. It was terrible the two were parting ways like this, especially since Ash didn't think he would see the cold boy again after tonight.

"Now, it gives me great pleasure to announce our winner of this year's tournament! This young man will receive the gold trophy and be able to challenge the Elite Four and Kanto region champion themselves! Everyone join me in a big round of applause for Tyson Tetsuya all the way from Mauville City in Hoenn!" Mr. Goodshow proclaimed.

Ash smiled as he watched Tyson come forward to claim his prize and even applauded himself. Tyson's Meowth was walking next to him with its normal calm demeanor despite receiving so much praise. Tyson enthusiastically shook everyone's hand before accepting his trophy with a big smile on his face. He then walked over to stand on the champion's platform behind Ash, Paul, and the other boy. Ash and Pikachu gave Tyson and his Meowth a thumbs up as they passed, which they both returned. Tyson then got up on the platform before holding the trophy high over his head while the audience cheered harder.

Ash had a few thoughts running through his head as he watched Tyson. Mr. Goodshow said that Tyson was from a different region. He was also a little bit older than Ash. Had Tyson been in a Pokemon League tournament before? Was he able to win because he had more experience? That would seem to be the case. Ash smiled to himself. All he had to do was get a lot more experience and he would win one day, too.

"Let's hear it one more time all of our competitors!" the announcer exclaimed this time. "We should all stand up as a sign of respect for their skills and dedication to the ideals of the Pokemon League! While you are doing that, we shall now start our celebration in the sky!"

Applause broke out once again all around the stadium as everyone stood up. Everyone then turned their eyes to the sky and gasped as fireworks broke out. One by one they shot up in a burst of colors which were very beautiful. It wasn't long before they realized that the fireworks were exploding into the shapes of the one hundred fifty Pokemon native to the Kanto region which only added to its greatness.

After the fireworks, everyone turned their faces the burning flame of Moltres in above the stadium. Ash and Pikachu both gave hard stares at it. The flame slowly died down until it was nothing more than a spark before that was gone, too. The flame signified the beginning and end of the tournament, and it was eventful from the start. Ash would certainly never forget this moment for the rest of his life. It was his first Pokemon League tournament, and it was now at a close.

* * *

><p>It was now just after noon the next day, and most people who attended the tournament had already left earlier in the morning. Ash and the other Pallet Town crew were among the few that were left.<p>

Ash was currently sitting on the first row of stands in the main stadium overlooking the battlefield, and he was wearing the new set of clothes he had bought a couple of days ago. It felt rather weird to be wearing something else for a change, but they were a symbol of his new start.

Pikachu was in his lap while Ritchie and Sparky were sitting next to him. None of them had really said anything upon meeting here. They just nodded at each other before sitting down together and stared ahead, each thinking their own thoughts about the experience they had. Finally, after almost ten minutes like that, Ritchie finally broke the silence.

"Well, we may not have won the whole thing, but we sure had fun!" Ritchie stated.

"You bet!" Ash agreed with a nod.

Ritchie than turned towards Ash. "So what are your plans now?" he asked.

Ash looked up towards the sky as he thought about it. The world was so big, and he didn't want to just stay in Kanto. Where would he go? There were many more regions: Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and more. They all sounded so exciting.

"Well," Ash began thoughtfully, "I thought it would be really exciting to try one of the other regions out there, but I don't think I'll visit them quite yet. I need to train and learn as much as I can before I decide to do that. That way, I'll be prepared for any trainer that comes my way. I may stay in Pallet Town for a small while to do that. It would be great if there were a few smaller tournaments out there for me to compete at in the meantime."

"I hear you!" Ritchie replied.

"What about you?" Ash asked curiously.

"I think I'm going to do the same thing as you," Ritchie said. "There is so much more left for me to do, but I need to get stronger so I'll be up to the challenge. I'll be in Kanto for a bit myself."

"So as of right now, we're just Pokemon Masters in progress," Ash stated.

"Yeah!" Ritchie replied before standing up and turning to Ash. "Train hard, and best of luck in everything!"

"Thanks a lot, Ritchie! You, too!" Ash replied before standing up also and shaking hands with Ritchie. The two then brought it in to an arm bump before releasing each other. Pikachu and Sparky shook each other's tails as a farewell.

"We'll see each other again, Ritchie! I'll see you later!" Ash said with a thumbs up.

"I know it! See you then! You, too, Pikachu!" Ritchie replied with a thumbs up also before he and Sparky turned to leave.

As Ash watched them go, a flood of memories was going through him as Pikachu climbed on his shoulder to watch. Ash suddenly remembered everything about what he did in the tournament. He remembered meeting Moltres and being chosen by the Elite Four to run the torch. He remembered his first match against Mandy. It started off really rough but ended well, and now Aerodactyl is in the care of his father for the time being. Dratini did incredible in the match against Jasmine. His match against Ritchie had been one of his closest calls so far. All of his battles meant a lot to him, but now it was time to move on now that it was over. Ash saw Ritchie turn in the direction of the exit, and then he was gone, and Ash breathed a sigh of contentment. That was that.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu cooed as it nuzzled its face against Ash, causing him to laugh happily.

Ash and Pikachu stayed in that position for a few seconds longer before they heard footsteps behind them. The two spun around to find Serena had just entered with Togepi in her arms. She had already been wearing her new clothes for a few days, but Ash now really took the time to notice it now that he was wearing new clothes, too. They looked really good on her. Ash almost couldn't hide the blush that was coming to his cheeks. Surprisingly, Pikachu didn't snicker at Ash this time.

"Hey there, Serena. Hey Togepi What's up?" he asked them.

"TogeToge!" Togepi chirped

"Heehee! Togepi's trying to say everyone is packed up now. We were all wondering if you were ready to leave yet," Serena replied with a slight giggle.

"Yeah. I'm good. I'll be right there," Ash said as he turned and leaned over the stadium railing with his arms folded.

Serena saw the look on his face and knew what he was thinking. Ash had been waiting to compete in a Pokemon League tournament his whole life. To have the event actually over now must have been a very strange feeling indeed. She set down Togepi next to Pikachu and joined him by the railing and mimicked his motions before staring out at the open field herself.

"It's hard to believe all that's happened so far in the past year with us," Ash said, confirming her thoughts.

"I know what you mean. You competed in your very first Pokemon League and won the Top Four, and I finally conquered the Battle Chateau despite my fear of not doing it in time, and we've met all of our amazing Pokemon and even made new friends," Serena agreed.

"Yeah. Now is the time this chapter of our life closed. A new one is about to begin!" Ash declared.

"So what now?" Serena asked him.

"Well, as I told Ritchie, I'm going to follow my dad's advice. I'm going to train as hard as I can and read all I can about Pokemon. I'm going to study my pokedex and encyclopedia as diligently as I can. My Pokemon and I are going to work together as a team and come up with great strategies and combinations with each other. We'll learn all sorts of things from each other that we couldn't learn before," Ash answered.

"You'll be Pokemon Master material before you know it," Serena finished before adding with a smile. "You know you have my support. I'll be with you to the very end."

"I know. I can count on you for anything, Serena," Ash said sincerely as he adjusted the new hat on his head.

"PikaPi!" Pikachu said.

"Togepriiiii!" Togepi added.

"Hahaha! You know it, guys!" Ash replied with a laugh. "I know you two will be here for me, too!"

Serena watched Ash with a smile on her face. This is when he would really start taking his Pokemon journey seriously. If he wasn't going to travel to other regions for a while, that would give her ample time to figure out what it was she wanted to make a career out of. The Battle Chateau was fun, but it just didn't last as long as she anticipated. The Pokemon world was huge, and there was definitely something out there for her. She was sure she would find something! Ash had given her the inspiration she needed!

"While you're doing that, I'll stay in Pallet Town with you and try to find my own goal," Serena said to Ash, voicing her thoughts.

Ash saw her looking at him before returning the smile. The truth was he had been a little worried about Serena. He knew that she was having a hard time after she conquered the Battle Chateau. It had been something she had been trying to finish just for him. Now she had reached the trial of figuring out what to do now. Calem had presented her with an article on Pokemon Performing, but she didn't know a whole lot about it since it was mainly a Kalos event. Despite this, Ash would support her no matter what. She didn't appear to be worrying about it, so neither would he!

"I know you'll find something Serena. You're too special to not find your true calling," Ash told her.

Serena found herself blushing at that statement, not that she tried to hide it anymore. It only made it all the better that Ash believed in her, also. They were definitely going to make it through their obstacles together!

"It's a promise," Serena stated. "With something as important as this, it needs to be sealed!"

"How should we do that?" Ash questioned.

Serena took a deep breath before saying her next sentence. The truth was that she had been really apprehensive about doing something like this even though she and Ash were together now. She remembered when she did this the first time, Ash didn't return it. Granted, he still needed to sort out his feelings for her at that time, but it still hurt. Would he do that again?

"Well," Serena began as she held her hand over her heart and glanced to the side as her blush only became heavier. She was having trouble finding the right words.

Ash continued to look at Serena. He knew for a fact she wasn't talking about a handshake so what could it be? He knew he was still a little dense, but he was determined to figure out what it was Serena was wanting to do. She was his girlfriend, and he needed to stop being so blind to what it was she wanted! He searched her body language for any types of clues.

Let's see. She was blushing heavily. She looked really nervous. Her feet were shuffling back and forth. It was at that moment that he noticed the biggest clue: she was staring at his mouth.

"Serena, I think I know what it is you are trying to say, and I'll be happy to finish it for you," Ash said. "Why don't we seal our promise to each other with a kiss?"

Serena felt like she could leap for joy after hearing that. She had been unable to say it herself, but Ash had finally been the one to suggest it. They were going to do it! This was it!

"Definitely!" Serena agreed happily. It was really hard to contain her joy right now. "Let's do it!"

Ash then turned and nodded to Pikachu and Togepi. "Why don't you two go get the others and tell them to come meet us here? We're almost finished."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu responded with a thumbs up. It took the hint. The yellow rodent took Togepi by the hand and walked off with it out of the stadium. It was wondering when those two would finally work up enough to courage to do something like that.

Ash turned back to Serena and saw her watching him. There was a slight breeze outside right now which was causing her hair to flow a little bit. She had her hands back and was apparently waiting to see what his next move was. Ash didn't know how to put it, but she looked even more beautiful than usual right now. Was it because of what he was about to do?

"Alright, Serena. This will seal our vow to become the best we can possibly be, no matter what we do. Whatever that may be, we'll do it together. Are you ready?" Ash asked her.

"Yes. We'll become stronger together," Serena answered. "I'm not nervous about what the future holds for me as long as I have you."

"Neither am I," Ash replied as he took a step forward and leaned in a little.

"Ash…," Serena breathed. She leaned a little, too.

"Serena…," Ash muttered.

They both then took another step until they were touching. They closed their eyes before going in the rest of the way. At last, the two kissed each other.

It was delicate but firm. As soon as their lips touched, the two felt like they were on top of the world right now. Nothing could possibly spoil this moment. It was like nothing could ever bring them down. Ash and Serena were completely overcome with emotion. Ash felt himself wrap his arms around Serena's waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. Their hearts felt like they would explode right now. This was their moment. All they felt was pure joy and bliss.

After that amazing moment, the two finally broke contact and leaned their foreheads against the other, staring into the other's eyes. Their arms were still wrapped around the other, and they breathed a sigh of contentment. If anything, their feelings for each other had only grown stronger just now. They had finally done it. They kissed, and they couldn't feel any happier. They both suddenly said the only thing they could say after doing something so meaningful.

"Ash, I love you," Serena said serenely.

"I love you, too, Serena," Ash replied with equal contentment before continuing, "We're in this together."

"Yes. We are," Serena answered as tears came to her eyes.

They then broke away from each other. They stared for a moment longer before they heard what sounded like more footsteps entering the stadium. The two looked over the railing and saw all their friends coming in. Delia, Brock, Misty, Leaf, Professor Oak, Pikachu, and Togepi were all were there. They nodded to the two. Ash in particular smiled at this. All the people who loved and supported him were here now. Ash finally turned and nodded to Serena.

"Ready to head back to Pallet Town, Serena?" Ash asked with determination.

"You bet!" Serena replied.

The two then grabbed each other's hands and ran towards their friends. Pikachu and Togepi started running to them soon after. Ash and Serena had their goals set and sealed it with a kiss. Serena was going to study as much as she could and was determined to find her true calling in life, no matter what it would be.

Ash was going to begin taking things more seriously now. He had learned so much this first year on his Pokemon journey, and now he could build upon that. There was so much more out there that he needed to know, and as his dad said, he would only keep learning as he went along. Even though Ash lost one crucial match in the Pokemon League, he won a whole lifetime of memories, and they were going to be a reminder of his determination to be the best there ever was. It was all part of the road to becoming a Pokemon Master.

* * *

><p><strong>In regards to the future of this story and its updates, the first thing I would like to say is that there will no longer be any weekly updates. I received a promotion at work, and with promotions, come a lot more work and less free time, and my time is already limited enough as it is. I will TRY to keep a bi-weekly update, but there are no promises at all so don't hold your breath. With that being said, this can come as somewhat of a blessing, too. I will be able to put a lot more time and thought in my chapters, thus, creating better writing for everybody. That being said, there should be an update at least twice a month, and I certainly don't plan to abandon this story. I'm still going strong and want to keep it that way! Hopefully, the Orange Islands won't take me too long to write. It will only have about 15-20 chapters. Then I can get to Johto which I'm really excited for with what I have planned for that arc.<strong>

**Also, I've had a lot of people request to give more time to side characters, namely Brock and Misty. That will certainly be done, too! Well, with the exception of Brock in the Orange Islands because he will be gone throughout most of that arc. I will be looking forward to developing both of their characters in the coming arcs so expect that. **

**The first chapter of the Orange Islands arc will be up roughly a month from now, but I don't have a set date. The best way to know the day I post the first chapter is to follow or favorite me as an author so you can keep track of when I post a new story on this website. Either that, or you can just check the website everyday which might be a bit of a hassle. Remember, if you ask a question, I will ONLY accept Orange Island League questions. Anything else will probably be ignored as I said in Chapter 55.**

**Last but not least, thank you all for the wonderful support of this story which is what drove me to complete the Kanto arc! You were all extremely awesome! I never would've dreamed I would get over 2500 reviews. This milestone has now been reached and I only hope to get better from here on out now that I've had a little experience as a writer. Please continue to show your support as I continue to complete this big project. I understand I gained and lost readers during this time, but to those of you who were here since the beginning (or close to it) and still are, you guys are the best! Thank you so much for discovering this story and watching me evolve as a writer by posting compliments or critiques or just reading it in general. For that, I want to do a special shout out to all of you, or at least the people who took the time to review almost every chapter! Thank you all so much! I have plenty of people whom I know has been here forever, but I would feel bad if I missed someone so make sure you just say so in a PM or a review and I will add you ASAP to my list.**

**See you all in the Orange Islands Arc! **

**Next time: (A New Adventure Begins…)**

**LOL just like the anime!**

**Answering the Questions:**

_Would have Paul and Damian meet up somehow?_

_**No. Damian was pretty much taken care of back in Chapter 27.**_

_Will they learn a little about Paul's past during the Battle Frontier arc?_

_**Not until Sinnoh**_

_How will Charizard take this loss to someone like Paul?_

_**Not too well, but it'll get over it.**_

_Can you make guys like Serena?_

_**If I do they won't get far. Serena is loyal to Ash.**_

_Will Ash adopt some of Paul's advice, to train his team harder?_

_**Yes.**_

_Since Team Rocket, the executives, and Giovanni (and possibly Damien) are still on the loose, when will they reappear?_

_**Johto arc**_

_When will ritchie appear again?_

_**Sometime after the Orange Islands arc**_

_When we see Paul again in Sinnoh, will his Electabuzz & Magmar be evolved like canon?_

_**Yes.**_

_Will Leaf and Ritchie get together?_

_**No. Just friends.**_

_Will Dratini have a crush on Ash like Bayleef?_

_**I wouldn't call it a crush that Dratini has on Ash, but it won't appreciate seeing Chikorita snuggle against him.**_

_With this being Pauls first journey though a region is he 11 like ash or is he older?_

_**He's the same age as Ash.**_

_My question is whether Ash is likely to win either the Johto or Hoenn Leagues?_

_**Maybe.**_

_Will Ash, Serena and Misty (since I know Brock won't be there) be bringing a full team of 6 with them to the Orange Islands?_

_**Full team of 6.**_

_After investing over a year into writing this story, are you happy with the final product?_

_**I normally don't answer questions like this in the story and prefer a PM, but since this is the last chapter, I'll answer it so you readers know how I feel about it.**_

_**Truthfully, yes. I am very satisfied with how this story turned out. That being said, there are a few things I wish I could change. My first few chapters would be less than atrocious, the Celedon Gym battle would be done differently as I feel that was my weakest gym chapter, and I would've given more character development to Brock and Misty. However, in the end, I regret nothing as I now I know not to make these mistakes in the future. That's why I'm changing nothing and even leaving the first few chapters the way they are. That way I can see how much I've progressed as a writer since I first started. I'm just impressed in general that I actually wrote a fanfiction of this magnitude. I didn't know I had it in me. :**_


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